Seniors Invited to the Council on Aging’s Farewell Summer BBQ

Join us at the Council on Aging (COA) Farewell Summer Barbecue (BBQ) for Watertown Seniors and their companion, presented by the City of Watertown, Department of Senior Services, Police Department, Fire Department and the Friends of the COA on Tuesday, August 29, 2023, from 3 PM – 6 PM. This is FREE for Seniors and will include BBQ grilled food and refreshments, live music, outdoor seating, parking available, Fire Truck and Police Utility Vehicle Showing, Officers on Bike and Fire Safety Convos. Call 617-972-6490 ahead of time if you need a ride. This is a rain or shine event with the BBQ catered meal served inside and the option to sit outside if the weather permits.

Register for Fall Classes at Mosesian Center for the Arts, Call for Photographs

Registration has opened for fall classes for youth and adults in visual and performing arts at the Mosesian Center for the Arts in Watertown. A call for art for a fall photography exhibition is also open, and onsite studio space is available for weekly use by local artists. Visual and Performing Arts Classes

Mosesian Arts offers over thirty performing and visual arts classes for children, teens, and adults. Visual arts classes include painting, drawing, printmaking, and mixed media for adults, and fiber arts, comics, jewelry making, and introductory classes for young artists. Classes in the performing arts include acting, voice, improv, playwriting, and technical theater.

LETTER: Library Trustee Candidate’s Priorities for the Next Term

Teddy Kokoros seeks a second term on the Watertown Board of Library Trustees. Dear Residents of Watertown,

My name is Theodore (Teddy) Kokoros and I am seeking reelection to the Watertown Free Public Library Board of Trustees. I want to begin this letter by expressing my gratitude to all the staff at The Watertown Free Public Library for their unwavering dedication and hard work. I’ve constantly been impressed by their dedication throughout my initial tenure as a trustee. Over the past few years, we encountered unforeseen challenges, with the most prominent being the COVID-19 pandemic.

Watertown Resident Named as a Big Brother of the Year, Has Volunteered for Five Years

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Massachusetts Names Xin Peng a Big Brother of the Year (Courtesy of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Massachusetts.)

The following information came from Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Massachusetts:

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Massachusetts (BBBSEM) has named Xin Peng, 29, of Watertown, as one of the agency’s 2023 Big Brothers of the Year. He is one of nearly 4,000 volunteers, referred to as Bigs, for the nonprofit who are committed to developing caring and life-altering one-to-one mentoring relationships with children. Peng was matched with his mentee, or Little, Alex Braga , in July 2018. Braga’s parents enrolled him in the nonprofit’s signature community-based program, for which adult mentors, referred to as Bigs, are paired with youth and meet for two to three hours, a couple times a month on outings of their choice, in order to provide him with the one-to-one attention he deserved as they were focused on caring for his younger brother with autism transition to a residential program. At the time, the 9-year-old was shy and hesitant to try new things.

LETTER: Watertown Historical Commission’ Streamlined Process Should be More Transparent

By Linda ScottWatertown Resident

So … is a Watertown City Council meeting hearing worth attending? I attended one last night on zoom … a shoutout to citizens who sat through it all for hours in real time in the Council Chambers. So, is it a “done deal” by the time it gets to the hearing? Hmmm … It was all about a move by the Historic Commission to streamline its process. Not a bad idea.

7 Watertown Students Make Dean’s List, Dozens of Local College Graduates

Clipartpanda.com

Watertown students earned academic honors at their college or university, and dozens earned a degree this spring. The following information was provided by the colleges and universities:

Dean’s List

Wentworth Institute of Technology

The following local students have made the dean’s list at Wentworth Institute of Technology for the Spring 2023 semester. Jack Edgely of Watertown, Mass. Maxwell Juscen of Watertown, Mass. James Walter of Watertown, Mass.

Assisted Listening Devices Available in Council Chambers in City Hall

Watertown City Hall

The following announcement was provided by the City of Watertown:

If you need assistance listening to any meeting in Council Chambers in City Hall, please ask the person running the meeting for a device when you enter the room. They will show you where you can borrow a device during the meeting. Also in Council Chambers are huge television screens that display all discussions in large type closed captions. Closed captions are a text version of spoken words. Closed captioning was developed to enable people with hearing impairments read the audio on that can’t be heard.

Gore Place Hosting Escape Room Inside the Historic House

Courtesy of Gore PlaceThe historic home at Gore Place will host an escape room on Aug. 24 and 25. The following announcement came from Gore Place:

On Thursday evening, August 24, and Friday evening, August 25, you and a group of friends can test your knowledge and puzzle-solving skills at our brand-new Escape Room inside the historic house at Gore Place! You will have thirty minutes to crack the code and escape the Oval Room in the 1806 mansion of Christopher and Rebecca Gore. “Parlor games, charades, and puzzles were popular in the early 19th century.