Obituaries

OBIT: George Sutherland, 82, Retired Printer, Active in Youth Sports

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A Funeral service will be celebrated on Thursday, Jan. 14, 2016 at 11 a.m. in the Belmont-Watertown United Methodist Church for George E. Sutherland. Mr. Sutherland, son of the late George E. and Nellie (White) Sutherland, was born in Watertown and stayed to become a lifelong resident in the Watertown Community. A retired printer, George lived for his family, he was very active in youth sports programs.

George passed away in Brighton on Saturday, Jan. 9 after a period of declining health.

Around Town

Arsenal Center for the Arts Names Roberta Miller New Executive Director

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The Arsenal Center for the Arts is pleased to announce the permanent appointment of Watertown native Roberta Miller to its Executive Director Position. Miller has overseen the center on an interim basis since September and previously served as a founding board member/co-chair of the $6 million capital campaign that established the Arsenal Center for the Arts. “The search attracted dozens of strong candidates from throughout the Northeast. In our process of interviewing and screening, Roberta rose to the top of the field with her practical, inclusive, innovative, and entrepreneurial leadership style,” said Susan Centofanti, Arsenal Center Board President. “Her prior work has been in supporting organizational and cultural change in organizations and municipalities.

Government

Watertown DPW Gets Grant for New Ways to Handle Stormwater, Protect River

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Watertown’s Department of Public Works received funds from the state to put in new, greener measures to deal with stormwater runoff and protect the Charles River. 

The DPW sent out the following announcement:

The Town of Watertown has been awarded a grant from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection to fund various planning activities that support identification and implementation of green infrastructure and other techniques to reduce non-point source pollution and improve water quality in impaired waters. The term non-point source pollution refers to contaminants that are carried to a waterway as a result of precipitation and stormwater runoff from the land or infiltration into the soil. Common types of non-point source pollution include phosphorus and nitrogen from lawn and garden fertilizers, bacteria from pet waste and waterfowl, oil and grease from parking lots and roadways and sediment from construction activities and soil erosion. Stormwater from the Town’s drainage system flows directly to the Charles River without treatment and is one of many contributors to pollution in the river. Green infrastructure is an approach to managing stormwater. Instead of flowing through downspouts, pipes, and other engineered systems directly to water bodies, green infrastructure uses vegetation, soils, and other natural elements to reduce the amount of stormwater and stormwater pollutants.

Around Town

Watertown Mall Hosting ‘Ready to Read’ Event with Crafts

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Join the Watertown Family Network, The Watertown Public Schools and The Parent Child Home Program for a back to school event “Ready To Read” at the Watertown Mall on Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2016 at 11 a.m.! Stop by for a special event including stories, songs, crafts and some surprises! This event is FREE and will take place near Carter’s. Watertown Mall is wheelchair accessible and accessible by MBTA Bus routes 70 and 70A.

Elections

LETTER: Councilor Endorses Steve Owens for Democratic State Committee

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On Tuesday, March 1, Primary Election Day in Massachusetts, Democrats from across the state will vote for candidates running for the Democratic State Committee. Our senatorial district, which is represented by State Senator Will Brownsberger and includes Watertown, Belmont and parts of Boston, has the opportunity to elect a new member to an open seat. We need a candidate who embodies progressive democratic values, who can motivate Democratic activists, and who can build the Democratic Party in Massachusetts. I believe the candidate who can do this is Steve Owens, the chair of the Watertown Democratic Town Committee for the last eight years. Since 2006, when he ran the highly successful Watertown for Deval effort, I have watched Steve educate and inspire hundreds of volunteers to speak with confidence about Democratic candidates.

Around Town

Mt. Auburn Hospital Tobacco Education and Support Class Starts Tuesday

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Starting this week, Mount Auburn Hospital will present Tobacco Education and Support, a free six-week class that provides an overview of nicotine’s emotional, social, and physical effects. Whether you have a quit date in mind or just want to better understand what resources are available, you will find this class helpful. This course is complementary to patients. The class is every Tuesday for 6 weeks from 6-7 p.m. starting on Jan. 12, 2016 at Mount Auburn Hospital, 330 Mt. Auburn St.

MassDOT

Department of Transportation Wants to Hear from Residents

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The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) will host two upcoming  Regulatory Review Listening Sessions and is seeking written input, too. 

Governor Baker’s Executive Order 562 commissions a thorough review of every Executive Branch regulation and its impact on the public. Public feedback is vital to the success of the project and if you or your business is affected by MassDOT regulations in any manner, we strongly encourage you to attend one of the listening sessions listed below and submit written comments to help improve our process. One session was held in Boston on Jan. 6 and there are two more listening sessions coming up:

Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2016 2-4 p.m.
Nevin’s Hall
150 Concord St.

Around Town

Watertown Violinist a Winner of The Knot Best of Weddings Award

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Emma Galloway, Violinist is pleased to announce that she has been selected as a 2016 ­­winner in The Knot Best of Weddings, an award representing the highest-rated wedding professionals as reviewed by real couples, their families and wedding guests on The Knot, the No. 1 wedding resource. This is the second year Emma Galloway has been selected for The Knot Best of Weddings. Emma Galloway, née Philley, a native of Watertown, has been playing the violin for more than 20 years. She has performed with various elite student and professional ensembles and symphonies, including the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra (formerly GBYSO) and the Sherman Symphony Orchestra. She earned her degree in Music from Austin College in Sherman, Texas. In 2010, Emma returned to the Boston area and has become a premier wedding ceremony musician.