Entertainment

Watertown Gallery Features Paintings Focusing on Relationship Between Humans and Nature

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Watertown’s Storefront Art Projects will host a reception for the opening of its latest show, “On the Edge” featuring the artworks of Anne Sargent Walker, on March 4 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

The gallery provided the following announcement:

Anne Sargent Walker’s luminous paintings are about nature and crisis and the fraught and fragile relationship between humans and the planet. There are birds and lush foliage and often the outline of a helpful or intervening human hand.  

She says, “My work is about the beauty, complexity, and fragility of nature and our complicated relationship with it. The surface of my paintings, with birds, flora or other creatures, often peels back, dissolves or drips to reveal layers underneath, suggesting the loss of habitats, species, the earth itself and of course us. “I want my paintings to be beautiful – to inspire the kind of love for nature that I feel.  And yet I want them to have some elements that are ugly, or out of place, or out of sync – something that makes people wonder- what is going on?

Schools

Watertown Student Makes UMaine’s Fall 2022 Dean’s List

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A student from Watertown made the Fall 2022 Dean’s List at the University of Maine. See the announcement below:

The University of Maine recognized 3,010 students for achieving Dean’s List honors in the fall 2022 semester. Of the students who made the Dean’s List, 1,983 are from Maine, 957 are from 45 other states and 70 are from 25 countries other than the U.S.

To be eligible for the Full-time Dean’s List, a student must have completed 12 or more calculable credits in the semester and have earned a 3.50 or higher semester GPA. Students who have part-time status during both the fall and spring semesters of a given academic year are eligible for Part-time Dean’s List. They must have completed 12 or more calculable credits over both terms and have earned a combined GPA in those terms of 3.50 or higher.

Schools

Record Amount of Grants for Watertown Schools from Life Science Companies

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The following information was provided by the Watertown Community Foundation:

The Watertown Community Foundation (WCF) in collaboration with Life Sciences Cares and five Watertown-based life science companies has awarded record setting $45,000 in grants for Watertown Public Schools. Now in its second year, the STEM Fund, continues to build on Watertown Community Foundation’s annual school-based educational grants program to support instruction and learning in and beyond the classroom. Support from five corporate contributors — C4 Therapeutics, Enanta Pharmaceuticals, Kymera Therapeutics, Landmark Bio and Vigil Neuroscience, Inc. — and Life Science Cares, increased the foundation’s capacity to provide greater financial support for science, technology, engineering, and math programming. “With this support, our students are extending what they learn in the classroom by engaging in real science facilitated by experts from the greater Watertown community.  We can bring hands-on programs that spark their curiosity, and the students are excited to find out more.” said Elizabeth Kaplan, Math/Science Coordinator for grades K-7, Watertown Public Schools. This collective giving program also allows companies, leaders, and employees in the burgeoning Watertown life sciences field to learn about Watertown Public Schools and forge deeper relationships with the school STEM community.

Entertainment

YardArt Returns in 2023, Two Upcoming Events to Help Inspire You

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YardArt Watertown”PaTRASHia” was one of the pieces made for Watertown’s YardArt. The following information was provided by YardArt Watertown:

YardArt Watertown, the popular outdoor public art exhibition featuring the work of residents, artists and art enthusiasts who live or work in Watertown, returns this year for the entire month of April. The town-wide exhibit begins Saturday, April 1st and runs through Sunday, April 30th, and features a variety of artful and whimsical projects displayed on residents’ front yards and porches. All Watertown residents, families, organizations, clubs, classes, artists, and businesses are invited to create something to be viewed from the street or sidewalk. It can be an assemblage, a sculpture, an art project, a lighting arrangement—let your imagination run free!

Entertainment

Mosesian Center Hosts Heart Truth: Mental Health Stories from the Deaf Community

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The following announcement was provided by DEAFinitely, Inc.:

The Dorothy and Charles Mosesian Center for the Arts — DEAFinitely, Inc. and This Is My Brave (TIMB) present the groundbreaking show “This Is My Brave – Heart Truth: Mental Health Stories from the Deaf Community.” For one night only, 13 Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing storytellers will share their personal stories of mental illness and recovery to break down stigma, uncover access barriers in the mental health system and celebrate the resilience of the Deaf community using American Sign Language storytelling, art, and dance. Featuring storytellers not only from New England, but from across the US, Canada and Nigeria, this live stage production will center on the storytellers, their stories and the deep understanding that there is a significant need for an evening like this in the Deaf community. To achieve this production, the Heart Truth Production Team, led by DEAFinitely, Inc. Executive Director, Jamie Robinson and show Director, Shira Grabelsky, are working with The Mosesian Center for the Arts to design a theater experience for storytellers that is seamless in communication and accessibility. The show will be primarily in American Sign Language, with Deaf and Deafblind interpreting to ensure full access for the cast and audience members. Captioning and spoken language interpretation will also be available in English and Spanish.

Around Town

Watertown Group Sends Relief Supplies Earthquake Victims in Syria

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Sue-Ellen Hershman-TcherepninSupplies collected to send to the survivors of the earthquake in Syria. The following announcement was provided by the Watertown Citizens Refugee Support Group:

Throughout the past month, members of Watertown Citizens Refugee Support Group (a working group of Watertown Citizens for Peace, Justice & the Environment) have been gathering a variety of emergency supplies to send to Syria via Turkey. Spearheaded by RSG member Diane Crowley, the most recent effort culminated in a bursting carload of supplies delivered by member Youla Hana this past Saturday to the Burlington drop-off point for Nu Day Syria. Youla delivered numerous boxes and bags, including donated diapers, women’s hygiene products, first-aid items, OTC medications, pediasure nutritional drinks, non-perishable food, and new-only clothing and shoes. (Unfortunately Turkey is no longer accepting any used clothing, regardless of the condition.)

Operating out of New Hampshire, Nu Day Syria has been collecting, packing and sending shipping containers of supplies to crisis and war-torn areas for over 10 years.

Around Town

Heart Disease Awareness & Prevention from Mount Auburn Hospital

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Learn the symptoms of heart disease and what you can do to prevent it

Whether it’s from everyday deadlines, financial struggles, or the COVID-19 pandemic, stress shows up in life. Your body reacts to it and your health suffers – especially your heart. 650,000 Americans die from heart disease every year. “Stress plays a critical role in heart disease. Stress can contribute to high blood pressure, diabetes, atherosclerosis, all of which can hurt your heart,” said Kyle Pond, MD, Chief of Cardiology at Mount Auburn Hospital and an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. One in nine Americans have been diagnosed with heart disease.

Around Town

OP-ED: How Safe is Watertown from a Bio Lab Emergency? Part 4: Conclusions

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By Linda ScottWatertown Resident

A Thank You

First, if you have been following this series, you know that many people have dedicated their time to helping Watertown residents understand this issue. I thank Provisional Chief Nicholson, Director of Health Larry Ramdin, industry professionals, including Heather McManus, for context on the biotech industry, and the volunteer BioSafety Committee for literally showing us how it’s done. I entered this process with some serious questions about how we were handling our new (and potentially dangerous) corporate neighbors. I have learned that the Fire Department, with the help of a new Lab Safety Fire Captain is “on it” and that the BioSafety Committee, with their tremendous knowledge in the Life Sciences field is tirelessly committed to making this new venture work and work safely for Watertown, despite persistent information sharing problems with the Health Department. (See BioSafety Meeting Feb.