Government

Watertown Woman Lobbies Congress to Improve Support for Cancer Patients

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This week, a Watertown woman was one of more than 700 cancer patients, survivors, volunteers and staff from all 50 states and nearly every congressional district gathered in Washington, D.C., as part of the annual American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) Leadership Summit and Lobby Day. Advocates urged Congress to take steps to make cancer a national priority and help end a disease that still kills more than 1,650 people a day in this country. The American Cancer Society sent out the following information:

Rachel Laufersweiler from Watertown met with members of Massachusetts Congressional delegation to ask for support in three key areas in the cancer fight. They discussed the need to support an increase in federal funding for cancer research. She also asked them to advance legislation that works to improve patients’ quality of life and to support legislation that would close a loophole in Medicare that can result in surprise costs for seniors when a polyp is found during a routine colonoscopy.

Government

Sen. Edward Markey Holding Town Hall Discussion in Newton on Sunday

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Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) will hold a town hall on Sunday, September 17 in Newton, Massachusetts. He will discuss the latest efforts in the U.S. Senate on health care, immigration, the threat of a nuclear North Korea, and climate change and take questions from the audience, his office announced. WHO: Senator Edward J. Markey

WHAT: Town hall discussion and Q&A

WHEN: 6:00–7:30 PM, Sunday, September 17, 2017 (Doors open at 5:30 PM)

WHERE: 457 Walnut Street, Newton North High School, Newton, Mass.

Government

Town Council and Town Manager Will Appoint People to Community Preservation Committee

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After more than an hour’s debate Tuesday night, the Town Council decided who will appoint the four at-large members of the committee that will recommend how to spend the funds from the Community Preservation Act (CPA) after coming to a compromise, of sorts. The Community Preservation Committee (CPC) was created when Watertown voters approved the CPA in November 2017, and will send recommended projects to be funded by the CPA money to the Town Council for final approval. Five members of the CPC are required to be on the committee by the state statute, but communities can add other members. Watertown decided to have four at-large members, but the Rules and Ordinances subcommittee could not agree on how the four would be appointed. The group that put the CPA on the ballot, Invest in Watertown, pushed for the four seats to be appointed by the Town Council.

Elections

LETTER: Councilor At-Large Seeks Re-election to Second Term

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Dear neighbors,

I am currently in my first term as a Watertown Councilor At-Large. Throughout
the past two years, I have worked to create positive outcomes for residents
through my involvement advocating for school building improvements, open
space, housing affordability, and increased transparency. During this period, the residential exemption was increased for homeowners for
the first time in fifteen years, as were affordable housing and LEED sustainability
requirements for many new development projects. Members of police and fire
departments are now both carrying Narcan, and several new town positions were
created and funded in the recent budget for Recreation, the Library’s Hatch, and
wellness services. The town has a new ambulance, which accommodates the
recently implemented Advanced Life Services (ALS) program.

Government

Second Arsenal Park Design Meeting Moved, Survey Results from First Meeting

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The second meeting for the Arsenal Park Design has been moved to Wednesday, October 11 at 6:30 p.m. at the Commander’s Mansion, the Department of Community Development and Planning announced. The DCDP sent out the following announcement:

Below is a summary of the information about the upcoming meeting and links to documents from the first meeting:

Community Meeting # Two: Options for Design and Enhancements

When: Wednesday, October 11 –6:30-8:30 PM
Where:  Commander’s Mansion, 440 Talcott Avenue

See the Content for Community Meeting # One held August 15, 2017

Survey Results:  Arsenal Survey #1 Results 
Meeting Documents: Click the link to explore the presentation, breakout meeting summary, and look at the breakout sessions map exercise with comments received: Document Center Meeting Folder
With the folder, there is also a link to the online comments received prior to the meeting. Presentation: Meeting Presentation with Breakout summary report out. Project Webpage: http://www.watertown-ma.gov/index.aspx?NID=867

Government

Find Out When You Can Meet with Watertown State Rep. Jonathan Hecht

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Representative Jonathan Hecht will hold office hours twice in Watertown this month, he announced. Constituents are invited to meet with Representative Hecht at the following times and locations:

 

Monday, September 11, 5:30-6:30 pm

Watertown Free Public Library, 123 Main St, Raya Stern Trustees Room

 

Thursday, September 21, 8:30-9:30am

Watertown Town Hall, 149 Main St, 3rd Floor hallway

 

Anyone unable to attend these office hours can call Representative Hecht at 617-722-2140 to schedule an appointment at another time.

Government

Victory Field Parking Lot Could Become an Area Shared by Pedestrians, Cars

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Picture a European city center where people stroll easily and cars occasionally roll at a crawl … or think of a walk through the paved paths of Mount Auburn Cemetery as cars slowly circular – that is vision that Victory Field Committee may head toward to tame the driveway and parking area in the complex. Tuesday night, the committee looking at Phase 2 of the Victory Field renovations explored parking and the driveway area of the park and athletic complex on Orchard Street. All agreed that the roadway at Victory Field can be a treacherous place for people to walk or bike, with cars sometimes barreling through. However, they also agreed that pedestrians wander around the paved area already.

Government

Bill in Legislature Would Improve Local Cable Quality, Make Listings Easier to Use

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The State Legislature is considering a bill to support community access television and provide high-definition programing and include detailed listings on the cable guides. 

The bill, known as “An Act supporting community access television,” is bill S.1857 in the Senate and H.2682 in the House of Representatives. Helen Chatel, executive director of Watertown Cable Access, said that currently when you look up WCA-TV’s three channels the cable guide programs are listed as “community, eduction or government access.” “This is useless to cable subscribers looking for the latest showing of town council or school committee,” Chatel said. “Imagine, how convenient it would be to know that your local cable access is airing a Special Town Council meeting, or a budget hearing live.” It would also be easier to find when a locally-produced show or a high school sporting event will air.