Around Town

Find Out About Applying for Grants to Help Watertown Residents Age 55+

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The following announcement was provided by the Marshall Home Fund:

The Marshall Home Fund (MHF) is a community-based charitable foundation dedicated toserving Watertown residents aged 55 and older. We annually award modest program grants to public agencies, private non-profits, and town departments serving Watertown’s older adultpopulation. MHF also provides financial assistance grants to older residents in urgent need. MHF funds innovative projects and core services to support Watertown’s efforts to be an Age-Friendly Community — a place where older adults can live, thrive and contribute. Since itsinception in 2005, MHF has awarded over $1,000,000 in grants! Some of our recent grantrecipients include The Mosesian Center for the Arts, Metro West Collaborative Development,the Watertown Recreation Department, Perkins School for the Blind, Project Literacy, theSenior Center, and many others. 

The Marshall Home Fund would like to invite community members representing non-profit agencies and town departments to join us for a virtual Grant Information Session on Thursday, February 9th at 3:00 p.m. to hear about our 2023-2024 grant opportunities.

Around Town

City Encourages Residents to Return Census, Not Doing So Could Impact Voting Status

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The following announcement came from the City of Watertown:

The annual City Census will be arriving in your mailbox soon! Be sure to complete, sign and return your Census as soon as you receive it! 

Here is why your Census is so important:

Only a census form can update your census year.  If you do not return your annual census, your census year will not be current. Each June, any voter without a current census year will be classified as an “Inactive Voter,” regardless of whether they voted in a recent election. INACTIVE VOTERS ARE STILL VOTERS AND REMAIN ON THE VOTING LIST!!! What this means at the polls:

If a voter is inactive on Election Day, they must provide ID showing their Watertown address and sign an affidavit of continuous residence, swearing that they still live in the city.

Entertainment

More Artists Added to New Rep’s Love Weekend Concert

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The following information was provided by New Repertory Theatre:

New Repertory Theatre (New Rep) announced more artists performing in The Love Sampler afternoon shows, part of Valentine’s Love Weekend on Saturday, February 11 and Sunday, February 12, at the Mosesian Center for the Arts in Watertown.   

The hour-long Love Sampler, on Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. in the Black Box Theatre, celebrates love from different cultures and perspectives, showcasing theater and music from a variety of remarkable local talent, including: 

Terri Deletetsky and Maria Hendricks come together with an amazing musical collaboration which aims to reclaim our spiritual spaces. 

Valerie Stephens returns to the stage; this time In her role as actress writer storyteller. Here I Am is a solo moment of truth about aging with a little myth-busting in the process. 

Michael John Ciszewski will be sharing a portion of his third solo show, The Lovefool.  

Following The Love Sampler, internationally-acclaimed,pianist/keyboardistand multi-instrumentalist Yukihiro Kanesaka presents tributes to two of the most soulful, artistic voices of our time, by two of the Boston area’s greatest vocal talents:  

Donny Hathaway, featuring Leon Beal Jr. on Saturday, Feb. 11 at 7 p.m. and 

Roberta Flack, featuring Athene Wilson on Sunday, Feb. 12 at 2 p.m. 

Tickets are $20 for the Saturday afternoon shows, and $25 for the Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon shows. They are on sale now and can be purchased online at: newrep.org. 

ALSO COMING UP AT NEW REP: The Normal Heart, June 21 – July 9, A Raisin in the Sun, September 6 – October 1 in repertory with DIASPORA! September 13 – October 15. 

For more information or interviews with the artists or members of the New Rep artistic team, please contact: mariabasescu@newrep.org or 802-380-7028. 

About New Repertory Theatre

New Repertory Theatre (New Rep) has been an award-winning professional theatre company for 38 years, staging productions and events that speak to the vital ideas of our time. New Rep is emerging from the pandemic with a renewed commitment to inclusion, diversity, equity, accessibility, and accountability (IDEAA) infusing every aspect of the company’s work as it seeks to build community collaborations and give voice to the diverse interests of those communities. 

More information on New Repertory Theatre at www.newrep.org. 

Around Town

Tour One of Watertown’s Oldest Houses with the Historical Society

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Edmund Fowle House, home of the Historical Society of Watertown. The following information was provided by the Historical Society of Watertown:

The Historical Society of Watertown will be giving Open House tours at the Edmund Fowle House on Feb. 19. The house was built in 1771 and is one of the oldest remaining in Watertown. In 1775 it became the seat of government for the Provincial Congress, and was the location of the first treaty signing after the United States gained Independence.

Government

Watertown City Councilor Elected to Mass. Municipal Councilor’s Association Board

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Lisa Feltner seeks re-election as District B Town Councilor. District B City Councilor Lisa Feltner has been elected to serve on the board of the Massachusetts Municipal Councilor’s Association. The group provides opportunities councilors to network and share ideas, pursue educational opportunities, meet with state leaders and subject-matter experts, and participate in the advocacy work of the Massachusetts Municipal Association (MMA). The following announcement was provided by the MMA:

Member groups representing the state’s mayors, councillors, town managers and administrators, and select board members elected their 2023 officers at their annual business meetings held during the recent Massachusetts Municipal Association’s (MMA) Annual Meeting & Trade Show in Boston. Women Elected Municipal Officials (WEMO) also named its 2023 Steering Committee at its annual Leadership Luncheon during the MMA Annual Meeting.

Around Town

Our History: One of Watertown’s Oldest Houses Now Home to Law Office

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134 Main Street, photo taken in March 2004 (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 2004 newsletter, “The Town Crier”. 134 Main Street

Although many of the old houses of Watertown have been demolished to make way for “progress,” a few of these treasures have been saved by caring individuals with a soft spot for days gone by and an interest in what happened in the past.

Entertainment

See What Happening with Small Saves 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.”

Around Town

Watertown Recycling Center Closed During Cold Spell

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Watertown’s Recycling Center will be closed this weekend due to the frigid temperatures, according to the announcement from the Department of Public Works. See info below. Due to inclement weather, the Recycle Center will be closing today, Friday, February 3, 2023 at 1pm and will remain closed all of Saturday, February 4, 2023. The Recycle Center will reopen Tuesday, February 7, 2023. Thank you and stay warm.