Government

State Rep. Hecht Invites the Public to Attend His Officer Hours in March

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Representative Jonathan Hecht announced he will hold office hours twice in Watertown this March. Constituents are invited to meet with Representative Hecht at the following times and locations:
Thursday, March 15th, 8:30-9:30 a.m., Watertown Town Hall, 149 Main St, 3rd Floor hallway
Monday, March 19th, 5:00-6:00 p.m., Watertown Free Public Library, 123 Main St, Raya Stern Trustees Room
Anyone unable to attend these office hours can call Representative Hecht at 617-722-2140 to schedule an appointment at another time.

Environment

Watertown State Reps. Call for State to Invest in Electric Vehicle Technology, Infrastructure

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Representatives Jonathan Hecht and John Lawn joined 36 other legislators who weighed in on the allocation of $75 million that the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is scheduled to receive from the Volkswagen Environmental Mitigation Trust Fund, the two reps from Watertown announced. Members urged the Department of Environmental Protection, which is charged with dispensing the money, to invest in electric vehicle charging infrastructure and invest the balance of the funds in fully-electric transit and school buses. The money will be received as part of a multi-state settlement with Volkswagen after it used a cheating computer system that ran emissions controls during testing but not during normal vehicle operation. Emissions from these vehicles were 15-40 times the federal Environmental Protection Agency compliance level. Volkswagen has agreed to spend nearly $15 billion on remedial action, including $2.9 billion that is being divided up among participating states and territories.

Schools

Lowell School Online Auction Has Begun, Raises Money for PTO

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The Annual Lowell Elementary School Online Auction begins March 3rd at 8 a.m. and runs till noon on March 10th, the school’s PTO announced. Organizers sent out the following announcement:

We have a number of new items this year and over 270 items in total. We are adding new things daily and will have close to $30,000 worth of items to bid on. This auction is open to anyone, this is not limited to Lowell or Watertown families. The Lowell Elementary School PTO raises funds to support Lowell students and teachers and sponsors events to enhance the community spirit of our wonderful school.

Around Town

Event in Watertown Will Make Posters in Preparation for Gun Control Rallies

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Organizers of an event where posters will be made for two upcoming rallies for gun safety sent out the following information:

Poster Making Workshop, Sunday, March 4, 6:30 – 8 p.m., First Parish Watertown, 35 Church Street, Watertown. Come make posters for the National School Walkout Day on Wednesday, March 14, at 10 a.m., and The March For Our Lives, on Saturday, March 24, at noon, on The Boston Common. Some pre-printed posters by a local artist as well as poster-making supplies will be provided.

Elections

Watertown Republicans Endorse Geoff Diehl in Massachusetts U.S. Senate Race

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Representative Geoff Diehl, candidate for U.S. Senate, announced that he has received the endorsement of the Watertown Republican Town Committee, according to a press release from Diehl’s campaign. 

“I am pleased that the Watertown Republican Town Committee will be supporting my candidacy for the Senate. Their support shows our growing movement,” said Diehl. “We have worked with Geoff Diehl for years. We were proud to stand with him on the successful effort to repeal automatic gas tax hikes – saving taxpayers $2 billion. Geoff is a proven leader which is rare in this day and age.

Around Town

Rector at Watertown Church Named Dean of Cathedral in Boston

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The Rt. Rev. Alan M. Gates, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts, has appointed the Rev. Amy Ebeling McCreath as the new dean of the Cathedral Church of St. Paul in downtown Boston, the Diocese announced. 
McCreath will be the ninth dean of the Cathedral Church of St. Paul, which was established as the cathedral church of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts in 1912. She succeeds former dean John P. Streit Jr. who retired last February after a 21-year tenure.

Around Town

Unions Donate All Labor, Equipment for Security System in Watertown Boys & Girls Club Renovation

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International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 103 (IBEW 103) and their partners at the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) are proud to announce that they will donate all equipment and labor for security system upgrades during the Watertown Boys & Girls Club’s upcoming renovation project. The donations from IBEW 103 and NECA follows through on their ongoing commitment to support programs helping young people in local communities. Lou Antonellis, Business Manager of IBEW 103 said, “We are proud to support the Watertown Boys & Girls Club in their upcoming renovations by donating and installing these much needed security equipment upgrades. Many Watertown families rely on the Boys and & Girls Club and the quality services and program they offer. We are happy to do our part to modernize the facility and to help keep Watertown kids safe.”
“The Boys & Girls Club has always been a safe place for kids to come to learn and grow,” Said Renée Gaudette, Executive Director of the Watertown Boys & Girls Club.

Around Town

Sign Up Open for the Challenger Baseball, a League Designed for Children with Special Needs

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Registration is now open for a baseball program in Watertown for children with special needs that begins in the spring. Organizers sent out the following announcement:

The Watertown Challenger Division, sponsored by Mount Auburn Hospital, is a division of Little League baseball especially designed for boys and girls ages 8-22 with special needs. Join us in our sixth year of providing this wonderful opportunity for everyone to be a part of a team and community! The Challenger Division program is dedicated to providing children of varying experiences and abilities to have fun learning to play baseball while also providing a chance to be part of a team in their community! Along with their baseball skills, all children will work on social pragmatics, team collaboration, and much more!