Around Town

Senior Center Events: Senior Living Advisors, Technology for Those With Hearing Loss & More

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Town of WatertownWatertown Senior Center

The Watertown Senior Center provided the following information:

Programs for Week of July 5, 2021

Changes to Our Programs

As we slowly return to in-person activities at the Council on Aging/Senior Center (COA), some July programs continue to be offered on Zoom and some are now offered at the COA in the afternoons including Knitting, Whist, Chair Volleyball, Bridge, Rummikub, and Canasta. Please review the newsletter for details, and call to register your spot: (617) 972-6490. New participants are always welcome in every program. We hope you’ll join us! Monday: July 5, 2021Closed in observance of the July 4 Holiday.Tuesday:12:30 PM, Zoom Tai Chi & Meditation with Marie Favorito2:00 PM, Zoom Harp with Susan Wright                                     Wednesday:11:00 AM, Zoom Total Body Exercise with Nicole Von Rekowsky2:00 PM, Zoom “How Not to Choose a Nursing Home” with 2Sisters Senior Living AdvisorsThursday: 10:30 AM, Zoom Talk with Tom: Coffee & Casual Conversation 2:00 PM, Zoom “Technology for People with Hearing Loss” with Kathleen Krefethen2:00 PM, WHIST returns to the COA – call to register your spot2:00 PM, CHAIR VOLLEYBALL returns to the COA –  call to register your spotFriday:     10:00 AM, Zoom Exercise with Shannon Lee Jones     12:00 PM, Zoom Seated Strength & Balance with Pearl Pressman1:00 PM, Zoom Mellowtones Choral Group with Anne Silverman~Senior Center Closes at 2 PM for Summer Hours~

Looking Ahead

Monday, July 12, 2:00 PM, BRIDGE returns to the COA – call to register your spotWednesday, July 14, 1:00 PM, CHARLIE CARD EVENT at the COA – stop in! Link to the July Newsletter 2021

Many programs will continue to be offered on Zoom until further notice, due to limited gym access and limited parking in the Phillips parking lot while summer school programs are taking place. Please know that masks are highly recommended for all people regardless of vaccination status visiting the Senior Center or participating in a grab-n-go event.

Alex Rosin

Watertown Resident Named Vice President at Berkshire Bank

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Watertown’s Alex Rosin was named a vice president at Berkshire Bank. Berkshire Banks provided the following announcement:

Berkshire Bank, a socially-responsible community-dedicated bank with locations primarily in New England and New York, recently announced the hiring of Alexander A. Rosin as VP Business Banking Relationship Manager. 

He will be based in Needham, covering the Eastern Massachusetts footprint. As a Business Banking Relationship Manager, Rosin will assist Berkshire Bank clients with specific business goals and empower them to make confident financial decisions. 

In his new role, Mr. Rosin will be at the center of our client-focused strategy. He will serve as a trusted advisor, providing corporate and commercial clients with sound advice based on a deep understanding of their unique financial needs.  

“Alex brings significant banking experience to his role and a strong track record of building long-term customer relationships,” said Scott Vickery, Team Leader Business Banking at Berkshire Bank. “We look forward to his contributions to our clients in the region and in helping to build Berkshire into a purpose-driven community bank.” 

About Alexander A. Rosin VP, Business Banking Relationship Manager  

Rosin has over 10 years of experience in the banking industry. He was most recently a Vice President of Business Banking with Webster Bank, N.A and was previously at Eastern Bank. Mr. Rosin has also worked with Citibank N.A, TD Bank and Citizens Bank throughout his career He is a graduate of New England College of Business and Finance. Mr. Rosin is active in his community and sits on the board for the Rotary Club of Watertown and volunteers at the Watertown Boys and Girls Club among various other organizations. Mr. Rosin was born in Russia and came to the United States at age 5.

Cartoon

Small Saves Makes Room for His Hockey Silverware 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.”

