Watertown News (https://www.watertownmanews.com/author/guest-writer/page/486/)
Watertown dance studio Ballroom in Boston will be hosting free dance classes on Valentines Day. See more information in the studio’s announcement below. Valentine’s Day is right around the corner…do you have an awesome evening of plans already made? No? We can help you plan the perfect romantic night out!
State Rep. Jonathan Hecht
The following statement was released by State Rep. Jonathan Hecht, who represents Watertown Precincts 1-9 and part of Cambridge:
Dear Constituents,
I am writing to share with you my decision not to run for re-election this fall. For the next 11 months, I will remain fully dedicated to serving as your State Representative. Come next January, it will be time for me to move on to new challenges and time for someone else to take up this job. It is genuinely an honor and a pleasure to represent you at the State House. Thank you for all the help you have given me and for being such caring, engaged constituents. With best regards,
Jon
Edmund Fowle House, home of the Historical Society of Watertown. The Historical Society of Watertown will host two events in town, including a tour of one of the town’s oldest homes and an author speaking about one of the most powerful women in Plymouth Colony. The Historical Society sent out the following information:
Tour of Historic House
Historical Society of Watertown Event Date: Sunday, February 16, 2020Purpose: House Tours and Exhibits
Tours of the 1772 Edmund Fowle House, 1:00 to 4:00 p.m., February 16, 2020,28 Marshall Street, Watertown. Hosted by the Historical Society of Watertown,with the last tour at 3:15 p.m. Adults: $5; Students/Seniors: $3. Visitors canalso view the exhibit on “Franklin Jones, Watertown Artist.” For more information: www.HistoricalSocietyofWatertownMA.org. Author Talk on a Powerful Woman of Plymouth Colony
Date of Watertown Event: Wednesday, March 4, 2020Topic of Event: Slideshow Lecture on Penelope Pelham Winslow of Plymouth Colony
Presented by the Historical Society of Watertown
Location: Watertown Savings Bank Meeting Room, Watertown Free Public Library, 123 Main Street, Watertown, MA 02472
On Wednesday, March 4, author Michelle Marchetti Coughlin will give a slideshow lecture at 7:00 p.m. at the Watertown Free Public Library in the Watertown Savings Bank Meeting Room on the topic of her most recent book, Penelope Pelham Winslow. Mrs. Winslow, a member of the English gentry, and married to Plymouth Colony Governor Josiah Winslow, was one of the most powerful women in Plymouth Colony’s history.
The following announcement came from the Town of Watertown:
Watertown encourages active transportation — walking, biking and transit — to help reduce congestion, and improve both air quality and public health. The Watertown Bicycle & Pedestrian Plan will help achieve those goals by identifying and prioritizing future improvements to the Town’s streets and walkways, making it easier for people of all ages and abilities to choose more active forms of transportation. The plan will identify new and improved bicycle and pedestrian connections in Watertown and to the region’s larger active transportation network, to help people get where they want to go easily and safely, and car-free.
The Bicycle & Pedestrian Committee also provided the following information:
The Town of Watertown is developing a Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan. The Plan will establish short and long term goals to improve upon the Town’s pedestrian and bicycling infrastructure, policies, and programs, and will make recommendations on how to reach identified goals. Implementation of this plan will make transportation safer and more convenient within Watertown and to neighboring towns for all users, improve the Town vibrancy, and expand transportation mode choices. Public input is critical to the creation of the plan.
The following piece was provided by the MBTA and MassDOT:
Today the MBTA announced its plans to accelerate infrastructure projects for several subway lines and the Commuter Rail during calendar year 2020 to improve service, safety, and reliability on a faster timeline. These projects will include additional diversions of weekend service on all rapid transit lines and several Commuter Rail lines. In addition to a number of weekend diversions on the Green Line, the MBTA is planning for two one-month shutdowns on the Green Line: the C Branch in July and the E Branch in August.
The 2020 Infrastructure Acceleration Plan will deliver these projects eight years faster than originally planned, and will result in track replacement, upgraded intersections, and station improvements. In 2019, the MBTA executed a plan to expedite projects for customers, delivering projects 2.2 years faster than originally planned across the Red, Orange, and Green Lines. Much of this work was completed through ten weekend shutdowns on the Red and Orange Lines through the core of downtown Boston. During those shutdowns, the MBTA was able to accelerate improvements by expanding traditional work windows and increasing the number of work activities that took place.
Cartoon by James Demarco
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.”
The following information was provided by the Community Preservation Committee:
The Community Preservation Act (CPA) in Watertown raises funds through a 2% percent surcharge on local property taxes and a variable annual distribution from the MA Community Preservation Trust Fund. There are four eligible project funding categories: community housing; open space; outdoor recreation; and historic preservation. It is mandated that 10% of funds generated annually must be designated to each category. Please note funding for open space and recreation is a combined category. Up to 5% may be used for administration and the remaining 65% may be allocated among the project categories.
The event organizers provided the following information:
The public is invited to Hearts for Homes – an evening of music ranging from Country to Classical at the Belmont-Watertown United Methodist Church.
The event features Nashville singer-songwriter Hugh Moffat, the four-hand piano power couple Yilin You and Paul Jacobs, and the trombone stylings of Kirk Kolenbrander. The event is a fundraiser for New England Justice for Our Neighbors, a Methodist ministry which provides free legal services to low and no income immigrants. WHEN: Saturday, Feb 15, 7:00 PM
WHERE: Belmont-Watertown United Methodist Church, 80 Mt Auburn St, Watertown, MA.
COST: $15
Light refreshments and child care will be provided. There is parking next to the church. For info, see bwumc.org or email office@bwumc.org