Watertown News (https://www.watertownmanews.com/author/guest-writer/page/245/?sfw=pass1705501616)
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.”
The following announcement was provided by the City of Watertown:
Watertown’s Community Preservation Committee is pleased to announce that the Commonwealth has released $203,645 more to Watertown’s Community Preservation Fund, bringing the total annual state match to $956,905 for our City. These resources are a supplemental distribution from $20 million in state surplus funds for Community Preservation Act (CPA) communities in fiscal year 2022. State matching funds come from fees assessed on certain real estate transactions through the registration of deeds. For the past fiscal year, the state match equaled 38.5 percent of the CPA funds raised locally. Mark Kraczkiewicz, current chair of the CPC, said, “These matching state funds of nearly a million dollars confirm the wisdom of Watertown voters when they adopted the CPC.
Watertown City Manager will be available to speak with the public during an event focusing on District A in the East End of Watertown on Jan. 18. A similar meeting was previously held in District D in November. The City of Watertown sent out the following announcement:
Please join us at the District A Meet and Greet with City Manager George Proakis on Wednesday, January 18, 2023 from 6:30-8:30 PM at the Hosmer School Cafeteria, 1 Concord Road, Watertown, MA.
The Watertown Business Coalition will be hosting a coffee connect on the morning of Jan. 18. The group sent out the following information:
Come out and network with members of the Watertown business community, local non-profits and others on Wednesday, Jan. 18 from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.
This month’s Coffee Connect will be hosted by a business that has been a fixture in Watertown for decades — Eastern Clothing. Hear from owner John Airasian, who is also a Watertown City Councilor.
Clementina Chery will be the keynote speaker at the 2023 Watertown Unity Breakfast. The following information was provided by the Unity Breakfast Committee:
The Watertown Annual MLK Day Unity Breakfast will be held virtually on Monday, January 16, 2023 at 10 a.m. You are invited to join together to honor the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. and other civil rights leaders and to celebrate our commitment to an inclusive and diverse community. Our Keynote Speaker this year is Chaplain Clementina Chery, the founder, President and CEO of the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute (LDBPI), a center of Healing, Teaching, and Learning for families and communities impacted by trauma, grief and loss. She is an inspiring speaker whose vision is to create and sustain an environment where all families can live in peace and to transform how we respond to violence. In addition to the Unity Breakfast’s traditional essay contest, which recognizes outstanding essays by high school and middle school students, in 2023, two Visionary Awards will be given to high school or middle school students who present their compelling vision for a more just and equal future in the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr and other civil rights leaders.
The City of Watertown provided the following announcement:
The Watertown Technology Department is proud to announce the award of $457,965 in Massachusetts Community Compact Grants in Fiscal Year 2023. The Community Compact Cabinet was established by the Baker-Polito Administration in January 2015 as one of its first actions after taking office, with the goal of strengthening the state’s partnership with cities and towns and to allow the Administration to work more closely with municipal leaders. Led by Lt. Governor Polito, the Cabinet champions municipal interests across all executive secretariats and agencies, and develops, in consultation with cities and towns, mutual standards and best practices for both the state and municipalities. Baker-Polito Administration Celebrates Community Compact Programs and Announces $7 Million in Fiscal Year 2023 Grants | Mass.gov
Watertown is grateful for the opportunity to participate in this amazing program and excited to complete the projects funded for FY 2023. The Watertown Technology Department received awards in three categories:
• Best Practices
• Information Technology
• Municipal Fiber
The Best Practices program is based on voluntary, mutual Community Compact agreements that individual cities and towns have entered into with the Commonwealth.
Watertown Fire DepartmentWatertown Firefighter James O’Connell, center, graduated from the State Fire Academy. He is pictured with Watertown Provisional Fire Chief Ryan Nicholson, left, and State Fire Marshal Peter Ostroskey. The Watertown Fire Department announced the graduation of Firefighter James O’Connell from the Massachusetts Fire Academy on Jan. 9. The Fire Department announcement said: “Please join us in congratulating Firefighter O’Connell on his graduation from the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy today in Stow, MA.
The following information was provided by the Wayside Youth and Family Support Network:
The Massachusetts Executive Office of Human Health Services (EOHHS) has awarded Wayside Youth and Family Support Network with a grant award of $580,500 under the Home and Community Based Services (HBCS) and Human Services Workforce Development Grant Program. This grant funds increasing stipends for master level interns during their internship and the costs associated with these recruitment efforts for two years. Wayside, like many human service agencies, looks to enhance our workforce as the demand for our services continues to outpace our ability to recruit and hire top talent employees, especially those who identify as Black, Indigenous, and/or People of Color (BIPOC). The demand for youth and young adult mental health services has dramatically increased due to the COVID-19 global health pandemic. Wayside continues to rapidly expand its services and geographic catchment areas.