Around Town

Watertown Youth Coalition Gets Grant to Map Tobacco in the Community

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The Watertown Youth Coalition Peer Leaders, part of  Wayside Multi-Service Center, have been awarded a $2,000 mini-grant from The 84 Movement, which helps mobilize young people across Massachusetts to take action to protect their communities from the influence of the tobacco industry, WYC announced. The grant is one of ten awarded this year to youth groups from across the state. Previously, WYC Peer Leaders have received funding from The 84 to support surveys about pricing and availability of flavored cigars in Watertown, as well as use of different tobacco products by Watertown High School students. During a survey administered last spring, WYC Peer Leaders learned that of those students who had ever tried a tobacco product, 74.8% first tried an e-cigarette product. Over 63% of students felt it was “easy” or “somewhat easy” to get flavored tobacco products, providing explanations such as “Most stores sell them” and “You can go to the store and buy it.” 52% of students who got flavored tobacco products within the last 30 days got their products from Watertown.

Around Town

Toyota of Watertown Fills Pickup Truck With Toys for Children

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The staff at Toyota of Watertown got into the Christmas spirit this year and collected enough toys to fill a truck! The dealership gathered so many toys that they filled the back of a Toyota Tacoma when they delivered them to the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve’s Toys for Tots drive, said Adam Skolnick, general manager of Toyota of Watertown. “It fabulous for the kids!” he said.

Around Town

See What’s Closed for Christmas and the Holiday Weekend

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While stores are open for last minute shopping on Christmas Eve, most thing shut down for Christmas. The holiday will be observed by government offices and many businesses on Monday, Dec. 26. Closed on Christmas

Retail Stores

Liquor Stores

Supermarkets

Convenience Stores

Bars

Banks

Municipal, state, federal offices

Libraries

Post offices

The MBTA’s subways, buses, and commuter rail on Sunday schedule. Hingham and Charlestown commuter boats will not operate.

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Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Services Around Watertown

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Churches around Watertown will hold services on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day to celebrate the birth of Christ. Armenian Memorial Church, 32 Bigelow Ave., Watertown: Christmas Eve Service 5:30 p.m., Christmas Day Service 10:30 a.m.

Belmont-Watertown United Methodist Church, 421 Common St., Belmont: Christmas Eve Services, 5 p.m. and 7 p.m., Christmas Day Service 10:30 a.m.

Church of the Good Shepherd, 9 Russell Ave., Watertown: Candlelight Christmas Eve Service, 5 p.m., Christmas Day Service, 10 a.m.

The First Baptist Church of Belmont, 129 Lexington St., Belmont: Christmas Eve candle light service at 5 p.m., Christmas morning service at 10 a.m.

First Parish Church, 35 Church St., Watertown: Christmas Eve Services 4:30 p.m. and 6 p.m., Christmas Day Service 10:30 a.m.

Grace Chapel Watertown, 525 Main St., Watertown: Christmas Eve Candlelight Services 3-4 p.m. and 4:30-5:30 p.m., Christmas Day Service 9 a.m.

Redeemer Fellowship Church, 111 Mt. Auburn St., Watertown: Christmas Eve Candlelight Service, 6 p.m., Christmas Day Service 10 a.m.

Sacred Heart Parish, 770 Mt Auburn St, Watertown: Christmas Eve 4 p.m., Christmas Day 7:30 a.m. & 10 a.m.

St. James Armenian Church, 465 Mt. Auburn St., Watertown: Christmas Eve Candlelight Service 6:30-8:30 p.m., Christmas Day Services Morning Service 8:30 a.m. Divine Liturgy 10 a.m.

St.

Around Town

CatholicTV to Broadcast Pope Francis’s Christmas Mass

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On Saturday, December 24 at 8 p.m., the CatholicTV Network will broadcast Christmas Mass from St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican, presided over by Pope Francis, the Watertown-based network announced. The Mass will be rebroadcast on Christmas Day at 7 a.m.

Mass with Pope Francis is part of CatholicTV’s 72-hour Christmas marathon beginning on Christmas Eve at 12 a.m. The marathon also includes a live broadcast of Pope Francis’s Christmas message, Urbi et Orbi, on Christmas Day at 6 a.m. The Pope’s message will be rebroadcast the same day at 3:30 p.m. and 11 p.m., and on 12/26 at 8:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. A full schedule of Christmas programming is available online. Tune in to CatholicTV for Christmas Mass with Pope Francis on 12/24 at 8 p.m. and Dec. 25 at 7 a.m. CatholicTV is available on cable, CatholicTVLIVE.com, Roku, Apple TV, or your mobile device.

Around Town

Tufts Health Plan Awards More than $1 Million in Grants

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The Tufts Health Plan Foundation announced new community investments of more than $1.1 million in the area of policy and advocacy. These grants reflect the Foundation’s commitment to advancing age-friendly policies and practices that are relevant, focus on older adults, and include them in community solutions. The Foundation is also providing year-two support for an additional seven multi-year initiatives. In 2016, the Foundation invested more than $2.9 million in community. “The momentum is building around age-friendly communities, and we are excited to partner with state and local leaders in their work to consider and include older adults,” said Nora Moreno Cargie, vice president, corporate citizenship for Tufts Health Plan and president of its Foundation.

Around Town

Watertown Insurance Agency Runs Successful Toys for Tots Drive

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H&K Insurance Agency is excited to announce another great Toys for Tots drive with more donations from the public than ever before! H&K Insurance has been participating in Toys for Tots for the last ten years and continues to grow with each passing season. This year, through the support of their customers, partners, staff, and the local community, they were able to collect an astounding amount of 65 toys. A big contributor this year were individual donations from the public, more than any time in the past. “We are thrilled to see our staff and the Watertown community unite as one to be a part of such an amazing program,” said Paul Perry, the Treasurer and General Manager of H&K.

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Mount Auburn Hospital Gets an ‘A’ for Safety from National Group

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New Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades, which assign A, B, C, D and F letter grades to hospitals nationwide and provide the most complete picture of patient safety in the U.S., were announced today by The Leapfrog Group, a national patient safety watchdog. Mount Auburn Hospital was one of 844 hospitals to receive an “A,” ranking among the safest hospitals in the United States, hospital officials announced. “We are committed to our patient’s safety and well-being here at Mount Auburn Hospital,” said Jeanette Clough, President and CEO of Mount Auburn Hospital. “Providing a safe experience is our first priority and it is an honor to be recognized with an “A” in this important category.”

“Protecting patients from harm is the most important charge for any hospital,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “We recognize and appreciate ‘A’ hospitals’ vigilance and continued dedication to keeping their patients safe.”

Developed under the guidance of an Expert Panel, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses 30 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to assign A, B, C, D and F grades to more than 2,600 U.S. hospitals twice per year.