Around Town

Watertown’s Bob Galante Remembered in Boston Globe

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The untimely passing of Watertown’s Bob Galante has been covered in local publications, and now the man who mad a big impact on the town’s youth has been remembered in a Boston Globe article. 

Galante passed away in April at the age of 39, and he was remembered by longtime friend and co-worker Peter Centola, the Director of Recreation. Always active in youth sports and activities, Galante worked in programs with children at Lowell Elementary School, was director of the Recreation Department’s Camp Pequosette summer program and coached Pop Warner football. He was honored at last week’s Watertown Youth Baseball and Softball celebration. Globe West ran a story this weekend where those who worked with him were interviewed. Read the story, which was appropriately titled “Bob Galante, a friend to one and all in Watertown,” by clicking here.

Around Town

Red Sox Hosting First Ever Greek Heritage Night on Friday

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The Boston Red Sox will host their first ever Greek Heritage Night on Friday, May 13. Locals with Greek heritage are invited to attend the game, where leading members of New England’s Greek community will be honored in a pre-game ceremony. Part of the ticket sales will be donated to the Agganis Foundation, which supports young athletes with college scholarships. Details and tickets are available at http://mlb.mlb.com/bos/ticketing/greek_heritage.jsp .

Around Town

Local Woman Opens Yoga Studio Within Walking Distance of Watertown

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When she Steph Mills sought a new career that would allow her to see more of her family she decided to open an yoga studio within walking distance of her Watertown home. 

Simply Yoga opened in April at 93 Trapelo Road in Belmont, located just over the line in Cushing Square. The studio offers a variety of classes, from beginners to more advanced classes. “I always thought Belmont needed a yoga studio,” Mills said. “I think I’m the third one.” Mills has been practicing yoga for about 17 years, and trained to be a yoga instructor a few years ago.

Around Town

Watertown Woman, Researcher Will Talk About Bringing Peace to the Middle East

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Watertown’s Paula Rayman has made a career studying on ways to bring peace to the Middle East, and she found it can be done so not with more military intervention, but by providing stronger economic situations and stronger families. The key to a strong family, she said, is providing help to mothers. 

Rayman will be talking about her work, and specifically why women’s voices should be stronger in peace negotiations, at an event sponsored by Watertown Citizens for Peace, Justice & the Environment at the Watertown Free Public Library on Wednesday, May 11 at 7 p.m.

She was part of the group that recently published a student for the United State Institute of Peace looking at how the UN Security Council Resolution 1325, which seeks to end violence against women, and promote women’s equity. It also made rape a war crime and required women to make up 50 percent of any peace negotiating team. To find out how the efforts have progressed since UNSCR 1325 passed in 2000, Rayman and other researchers interviewed women in five countries around the Middle East and North Africa – Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Palestine and Tunisia. “I traveled to Israel and Palestine, but because of the situation was so tense, the State Department recommended not going to Egypt and Iraq,” Rayman said.

Around Town

Watertown Recreation Offering Free Kayaking on Charles for Residents Age 55+

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The Watertown Recreation Department is offering FREE Kayaking on the Charles River In partnership with Live Well Watertown. Participants will pair up in a double kayak for a fun, leisurely, or active ride along the Charles River. Charles River Recreation will provide basic instruction and safety rules for all who participate. This program is open to new and experienced kayakers. Comfortable, layered clothing is recommended; wear shoes that can get wet.

Around Town

Future Direction of the Watertown Community Path to be Discussed

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The Town Council’s Public Works Committee and the Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee will talk about the designs for linking the Community Path in the Watertown Square area on Thursday night. 

Currently the path runs east to west from Arlington Street, behind the Watertown Mall, and onto School Street. From there it runs along Arsenal Street and will end at Irving Street after the new apartments are built on Arsenal Street. On the other side of town, the Community Path starts up again behind Town Hall and goes to Waverley Avenue and continues near Moxley Park. However, there is no direct link between the two sections. There are a few options for link, with scenarios focusing on the areas east and west of  Watertown Square.

Around Town

Forum Draws Attention to Need for More Affordable Housing in Area

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With housing in the Boston area one of the most expensive in the nation, the need for more affordable housing has become critical, said presenters at the Tri Community Coalition to End Homelessness event last week. Chrystal Kornegay, Undersecretary for the State Department of Housing and Community Development was the keynote speaker at the event organized by groups from Watertown, Belmont and Waltham, and was held at St. Joseph’s Church in Belmont. Kornegay said the Boston area has the fourth most expensive housing prices in the United States and the ninth highest rents. A person or family spending more than 30 percent of their income on housing is considered housing “burdened.”

Around Town

Hundreds of Volunteers Clean Up Charles River for Earth Day

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On Saturday, April 30, over 300 people volunteered in Watertown as part of the 17th Annual Earth Day Charles River Cleanup. In a collaboration led by Charles River Watershed Association (CRWA), over 3,000 volunteers from 133 groups throughout the watershed worked together to remove litter and debris as well as eradicate invasive species in an effort to beautify the Charles River and surrounding parklands, the CRWA announced. For 17 years the Annual Earth Day Charles River Cleanup has provided thousands of volunteers an opportunity to serve as parkland stewards at sites throughout the Charles River watershed including in Watertown. Through their service, volunteers deepen their connection to the Charles River while increasing their commitment to protect it. On Saturday, participants joined thousands of volunteers across Massachusetts who came together for Park Serve Day MassParks’ annual statewide day of volunteer service.