Around Town

First Annual State of the City Features Messages from Council President & City Manager

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Watertown’s first State of the City address will be held on Aug. 9 at the Watertown Library. The event is now required to be held annually after changes to the City Charter were approved by voters in 2021. Please join us at the First Annual “State of the City” address with Council President Mark Sideris and Manager George Proakis on Wednesday, August 9, 2023 at 6 p.m. at the Watertown Free Public Library in the Watertown Savings Bank Room, at 123 Main Street. The purpose of the “State of the City” is in our City Charter, SECTION 2-10 ANNUAL COUNCIL MEETINGS: “The council president, in conjunction with the city manager, shall prepare and deliver a yearly message to the residents describing the state of the city.

Around Town

Vigil Planned to Remember Hiroshima and Nagasaki

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Candleboats float on the Charles River in Watertown in memory of those who died in the nuclear bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The following announcement was provided by the Watertown Citizens for Peace, Justice & the Environment:

Remembering Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the Delta and DCR Dock in Watertown Square, Sunday, Aug. 6, 2023 from 7:30 PM until 9:00 PM

7:30 PM – Silent Vigil – Watertown Square8:00 PM – Music and Testimonials8:30 PM – Launching of the Candle Boats – MDCR Dock

Our annual resistance to the presence and use of nuclear weapons is even more important this year as we face the tangible and  threats of escalation in Ukraine and the effects of climate change. 

NEVER AGAIN – NO MORE HIROSHIMA and NAGASAKI – NO MORE VICTIMS – ABOLISH NUCLEAR WEAPONS

“Why do we stand in silence and float candle boats”? To remember the more than 210,000 killed, and the many more injured, by the U.S. nuclear attack on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6 and 9 in 1945. To remember the original five nuclear states have not taken serious action to abolish nuclear weapons, which has led India, Pakistan, North Korea and Israel to acquire nuclear weapons.

Around Town

Martial Arts Studio Brings Following to Watertown, Led by Longtime Instructor

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A class at Wu Dao Kung Fu & Tai Chi in Watertown. (Courtesy of Wu Dao)

Inside an unassuming building, surrounded by office buildings, labs, and an auto dealership sits a spacious studio where students train in kung fu and tai chi from an instructor who is versed in martial arts and more. Wu Dao Kung Fu & Tai Chi moved to a studio on Walnut Street after years operating near Fresh Pond in Cambridge. Owner and head instructor Lindsay Lambert developed a loyal group of students, many of whom followed Wu Dao after the move to Watertown. The numbers dropped during the Pandemic and after the move, particularly the kids program.

Around Town

Watertown Health Department Holding Household Sharps Collection

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Watertown residents can dispose of needles, syringes, and lancets during the Watertown Health Department’s household sharps collection on Saturday Aug. 5. The Health Department provided the following information:

Syringes may be discarded by bringing them to the Household Sharps Collection days. Follow these tips (PDF) while handling syringes. Sharps Collection Registration Form (PDF)

Household sharps collection days:

April 1, August 5, and December 2, 20239 a.m. to NoonCity Hall, 149 Main St.Parking lot rear of the building

Watertown Residents can bring the following items on collection days:

Used needles, syringes and lancets that are stored in sturdy puncture-proof containers

Unused capped needles, syringes and lancets in original packaging

Unused EpiPens in original packaging.

Around Town

Marshall Home Fund Awards $75,000 in Grants to Groups Serving Watertown’s Older Adults

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2023 Marshall Home Fund Grant recipients at the Grant Award Ceremony on May 18, 2023. The following announcement was provided by the Marshall Home Fund:

The Board of Directors of the Marshall Home Fund (MHF) is very pleased to announce the recipients of its latest round of program grant awards. This spring, the Board of Directors granted $75,000 to local organizations for programs that will benefit residents of Watertown who are aged 55 and older. Last year the MHF reached the noteworthy milestone of having awarded a total of $1 million over a 17-year period for the benefit of older adults in Watertown. The mission of the Fund continues this year through the important work of the following 2023 grant recipients:

Carroll Center for the Blind: Services for Seniors with Low Vision or Blindness provides evaluation, recommendations, and training on independent living to older adults with vision loss in Watertown.

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Watertown Singer Performing at 25th Annual Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism Concert

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The following announcement was provided by the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism:

The Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation For Autism, a leading non-profit in the autism community, is excited to host leading artists in the autism community at the “STARS of the Spectrum” Concert on August 24th. Rock out to incredible performances by Autism Advocates from the Flutie Foundation including America’s Got Talent winner Kodi Lee; rapper C-Quig; vocalist Cierra June; songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jake Velazquez and his sister and aspiring actress, dancer, and singer, Sky Velazquez; singer Adin Boyer from American Idol Season 21; Big Brother alumni Britini D’Angelo; singer-songwriter Gabrielle Swi; Flutie Foundation’s virtual choir Spectrum of Sound – including member Noah Ferraresso of Watertown; neuro-diverse theater company Epic Players; and inclusive choir group SSC Community Voices

This inclusive one-of-a-kind concert invites guests to come together to honor the Flutie Foundation’s continued mission of helping people and families affected by autism live life to the fullest, and all families affected by autism will receive free entry to the event. Ring in this milestone anniversary and celebrate the Flutie Foundation’s collective impact in the autism community at the largest concert in the nation by autism for autism. The Flutie Foundation’s 25th Anniversary “STARS of the Spectrum” Concert will be held at Fenway Park on August 24th from 6:00PM-10:30PM. For more information or for tickets, please visit https://givebutter.com/c/FlutieStarsConcert.

Around Town

Man Honored for Work with People with Disabilities in Watertown

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Said Barko

The following announcement was provided by MAB Community Services:

MAB Community Services, a leading social service agency supporting over 1,500 individuals with visual impairment, intellectual and developmental disabilities, and acquired brain injuries across Massachusetts, has honored Peabody resident Said Barko as a recipient of the 2023 Maxo Joseph Excellence in Direct Care Awards. All honorees were formally recognized at a ceremony and luncheon at MAB’s headquarters in Brookline on Thursday, July 13. Established in 2021, these awards honor direct care staff in MAB’s Adult Disability Services division who go above and beyond in their commitment to the participants they support. Their dedication reflects the legacy of Maxo Joseph, an exceptional caregiver and colleague who passed away in 2020. Totaling $50,000 annually, the Maxo Joseph Awards provide individual recipients with awards ranging from $2,000 to $10,000. 

Said is recognized for his extraordinary kindness and devotion in caring for participants as a residential counselor at MAB’s group home in Watertown.