Watertown News (https://www.watertownmanews.com/category/more/aroundtown/page/408/)
Join a Watertown New Year’s Day tradition by skating at John A. Ryan Arena and help the Watertown Food Pantry. The New Year’s Day Family Skate will be from 2-4 p.m. on Jan. 1, 2020. The event is organized by the Venezia family, and donations will be collected to support the Watertown Food Pantry. Skate rentals will be free that day.
Cartoon by James DeMarco
James DeMarco grew up in Watertown and became a goaltender at age 5. It’s his life’s passion to stand between the pipes and keep the puck out of the net. Combining this with the love of cartooning, Small Saves emerged in 1991 and took on a life of his own. “To play goal–then come home and draw Small Saves — is my ideal definition of a good day.”
The 2020 Census is approaching, and there are job opportunities available. The Census Bureau needs thousands of temporary employees to help complete the count. State Sen. Will Brownsberger, who represents Watertown, provided information for those seeking work with the Census. “Massachusetts needs 54,000 applicants for 2020 Census efforts, but only has received about 17,000 applications so far. Census takers must be hired from all communities across the Commonwealth to ensure a complete count,” Brownsberger wrote on his website.
The Watertown Free Public Library is pleased to announce Lara Prescott’s debut novel, The Secrets They Kept as our selection for One Book, One Watertown 2020. Copies of the book, including large print, playaway, ebooks, and e-audiobooks will be available at the Library in January, across from the Reference Desk. A full schedule of March programs will follow. “A gorgeous and romantic feast of a novel anchored by a cast of indelible secretaries.” – The New York Times
“Enthralling… This is the rare page-turner with prose that’s as wily as its plot.” – Vogue
During the cold war, the CIA pursued an initiative known as “cultural diplomacy.” Operating on the premise that “great art comes from true freedom”, the agency seized on painting, music, and literature as powerful tools for promoting the western world’s values behind the Iron Curtain. In 1955, the CIA recruited secretaries from the typing pool, and charged them with acquiring the manuscript for Boris Pasternak’s controversial Doctor Zhivago, ensuring it was published in the West, and then translated into Russian and leaked back into the Soviet Union.
The Secrets We Kept is the thrilling tale of secretaries turned spies, of love and duty, and of sacrifice–inspired by the true story of the CIA plot to infiltrate the hearts and minds of Soviet Russia, not with traditional propaganda, but with a timeless love story: Doctor Zhivago.
Watertown Senior Center
The Watertown Senior Center has a wide variety of events and activities happening in January, including tax information, a program about hearing loss, a group where you can discuss death with no agenda, and ways to get around town. The following are highlights from the Watertown Senior News:
Letter from the Director
Another year has come and gone and we look forward to continuing our good times together in 2020! We begin the year by welcoming our new Case Worker to the Senior Center team. Jenya Kruglyansky comes to us with a wealth of experience in elder services and is eager to meet you. She is available for assistance with housing, food stamps, fuel assistance, MassHealth and other emergency needs.
The new lights on the trees on the Watertown Square Delta can change colors and display patterns. The lights on the trees in Watertown Square have gone high tech, and will be lit for more than just the holidays. Residents may have noticed the lights around the trees on the Watertown Delta shine not only brighter, but in different colors. This is the result of the new light system installed by the Department of Public Works, said Jesse Myott, the DPW’s Director of Administration and Finance. For years, the lights on the trees in the Watertown Delta were all white.
Most government offices, retail stores and restaurants will be closed on Christmas Day. A few will remain open, at least part of the day. Government
State and Federal offices: Closed
Town Hall: Closed
Library: Closed
Senior Center: Closed
Post Office: Closed
Mass. RMV: Closed
Retailers
Most will be closed, but can be open at owner’s discretion. Liquor Stores: Closed
CVS will be open on Christmas: Watertown Square location will be open 24 hours, the Watertown Street and Mt.
The U.S. Postal Service sent out the following announcement:
Post Offices across the commonwealth will be open for business on Tuesday, December 24, however most will close at noon so that our employees can enjoy the holidays with loved ones. Post Offices in Everett, Falmouth, Framingham, Haverhill, Hyannis, Lexington, Mattapan, Medford, Needham, Norwood, Plymouth, Quincy, Roxbury, Waltham, West Roxbury, Woburn and Worcester will remain open until 3 p.m. and Fort Point Station at 25 Dorchester Ave. in Boston will be open until 5 p.m. Post Offices will be closed on Wednesday, December 25, with the exception of our Fort Point Station, which will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
While only Priority Express and other overnight committed packages will be delivered on Wednesday, full retail and delivery operations will resume on Thursday, December 26. The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.