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Siblings Advocating for LGBTQ+ Rights at Watertown’s Schools

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Ashe and Vivian Flan have been advocating for Watertown’s LGBTQ+ students at their schools’ GSAs as well as in regional and statewide groups. (Photo courtesy of Alison Coleman-Hardy)

In the post-COVID times, the number of students coming out as gay, lesbian, non-binary, and trans has been on the rise, and a pair of siblings has been actively promoting awareness and seeking rights for members of LGBTQ+ in the Watertown Public Schools. Vivian and Ashe Flan are presidents of the Genders Sexuality Alliance (GSA) at Watertown High School and Watertown Middle School, respectively. While just four years apart in age, they have seen the difference in attitudes, and willingness for students to come out at an earlier age. Vivian, a WHS junior, who identifies as nonbinary and uses the pronouns they/them.

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Final Designs for Mt. Auburn St., Examples of the Planned New Amenities to be Revealed at Meeting

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Mt. Auburn Street. (Photo courtesy of mountauburnstreet.com)

The following information was provided by the City of Watertown:

The Mount Auburn Street Complete Streets Project Team is pleased to announce that the final roadway design plans have been submitted to MassDOT. These designs include construction-related details such as traffic signal layouts, utility upgrades/modifications, and site grading to ensure the roadway and sidewalk improvements match existing conditions at the limits of work. The project remains on schedule to go out to bid later this year, allowing construction to begin in early 2024.

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Public Invited to 55th Lt. Paul Sullivan Scholarship Dinner

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Lt. Paul Sullivan was killed in Vietnam in 1968, and a scholarship in his name has been given out for 55 years. The following information was provided by the Lt. Paul Sullivan Scholarship Committee:

The Lieutenant Paul J. Sullivan Scholarship Committee is pleased to announce the 55th annual Lt. Paul J. Sullivan Scholarship Dinner. The Scholarship Award of $5,500 will be awarded to a deserving high school senior to perpetuate Paul’s memory. There will also be awards for the other finalists. This year’s dinner will be held at the Sons of Italy, 520 Pleasant St., Watertown on Saturday, June 24th.

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Four Artists Speak About the Pieces Featured in the First Exhibition on the Watertown Community Sculpture Walk

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Anaïs MarkwoodArtist James Payne speaks about his sculpture “Opposition” during the grand opening of the Community Sculpture Walk. As of May 18th, Watertown is home to four new sculptures! The new Community Sculpture Walk in Watertown Square had its grand opening, unveiling a series of four sculptures located along the Community Path that runs behind Saltonstall Park. The sculptures, each created by New England-based artists, are located incrementally along the path, stretching from the edge of the parking lot behind the Watertown Free Public Library (WFPL) down the path towards Waverley Avenue, with the farthest sculpture sitting by the section of the path near Chulo Restaurant and Bar. The sculpture walk was organized and put together by the Watertown Public Arts and Culture Committee (WPACC) and spearheaded by Liz Helfer, Watertown’s Public Arts & Culture Planner.

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Watertown-Based Family First Receives Grant from Cummings Foundation

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The following announcement was provided by Families First:

Families First is one of 150 local nonprofits that will share in $30 million through Cummings Foundation’s major annual grants program. The organization was selected from a total of 630 applicants during a competitive review process. It will receive $150,000 over three years. Families First’s mission is to bring parents of young children together in their communities so they can strengthen their parenting knowledge, skills, and social support systems.

Funding from Cummings Foundation will be used to expand Families First’s highly effective model for parenting education and parent leadership programs in Greater Boston for parents to help their children thrive and drive increased community resiliency. The Cummings $30 Million Grant Program primarily supports Massachusetts nonprofits that are based in and serve Middlesex, Essex, and Suffolk counties.

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Watertown Honors the Sacrifices of Veterans During Memorial Day Parade & Ceremony

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Members of Watertown’s veterans groups march during the 2023 Memorial Day Parade. A Watertown veteran who has seen combat first hand shared what Memorial Day means to him at Watertown’s commemoration ceremony after the annual parade. McMaster served in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as Vietnam before that. For him, Memorial Day is a day of remembrance and somber. “I was one of the lucky ones who made it home and there were times during the battles I would think, Boy I would love to make it home alive so I could be a veteran and I could march in the parade and I could go to the cookouts and wear my medals and people could thank me for my service,” he said during the ceremony at Victory Field.

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Watertown Food Pantry Hosting Father’s Day Razor & Shaving Cream Drive

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The following announcement was provided by the Watertown Food Pantry:

The Watertown Food Pantry assists approximately 125 families/250 individuals per week, for a total distribution benefit of approximately 13,000 persons across the year with their food insecurity.  

In addition to food assistance, pantry clients are in need of hygiene products, which are essential for healthy living, but not covered by assistance programs like SNAP and WIC.  Therefore, many are not able to purchase basic toiletries. In celebration of Father’s Day, the Watertown Food Pantry is seeking donations of razors and shaving cream in support of client’s hygiene needs until June 18th.    

Donations are being accepted every day at the Watertown Fire Station at 99 Main Street, weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Watertown Senior Center at 31 Marshall St.