Entertainment

Gore Place Starts Multi-Sensory Tours for Children in January

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Gore PlaceGore Place estate hosts a variety of events. Here a sheepherder puts on a demonstration during the annual Sheepshearing Festival. The following information came from Gore Place:

Families are invited to participate in the history of Gore Place by experiencing what it was like to live there firsthand. Explore the life of an early 19th-century family through your senses. Visualize what it was like to dine with Christopher and Rebecca Gore, drink tea, and wear early 19th-century clothes.

Around Town

Health Grants Available from Mount Auburn Hospital

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The following information was provided by Mount Auburn Hospital:

As part of its longstanding commitment to the community, Mount Auburn Hospital announced plans to provide community health grants in the amount of up to $20,000 (each) to non-profit organizations that offer services in Arlington, Belmont, Cambridge, Somerville, Waltham and Watertown. “Mount Auburn Hospital is dedicated in its commitment to improving the physical and mental health and well-being of our community, and to reducing health inequities for our most vulnerable residents,” said Ed Huang, MD, interim president of Mount Auburn Hospital. “With participation from the community, we have identified critical health needs and will work to address them through our collaborative efforts with our community partners, supported in part by this grant opportunity.”The grants, which are part of Mount Auburn’s Community Benefits Program, are intended to fund evidenced-based and evidence-informed strategies and programs that positively and meaningfully impact populations and community members within its service area that face the greatest health inequities. RFP Priority Areas for Funding Include:

This RFP will award up to $20,000 over two years to organizations that will implement evidence-based and/or evidence-informed strategies in the areas of:

• Equitable Access to Care – Examples of programs and services that may be considered for funding include those that provide equitable and comprehensive access to high-quality health care services including primary care and specialty care, as well as urgent and emerging care, particularly for those who face cultural, linguistic, and economic barriers. • Housing Affordability – Examples of programs and services that may be considered for funding include those that address the challenge affordable housing. Lack of affordable housing and poor housing conditions contribute to a wide range of health issues, including respiratory diseases, lead poisoning, infectious diseases and poor mental health.

Around Town

Wayside Awarded $2 Million Federal Grant Help Youth and Families Living with Trauma

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The following announcement was provided by Wayside Youth & Family:

The federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has granted Wayside Youth & Family a $2 million grant over 5 years to launch the Navigating to Emotional Wellness (NEW) Project. The NEW Project provides increased access to trauma focused prevention and treatment services for marginalized youth and families living in Watertown and Waltham, Massachusetts. These communities include those who experience the greatest health disparities and represent racial/ethnic minorities (Black, Indigenous, and people of color, Armenian, Haitian, Hispanic/Latino), those identifying as members of the LGBTQ+ community, are under-insured, and/or live in low-income neighborhoods. The NEW Project aims to: 1) enhance community stakeholder’s capacity to identify and refer youth with behavioral health service needs with traumatic event(s); 2) increase utilization of industry standards and best practices of trauma treatment and services, and 3) improve outcomes of youth and family served for trauma, mental health, and/or substance use. The impact of child traumatic stress can last well beyond childhood.

Around Town

See What Book the Library Chose for This Year’s One Book, One Watertown

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Watertown LibraryMecca Jamilah Sullivan’s “Big Girl” is this year’s One Book, One Watertown title. The Watertown Library will host a series of events associated with the book and its themes. The Watertown Free Public Library announced this year’s One Book, One Watertown selection. Find out details provided by the library below:

This year’s One Book, One Watertown selection questions who is permitted to take up space. Big Girl by Lambda Literary Award-winning, Harlem native Mecca Jamilah Sullivan, is a lyrical and tender coming-of-age story set to the rich soundtrack of 1990s Harlem. 

Big Girl is Mecca Jamilah Sullivan’s first novel and has been lauded by reviewers and readers, earning a place on the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize shortlist. Her previous books include the short story collection Blue Talk and Love, which earned her the Judith Markowitz Award for Fiction from Lambda Literary.

Entertainment

Small Saves Cartoon: Life in the Hockey Sin Bin

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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.”

Entertainment

Watertown Actor Featured in Production of “A Christmas Carol”

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Watertown’s Brad Reinking will perform in The Hanover Theatre’s production of “A Christmas Carol.” The following announcement was provided by The Hanover Theatre:

The cherished family holiday tradition returns to Worcester! Generously sponsored by Assumption University, A Christmas Carol will take The Hanover Theatre and Conservatory for the Performing Arts’ stage from Saturday, Dec. 17 – Friday, Dec. 23.

Schools

Watertown Student Honored by Salem State for Academics & Engagement

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The following announcement was provided by Salem State University:

Student Success and the First Year Experience office at Salem State University recently inducted 33 outstanding sophomore students into Alpha Omega Psi, an honor society for students who demonstrate strong academic performance and engagement at the university. During their first-year, these students participated in the Salem State University Emerging Scholars Program and successfully completed all requirements while maintaining a commitment to their academic success. Emerging Scholars participants are paired with graduate student success coaches and participate in a variety of guided sessions and focused programs throughout their first year. The program is designed to build students’ academic and life skills. 

The induction ceremony included Emerging Scholars success coaches Rashid Abuelmaali and Carolyn Tracy as well as Emerging Scholars program coordinator, Ashely Figueroa and assistant director Megan Wigton. An inspiring keynote address was given by Assistant Dean of Student Success and the First Year Experience Mathew Chetnik and a virtual greeting was offered by Assistant Vice President Lee Brossoit. Inductees received a formal certificate and a medallion to wear as part of their commencement regalia when they graduate. Chetnik notes, “Emerging Scholars provides students an opportunity to take ownership of their college experience while taking advantage of a coach whose sole focus is to motivate and guide them on that journey. While college can be hectic, these students completed all required sessions and were able to demonstrate a strong academic record at the end of their first year.”

Tracy states, “The students in this program showed up and engaged, even during a pandemic. They persevered to meet the requirements and we are so proud of their efforts. I have no doubt that with their dedication and academic success, they will do well in their future endeavors.”

The Emerging Scholars Program is one of many initiatives at Salem State University designed to connect first-year students with supports which assists them in achieving success on their journey towards college completion.

Around Town

Watertown Restaurants, Charles River Chamber Teamed to Provide More Than 700 Meals

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Watertown Community FridgeThe Watertown Community Fridge, located at 80 Mt. Auburn St., provides free food and meals to those in need. The Charles River Chamber’s Nourishing Watertown program has helped provide more than 700 meals to those in need through the Watertown Community Fridge. The Chamber funded this year’s program through Trip Advisor and some private donations, said Greg Reibman, president of the Charles River Chamber. The Chamber provided the following information:

Since May a total of 721 meals have been delivered to the Watertown Community Fridge, with participation from eight Watertown restaurants and three volunteers.