Government

OP-ED: State Senate’s Letter to President on Separating Children from Parents Seeking Asylum

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{The following letter was provided by State Sen. Will Brownsberger, and was sent on behalf of the Massachusetts State Senate}

June 20, 2018

President Donald J. Trump
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Dear President Trump,

We write to you as a united and bipartisan group of Massachusetts State Senators, to denounce the immoral policy of separating children from their parents when they seek asylum at the United States border with Mexico. We believe this policy is toxic to our reputation as a country and, most importantly, damaging to the families it impacts. This policy has already separated over 2,300 children from their families; the federal government has an affirmative duty to reunite every family that was separated by this policy. Further, rising public knowledge of this new un-American practice by your administration has created outrage and deep sorrow across our country. In a time when politics regarding immigration policy has become more divisive than ever, response to these actions has united Republicans, Democrats, independents, family advocates, and business groups – all calling for the common sense practice to keep families united.

Basketball

Watertown Basketball Coach Hosting Basketball Camp in July

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Watertown High School girl’s basketball coach Pat Ferdinand will host Mass. Hoop Academy, a basketball camp for boys and girls in grades 4 to 12. The camp will be held July 2, 3, 5 and 6, 2018 at Watertown High School. The camp staff will be Ferdinand as director, New Mission High School girls varsity coach Mitchell Hercule as high school division camp director, and counselors Nicole Lanzo (WHS alum), Katelyn Rourke (WHS alum) and Maggie Mulligan (UMass Amherst alum). For more information and to register go to: http://masshoopsacademycamps.myonlinecamp.com/

Charity

Watertown Group Raises Money to Help Families Impacted by Violence

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A group from Watertown raised $1,600 during the 22nd annual Louis D. Brown Peace Institute Mother’s Day March for Peace. The organization which helps families who have lost loved ones to violence. The group is named after a teen from Boston who was committed to ending gang violence, but in 1993 he was killed by crossfire during a shootout. The march takes place in Dorchester each Mother’s Day. The group from Watertown included Town Councilors Tony Palomba and Caroline Bays.

Sports

Register Now Open for Watertown Belmont Youth Football and Cheerleading

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The following information was provided by Watertown-Belmont Youth Football and Cheerleading:

Watertown-Belmont Youth Football and Cheerleading is now accepting registrations for the fall 2018 season with a deadline of July 15th. Practices begin on Monday, August 6th, 2018 at Moxley Field in Watertown. Our program offers two different divisions: flag football for first and second graders, tackle football for third through eighth grade and cheerleading for all grades. Our program is open to all Watertown & Belmont residents. Registration and more information can be found on our website:  http://watertown-belmont-youth-football.siplay.com/site/.

Around Town

Dozens of Groups Awarded Grants from Watertown Community Foundation

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The Watertown Community Foundation provided the following announcement:

Watertown Community Foundation held its annual spring grant awards evening at the Mosesian Center for the Arts on Thursday June 7. The following grants were
awarded in two categories:Program Grants awards grants designed to help organizations that serve Watertown, develop new or continue existing programs with an educational focus (broadly defined). These are programs that operate outside of the Watertown’s public schools. Charles River Conservancy — Conservancy Volunteers Program
The Charles River Conservancy supports the Conservancy Volunteer’s programs efforts in the Charles River Parklands in Watertown. The Plumbing Museum — Comedy Play Fest at the Plumbing Museum
The Plumbing Museum will present a program of short plays inspired by materials in the Plumbing Museum and bring theater to new audiences in an unexpected venue.

Around Town

More Than a Dozen Honored with Community Spirit Awards from Watertown Youth Coalition

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The Watertown Youth Coalition (WYC) celebrated its 11th Annual Community Spirit Awards event held on Monday, June 11th, 2018. Over 60 Community members gathered at Arsenal Park to recognize and honor people for going above and beyond to support Watertown youth and families. Each year, the WYC asks the community to nominate people who:
● Serve as a positive influence or mentor to a Coalition member or to others in the community
● Have the courage to address challenging issues that affect youth and the community
● Actively take steps to improve the Watertown community (in big and small ways)
The WYC was pleased to present awards to:
● Ruth Henry​, for her commitment to inspiring watertown youth, combating racism and violence, and her teaching Kingian nonviolence as well as her creation of anti-racism programs in Watertown Schools. ● Veronica Knight​, Lowell School Guidance Counselor, for her care in going above and beyond for the Lowell School children and her commitment to seeing kids grow in healthy and positive ways. ● Peter Centola​, Director of Watertown Recreation, for his dedication to helping kids in Watertown, his dedication as a coach, and for the impact he makes on the lives of Watertown youth.

Environment

OP-ED: State Senate Passes Energy Bill Aimed at Addressing Climate Change

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{The following piece was provided by State Sen. Will Brownsberger (D – Belmont) who also represents Watertown}

After a long day of debate, the Senate passed the Barrett-Pacheco omnibus energy bill on Thursday — significant legislation to continue movement in Massachusetts towards a cleaner energy future. Addressing climate change is a core priority for me and I am glad to move this legislation forward. The next step will be action by the House of Representatives.   After that, the branches will need to reconcile their differences and get the bill to the Governor’s desk.  We should expect the bill to continue to evolve. As mentioned in a previous post, I am most enthusiastic about the provisions that will lead to carbon pricing in the transportation sector. A summary of the major provisions appears below, excerpted from the Senate press release on the bill:

Increasing the percentage of Class I renewable energy that must be purchased by retail electric suppliers under the Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard from an additional 1% annually to an additional 3% annually. Requiring the Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs to establish market-based compliance mechanisms to maximize the ability of the Commonwealth to achieve its greenhouse gas emission limits for: (i) the transportation sector not later than December 31, 2020; (ii) the commercial and industrial building sectors not later than December 31, 2021; and (iii) the residential building sector not later than December 31, 2022.