Around Town

Watertown Troop 30 wins Northern Light Klondike Derby

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Scouts from Watertown Scout Troop 30 build a fire at Northern Light Klondike Derby. The following information was provided by Scout Troop 30:

BSA Troop 30’s Baconators Patrol took first place overall in the 2020 Northern Light District Klondike Derby last weekend. 

The competition, held in West Newbury, pits scout patrols of boys and girls from the region against each other in skills like knot tying and fire building. The Northern Light District Derby offered a day of skills and knowledge tests, followed by a competition to make the best single-serving meal at camp. 

The Baconators from Troop 30 learned about first aid during the Boy Scout’s Northern Light Klondike Derby. For the dinner challenge, Baconators put their love of pork aside for the night and made a dish of ostrich, complimented by onions, carrots and potatoes made over three camp stoves. In 2019 the Baconators came in second in the Spirit of Adventure Council Klondike Derby held in Milton. 

Troop 30 is composed of scouts age 10-17 in Watertown, Allston and Brighton.

Around Town

Watertown Filmmaker Showing Documentary on Migrant Camps on Greek Isle

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The following announcement was provided by Watertown Citizens for Peace, Justice & the Environment:

The next Monthly Meeting of Watertown Citizens for Peace, Justice & the Environment will be on Wednesday, February 19 at 7 pm in the Watertown Savings Bank Room of the Watertown Free Public Library. Please join us for a Special Documentary Presentation on migrant camps on the Greek Island of Lesvos. This short film was made on-site by Turkish video-producer and current Watertown resident A. Yaren Köse. In December 2018 Yaren spent 2 months in both the official and unofficial camps, documenting immediate needs of the migrants with the support of local Greek islanders, international volunteers and the people living in the camps. The story is mostly told by those who do not risk deportation or legal action.

Animal Control

Animal Control Investigating Dead Cat Found in Bag in Charles River

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The Charles River near Watertown Square. A resident walking along the Charles River in Watertown spotted a trash bag with a dead cat inside, Watertown’s Animal Control Officer reported. The bag was discovered on Thursday, Jan. 30, but someone walking on the California Street side of the river. The bag was weighed down by a rock, according to Karen O’Reilly, Watertown’s Animal Control Officer.

Around Town

Historical Society Hosting Talk on Powerful Colonial Woman, House Tour

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Edmund Fowle House, home of the Historical Society of Watertown. The Historical Society of Watertown will host two events in town, including a tour of one of the town’s oldest homes and an author speaking about one of the most powerful women in Plymouth Colony. The Historical Society sent out the following information:

Tour of Historic House

Historical Society of Watertown Event Date: Sunday, February 16, 2020Purpose: House Tours and Exhibits

Tours of the 1772 Edmund Fowle House, 1:00 to 4:00 p.m., February 16, 2020,28 Marshall Street, Watertown.  Hosted by the Historical Society of Watertown,with the last tour at 3:15 p.m.  Adults:  $5; Students/Seniors:  $3.  Visitors canalso view the exhibit on “Franklin Jones, Watertown Artist.”  For more information: www.HistoricalSocietyofWatertownMA.org. Author Talk on a Powerful Woman of Plymouth Colony

Date of Watertown Event: Wednesday, March 4, 2020Topic of Event: Slideshow Lecture on Penelope Pelham Winslow of Plymouth Colony

Presented by the Historical Society of Watertown

Location: Watertown Savings Bank Meeting Room, Watertown Free Public Library, 123 Main Street, Watertown, MA 02472

On Wednesday, March 4, author Michelle Marchetti Coughlin will give a slideshow lecture at 7:00 p.m. at the Watertown Free Public Library in the Watertown Savings Bank Meeting Room on the topic of her most recent book, Penelope Pelham Winslow. Mrs. Winslow, a member of the English gentry, and married to Plymouth Colony Governor Josiah Winslow, was one of the most powerful women in Plymouth Colony’s history.

Around Town

Support Group for Family of People Living with Mental Illness

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The following announcement was provided by NAMI:

Family Mental Health support group: NAMI Family Mental Health Support Group is a free, structured, confidential peer-led support group for the families of individuals living with mental illness.  

A support group will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 11, 7:30 – 9 p.m. at the Newton Wellesley Hospital, at 2014 Washington Street in Newton 02461, on the second floor of the main building in the Bowles Conference Center, Room Bowles 1. Parking will be validated. This is organized by the National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI).

Around Town

Community Preservation Committee Wants to Hear from Public

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The following information was provided by the Community Preservation Committee:

The Community Preservation Act (CPA) in Watertown raises funds through a 2% percent surcharge on local property taxes and a variable annual distribution from the MA Community Preservation Trust Fund. There are four eligible project funding categories: community housing; open space; outdoor recreation; and historic preservation. It is mandated that 10% of funds generated annually must be designated to each category. Please note funding for open space and recreation is a combined category. Up to 5% may be used for administration and the remaining 65% may be allocated among the project categories.

Around Town

Watertown Journalist, Teacher Being Honored at South by Southwest

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John Vitti, center, will receive a Community Service Award at the South by Southwest festival in March for his work with school newspapers in Watertown and many other communities. Here he is shown with students on Watertown Splash, the newspaper at Watertown Middle School. John Vitti’s professional life has been all about journalism, and since his children’s elementary school days he has shared his love and knowledge for reporting with students in Watertown. An editor with the Boston Globe, Vitti helped create the school newspapers at all five of Watertown’s public schools, and his venture now stretches more than 125 schools around the Boston area. For his work, he will receive a Community Service Award at South by Southwest Conference in Austin, Texas, in March.

Around Town

Boys & Girls Club Running a February School Vacation Program

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The following information was provided by the Watertown Boys & Girls Club:

Looking for a fun time for your kids during February Vacation Week? Registration is open for Watertown Boys & Girls Club February School Vacation Program. The program is offered Tuesday 2/18/20 thru Friday 2/21/20 from 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. for youth ages 7-13. The cost is $45.00 a day and thanks to a generous grant from Watertown Community Foundation, healthy lunch is included! All youth attending the program must be a member and registered for the program.