Extreme Weather

Watertown Receives Grant to Prepare for Impacts of Extreme Weather

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The Charles River in Waterotwn Square.Watertown DPW

The Town of Watertown has been awarded an MVP Action Grant for a new Equity-Based Community Greening Program. The Town will use the money to work to identify climate-vulnerable areas of town and design green interventions to add trees and stormwater management. “We have seen numerous heat waves this summer, and they will only become more frequent,” said Watertown Senior Environmental Planner Laurel Schwab. “This $94,240 MVP grant will help us use trees and green infrastructure to cool off our hottest neighborhoods and help protect our most vulnerable residents.” Learn more about the MVP Grants in the announcement provided by the Mystic River Watershed Association:

Following the release of $20 million in state FY2022 MVP Grants, The Mystic River Watershed Association announced that Resilient Mystic Collaborative (RMC) cities and towns had secured a total of $2.6 million in state funding to help prepare for extreme weather.

Entertainment

Check Out This Week’s Small Saves and Here’s Trouble Comic Strips

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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.”

DeMarco recently added “Here’s Trouble” to his cartooning lineup, inspired by drawings he did in the 1980s when he was in high school.

Around Town

LETTER: Watertown Teachers Union Responds to Calls for Vaccination

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To the Members of the Watertown School Community,

School Committee Candidate Rachel Kay’s recent letter to the Watertown MA News regarding a requirement for Watertown teachers to be vaccinated was not surprising given the level of political discourse that has recently besieged our country. In the letter, Ms. Kay is dismayed that there is not a vaccine mandate in place for teachers in the Watertown Public Schools. Her letter implies that the Watertown Educators Association and Watertown Public School District are opposed to a vaccine mandate. Ms.Kay appears to be uninformed regarding this matter. Had she inquired about a vaccine mandate by asking WEA leaders, School Committee members, or Superintendent Galdston, she would have learned that this matter is currently in negotiations.

Homepage Featured

Team New Day Sweeps the 2021 Watertown Summer Basketball League Finals

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Watertown RecreationTeam New Day took on Team HBC in the finals the Papas Elite League championship. The Watertown Summer Basketball League wrapped up for the year with a two game sweep by the 2021 champions. See the game report provided by the Watertown Recreation Department, below. The Summer of 2021 will go down as an unusual year for the Watertown Recreation Department’s Men’s Summer Basketball League. Due to COVID concerns, the league got a late start, but fortunately there was a positive response from some of the veteran teams in the Papas Elite League.

Government

Watertown Hiring School Crossing Guards

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The following announcement was sent out by the Town of Watertown:

The Town of Watertown seeks to hire School Crossing Guards to work under the supervision of the Watertown Police Department. 

Responsibilities include monitoring vehicle and pedestrian traffic at assigned crossings to assist school children crossing the streets, while providing for the orderly movement of traffic. Must be able to communicate effectively with school children, parents and drivers, ensure that children cross the street properly and safely. 

Must be able to stand for the entire shift and to tolerate exposure to all types of weather conditions, maintain a high level of awareness, be reliable and have the ability to use judgement and work independently. Qualifications

High School diploma (or GED). Must be available to work Monday through Friday, during the school year. Shifts are approximately one hour and there are two shifts per day. Must be able to pass a CORI/SORI background check and pre-employment physical.

Around Town

Watertown Man Tests Positive for West Nile Virus, See Tips for Avoiding Mosquitos

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The following information was provided by the Watertown Health Department:

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) announced today a human case of West Nile virus (WNV) in Watertown. The case is a 79 year old male. The West Nile Virus risk level to in Watertown remains at moderate. This means that residents need to take appropriate precautions outlined below. Although serious illness caused by WNV is uncommon, there have been 216 cases of WNV in Massachusetts between 2001 and 2020.

Obituaries

OBIT: Paul Stephen, 69, Devoted to His Family, Big Boston Sports Fan

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Paul Stephen. Stephen, Paul, 69 of Cumberland Rhode Island,  passed away at Miriam Hospital on August 26 after a brief hospitalization. Paul grew up in Watertown, attended Watertown schools and graduated from Watertown High School in the Class of 1970. He was an avid golfer and a member at Oakley Country Club for many years and eventually had to limit playing golf due to health issues. Growing up, he and his family closely followed Boston area sports and as season ticket holders, never missed a Bruins home game.

COVID-19

LETTER: Call for Requirement for Watertown Teachers to be Vaccinated

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Editor,

As teachers return to school this week, and students joining them next week, we still do not know whether vaccines will be mandated for teachers and staff in Watertown Public Schools. We do know that the CDC, state government, and the largest teachers union in Massachusetts are all recommending school staff be vaccinated.  Medical professionals, including Dr. Fauci, are saying that the best way to protect children under 12 who are not yet vaccinated is to surround them with vaccinated people. Many school districts have already put this common sense requirement in place. We are fortunate to be in a community where the majority of adults are vaccinated, including the majority of teachers. But, the data from the last 18 months show that when there was Covid-19 transmission in schools, it was usually driven by unvaccinated school staff.