Around Town

Nominations for Community Spirit Awards Sought by Watertown Youth Coalition

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The following information was provided by the Watertown Youth Coalition:

Watertown Youth Coalition is currently seeking nominations for the 2018 Community Spirit Awards, which honors people committed to the health and well-being of Watertown’s youth and families. People can be nominated if they served as a positive influence or mentor to a Coalition member or to others in the community, had the courage to address challenging issues that affect youth and the community, or have actively taken steps to improve the Watertown community (in big and small ways). If this sounds like someone you know, please nominate them! Nominations are due Monday, June 4, 2018. To nominate someone CLICK HERE. The Community Spirit Awards event will be at Arsenal Park on Monday, June 11 from 6-7:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

Around Town

Town Offering Babysitter Training & Pediatric First Aid/CPR Courses

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The Watertown Recreation Department will be offering courses on babysitter’s training and pediatric First Aid and CPR training run by the American Red Cross. 

The courses are offered to Middle and High School Students (Watertown residents only) on June 16 and 17, 2018 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Watertown Police Station’s Community Room, 552 Main St., Watertown. The fee is $100. and registration is available online by clicking here. Watertown Recreation sent out the following information:
Course Descriptions
Babysitting

Purpose: To provide youth who are planning to babysit with the knowledge and skills necessary to safely and responsibly give care for children and infants. This training will help participants to develop leadership skills; learn how to develop a babysitting business, keep themselves and others safe and help children behave; and learn about basic child care and basic first aid.

Around Town

Latest Plans for Mt. Auburn St. Show One Travel Lane Most of the Length

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Town officials laid out the latest plans for the renovation of Mt. Auburn Street Monday evening, which include one travel lanes for motor vehicles and separate bike lanes for most of the length of the town’s major artery. 

Discussions of reducing the number of lanes on Mt. Auburn Street from two to one has been controversial since it was first discussed several years ago. The plans shown to the public at the Hosmer School Cafeteria had single lanes with turning lanes most of the way from Common Street east to the Cambridge line. Town officials said, however, that where it counts there are two lanes.

Around Town

Watertown Schools Showing Film on Dangers of “Partying Culture”

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The public is invited to a free showing of a film about the dangers of drinking and other substances. 

The Watertown Public Schools in collaboration with the Clay Soper Memorial Fund is hosting a screening of the 30 minute documentary If They Had Known. School Committee member Amy Donohue organized the screening of the film. “I have wanted to bring this to Watertown for some time,” Donohue said. “It is a powerful documentary about the challenges of the current party culture our students face — mixing alcohol with prescription medication.” The documentary tells the story of the untimely death of Clay Soper, a promising young college student, who was a tragic victim of college party culture.

Around Town

Volunteers Sought to Place Flags at Veteran’s Graves for Memorial Day

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The Watertown Veterans’ Services Office sent out the following information:

Watertown will hold its annual Flag Marker disbursement at Veterans Gravesites on Wednesday May 23, 2018 beginning at 5:00 p.m.

If anyone would like to volunteer to assist in this honorable event, please meet at Ridgelawn Cemetery, Watertown or call the Veterans Office at 617-972- 6416. In the event that it rains, we will shift the date to the following day, Thursday May 24, 2018 at 5:00 p.m.

Around Town

Field ‘Resting,’ Installation of Lights May Impact Users of Filippello Park Fields

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The Watertown Recreation Department will host a meeting to discuss the impact of the temporary closing of part of one field at Filipello Park and the installation of lights on May 24, at 6:30 p.m. at Town Hall. 

The fields are used by Watertown Youth Soccer, Watertown Men’s Softball and other users. The Recreation Department sent out the following announcement:
As you may be aware, the Department of Recreation sent out a proactive email on Monday, May 7 identifying the concern that the late school start time for high school and middle school students will impact field schedules by at least 30 minutes, and to announce that because of renovation project of the Filippello (Grove) entrance, and the requested resting of the field, Filippello (Grove) most likely will be closed in fall 2018. 
The Town is also in the process of finalizing plans for new LED field lights for both Filippello (Grove) and Filippello (Arlington) for the possible installation in fall of 2018. The later start time for schools and the construction activities at Filippello Park will have obvious impacts to a number of programs, and we want to engage in a conversation to exchange information regarding this situation and to discuss all options to resolve these impacts. As a result, the Town will hold a meeting with various Town representatives, and community members on May 24, at 6:30 p.m. in the Town Council Chamber to have a conversation about these challenges. Please feel free to reach out to the Recreation Department in advance to identify any specific issues and questions that you might have.

Around Town

Improbable Players Receive $200,000 Grant from Cummings Foundation

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The following information was provided by Improbably Players:
Improbable Players Inc. is one of 33 local nonprofits awarded a total of $10 million from Cummings Foundation through its new Sustaining Grants program, which provides funding for up to 10 years. Christina Everett, Co-Director (Program Management) and Shahjehan Khan, Development Co-ordinator, represented the nonprofit at a May 3 awards night at TradeCenter 128 in Woburn. Watertown-based Improbable Players use theater performances & workshops based on true stories and performed by people in recovery to address addiction, alcoholism, and the opioid epidemic. Performances are 25-45 minutes long followed by a talkback/Q&A. Drama workshops give students the space and tools to combat social pressures and find coping strategies that work for them.

Around Town

Watertown Historical Commission Awards Ceremony Coming Up Soon!

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The WHC sent out the following information:
The Watertown Historical Commission cordially invites you to attend the:

2018 Watertown Historical Commission Awards Ceremony

WHAT: Community, Snacks, Awards & Fun! WHEN: Thursday, May 17, 2018, at 7 p.m.

WHERE: The Commander’s Mansion, 440 Talcott Ave., Watertown

This year’s Award Recipients:
Richard E. Mastrangelo Memorial Award
Posthumously to Kenneth E. Thompson – “Dedicated Service to Historical Commission as Building Inspector”
Architectural Preservation Award
Anthony Fox and Sarah Holcomb “The Henry Chase House Restoration”
Environmental Presentation Award
athenahealth – “Soil Remediation Use in Arsenal on the Charles Master Plan”
Community Spirit Award
Dick O’Connor – “History of Victory Field Article in Watertown Tab”
Historical Resources Preservation Award
Cara Marcus – “Watertown Square Through Time”
Historical Resources Preservation Award
Rosemarie Smurzynski – “Mt. Auburn Cemetery Tour of Notable Watertown Woman”
Service to Youth Award
Eric Cordeiro and Taylor Boas- Boy Scout Troup 30 and Cub Scout Troop 30 “100th Anniversary Program on Watertown Cable Access TV”  
For additional details please call Susan Jenness in the Office of Historical Preservation at 617-972-6426.