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

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.

Celebration of Spring Herring Run at Watertown Dam

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.

Watertown’s Musical Talent Showcased at MusicFest

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.

Our History: Society Works on Veterans’ Grave Registration Project

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.

See How Small Saves Unwinds in This Week’s Cartoon

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.”

Final Part of Civil War Nurses of Mount Auburn Cemetery Features 3 Women

Anne Kendall Freitag

By Bill McEvoy

In honor of National Nurses Week, local historian Bill McEvoy has compiled histories of some of the Civil War nurses who are buried at Mount Auburn Cemetery. This is part seven of seven. Annie Frances Kendall Freitag:

Annie Frances Kendall Freitag was born in Boston on May 4, 1830. She was the daughter of Abel and Anne Mayo Richards Kendall. In 1856, Abel committed suicide, by hanging himself, in the attic of their Somerset Street home in Boston. His death notice stated that he was depressed and was losing his hearing.

Watertown Candidate Nomination Papers Available, See Deadlines

Charlie Breitrose

Watertown residents wishing to run for local office can now take out papers to run in the 2023 Watertown City Election, which will be held on Nov. 7. If there are enough candidates to require a Preliminary Election, that will be held on Sept. 19. The City Clerk’s Office provided the following information:

Offices on the Ballot

Any Watertown registered voter who is interested in running for office can visit the City Clerk’s Office beginning Friday, May 12, 2023 to pick up Nomination Papers for the offices of City Council President and member of the School Committee (1), Councilor-at-large (4), District Councilor (1 for each District), Board of Library Trustees (3) and School Committee (3) for the 2023 Municipal City Election.

Watertown Grad Named Co-Captain of UMass Lowell Field Hockey Team

Watertown’s Aurise Tattrie will be a co-captain of the UMass Lowell field hockey team in 2023. (Photo courtesy of UMass Lowell Athletics)

The following announcement was provided by UMass Lowell Athletics:

UMass Lowell Field Hockey Head Coach Shannon LeBlanc announced her team’s captains for the 2023 season. Rising-seniors Alissia de Vries (The Hague, Netherlands), Mirthe Gans (Tiel, Netherlands) and Aurise Tattrie (Watertown, Mass.) have all been named to the leadership role for the first time this year. “Ali, Aurise and Mirthe are fantastic leaders as individuals, but as a group, they will be very influential in our success this coming fall,” said LeBlanc. “They all have unique qualities that the team admires, but they are all passionate, love to win, and have a team-first mentality.