Find Out About Getting a Free Blood Pressure Screening

The following information was provided by the Watertown Mall:

Every first Friday of the month, the Watertown Mall hosts a free blood pressure screening from 10:00 am until 11:00 am. For this upcoming month, this will happen on August 2, 2019. The screenings are sponsored by the Watertown Health Department. Screenings take place in the back hallway of the mall, near Target & Carter’s. About the Watertown Mall:

The Watertown Mall is wheelchair accessible and accessible by MBTA Bus routes 70 and 70A.

Watertown Farmers Market Features New Vendors, Entertainment

The Watertown Farmers Market will have a couple of new vendors this week, and entertainment for shoppers. The Watertown Farmers’ Market is held Wednesdays 2:30-6:30 p.m.(Closing at 6:00 p.m. in October) from June 12-Oct. 9. Saltonstall Park (Corner of Main St. & Whites Ave. next to Town Hall, 149 Main Street).

Watertown for All Ages Non-Profit Group Launches Website

The following information was provided by Watertown for All Ages:

A website to connect people interested in improving life for Watertown residents of all ages and abilities was launched this week by Watertown for All Ages (WAA), a grassroots non-profit organization. “We hope people will visit www.watertownforallages.org to learn more about our group, find resources of interest to older people in Watertown, and sign up to receive occasional email updates about our work,” said Bob Shay, WAA’s President. Watertown for All Ages is part of an international movement, supported in the U.S. by the AARP, whose aim is to increase the livability of cities and enhance the quality of life for people of all ages. One of the long-term goals of Watertown for All Ages is to help the town achieve recognition as a member of the AARP Age-Friendly Communities Network. Details about the “age-friendly” movement are available on the WAA website.

Learn to Fish at Watertown Recreation’s Weeklong Camp

Teens and kids can learn to fish at the Watertown Recreation Department’s Fishing Academy. The Watertown Recreation Department provided the following information:

Watertown Recreation and the Fishing Academy are partnering to offer a learn to fish program. The objectives of the program are to give elementary, middle, and high school students the chance to learn the fundamentals of fishing and water safety. Participants are asked to wear comfortable clothes (shorts, t-shirts, and old athletic shoes). All fishing equipment will be provided by The Fishing Academy.

Watertown Recreation Hosting Trip to Water Park

The Watertown Recreation Department will be taking children to the Water Wizz park on Thursday, Aug. 1. The water park in East Wareham features rides such as the Hurricane Hill, Harpoon Lagoon, Pirates Plunge and Herring River Run. Children must be at least 9 years old and be able to swim. The trip costs $30 for Watertown residents and will leave Victory Field at 9 a.m. and return there at 5 p.m.

Registration is required and will be one a first-come, first-serve basis.

Community Preservation Committee Looks to Get Process Rolling

The committee chosen to oversee the money raised by the Community Preservation Act in Watertown will be hiring a consultant and a part-time coordinator to educate the public and help figure out how the money will be distributed. Watertown voters approved the CPA in November 2016, and the property tax surcharge brings in about $2 million a year, plus the state will chip in matching funds (19 percent in Fiscal Year 2019). The money can be used on a variety projects, but they must relate to at least one of three areas: affordable housing, open space/recreation or historic preservation. At least 10 percent of the funds must be spent on, or saved in a fund for, each of the three areas. Elodia Thomas, chair of the Community Preservation Committee, said that she hopes that residents will become excited about the possibilities for the Community Preservation Act funds.

LETTER: Why Local Group Still Hosts Vigil for Hiroshima, Nagasaki

Candleboats float on the Charles River in Watertown in memory of those who died in the nuclear bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The following information was provided by Watertown Citizens for Peace Justice & the Environment. Remembering Hiroshima and Nagasaki 

Sunday, Aug. 4, 2019

7:30 PM – Silent Vigil – Watertown Square

8:00 PM – Music and Testimonials

8:30 PM – Launching of the Candle Boats – Watertown Dock

NEVER AGAIN – NO MORE HIROSHIMA and NAGASAKI –

NO MORE VICTIMS – ABOLISH NUCLEAR WEAPONS

“Why do we stand in silence and float candle boats”? To remember the more than 210,000 killed, and the many more injured, by the U.S. nuclear attack on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6 and 9 in 1945.

Senior Center in August: Senior Cookout, New Electricity Plan, Summer Bus Trips

Watertown Senior Center

The following information was provided by the Watertown Senior Center:

Greetings from the Director

Summer fun is in full swing at the Senior Center! This month, Ed Lewis, Watertown’s Energy Manager, will join us for a Lunch and Learn to help us understand what electricity choice is all about. It helps residents and the Town save money, but how does it work? Mr. Lewis will help us sort it all out. We will also bring back the dynamic Professor Gary Hylander for Part 2 of his June D-Day lecture that will focus on the Battle of the Bulge.