Around Town

Watertown Community Foundation Co-President Emcees 18th Unity Breakfast

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Darshna Varia, Watertown Community Foundation Co-President, was selected as the Honorary Convener for the 18th Annual Unity Breakfast, held on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day to celebrate Dr. King’s vision, the foundation announced. The Breakfast draws hundreds every year, and on January 15, 2018 over four hundred attendees were welcomed with Varia’s reflections of her own exposure to Kingian thought and action. Having grown up in Kenya, Varia described her own introduction to the power of resistance to oppression with the 1990 release from prison of African National Congress leader Nelson Mandela. As many Americans may have recalled where they were when Dr. King gave his “I Have a Dream” speech, she recounted the sense of energy and possibility many in Africa felt when Mandela was freed. She noted that increasingly attendees would remember other visionary leaders, inspired by Dr. King, making it all the more important for each generation to recall King’s dream, to take stock of the work necessary to make it real, and to recommit itself to the task.

Around Town

Find Out How to Apply for Jobs With Watertown Recreation

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The Watertown Recreation Department announced it is now accepting applications for the following positions for the 2018 calendar year. This includes immediate employment as a part time member of the staff throughout the year or seasonal work during the summer months. Applicants must be entering the 9th grade (Fall 2018) or older to be considered. Positions Available: Program Directors, Program Supervisors, Program Staff, Program Counselors, Counselor in Training, Nurse, Specialists, Pequossette Staff, Park Instructors, Program Staff and Park Rangers. For all new applicants, the following documentation must be completed and returned to the Watertown Recreation Department as soon as employment is desired on or before Friday, April 20, 2018
• Cover Letter (Word Document)
• Current Resume (Word Document)
• Letter of Reference
• Application for Employment – Recreation Section Included
• All new candidates will be interviewed by the Director of Recreation
• All returning seasonal employees must provide documentation for First Aid, AED and CPR
• New hires will have 6 months from their date of employment to complete First Aid, AED and CPR Certification
• All applicants will also complete CORI and SORI forms, and other documents as part of the application process.

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BC Scientist from Watertown Helps Discover Oldest Known Butterfly

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While searching for the remains of plants and pollen in 200 million year old sediment, Boston College scientist and Watertown resident Paul Strother and a Dutch colleague discovered the remains of an ancient butterfly much older than ever found – a discovery that may change the understanding of prehistoric plants. While spending time in Germany in 2012, Strother examined some cores from Northern Germany with Bas van de Schootbrugge, a Dutch microfossil paleontologist who at the time had a lab in Germany. It took a few years, and collaboration with a number of other scientists, to find out just what they had found. “It sort of shows how sciences works, sometimes,” said Stother, a research professor in paleobotany in BC’s Department of Earth & Environmental Science. He lives in Watertown with his wife Ceclia Lenk, a former Town Councilor.

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Watertown Addiction Recovery Center Has Creative Approach to Getting Sober

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An addiction recovery center that started as a place for rock musicians to get sober has moved to Watertown and found success in treatment that includes art and music in the therapy. Right Turn, located on Arsenal Street, began in 2003 when Woody Giessmann – former drummer of The Del Fuegos – realized there was a need for recovery for musicians and other creative people. The center’s first offices were located in Arlington, but moved to Watertown a few years ago when it needed more space. In 1993 Giessmann became an addictions specialist after facing drug and alcohol addictions while he was a musician, said Gabrielle “Abby” Dean, clinical director for Right Turn, who has been working with Giessmann since 1995

“Musicians kept calling him saying ‘I need help,'” Dean said. Enough musicians or their agents called, Dean said, and they decided to start groups for people looking to get sober.

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Photos & Stories from Former Watertown Boy Scouts Wanted for 100th Anniversary Celebration

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Watertown Boy Scout Troop 30 will soon celebrate 100 years of existence and Troop leaders are looking for stories and photos from former Scouts for the celebration, planned for Feb. 10, 2018. Troop 30 sent out the following announcement:
Do you have part of our history? If you’ve been a scout in Watertown, we’d like to hear your part of our story. To celebrate 100 years of existence, Boy Scout Troop 30 is holding an anniversary fundraiser Feb.

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Discussion About a Possible Re-Trial of the Boston Marathon Bomber at the Library

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The public is invited to a lecture and discussion called “New Thoughts On The Boston Marathon Bombing.” The author of a new book that examines a possible re-trial of the Boston Marathon Bomber as his likely appeal on the horizon. Organizers sent out the following information (Note: this event is not sponsored by the Watertown Library. The organizers have reserved the space at the library as is open to all any community group):

A January 23 Lecture at Watertown Library: “The Tsarnaev Trial – Anomalies for the Appeal”

There will be a lecture at the Watertown Public Library on Tuesday, January 23 at 6pm. The speaker is Dr. Mary W. Maxwell, author of a new book entitled “Marathon Bombing: Indicting the Players.”

Almost 5 years after the 2013 Marathon bombing, people are making an effort to set the legal record straight. A student at UMass, Dartmouth, Dzhokhar (“Jahar”) Tsarnaev, was convicted of the crime.

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Group Concerned with Airplane Noise Holding Meeting in January

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Boston West Fair Skies (BWFS) will hold its quarterly meeting Wednesday, January 24, in Medford, the group announced.BWFS works towards redistributing airplane noise more fairly among our communities. Wednesday, January 24, 2018
7:00 – 9:00 P.M.
Medford Public Library – Magoun Room
111 High Street, Medford, MA 02155

We are a citizens grassroots organization which includes Arlington, Belmont, Cambridge, Medford, Somerville, Watertown and Winchester – all communities affected by the increased airplane noise due to the implementation of 33L RNAV (using GPS) departures at Boston Logan Airport. The meeting location rotates to a different town each quarter. Please join us!  All are welcome!

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MLK Day Speaker Stresses Friendship, Unity Award Goes to Boys and Girls Club Head

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For the 18th year in a row Watertown celebrated the life of Martin Luther King, Jr., and his legacy during the Unity Breakfast. During the event the keynote speaker talked about his work to make the conversation about race in America a positive and productive one through friendship and love, and the head of the Watertown Boys & Girls Club received the Unity Award. The morning also featured moving readings from the winner of the Watertown Middle School and High School MLK Essay Contest, and performances from singers and rappers. The event took place at the Hellenic Cultural Center on Monday and was sponsored by The World in Watertown. William “Smitty” Smith has some credentials in working to improve race relations in the United States.