Entertainment

Celebrate Classic Cartoon Character’s 90th Birthday with Watertown Cable Special

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Wimpy is celebrating a big birthday this year. This image is from “Egypt Us” (1960), one of the cartoons aired on the Watertown Cable special. “Drawing With Fred” host Fred Grandinetti provided the following piece:

The Watertown Cable Access Channel will be celebrating a milestone birthday of a comic strip character considered to be one of the greatest ever conceived; J. Wellington Wimpy! 

Wimpy is known for obtaining food by his wits. This is a cunning feat he has been performing in the Popeye comic strip since 1931. His catch phrase, “I will gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today” is known all over the world. He has also referred many boxing matches and often resorted to dishonest tricks for his own advantage. 

The moocher was created by cartoonist E.C. Segar.

Around Town

LETTER: School Mental Health Professional, Mother of 2 Running for School Committee

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Jessica Middlebrook announced her run for School Committee. She is shown with her two daughters at Watertown Town Hall. My name is Jessica Middlebrook and I am thrilled to announce my candidacy for Watertown School Committee. In the wake of the most disruptive and painful school year in living memory, our community needs experienced, empathic leaders who will build connections, foster difficult but important conversations, and work toward creating equitable school cultures where all students feel valued and safe. With my experience as a parent and school mental health professional, my strong progressive values, and my abiding love for our community, I know that I can help our schools work better for all our kids and families.  

My husband, David, and I have been residents of Watertown for the past 12 years. We were drawn here to start our family because of its diversity and caring, engaged community.

Around Town

Mount Auburn Cemetery Names 14th President and CEO

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Matthew Stephens, Mount Auburn’s 14th President & CEO. (Photo by Richard Morgenstein)

Mount Auburn Cemetery sent out the following announcement:

The Mount Auburn Cemetery Board of Trustees has unanimously selected Matthew Stephens to be its 14th President and CEO. A vocal advocate for the power of green spaces in urban environments and an outstanding business leader with strong experience in strategic planning, Stephens will begin in his new role in September. “Mount Auburn Cemetery plays a unique, multi-faceted role as a historic site, an active cemetery and a vibrant green space. Matthew Stephens’ has the energy, vision, and expertise to successfully lead Mount Auburn Cemetery,” said Patricia Jacoby, Chair of Mount Auburn’s Board of Trustees. “As we approach our two-hundredth anniversary in 2031, we have many opportunities to consider how to continue our long history of effectively connecting this special place with nearby residents and visitors alike.”

With more than 15 years of leadership experience, Stephens has managed historic, public-facing organizations with complex missions.

Environment

LETTER: Invasive Plant Spreading in Watertown, Poisonous to to Some Animals

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The blooms of the black swallow-wort. The plant is poisonous to butterflies and other animals. By Nicole Gardner and Douglas Hood

Black swallow-wort is a non-native, highly invasive plant that is poisonous to butterfly populations and other animals, and which toxifies the soil to benefit itself and harm other plants. We need to act right now to stop its spread and protect the Monarchs, other animals, and other plants. Black swallow-wort can be found all around Watertown, sprouting up through and even strangling lush well-established perennials and shrubs, along chain-link fences, in empty patches of dirt, or coming up between pavement cracks.

Around Town

Watertown Food Pantry Coordinator Named a Commonwealth Heroine

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Kathleen Cunningham, coordinator of the Watertown Food Pantry, received the Commonwealth Heroine award recently. She was recommended for the honor by State Rep. Steve Owens, shown right. State Rep. Steve Owens provided the following announcement:

Kathleen Cunningham, of Watertown, was honored as a member of the 2021 class of Commonwealth Heroines. Recommended by State Rep. Steve Owens and selected by the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women (MCSW), Cunningham joins over one hundred other women who were recognized for their “unheralded acts on a daily basis that make our homes, neighborhoods, cities, and towns better places to live” according to a statement released by the MCSW. Cunningham serves as the Coordinator of the Watertown Food Pantry, which continues to be a vital resource for community members in the area.