Around Town

Our History: Historic July 1776 Event Includes Descendant of Treaty Signer, Upcoming Event

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Rep. Henry Bear, Maliseet Tribal Representative to the Maine House of Representatives (Photo courtesy of Joyce Kelly)

This article is part of a series on local history provided by the Historical Society of Watertown. It was written by Joyce Kelly, Board member of the Historical Society of Watertown. Joyce writes articles for the newsletter and is the newsletter editor. This was published in our October 2014 newsletter, “The Town Crier.”

The Historical Society once again reenacted the reading of the Declaration of Independence from a Council Chamber window on the 2nd floor of the Edmund Fowle House, first done on July 18, 1776. We also celebrated the Treaty of Watertown, signed on July 19, 1776 in the Council Chamber of the Edmund Fowle House.

Entertainment

Small Saves Gets His Skates Sharpened in This Week’s Comic

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James DeMarco grew up in Watertown and became a goaltender at age 5. It’s his life’s passion to stand between the pipes and keep the puck out of the net. Combining this with the love of cartooning Small Saves emerged in 1991 and took on a life of his own. “To play goal – then come home and draw Small Saves — is my ideal definition of a good day.”

Schools

LETTER: Candidate Joins the Race for Watertown School Committee

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Jen Nicholson

Jennifer Nicholson for School Committee: 2023 Campaign Announcement

I am delighted to share that I will be running for one of the three School Committee seats up for election in November. I am a K-12 graduate of Watertown Public Schools and a strong proponent of public education. I’ve had the pleasure of working in a few different roles within our district, including last year as a Math Interventionist at Cunniff, where my own two children are rising third and fifth graders. I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Human Resources from Boston College and a Master of Arts in Elementary Education from Regis College, along with nine years of teaching experience. 

My candidacy is an extension of my ongoing civic engagement. Since the 2021 election, I maintained my leadership position with the Cunniff PTO and also joined a number of boards and committees, including Watertown SEPAC, Watertown Cable Access Corporation, Watertown Boys and Girls Club, and the WPS District Improvement 2.0 Team. Additionally, I collaborated with district leadership on a school lunch allergy initiative, which provides a meal option that is free of the top 9 major allergens and available daily at all three elementary schools.  

During my campaign, I look forward to sharing community building initiatives as well as outlining specific and actionable ways that I can help improve our district. As a School Committee member, I will also work to find new approaches to meaningfully engage the entire community and actively promote public dialogue. I plan to advocate that our School Committee members hold regular meetings (open forums) with the public, similar to what the charter requires of our City Councilors.  Personally, I commit to monthly opportunities to be available to listen to all stakeholders in this capacity, while also ensuring the public is well informed. I’m running for Watertown School Committee because I am a lifelong learner who is committed to giving back to our community. I value two-way communication so I will always prioritize community outreach and continuously work to find ways to increase public participation in decision-making. I look forward to many opportunities to engage with community members as well as continuing to collaborate to provide all of our children with the most meaningful and successful educational experiences possible. 

Jen Nicholsonnicholsonforwatertown@gmail.com

Around Town

Find Out What Happened in Watertown on July 18 & 19 at a Historical Society Event

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Photo by Charlie BreitroseBob Childs of the Historical Society of Watertown reads the Declaration of Independence in 2016 from the same spot it was first read in 1776, the second floor of the Edmund Fowle House. This year’s event will be at the Senior Center

The Historical Society of Watertown’s celebration of Treaty Day returns in-person in 2023, with an event at the Senior Center on July 18. The Historical Society sent out the following announcement:

Join us in the air-conditioned, Watertown Senior Center for the story in words and pictures behind Watertown’s first public reading of the Declaration of Independence and the signing of the Watertown Treaty between the Mi’kmaq and St. John (aka Maliseet) in Canada and the newly formed United States. The Treaty ofWatertown was the first international U.S. treaty.

