Watertown News (https://www.watertownmanews.com/category/letters/)
By Daniel Lander
Nine of our neighbors in Allston are violently detained at gunpoint at a carwash. A graduate student is surrounded and kidnapped off the streets of Somerville. A Medford teen snatched anddetained while driving to volleyball practice. A five-year-old with autism used as bait to try to detain her father in Leominster. A 13-year-old abandoned on the sidewalks of Waltham after ICE grabbed the adult they were with.
By Linda ScottWatertown Resident
A quick overview:
In Part One of this series, we’ll explore housing disruption and environmental issues plaguing Watertown. In Part Two, we’ll look at the costs to the City of Watertown to maintain safe control over the Life Science industry and its effects on our community. In Part Three, we’ll look at how our community got into a position where in Watertown, a city well known for its fiscal responsibility, residential property taxes could soar to 18 percent higher by 2027. As I read the Watertown News article on a meeting to be held by the Charles River Regional Chamber, See: Meeting announcement and read Sam Ghilardi’s very upbeat report there on all of the wonders and advantages that life science and bio labs bring to Watertown, it occurred to me that something was missing … balance. In fairness, people writing reports with Sam’s stated goal: “to promote Watertown as a community of choice for the life science industry …” usually stay away from what might be considered the whole picture.
For A Few Minutes
What happened at the February 24 Council Meeting was a level of disrespect I have ever encountered in my years of public service in Watertown. It was humiliating and hurtful, especially since it was witnessed by my wife, Mary. Over the years, I have addressed many Watertown boards, and they were respectful. In more than 36 years, I do not recall any board, as a whole, walking out on any speaker. I was taken aback by the Councilors’ immediate departure in the midst of my speaking, particularly from a board I once served on.
Photo by Katherine Patterson
By Katherine PattersonWatertown Resident
On Sunday, January 11th, we were amazed to see a beautiful barred owl sitting on a low branch in our backyard. We live next to Whitney Hill in Watertown, and had been hearing barred owl calls in the evening over the past few weeks (“who cooks for you?!”). After an hour our excitement turned to concern. The owl was now completely still, unbothered by any nearby noises. We tried to reach a wildlife rehabilitator, with no luck.
Across the US, we are witnessing ICE violence perpetrated with apparent impunity. On TV and social media, we see lawlessness and general chaos. A functional society needs the rule of law — built on stable precedents, clear processes, and established procedures to ensure the safety of every resident. Currently, that safety is being undermined by a federal administration that shifts rules on a weekly basis, while operating without a transparent strategy or the tactical oversight necessary to protect civil liberties. Americans from across the political spectrum have turned out in droves to demand accountability. Recent polling reflects this growing national consensus: 60% of Americans disapprove of ICE’s conduct, including 68% of independents.
by Tony PalombaCity Councilor At-Large
At the City Council meeting tonight, February 10 there will be a public hearing on a Citizen Petition on a Request to Call on Federal leaders to Support Nuclear Disarmament. Below is the statement I hope to make at the Council meeting. I would like to thank the members of the Nuclear Disarmament Committee of Watertown Citizens for Peace, Justice and the Environment for bringing this Resolution to the City Council via the Citizen Petition option as delineated in our Charter. I am honored to have worked with them for nearly two years as they collected nearly 500 signatures, held numerous public forms, appeared on WCATV, wrote and distributed brochures and handouts, arranged for a presentation on this issue to Watertown HS students, sent a letter, materials and a copy of Annie Jacobsen’s book, “Nuclear War: A Scenario,” to all City Councilors and continued to reach out to you to arrange an in-person or zoom meeting to present their case for why they hoped you would pass the Resolution. They are remarkable and dedicated folks committed to keeping the residents ofWatertown safe from the devastating effects of a nuclear exchange or an all-out nuclear war. Thank you. I can’t do justice to the excellent statements they made this evening, but allow me to make four points. I may repeat a bit, but what I offer are the reasons why I hope you will support the Resolution.
by Jeanne TrubekMember of Watertown Citizens for Peace, Justice and the EnvironmentPeace and Common Security working group
On Tuesday, February 10, the city council will be requested to support a Back From the Brink resolution asking our U.S. government to work toward world nuclear disarmament. This request comes from a citizen petition initiative. We obtained close to 500 signatures of Watertown residents on petitions requesting the City Council to support this resolution that asks our government to pursue a verifiable agreement to eliminate nuclear weapons and to enter into negotiations with other nuclear-armed states to eliminate their nuclear arsenals. This agreement must remove the option of using nuclear weapons first for every country with nuclear weapons. In the U.S. we must end the sole authority of the President to launch a nuclear attack.
By Linda ScottWatertown Resident
We shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us. – Winston Churchill
This is a follow-up to “Where is your Neighborhood Going? (Parts One and Two)”
As I read the responses to the above letters in Watertown News, I decided that maybe an overview of recent housing development in Watertown was in order. So here goes. Watertown’s Bona Fides
Watertown has proven again and again that we are a thoughtful, generous community.
As we reflect on the holiday season, we are reminded that while this time of year is often filled with joy and celebration, many families in our community continue to face growing financial pressures that make the holidays especially difficult.
Rising costs for essentials such as food, utilities, and household supplies have placed additional strain on already tight budgets. In response, Wayside Youth & Family Support Network’s Multi-Service Center once again collaborated with local churches and businesses to offer extra support to Watertown families. Thanks to these efforts, families receiving services through Watertown’s Social Services Resource Program were provided with meaningful assistance thanks to the generosity of community donors. We would like to express our gratitude to Sacred Heart Parish, who generously provided gift cards for Watertown families in need. These gift cards offer not only holiday gift support, but also the flexibility for families to purchase exactly what they need during a time where many are facing increased financial challenges.