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Get Ready for the Watertown Tree Lighting Ceremony in the Square

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The Watertown-Belmont Chamber of Commerce (WBCC), Rotary Club of Watertown, and the Town of Watertown are pleased to announce that the fifth annual Tree Lighting ceremony will be held on Friday, December 2 in Watertown Square. A reception will follow at the Watertown Savings Bank (WSB) main office in Watertown Square. Santa Claus will arrive to the Square by fire truck at 5:15; the tree will be lit at 5:30; and the reception to follow immediately after at WSB, where attendees will enjoy hot chocolate, cider, refreshments, holiday music with the NEJazz AllStars Holiday Quartet and others, and of course visit with Santa Claus! Parking will be available at WSB after 5 p.m.

“We’re really excited for this year’s tree lighting, and to continue with this wonderful holiday tradition,” said WBCC Executive Director Paul Airasian. New this year: Radio station 105.7 WROR will also be outside in the Square with giveaways, playing music, and a special guest of their own beginning at 4:30 p.m. The Watertown High School acapella group will also be performing outside.

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Boys & Girls Club Hosts Turkey Feather Scavenger Hunt on Friday

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Watertown Boys & Girls Club announced it will be hosting a Turkey Feather Scavenger Hunt this Friday, Nov. 18 from 6-8 p.m. Club members ages 7 to 11 are welcome to attend this fun, Thanksgiving event. Our teen members will be hiding “turkey feathers” all around the Club. Win points by finding different colored feathers and receive fun prizes! Free admission.

Around Town

Forum This Week on the Opiates Epidemic in Watertown Features Katherine Clark

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The W.A.T.E.R.town (Watertown Access to Treatment, Educations and Resources) Task Force on Substance Use Disorder announced a November educational and informational forum entitled “Together We Can…Erase the Stigma.”

The Task Force released the following announcement:

This forum features U.S. Representative Katherine Clark as the keynote speaker and sponsor of two bills aimed at reducing the amount of unused and unwanted pain medications fueling the opioid epidemic and ensuring safe care plans for families with infants suffering from opioid exposure, which were passed unanimously by the House. Joining Congresswoman Clark will be noted experts on opioid use, the effects of prescription and other opioids on the brain, and the effects that addiction, treatment and recovery have on family and friends. Attendees will learn about the local and national response to this public health epidemic, what can be done to prevent substance use disorder, and the resources that are available in Watertown. We are pleased to also feature Dr. Laura Kehoe from Massachusetts General Hospital with her very informative presentation of how opioids affect the brain, Rhonda Lotti, a dedicated and loving parent who has experienced substance use disorder in her family, and Jeff Hatch, a former NFL player who has also experienced substance use disorder and has dedicated his life to helping others fight this disease. The Watertown Middle School located at 68 Waverley Avenue offers ample space for this forum and we hope to attract parents of all age groups, as well as all other members of the community.

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Watertown Group Holding Conversation About Black Lives Matter Movement

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Watertown Citizens for Peace Justice & the Environment announced it will hold a meeting called “Continued Conversation: Black Lives Matter” on Wednesday, November 16 at 7 p.m.

The meeting will be held in the Watertown Savings Bank Room of the Watertown Free Public Library. The group sent out the following information:

On Sept. 21, 2016, the monthly meeting of Watertown Citizens for Peace, Justice & the Environment created a space for thoughtful conversation about the impact and meaning of the Black Lives Matter movement. A substantial number of the 25 attendees requested that this community conversation continue. This second gathering has been scheduled for the upcoming Watertown Citizens’ monthly meeting, this time in the Watertown Savings Bank room, which will allow room for more people to join in.

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Watertown’s Military Men and Women Honored During Veterans Day Ceremony

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On Friday, Watertown celebrated its servicemen and women, past and present, with breakfast and a Veterans Day ceremony packed with patriotism and a few surprises at the Marine Corps League’s Charles Shutt Detachment. A number of people spoke about the importance of veterans, but the person who stole the show never served in the military and is too young to enlist. Watertown High School junior Jeremy Ornstein delivered a rousing and impassioned reading of an essay he wrote about the importance of Veterans Day. He recalled how as a young child his parents would not allow him to have toy guns, and protected him from some of the harsher parts of life, such as his grandparents experience surviving the Holocaust. Ornstein thanked the veterans for picking up weapons to fight enemies overseas so that he never has to worry about a foreign power invading his country or his hometown of Watertown.

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Watertown’s Precinct-by-Precinct Results in the 2016 Presidential Election

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The votes have been tallied, and the results are in. See how your friends and neighbors voted for president, on legalizing marijuana and other state ballot questions. While Donald Trump claimed victory in the race for President, Hillary Clinton took top rung in Watertown with 71 percent of the vote. Her best precinct was Precinct 10, on the Westside, where she got 1,366 votes. The 10th precinct was also Trump’s best, with 496.

Around Town

Free Family Support Group for Those with Loved Ones Living with Mental Illness

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Watertown residents are invited to take part in a support group for family and caregivers of people with mental illness. NAMI Family Support Group is a free, structured, confidential peer-led support group for family members, caregivers and loved ones of individuals living with mental illness. The next one will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 16, 7:30-9 p.m. in the Board Room of the Wellesley Hills Congregational Church at 207 Washington Street in Wellesley, organized by the National Alliance for MentalIllness (NAMI).