Around Town

Watertown Resident Spreads Word About Animal Rescue League

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Caitlin Oates, a Watertown resident and manager of the Animal Rescue League of Boston, took part in an event to support the ARL in Boston’s Seaport. Also at the Seaport Hotel’s Canines & Cocktails event was WCVB’s EyeOpener Anchor Randy Price, who brought one of his nine dogs, former Grand Champion Boston Bruin, or “Bruin.” Around 100 supporters – both two- and four-legged – turned out to raise money and awareness and to meet 5-year-old dauchshund mom Sadie and her 2-year-old son Ringo, who are available for adoption at the ARL.

Around Town

Trampoline Complex Coming to Watertown

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A 37,000-square foot trampoline complex will be opening in the Westside of Watertown later this year. The facility will be called Launch Watertown and will be located at 1 River St., just off Pleasant street near the Waltham line. It will be the largest complex run by Launch Franchising. A large part of the floor space will be covered by adjoining trampolines, and there will also be places for “Xtreme” dodgeball, and a Free Fall activity, where people can jump from a town into an inflatable stunt bag, according to the report on Broadway World. The Launch Watertown website also shows trampoline basketball courts and a foam pit, as well as an area to eat which has flat screen TVs and an arcade. Launch Watertown seeks to open by December 2014.

Around Town

Watertown Has a Second Dog Park!

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Dogs now have a second place to run and play off leash in Watertown, the Recreation Department announced. Watertown residents can take their dogs to the dog park at the Alta at the Estate residential complex on the Westside. The complex is located at 100 Woodview Way, off Waltham Street, in Watertown. It is located across from the Gore Estate. In the spring, Watertown opened its first dog park at Howe Park on Pleasant Street, less than a mile west of Watertown Square.

Around Town

Primary Source Celebrating 25 Years of Teaching Teachers About the World

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Teachers spread their knowledge to their students but someone has to teach the educators, and for areas such as global issues and cultural understanding Watertown-based Primary Source steps in to provide the professional development . The group celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2014, and the Primary Source seeks to expand its influence beyond the Boston area and New England to teachers across the country. The non-profit group started in Cambridge when the founders Anna Roelofs and Anne Watt saw something missing from the curriculum, said Primary Source Executive Director Julia de la Torre. “From our founding we have noticed a real gap in the curriculum for global understanding,” said Executive Director Julia de la Torre. The group puts on seminars and courses lead by college professors and other experts to educators in grades K-12 at its offices on Walnut Street or other spots around the Boston area.

Around Town

Watertown Woman’s Magazine Teaches Kids About Healthy Eating

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Watertown’s Sally Sampson started ChopChop magazine in an effort to teach kids they can eat tasty and healthy food and her non-profit group is a finalist in the startup accelerator MassChallenge. The Boston Herald recently profiled Sampson and her not-for-profit publisher Chop Chop Kids, which she founded in 2010. She started by trying to find recipes that are both cheaper and healthier than fast food. See the article here: http://bostonherald.com/business/healthcare/2014/08/chop_chop_eat_healthy

Around Town

Town Lays Out Plans for Phase 2 of Victory Field Renovations

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The Recreation Department has a wide range of upgrades and a few additions planned for the track and court areas of Victory Field. Plans include replacing the track, installing artificial turf inside the track, and improving the tennis and adding a multi-purpose court where basketball and street hockey can be played, said Recreation Director Peter Centola. The project is in the town’s Capital Improvement Plan, and has a budget of $2.5 million. The money would be borrowed by the town through bonds, Centola said. The Victory Field complex, which also includes the field where artificial turf was recently installed, serves not only as main recreation area for the town, it also serves as the home to many Watertown High School athletics teams and is used for physical education classes, Centola said.

Around Town

Middlesex County Resident First to Get West Nile Virus

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The state’s first human case of West Nile Virus in 2014 has been reported in Middlesex County, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. The patient is a man in his 60s from Middlesex County, according to a report in the Boston Globe. This is the first reported case this year, but in 2013 Massachusetts had human eight cases. This is the peak season for West Nile Virus infections, and the Department of Public Health has a number of tips for avoiding West Nile Virus – the primary one being avoiding mosquito bites. Be aware that mosquitoes are active in damp shady areas, during cloudy humid days, at dusk,  dawn and during the night.