Entertainment

Watertown Cable Show Celebrates Popeye’s 90th Anniversary

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The following information was provided by Fred Grandinetti:

To celebrate the 90th anniversary of Popeye the Sailor’s animated cartoon debut in July 2023 Drawing With Fred will be airing Popeye the Sailor Meets Ali Baba’s Forty Thieves. The Watertown Cable Access TV show, created by Watertown resident Fred Grandinetti, will show the special color cartoon produced in 1937 by The Fleischer Studios for Paramount Pictures. “It is twice as long as a regular short subject featuring multi-dimensional backgrounds,” said Grandinetti, who added that it was the second Popeye cartoon to be made in color, after 1936’s Popeye the Sailor Meets Sindbad the Sailor. The episode of Drawing With Fred will begin airing on July 10, and will run for two weeks on WCA-TV’s Public Channel (RCN Channel 3, Comcast Channel 9), and online (click here). Since his animated cartoon debut in 1933 Popeye has gone on to be featured in approximately 500 cartoons for both theater and television screens.

Around Town

Watertown Girl Representing Mass. at JDRF 2023 Children’s Congress

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Watertown’s Kate Putnam will be a Massachusetts delegate at the JDRF 2023 Children’s Congress. Pictured are the delegates from the 2019 conference. (Photo courtesy of JDRF). The following information was provided by JDRF:

Kate Putnam, age 14 of Watertown, MA, was chosen by JDRF, the leading global organization funding type 1 diabetes (T1D) research, to join a delegation of her peers and celebrity advocates in Washington, D.C., this summer at JDRF 2023 Children’s Congress from July 9-11. Kate will join more than 160 other youth from across the country to meet with their Members of Congress and other key decisionmakers to inform them of the critical role they can play in supporting the T1D community. 

Throughout the event, these youth — ages 4 to 17 — will participate in leadership and character-building programming, interact with T1D role models, and engage in a number of activities on the Hill, including attending a Senate hearing to share personal testimonies that highlight the challenges of living with T1D and the need for continued Federal funding through the Special Diabetes Program, or SDP (www.jdrf.org/get-involved/advocacy/special-diabetes-program). 

“When it comes to my experience with type 1, I have been extremely lucky to get the care and support that I need, but I still deal with a high degree of stress.

Around Town

Wayside Youth & Family Network Appoints New President, CEO

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The following announcement was provided by Wayside Youth & Family Network, which has locations around Eastern Massachusetts, including in Watertown:

After an extensive search process, Sara McCabe, LICSW was unanimously appointed by the Board of Directors to be Wayside’s new President and Chief Executive Officer, effective July 1, replacing long time CEO Eric L. Masi, Ed.D as he retires. Sara began her career at Wayside in 2003 as a residential counselor and teacher at Wayside’s special education school, Wayside Academy. Since then, she’s held many roles including Assistant Director of Wayside Academy, Training and Risk Management Director and Campus Director. In 2017 Sara was promoted to Vice President of Campus Services responsible for overseeing six adolescent residential programs, the Wayside Academy, and the psychiatric day treatment program at the Framingham Campus. In addition to her role as Vice President, Sara also oversaw the Marketing and Development Department and led the Agency’s 2020 Strategic Planning process. In September 2021 Sara was promoted to the agency’s first Chief Operating Officer charged with positioning the agency for continued growth in Central, Eastern and Northeastern Massachusetts.

Around Town

Learn New Skills at Workshops at Watertown’s Hatch Makerspace

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Watertown’s Makerspace has plenty going on in July, including sewing and bookbinding classes, along with drawing and collaging. The following information was provided by Hatch:

Introduction to the Sewing MachineMonday 7/10,  5-7pm

Learn how to use a sewing machine. We will cover the basics of threading a machine, changing stitches, tension, and several tips to get started.All sewing machines and materials will be provided by Hatch. This workshop is designed for sewing novices or beginners who need a refresher. Participants must be age 10 or older. Anyone under 12 must be accompanied by an adult.

Registration is required.