Around Town

Giving Tree Full of Children’s Gift Wishes Up at the Watertown Mall

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The Watertown mall Giving Tree is up and filled with wishes from children who are members at the Watertown Boys & Girls Club. Brighten the holidays for these children by taking an ornament from the tree and purchasing their wish. The Watertown Mall’s giving tree is adorned with ornaments for this Holiday season and will benefit the Watertown Boys & Girls Club. The Giving Tree is located in the common area of the mall, near Miss Maria’s School of Dance. All are invited to simply take an ornament off the tree, buy the gift listed on the tag, and return it to mall staff unwrapped (Management Team, Maintenance Staff, Security Officers).

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Letter from Nobel Winner Malala Helps Watertown Man Avoid Jail Time

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The Nobel Prize Medal

A Watertown man convicted of tax fraud avoided jail time in part due to a letter on his behalf from Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai. Burnham Ud Din, 50, of Watertown, was sentenced to 500 hours of community service and to pay a $140,372 fine for his involvement with a scheme to not pay taxes for two fried chicken restaurants — Kennedy Fried Chicken in Roxbury and Crown Fried Chicken in Chelsea. Federal prosecutors had sought a year in jail and a $212,224.01 fine to repay the withheld taxes. The sentence was handed down on Nov. 7 by Boston Federal District Court Judge Judge George A. O’Toole, who took into account letters in support of Din, including one from Yousafzai, according to a post on Universal Hub.

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Pair Who Helped Asylum Seekers at Border to Speak in Watertown

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Several Watertown citizen groups announced they will host the event “Stories from the Border: Roots and Realities with Raquel Bauman and Sylvia Cowan.” The group sent out the following information:

Wednesday, November 20 7:00 p.m – 8:30 p.m. First Parish of Watertown 35 Church Street

Raquel Bauman and Sylvia Cowan of First Parish Bedford went to the Border as Spanish-speaking volunteers in a detention center to assist asylum-seekers and to observe events in Mexico and Texas last February.  They will share stories they heard and events they witnessed first-hand there, along with updates and a look at origins of this growing humanitarian crisis on our Mexican Border. Since that time, the situation has continued to escalate into a heartbreaking humanitarian crisis—both on the U.S. border and in neighboring Mexico. Sylvia & Raquel invite you to accompany them vicariously on their journey. Come hear what they learned, aspects of the current realities, and exploration of roots of this crisis.  In the end, we are invited to consider what steps we all might take to live our values of justice for all and helping one another. Sponsored by First Parish of Watertown, Watertown Citizens for Peace, Justice & the Environment, World in Watertown, Watertown Welcomes Immigrants, and Survival Education Fund, Inc.

Around Town

Winner of Watertown Mall Scarecrow Contest Announced & Kids in Costumes

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The Watertown Mall announced the winners of the 2019 Scarecrow Contest, and that was just one of its Halloween events. The mall also invited children to come down in their Halloween costumes. The Watertown Mall provided the following announcements:

We would like to thank all of this year’s Scarecrow Contest participants. The Watertown Mall is proud to announce the winners this year. 1st Place – Perkins School for the Blind, “The Minions of Potter”

The 2019 Scarecrow Contest First Place winner.

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Some Registry of Motor Vehicles Services Closed Over Veterans Day Weekend

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The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) is announcing that due to its final upgrade to new technology, ATLAS, no customer service transactions can be conducted starting tonight at 6 p.m., and until 7 a.m., Tuesday, Nov. 12.  In addition, inspection station locations will not be able to conduct motor vehicle inspections on Nov. 9, 10, and 11. “We appreciate the public’s patience, cooperation, and understanding as the RMV completes its transition to a new platform that will greatly enhance the quality and number of online vehicle transactions available to our customers,” explained the RMV’s Acting Registrar, Jamey Tesler. “This transition began with the introduction of new customer credentialing and licensing service in March 2018 and, as with any major organization-wide technology change, we expect an initial learning curve for our staff, business partners, and customers.

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Carroll Center Hosts Meet the Author: Understanding Vision Loss

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Author Hannah Fairbair, former Interpersonal Skills and Personal Instructor at the Carroll Center for the Blind, discusses vision loss with four former clients. The Carroll Center for the Blind provided the following announcement:

The Carroll Center for the Blind, a leader in services for individuals confronted by the challenges of low vision and blindness, today announced it will host author Hannah Fairbairn for a free public reading from her new book regarding dealing with the challenges of vision loss. As we age, our eyes often change. If these changes cannot be corrected with glasses or contact lenses, then you may have “low vision.” Adjusting to vision loss is challenging and frightening. You may not be able to recognize friends or read as easily anymore.

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Residents Invited to Meeting on Redesign of Watertown Square

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Watertown Square. Find out about plans to redesign Watertown Square at a public meeting on Dec. 3. Organizers sent out the following information:

Join Us for a Public Meeting

When:         Tuesday, December 3                      Open House, 6:30 to 7:00 p.m.                      Presentation and Q&A, 7:00 to 8:30 p.m.Where:        Perkins School for the Blind                      Grousbeck Center                      55 Beechwood Avenue, Watertown                      Parking available in lot off Beechwood Ave.; follow signs for event parking

The Town of Watertown is redesigning Watertown Square to improve mobility and safety for all users (including pedestrians, bicyclists, transit riders, and vehicles). At this public meeting, the project team will present three conceptual plans (of the original six shared at the Open House in July 2018) for further discussion and analysis. We will also review the potential benefits of each alternative.

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See What’s Going on at the Senior Center in November

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Watertown Senior Center

The Watertown Senior Center has plenty going on in November, including the Holiday Boutique, bus trips, exercise classes and much, much more. See details in the highlights from the Senior Center Newsletter below:

With Thanks from the Director

We look forward to seeing you at the Senior Center this month! We will be learning about the music of Bing Crosby with Mr. Bruce Hambro, offering free Flu Shots with the Watertown Health Department, providing exercise classes each day including Chair Volleyball on Friday mornings, and SHINE meetings by appointment for Medicare Open Enrollment in addition to our usual calendar of events. Stop in and see us. The carpeting is new too!