Entertainment

Check Out This Week’s Small Saves Comic, See Artist on Hockey Podcast

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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.”

James DeMarco appeared as a guest on Katelynn Reiss’ podcast, Our Kids Play Hockey podcast, which Best Hockey Podcast by The Sports Podcast Group! To see the Small Saves episode, please visit: https://www.ourkidsplayhockey.com/post/our-kids-play-hockey-an-interview-with-jay-demarco-creator-of-small-saves

Around Town

T Offers Marathon Monday Pass, Info on Race Day Service

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The MBTA announced service information and a special Commuter Rail fare for the day of the 2023 Boston Marathon. To find the best Marathon viewing location on the T, customers are encouraged to visit the MBTA’s Boston Marathon Guide at mbta.com/Marathon, which highlights MBTA stations closest to the Marathon route and includes helpful information on purchasing fares, parking, and more. $15 Commuter Rail Marathon Pass:

On April 17, the MBTA will offer a special $15 Marathon Pass valid for all-day, unlimited travel on all Commuter Rail lines through all zones. This special $15 Marathon Pass is available for purchase beginning April 10 through April 17 on the mTicket app and from ticket offices at North, South, and Back Bay Stations. The $15 Marathon Pass is also available aboard trains via cash or credit card on April 17 only.

Around Town

Registration Opens Soon for Recreation’s Spring Programs

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Spring is here, and the Watertown Recreation’s spring programs begin on May 1. Registration will open on Monday, April 17 at 6 p.m.

There are a variety of programs for children from age 3 through high school. Activities include multi-sports, crafts, volleyball, tennis, street hockey, painting/sculpting, and pickleball. For adults there is tennis, volleyball, and pickleball. See more details in the Spring Session Brochure..

Entertainment

Revels Names Debra Wise as New Associate Artistic Director

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The following information was provided by Revels:

Watertown-based Revels, Inc. is pleased to announce the appointment of Debra Wise as its new Associate Artistic Director. Co-Founder and former Artistic Director of Cambridge’s Underground Railway Theater @ Central Square Theater and an artistic leader at Central Square Theater, Ms. Wise has established herself in the Boston area and nationally as a director, actor, educator, writer, and cultural organizer with a talent for engendering community collaborations and creating safe places to discuss challenging issues through art. She is also currently the Program Director of Catalyst Collaborative @ MIT, a partnership between MIT and Central Square Theater with a mission to foster interdisciplinary conversation at the intersection of art and science. Ms. Wise’s appointment as Associate Artistic Director comes in anticipation of the 2024 retirement of Revels Artistic Director Patrick Swanson, who leaves the position after over 30 years with Revels. She looks forward to transitioning into the role of Interim Artistic Director over the course of the next year and working with the Revels community to carry forward the legacies of its first two Artistic Directors, John Langstaff and Patrick Swanson, as the organization looks for its next permanent artistic leader.

Around Town

Watertown City Manager Signs Pledge to Help Monarch Butterflies

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The City of Watertown provided the following information:

City Manager, George Proakis, signed the Mayors’ Monarch Pledge on March 30, 2023! 

The City pledges to do action items that focus on to support and expand monarch conservation city wide! 

The City already has been doing some action items in 2022 and for 2023, this will be expanded to do more such as communicating about monarch conservation, opportunities to do some community focused programs and demonstrations, and encourage changes in reducing pesticide use. Come join and be part of the larger conservation efforts for pollinator species! For any questions/comments, you can contact Katie Swan at kswan@watertown-ma.gov.

Around Town

Watertown Consulting Firm Named Small Business Administration Microenterprise of the Year

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Sarah Scala’s consulting business was named the Small Business Administration’s Microenterprise of the Year. She lives in Watertown. The following announcement was provided by the Small Business Assocaition:

The Small Business Administration (SBA) has named Sarah A. Scala of Watertown Consulting the 2023 Microenterprise Business of the Year for Massachusetts

Sarah Scala earned a reputation for being a results-driven leader, recognized for helping clients reach their highest potential – by increasing revenue, reducing turnover, increasing inclusion, elevating business profitability, and building competencies. “This is a SCORE Success Story all about helping an entrepreneur became a sustainable small business owner,” said District Director Robert Nelson. “From first helping Sarah obtain an EIN when first starting out — to supporting her relocation from New Hampshire to Cape Cod to Boston; SCORE provided her with specialized support every step of the way, helping her reach new heights.

Around Town

Watertown City Clerk Available to Perform Weddings

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The City of Watertown sent out the following information:

We are excited to announce that after a long hiatus, the City Clerk’s office will start performing wedding ceremonies again at City Hall beginning May 1, 2023! For couples seeking a short and simple wedding ceremony, the City Clerk’s office will offer the ability to be married by one of our on-staff Justices of the Peace here at City Hall. Please contact the City Clerk’s Office at 617-972-6486 or cityclerk@watertown-ma.gov to inquire.

Around Town

LETTER: Residents Ask Council to Increase Linkage Fee to $15/Sq. Ft.

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Note to reader: There has been a lot of talk recently in Watertown about the need for more affordable housing. One thing everyone in Watertown can do to help build more affordable housing is to attend the City Council Meeting on 4/11 at 7:00 PM and voice their support for proposed linkage fee ordinance that would raise money for affordable housing by applying a modest fee to new large non-residential developments in the city. While there is some debate about the exact fee amount (below is a copy of our letter to the City Council outlining the case for a $15/sqft fee), the most important issue to make sure the linkage fee is implemented as soon as possible, so we do not lose out on any more funds for affordable housing. 

Dear City Council President Sideris and City Councilors Gardner, Feltner, Piccirilli, Izzo, Airasian, Bays, Gannon, and Palomba:

We applaud the City Council’s efforts to promote affordable housing, first by establishing the Watertown Affordable Housing Trust and now by working with our state delegation to establish a linkage fee to directly fund affordable housing development. As the council considers enactment of the linkage fee, we urge the council to adopt a linkage fee of $15 per square foot, which our technical analysis below shows is in line with recent increases in residential construction costs not measured by the original Nexus study published last year. The Nexus study published last April recommended the council consider a linkage fee in the range of $9.44 to $11.12, which balances raising revenue for affordable housing while maintaining Watertown’s competitive position in the commercial (mainly focusing on life sciences) development space.