Around Town

Youth Sports Grants Available From Watertown Community Foundation

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The Watertown Community Foundation (WCF) announces the 2023 application process is now open for Youth Sports Leagues Grants. These grants provide funding to eligible organizations to offer scholarship support to Watertown youth from kindergarten to high school. Examples of programs eligible for Youth Sports Leagues Grants include:

• Baseball/Softball• Football/Cheerleading• Soccer• Basketball• Lacrosse• Hockey

WCF Youth Sports Leagues Grants will help pay for sports registration fees or equipment for student athletes who otherwise cannot afford to play. “Many children cannot participate in organized sports due to the cost and some of the volunteer youth league coaches assume the added burden of paying player’s fees themselves.” said Mary Ann Mulligan, WCF Board Co-President. The goal is to help reduce financial barriers and allow more Watertown youth to participate in team sports.

Around Town

UPDATED: OP-ED: Resident Calls for Celebrating Watertown’s History, Avoid Becoming “Anywhere, USA”

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(The author has responded to some of the comments from the original Op-Ed posted on Feb. 8, 2023, see them after the letter:)

First, I want to thank the watertownmanews and the Historical Society of Watertown and Joyce Kelly, in particular, for this Saturday’s trip into Watertown’s past. It seems sometimes that the City of Watertown is engaged in such a head spinning rush to blandness and “anytown-ness” that in the words of Joni Mitchell, “We won’t know what we’ve got till it’s gone.”

In June 2022, Clyde Younger and I presented a proposal that would require a study of old buildings on Main Street, and one in particular (104-106 Main), to see if a local historic district was appropriate. The City Council, without much discussion, unanimously voted down our proposal for a study, one councillor even remarking that there are no old buildings on Main Street. Having been turned down for a historic study of one of the oldest and most historic cities and on one of the oldest and most historic streets in North America, I decided that I would do a study myself.

Around Town

Community Meeting About Saltonstall Park Project

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The following announcement came from the City of Watertown:

There is an Upper Saltonstall Project Community Meeting on Thursday, February 23, 2023 at 5:30 PM. Please join us via ZOOM https://watertown-ma.zoom.us/j/81177139425

For additional information, please contact Bob Dirico at rdirico@watertown-ma.gov or 617-972-6420.

Around Town

OBIT: Michael Driscoll, 70, Served as Watertown Town Manager for 29 Years

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Michael Driscoll

The following information came from Nardone Funeral Home:

Michael J. Driscoll, Retired Watertown City Manger, Age 70, of Watertown & East Dennis, passed away surrounded by his loving family on Saturday February 11, 2023. Beloved husband of Jane (Ohnemus) Driscoll. Loving father of Amy Driscoll & her partner John Indeck, Allison Privitera & her husband David, Aileen Driscoll, Sarah Giorgio & her husband Nicholas. Cherished ‘Papa’ to Charlie Driscoll, Lola Giorgio and the newest arrival Brooks Giorgio. Dear brother of Brian, Paula Wheeler, Mark, Peter, Leanne Norris.

Around Town

LETTER: Medicare Advantage Helps Seniors Stay Active, Healthy

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Dear Editor,

As I recently read in a news article, happiness spikes in our 70s. Seniors are staying healthier and living longer than ever before, and they enjoy their retirement years with lots of free time to spend with friends and family. However, there are health complications that come with age, and that is why it is important for seniors to have quality health insurance. For me and over 30 million other seniors and people with disabilities, Medicare Advantage delivers affordable access to care. My Medicare Advantage plan prioritizes preventative care, so that my older years are spent less frequently in hospitals.

Around Town

Our History: Tour the Inside and Out of the Home of One of Watertown’s Famous Architects

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Charles Brigham House, 84 Garfield Street, 2nd story lost in hurricane of 1938 (Courtesy of Sigrid Reddy Watson)

The following story is part of a series about local history. It was written by Sigrid Reddy Watson Terman for the October 2000 Historical Society newsletter, The Town Crier. Sigrid is a former Board member and former President of the Historical Society, as well at a former Director of the Watertown Free Public Library. For several years starting in 1997, she wrote a Watertown history column for the Watertown TAB/Press called “Echoes.”

CHARLES BRIGHAM’S HOUSES GRACE GARFIELD STREET

Recently I had the pleasure of seeing both the exterior and the interior of Charles Brigham’s house on Garfield Street at the invitation of Wilga Rivers, the present owner. It sits on a large lot, and retains many of the features for which Brigham was renowned.

Entertainment

Small Saves Deals with the Deep Freeze in This Week’s Comic

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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.”

Sports

Skate-a-Thon Raising Money for Watertown Youth Hockey, Honoring Mom Who Passed Away

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The following announcement was provided by Watertown Youth Hockey:

Watertown Youth Hockey invites the community to come out and support our annual Skate-a-Thon fundraiser. Our players will skate 50 laps in 50 minutes! The event will take place on Tuesday, February 14th at the John A. Ryan Arena. 

Our youngest skaters in the Learn to Play program and Mites will skate at 6:30 p.m. and the Squirts, Peewees and the Middle School Team at 7:30 p.m. 

This year our hockey moms will take the ice for a lap in honor of Jami Curley, beloved hockey mom and cherished member of the Watertown community, who passed away in January. Please join us in remembering and honoring Jami at 7:30 p.m.

Come cheer on our skaters or make a donation online at watertownyh.com, click the red donate button on right hand side. Refreshments and 50/50 raffle are also available for purchase! Watertown Youth Hockey is dedicated to providing a high quality, positive, hockey experience for our local youth, while establishing value-based life lessons including sportsmanship, teamwork, and dedication.