Around Town

Perkins’ New Howe Innovation Center Accelerating Accessibility to Technology for Disabled

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Perkins SchoolOn May 5, Olin College of Engineering students came to campus to demonstrate their CLEW technology at Perkins School’s Howe Innovation Center. The following announcement was provided by Perkins School for the Blind:

Perkins School for the Blind announces the launch of the Howe Innovation Center at Perkins. Named in honor of Perkins’ forward-thinking founding director, Samuel Gridley Howe, the Center is designed to unlock the power of the entrepreneurial and disability communities to create purpose-built solutions for a more accessible world. Every day, entrepreneurs and designers work to incorporate technology into new products to benefit the growing disability population, which is estimated to be 1.85 billion people or approximately 15 percent of the global population. In the disability tech field, these companies are leveraging recent advances in natural language processing, computer vision, and wireless communication to unlock accessibility for people with disabilities.

Government

State Rep. Steve Owens Seeks Legislative Interns

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The following announcement was provided by State Rep. Owen’s Office:

Rep. Owens serves the 29th Middlesex District, which consists of Watertown and North/West Cambridge. It includes some of the country’s most significant cultural landmarks: Historic Brattle Street, the Perkins School for the Blind, Mount Auburn Cemetery, Fresh Pond Reservation, the Watertown Arsenal. It’s also a source of technological innovation, a center for education, and home to some of the most engaged and accomplished residents of the Commonwealth. Prior to his election to the legislature in 2020, Rep. Owens spent 20 years as a transportation consultant, where he developed freight and logistics data solutions for public and private sector clients. He has applied this expertise both to his work on the Watertown Transportation Task Force and now in the House, where he seeks solutions to improve access to public transportation while helping reduce the state’s carbon footprint.

Around Town

Get a Free Bike Check Up, Safety Tips & Info on Routes

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The following information was provided by Live Well Watertown:

NOTE: This event is postponed to the rain date on Saturday, June 17, 2023. Dig your bike out of the basement, garage, or shed and bring it down for a free mini bike/safety check-up with Urban AdvenTours! Meet representatives from Live Well Watertown, Watertown’s Bicycle & Pedestrian Committee, and the Watertown Transportation Management Association (WTMA) on Saturday, May 20, 2023, from 1:00 – 3:00 pm (Rain date 6/17) at Watertown Square Dock, Charles River Rd at the Galen St. Bridge. Learn about Watertown’s healthy living programs, advocacy efforts, and active transportation initiatives.

Entertainment

See Who’s Playing at the Summer Concert Series, Plus Music During the Farmers Market

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The following announcement was provided by the City of Watertown:

The Summer Concert Series offers free performances at Saltonstall Park, 149 Main Street, Watertown. The concerts take place immediately following the Watertown Farmer’s Market, from 6:30-8 PM. You are encouraged to bring chairs and blankets. Brought to you by the City of Watertown, Public Arts & Culture with help from the Department of Public Works. Along with the concert, enjoy “Music at the Market” featuring local musicians on Wednesdays from 3-5 PM.

Around Town

Celebration of Spring Herring Run at Watertown Dam

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The Charles River Watershed Association will celebrate the migration of herring up the Charles River in Watertown on Wednesday. The Spring Herring Run Celebration will be held on May 17 at 6 p.m. at the Watertown Dam. The CRWA sent out the following announcement:

Did you know, each Spring, thousands of migratory fish return to spawn in the lakes, ponds, and tributaries of our river? Join us for a short walk along the Charles River to witness this extraordinary migration + learn why we advocate for the removal of Watertown Dam to restore the ecosystem. Join us for a short walk along the Charles River to witness this extraordinary migration and learn why we advocate for the removal of Watertown Dam to restore the ecosystem. Speakers include River Science & Restoration Program Manager Lisa Kumpf, Climate Resilience Specialist Robert Kearns, and Hartman Deetz of the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe.

Schools

Watertown’s Musical Talent Showcased at MusicFest

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A Watertown student performs at MusicFest on April 28. The following piece was provided by Friends of Watertown Music:

After a pandemic-imposed hiatus, the Friends of Watertown Music was excited to revive its annual MusicFest tradition and on April 28th, and the community turned out to welcome its return! MusicFest celebrates music and musicians, through a presentation of short performances – each between 5 and 20 minutes long. This year’s attendees had the opportunity to choose among more than 40 acts across three spaces within the performance venue — Watertown Middle School. A dazzlingly wide variety of musical genres were featured, and performers and audience members alike spanned the decades.

Around Town

Our History: Society Works on Veterans’ Grave Registration Project

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Helen Learned’s gravestone in Common St. Cemetery (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 April 2011 newsletter, “The Town Crier.”

In the early 1930s, the American Legion veteran’s organization launched an effort to identify the gravesite of every deceased veteran buried in the United States and create a permanent record.

Entertainment

See How Small Saves Unwinds in This Week’s Cartoon

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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.”