Schools

Watertown Student 1 of 20 from Minuteman High School SkillsUSA Medalists

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The following announcement was provided by Minuteman High School:

Twenty students from Minuteman High School and four adult students from Minuteman Technical Institute received medals in the SkillsUSA Massachusetts state competition on Friday, May 7. Three high school students and one adult student will compete in the national SkillsUSA competition in June, which will be held virtually. 

More than 370,000 vocational-technical students participate in SkillsUSA competitions nationwide annually. Students demonstrate their knowledge in their career technical area of study along with employability and safety skills. Minuteman High School Awards:

The three Minuteman High School students who are heading to the national competition are Noah Varghese and Dean O’Brien, Environmental Science majors, and John O’Brien, a Biotechnology major. All three are from Arlington; Dean and John are brothers. Their competition was in the natural resources, agriculture, and food category; their project involved collecting and testing water samples in their community. The following Minuteman High School students also received awards in the SkillsUSA state competition: 

Arya De Francesco of Lexington, grade 9, Design and Visual Communications major: gold medal in sticker design.

Entertainment

Revels, Perkins School for the Blind Present 20th Annual Springtime Concert

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The following information was provided by Revels:

“Ships are safest in harbor – but that is not what ships are built for.”  

Since the whole world has been confined during the pandemic it’s time to invite you to join us for our 20th annual springtime collaboration with the talented Perkins School community – and this year, we are going to sea!   

Revels and Perkins School for the Blind started collaborating on seasonal celebrations and springtime music programs over two decades ago when the Revels offices moved to Watertown. Over time, the event has blossomed into an annual tradition and is one of the most memorable and rewarding events of the year for us and the audiences we serve. Normally held in-person on the Perkins campus, this year’s production serves up old songs through new technology as our combined choruses – their voices freshly and safely recorded – present A Virtual Sea Revels Adventure, a maritime tale with sea songs, poetry and chanteys galore!  

With Revels Artistic Director Paddy Swanson as our guide, song leader David Coffin as our chanteyman and Perkins students and Revels singers our bold crew, we will board ship, haul sails, man the pumps and face the perils and thrills of an ocean voyage in a sailing ship. You can sing with us or just come along for the ride; we just can’t wait to get out on the ocean!­­­­ 

This year’s performers include:

David Coffin, chanteyman

Patrick Swanson, Narrator

The Revels Singers

The Revels Children 

and

The Perkins Secondary Program Chorus, Arnie Harris, director

Through this virtual production and the many live collaborations throughout the years, Revels and Perkins School for the Blind are delighted to demonstrate the power of traditional music, song and ritual to bridge cultures and eliminate boundaries.

Around Town

Senior Center in June: Technology Help for Seniors, Grab-n-Go Lunches and the Senior Shuttle

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Town of WatertownWatertown Senior Center

The following information was part of the June Watertown Senior News:

We are pleased to present the annual Watertown Senior Center Art Exhibition within these pages. Congratulations to all of our Art Class participants. From Dawn Scaltreto, instructor, “Over the past year, COVID precautions have dominated much of our lives. For many people, that has meant isolation, fear and loneliness. With the Monday Art Class, though, we have been blessed to be able to meet online via Zoom classes set up by the Watertown Senior Center.

Entertainment

A New Pair of Goalie Pads for 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.”

Arsenal Yards

Largest Solar Energy Project in Watertown Completed at Arsenal Yards

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Arsenal YardsArsenal Yards completed the installation of solar panels that will produce over 1 million kWh of energy. The following announcement was provided by Boylston Properties:

Boylston Properties today announced the completion of an extensive solar panel energy project at Arsenal Yards, a 1M square foot mixed-use project in Watertown’s East End neighborhood. After an extensive search for the best-in-class partner, Boylston Properties partnered with Kearsarge Energy on the six-month project. The energy company undertook a multi-million-dollar investment and is the owner and operator of the solar panels. Through the partnership, approximately 2,700 solar panels have been installed as a canopy on top of the brand-new parking garage, as well as on one of the two original Arsenal building roofs on the property – making this the largest solar energy project in the town to-date.

Around Town

Rolling Memorial Day Celebration Coming Through Watertown on May 31

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The following information was provided by Nonantum Children’s Christmas Party Association:

After our successful Rolling Memorial in 2020, the Nonantum Children’s Christmas PartyAssociation, Inc. plans to hold the same event this Memorial Day, Monday, May 31st, beginningat 1 p.m.

The Rolling Memorial is the safest alternative to a traditional parade that still allows the community to honor and remember the sacrifices made by so many who served our country. Join us along the route and watch approximately twenty patriotic floats roll by! The Memorial will travel through parts of Newton, Waltham and Watertown. Visit our website nonantumccpa.org for additional information including the entire route with approximate times. If you have any questions, please email us at info@nonantumccpa.org.

Entertainment

Violinist to Perform, Share Her Story During Online Event Hosted by Revels

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RevelsViolinist Beth Cohen will perform in a free online concert hosted by Revels. The following information was provided by Revels:

Revels’ Musical Connections series continues with Beth Bahia Cohen: A Life Story Through Strings, this Sunday, May 23, at 5 p.m., free on Facebook Live! Explore musical traditions from around the world with the #RevelsConnects: Musical Connections series of FREE intimate salon-style performances and companion podcasts, produced in collaboration with the Mass Cultural Council. The series includes virtual 45-minute salon-style performances with a variety of musical tradition bearers hosted on Facebook Live and followed by a companion podcast produced in collaboration with the Mass Cultural Council and hosted by the MCC’s Folk Arts & Heritage Program Manager, Maggie Holtzberg.  

Don’t miss violinist Beth Bahia Cohen in concert this Sunday as she shares her life story through music and takes us on a global adventure through strings! 

Beth Bahia Cohen is a violinist of Syrian Jewish and Russian Jewish heritage. Inspired at a young age by the sounds she heard at family gatherings, she went on to study with master musicians from Hungary, Greece, Turkey, and the Middle East.

21st Century Policing

OP-ED: Who Gets to Reform the Police?

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“Owning your own narrative” is a common expression used in business, in politics, and in private life where personal reputation is at stake. Owning your narrative means ensuring that what is told about you matches the way you’d like it to be told, without distortions, mischaracterization, half-truths, or false perceptions. If you are waging a battle in the arena of public opinion, and others succeed in owning your narrative, you have lost the battle. If you are paying even the slightest attention to town politics, you are aware that there is a police crisis in Watertown, centered around alleged racist behavior regarding stops, citations, and arrests. In my opinion — and I believe in the opinion of the vast majority of residents — this is an invented crisis.