Around Town

Watertown Recreation Accepting Applications for Part-Time & Seasonal Positions

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The following announcement was provided by the Watertown Recreation Department:

The Watertown Recreation Department is now accepting applications for the following positions for the 2023 calendar year. This includes immediate employment as a part time member of the staff throughout the year or seasonal work during different seasons of the year. Applicants must be entering the 9th grade (Fall 2023) or older to be considered. Positions Available: Program Directors, Program Supervisors, Program Staff, Program Counselors, Counselor in Training, Nurse, Specialists, Pequossette Staff, Park Instructors, Park Rangers, Tennis Supervisor, Coaches and Scorekeepers. If you are looking for employment to begin before the summer season, please complete your application and an interview will be scheduled with the Director of Recreation as soon as your application is completed.

Schools

Two BC High Students from Watertown Inducted into National Honor Society

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Boston College High School’s National Honor Society members. The following announcement was provided by Boston College High School:

The following students have been inducted into the Robert J. Fulton, SJ Chapter of the National Honor Society at Boston College High School:

James O’Connor (Class of 2023)

Isaac Compolongo (Class of 2024)

The National Honor Society (NHS) was created by the National Association of Secondary School Principals to recognize high school students who have distinguished themselves in their school and community. Each year eligible juniors and seniors are invited to apply for membership in NHS. Applications are reviewed by a committee of BC High teachers to confirm that each student has attained a high standard of each of these characteristics: scholarship, character, leadership, and service. At BC High, NHS members are committed to service in the school and in the broader community.

Government

City Councilor John Airaisan Hosting Annual Public Meeting

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Councilor At-Large John Airasian. As part of the changes to the Watertown Charter all City Councilors must have an annual meeting to meet with the public. City Councilor At-Large John Airasian announced dates for his constituent meeting. See info below. Join City Councilor John Airasian at his Individual Annual City Councilor Meeting on Tuesday, January 31, 2023 from 6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. in the Watertown Police Station Community/Training room, 552 Main St., Watertown.

Government

State Rep. Owens Seeks Applicants for Legislative Intern

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The following information was provided by State Rep. Owen’s Office:

Rep. Owens serves the 29th Middlesex District, which consists of Watertown and North/West Cambridge. It includes some of the country’s most significant cultural landmarks: Historic Brattle Street, the Perkins School for the Blind, Mount Auburn Cemetery, Fresh Pond Reservation, the Watertown Arsenal. It’s also a source of technological innovation, a center for education, and home to some of the most engaged and accomplished residents of the Commonwealth. Prior to his election to the legislature in 2020, Rep. Owens spent 20 years as a transportation consultant, where he developed freight and logistics data solutions for public and private sector clients. He has applied this expertise both to his work on the Watertown Transportation Task Force and now in the House, where he seeks solutions to improve access to public transportation while helping reduce the state’s carbon footprint.

Government

Residents Discussed How Watertown Should Spend ARPA Money

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The following announcement came from Watertown Forward:

Watertown residents came together on January 22, 2023 for a Watertown Forward City Chat to learn more about how the city could spend the one-time $10.5M allotment in funds from the American Rescue Plan Act. (ARPA). Jared Knowles, founder of Civilytics Consulting a data science consulting firm here in Watertown, and frequent resource to communities around Massachusetts and the country for the allocation and use of ARPA funds, provided an overview of the funding guidelines and insight into what other communities have done with their funds. Knowles commented that communities have used this funding in a wide-range of applications, for instance, to address affordable housing and houselessness by constructing new housing or providing rental assistance, to give childcare workers bonuses for their efforts as essential workers, and to invest in the public water infrastructure by installing public water fountains or water bottle filling stations. According to federal guidelines, there are three categories of funding that Watertown can consider: respond to the public health emergency of the pandemic and its impact, make investments in water, sewer, and broadband infrastructure, and provide premium pay for essential workers.

Entertainment

Two Watertown Artists Instrumental in Bringing Teen Exhibit to ICA Boston

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Watertown’s Shivani Sharma, left, and Ruth Henry, center, speak withy Liz Rodgers at the opening reception for “The Stories that Make Us.” The following information was provided by Sue-Ellen Hershman-Tcherepnin:

Friday evening Jan. 27 saw the opening of The Stories that Make Us, an exhibition of artwork by high school students that explores personal stories about migration, belonging, and overcoming adversity. Key organizers of the event were 2022 Watertown High School grad Shivani Sharma and former-Watertown Middle School teacher Ruth Henry. They represented of the I Learn America Initiative (www.ilearnamerica.com).

Schools

MassBay College Providing Free Computer & Technology Education Courses

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MassBay Community College Wellesley Hills campus, Wellesley Hills, MA, September 2022 (Photo/MassBay Community College). The following announcement was provided by MassBay Community College:

Students new to MassBay will have the opportunity to take advantage of the Bridge to IT Careers by taking computer and technology courses at MassBay for free. Thanks to a three-year, $300,000 grant from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development, MassBay will provide unemployed and underemployed workers with education and training in the area of computers and technology. Students can take the following classes for free: Computers & Technology, which is offered in the spring 2023 semester; CompTIA A+ certification, an entry into information technology offered in fall 2023; and Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and the entire Microsoft suite, which will be available every semester through the College’s Corporate Partnerships & Workforce Development Division. These courses provide students with a bridge to a career in computers or technology, and a foundation to pursue a certificate or associate degree in computer science, computer information systems, cybersecurity, and several other programs. 

“We are extremely grateful for this grant and for the support from the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development,” said MassBay President David Podell.

Entertainment

New Rep’s 2023 Season Features 3 Plays, Including 2 Tony Winners

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New Repertory Theatre is pleased to announce its 2023 Season, as the company continues to build on its nearly 40-year legacy of excellent, provocative theatrical productions that speak to the vital issues of our time. The 2023 season includes two Tony Award-winning masterpiece plays that grow more resonant every day, and a world premiere from local talent that speaks directly to Boston and its past, present, and future. Larry Kramer’s Tony Award winning autobiographical drama, The Normal Heart, will open June 21 for a three-week run through July 9. Set in New York City in the early 1980’s, Larry Kramer’s powerful, passionate and controversial play was the first to treat seriously the poignant and devastating subject of AIDS. The Normal Heart traces Ned Weeks, a gay activist writer, through his fight for visibility and justice for the gay community. An angry, unremitting and gripping piece of political theatre.