Around Town

Watertown Sons & Daughters of Italy Donates to the Food Pantry

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The Watertown Sons & Daughters of Italy made a donation to the Watertown Food Pantry. From Left to Right: Watertown Food Pantry Coordinator Kathy Cunningham, Event Chairman
Mark Pettiglio, Comedian Jack Lynch, Watertown Sons & Daughters of Italy President Antonio
Mastantuono and Watertown Sons & Daughters of Italy Member Robert Martins. The following information was provided by the Watertown Sons & Daughters of Italy Lodge:

This month the Watertown Sons & Daughters of Italy Lodge Piave Fiume #1036, an affiliate Lodge of the National Order Sons of Italy in America, presented a check of $5,000 dollars to the Watertown Food Pantry, along with food items. The donation was made possible by hosting a comedy night fundraiser in June. Late February of 2022 the ceiling of the basement at Belmont Watertown United Methodist Church, which houses many programs and services including the Watertown Food Pantry, collapsed. “Food pantries and recovery programs were hit the hardest during the pandemic,” says event chairman, Mark Petteglio, “once we heard the ceiling collapsed we knew we needed to help.

Around Town

Tom Nutile Big Band Performing at Watertown Summer Concert

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Tom Nutile Big BandTom Nutile Big Band plays in Watertown on July 20. Hear classic swing music and some favorites from today performed by a big band at this week’s Saltonstall Park Concert. Tom Nutile Big Band will perform from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the park next to City Hall (149 Main St.). Bring a lawn chair or a blanket and enjoy the music. The City of Watertown provided the following information about the band:

The 17-piece Tom Nutile Big Band has its roots in the swing music of Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, Count Basie and Glenn Miller, but in recent years we have broadened our offerings to include more contemporary sounds, from the songs of Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald and Bobby Darin, to the pop and soul of the 1950s and 1960s (the Drifters, the Temptations, Wilson Pickett and Van Morrison) up through the work of present-day performers (Michael Bublé, Diana Krall, Pharrell).

Around Town

MBTA Hosting In-Person & Virtual Meeting on Bus System Redesign

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Charlie BreitroseBuses like this one on the 71 bus will get priority heading toward Harvard Square on Mt. Auburn Street in the new Cambridge-Watertown Bus Priority Pilot program. The following information was provided by MassDOT:

Bus Network Redesign’s proposed bus network map is now available for your review at MBTA.com/BNRD. This proposal for bus service will create a more equitable network with more frequent service, better connections, and more all-day service every day. You can view the full proposal here.

Around Town

Health Department Running Two COVID Vaccine Booster Clinics

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The following information was provided by the City of Watertown:

Watertown Health Department will be hosting an Adult Moderna Booster Clinic on Tuesday, July 19, 2022 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. & August 9, 2022 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Watertown Public Library on the 1st floor in the Savings Bank Meeting Room, 123 Main St, Watertown, MA 02472. Register for July 19, 2022 clinic

Register for August 9, 2022 clinic

CDC recommends everyone ages 5 years and older receive a COVID-19 vaccine booster after completing their primary COVID-19 vaccination series. Some people should receive two boosters. You can mix and match vaccines. Your booster does not need to be the same vaccine brand as your original COVID-19 vaccination.

Around Town

Group Holding Two Part Discussion of Roe v. Wade Supreme Court Decision

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A discussion of the Supreme Court’s decision on Roe v. Wade will be held in Watertown over two evenings. The event is hosted by State Rep. Steve Owens, Tiffany York, Elizabeth Peck, Daniel Pritchard, and Wayside Youth & Family Network. Organizers provided the following information:

You are invited to a two-part conversation on Monday, July 18 from 6:30-8 p.m. and Wednesday, July 20 from 7-9 p.m. focused on Watertown residents ‘ feelings, questions and experiences while building resilience in Watertown around the recent overturning of Roe v. Wade. Register here for Part 1Register here for part 2Submit Questions

Around Town

Watertown Group Hosting Discussion of Ukraine and Danger of Nuclear Weapons

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Watertown Citizens for Peace, Justice and the Environment sent the following announcement for its July monthly meeting:

The meeting will be held on Wednesday, July 20 from 6:45 until 8:30 p.m. Via Zoom. The topic will be Ukraine and the Growing Danger of Nuclear Weapons. The Peace and Common Security working group will present, “Ukraine and the Growing Danger of Nuclear Weapons” at the July Monthly Meeting.  The Program will feature Dr. Ira Helfand, Past President of the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War and a member of the Steering Committee of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons. 

The war in Ukraine has raised the possibility of the use of battlefield nuclear weapons and the unthinkable exchange of nuclear weapons between the U.S. and Russia.  Dr. Helfand will discuss the devastation and effects of a nuclear exchange. Also joining us is Susan Mirsky, a member of Newton Dialogues for Peace and War and the Chair of the Nuclear Disarmament working group of Massachusetts Peace Action.  Ms. Mirsky will talk about how we, as active citizens, can work of nuclear disarmament and about the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. The link to the zoom meeting is https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87184471301?pwd=VUQ5U1R1U2dYNnI5YkY5c3lkTFFtZz09\

For more information contact peaceandsecurity@watertowncitizens.org