Around Town

It’s Hurricane Preparedness Week, See Tips from Mass. Emergency Officials

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NOAAA satellite image of the 2014’s Hurricane Arthur. The Town of Watertown provided the following announcement:

Tropical Storm Elsa was a reminder that Massachusetts is at risk for tropical storm and hurricane impacts. It was even more timely because this week, July 11-17, 2021, has been proclaimed Hurricane Preparedness Week by Governor Baker. The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) reminds all residents to prepare themselves, their families, and their homes for tropical storms and hurricanes. 

Hurricane season runs from June1st through November 30th each year. Download this Hurricane Preparedness Tips flyer

Around Town

New Acts to Entertain at Faire on the Square, Vendors Can Reserve Spots

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Charlie BreitroseFaire on the Square visitors check out some of the many booths at the 2018 celebration at Saltonstall Park. The Faire on the Square is back in 2021, and attendees can look forward to some new acts during the celebration. Watertown’s Faire was cancelled in 2020 due to the pandemic, but it will be held on Sept. 25, 2021, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Saltonstall Park (next to Town Hall). The 2021 Faire will feature some new acts, including magician Darren Yong, juggler/comedian Robert Clarke, a Frank Sinatra tribute band featuring Rich DiMare, and ’80s rock band Fast Times.

Around Town

Mount Auburn Cemetery’s African-American Heritage Trail Featured by Local News Station

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Mount Auburn Cemetery. Bree Harvey, Mount Auburn Cemetery’s vice president of cemetery and visitor services, recently showed WCVB Channel 5 the cemetery’s African-American Heritage Trail. The Chronicle City Savvy Quiz segment aired on July 1. Among the more than 100,000 people for whom the cemetery is their final resting place, there are freed slaves who made a life in the Boston area, the founder of the NAACP and authors. The trail was created about 10 years ago.

Around Town

Historical Society Pays Tribute to Two Major Events in U.S. & State History with a Virtual Celebration

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Charlie BreitroseAt the 2016 Treaty Day celebration, Bob Childs of the Historical Society of Watertown reads the Declaration of Independence from the same spot it was first read in 1776, the second floor of the Edmund Fowle House. Each July, the Historical Society of Watertown celebrates the anniversaries of two major events which took place in town that played a significant role in the history of Massachusetts and the United States. This year’s Treaty Day celebration is a virtual one. On July 18, 1776, the town played host to the first reading of the Declaration of Independence in Massachusetts. The following day, the first treaty made by the newly independent United States with a foreign power was signed in Watertown at the Edmund Fowle House.

Around Town

Senior Center Events: Senior Living Advisors, Technology for Those With Hearing Loss & More

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Town of WatertownWatertown Senior Center

The Watertown Senior Center provided the following information:

Programs for Week of July 5, 2021

Changes to Our Programs

As we slowly return to in-person activities at the Council on Aging/Senior Center (COA), some July programs continue to be offered on Zoom and some are now offered at the COA in the afternoons including Knitting, Whist, Chair Volleyball, Bridge, Rummikub, and Canasta. Please review the newsletter for details, and call to register your spot: (617) 972-6490. New participants are always welcome in every program. We hope you’ll join us! Monday: July 5, 2021Closed in observance of the July 4 Holiday.Tuesday:12:30 PM, Zoom Tai Chi & Meditation with Marie Favorito2:00 PM, Zoom Harp with Susan Wright                                     Wednesday:11:00 AM, Zoom Total Body Exercise with Nicole Von Rekowsky2:00 PM, Zoom “How Not to Choose a Nursing Home” with 2Sisters Senior Living AdvisorsThursday: 10:30 AM, Zoom Talk with Tom: Coffee & Casual Conversation 2:00 PM, Zoom “Technology for People with Hearing Loss” with Kathleen Krefethen2:00 PM, WHIST returns to the COA – call to register your spot2:00 PM, CHAIR VOLLEYBALL returns to the COA –  call to register your spotFriday:     10:00 AM, Zoom Exercise with Shannon Lee Jones     12:00 PM, Zoom Seated Strength & Balance with Pearl Pressman1:00 PM, Zoom Mellowtones Choral Group with Anne Silverman~Senior Center Closes at 2 PM for Summer Hours~

Looking Ahead

Monday, July 12, 2:00 PM, BRIDGE returns to the COA – call to register your spotWednesday, July 14, 1:00 PM, CHARLIE CARD EVENT at the COA – stop in! Link to the July Newsletter 2021

Many programs will continue to be offered on Zoom until further notice, due to limited gym access and limited parking in the Phillips parking lot while summer school programs are taking place. Please know that masks are highly recommended for all people regardless of vaccination status visiting the Senior Center or participating in a grab-n-go event.

Around Town

Mount Auburn Cemetery Names 14th President and CEO

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Matthew Stephens, Mount Auburn’s 14th President & CEO. (Photo by Richard Morgenstein)

Mount Auburn Cemetery sent out the following announcement:

The Mount Auburn Cemetery Board of Trustees has unanimously selected Matthew Stephens to be its 14th President and CEO. A vocal advocate for the power of green spaces in urban environments and an outstanding business leader with strong experience in strategic planning, Stephens will begin in his new role in September. “Mount Auburn Cemetery plays a unique, multi-faceted role as a historic site, an active cemetery and a vibrant green space. Matthew Stephens’ has the energy, vision, and expertise to successfully lead Mount Auburn Cemetery,” said Patricia Jacoby, Chair of Mount Auburn’s Board of Trustees. “As we approach our two-hundredth anniversary in 2031, we have many opportunities to consider how to continue our long history of effectively connecting this special place with nearby residents and visitors alike.”

With more than 15 years of leadership experience, Stephens has managed historic, public-facing organizations with complex missions.

Around Town

Watertown Food Pantry Coordinator Named a Commonwealth Heroine

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Kathleen Cunningham, coordinator of the Watertown Food Pantry, received the Commonwealth Heroine award recently. She was recommended for the honor by State Rep. Steve Owens, shown right. State Rep. Steve Owens provided the following announcement:

Kathleen Cunningham, of Watertown, was honored as a member of the 2021 class of Commonwealth Heroines. Recommended by State Rep. Steve Owens and selected by the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women (MCSW), Cunningham joins over one hundred other women who were recognized for their “unheralded acts on a daily basis that make our homes, neighborhoods, cities, and towns better places to live” according to a statement released by the MCSW. Cunningham serves as the Coordinator of the Watertown Food Pantry, which continues to be a vital resource for community members in the area.

Around Town

Watertown Library’s Hatch Makerspace Reopening Soon, Classes in July

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Hatch Makerspace sent out the following information:

We’re reopening! Hatch staff and volunteers are ready to welcome you back starting Wednesday, July 7th. Hatch will be open Tuesday – Saturday from 1-9 PMHatch will continue to follow all library closures. Masks are required for unvaccinated individuals and strongly recommended for everyone. Hatch Makerspace is located at 20 Summer Street in Watertown, MA.