Schools

First Richard Marcus Scholarships Awarded to 2 Watertown Students

By |

Richard Marcus

The following letter was provided by the The Richard Marcus Scholarship Committee:

Dear Editor,

We, the Scholarship Committee, congratulate the recipients of The Richard Marcus Scholarship.  Richard Marcus was a local political activist. He was a real estate agent who, with his wife, Mary, raised their four children in town. 

Born in Boston, Richard’s parents came to America from Austria and Germany as World War II refugees. He never forgot what the United States of America did for his family and wanted to ensure that its greatness was shared by all. 

He made his first foray into community improvement through the schools. He worked with other parents to improve the education for their children with learning disabilities. Today, Watertown children with ADHD, dyslexia, autism and other learning challenges continue to benefit from this work. He supported several progressive causes, including Progressive Mass and criminal justice reform, and several progressive candidates. Through this work, he also mentored a future state senator and state representatives. Richard unexpectedly passed away on April 24, 2019. He left behind many friends, a strong community of like-minded individuals, and a grieving family who loved him tremendously. This scholarship was created to honor his legacy. On May 25th, Zuhayr Masud and Thandiwe Baker were each awarded $2,500. Zuhayr submitted a powerful essay. He has strived to overcome challenges, and continues to succeed. He will attend Wesleyan University in the fall and has several academic interests. In addition to being self-employed, he is the class president, belongs to various school clubs and activities, advocated for Watertown teachers during their strike, worked on the state’s Fair Share Amendment campaign, and led the effort to make prom tickets more affordable in order to make Prom more accessible.  Zuhayr walks the walk when it comes to equity, commitment and community.

Around Town

Civil War Clergy at Mount Auburn Cemetery: Rev. John William Dadmum

By |

Rev. John William Dadmum

By Bill McEvoy

In honor of Memorial Day, local historian Bill McEvoy has compiled histories of some of the Civil War clergy who are buried at Mount Auburn Cemetery. This is part 1o of 15. Reverend John William Dadmun, was born December 20, 1819, at Hubbardston, Massachusetts. He died August 6, 1890, at Deer Island, Massachusetts, from Apoplexy. He received his early education at Wesleyan Academy, at Wilbraham, Mass.

Around Town

Civil War Clergy at Mount Auburn Cemetery: Rev. Arthur Lawrence

By |

Rev. Arthur Lawrence

By Bill McEvoy

In honor of Memorial Day, local historian Bill McEvoy has compiled histories of some of the Civil War clergy who are buried at Mount Auburn Cemetery. This is part nine of 15. Reverend. Arthur Lawrence was born on August 22, 1842, at Brookline, Massachusetts. He died September 20, 1909, in Ipswich, Massachusetts, of Meningitis.

Around Town

Cartoon: See What Inspired Small Saves to Play So Well

By |

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.”

Around Town

Civil War Clergy at Mount Auburn Cemetery: Rev. John Pierpont

By |

John Pierpont

(NOTE: The story was updated on May 27, 2023)

By Bill McEvoy

In honor of Memorial Day, local historian Bill McEvoy has compiled histories of some of the Civil War clergy who are buried at Mount Auburn Cemetery. This is part eight of 15. Reverend John Pierpont was born on April 6, 1785, at Litchfield, Connecticut. He died on August 27, 1866, at Medford, Massachusetts, from heart disease. He graduated from Yale in 1805 and went to South Carolina and acted as a private tutor to the family of Colonel William Allston.

Around Town

Civil War Clergy at Mount Auburn Cemetery: William Augustus Start

By |

Rev. William Augustus Start

By Bill McEvoy

In honor of Memorial Day, local historian Bill McEvoy has compiled histories of some of the Civil War clergy who are buried at Mount Auburn Cemetery. This is part seven of 15. Reverend William Augustus Start was born on March 1, 1837, in Camden, Maine. He died, on March 4, 1897, in Boston Massachusetts, from multiple injuries caused by a gas explosion at the intersection of Tremont and Boylston Streets. 

He was a passenger on a horse-drawn trolley. The explosion came from below the Streets where the new underground electric trolley tunnel was being constructed.

Around Town

Film About Women Who Keep Haitian Markets Running to be Shown at Watertown Library

By |

A film about the women who worked to keep markets in Haiti stocked and operating will be show followed by a Q&A at the Watertown Free Public Library on Saturday, May 27, at 4:30 p.m.

The documentary, Madan Sara, was created by Haitian journalist Etant Dupain to highlight the lives and struggles the Madan Saras face in Haiti. The film’s director and one of the co-producers will be on hand to speak with attendees of the screening. The event announcement said:

The women known as Madan Sara in Haiti work tirelessly to buy, distribute, and sell food and other essentials in markets through the country. The documentary tells the stories of these indefatigable women who work at the margins to make Haiti’s economy run. Join co-executive producer Lulaine Childs and director Etant Dupain following the film!

Around Town

Civil War Clergy at Mount Auburn Cemetery: Samuel Higginson

By |

Samuel Storow Higginson

By Bill McEvoy

In honor of Memorial Day, local historian Bill McEvoy has compiled histories of some of the Civil War clergy who are buried at Mount Auburn Cemetery. This is part six of 15. Samuel Storrow Higginson was born March 22, 1841, in Roxbury, Massachusetts. He died on April 10, 1907, of myocardial degeneration, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 

He graduated from Harvard College with a Bachelor of Arts in 1863, and a Master of Arts in 1866. Higginson studied under Henry David Thoreau.