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The 2010 Reenactment of Signing of Treaty of Watertown at the Edmund Fowle House. (Courtesy of Historical Society. of Watertown)
In the days after the former 13 colonies declared their independence from Britain 250 years ago, Watertown had a moment. The town outside Boston became the center of government in Massachusetts, and two historic firsts took place right near Watertown Square. However, these occasions got lost in the ether somewhere between George Washington and George H.W. Bush. It took some people with long memories to rekindle the connection between Watertown and the indigenous tribes on both sides of the Canadian border. This July 18th, Watertown will celebrate the 250th anniversary of these historic moments with the ancestors of those present in 1776.
The Watertown Arts Market is still about a month away, but on two weekends in July there will be pop-up arts markets in Watertown Square featuring local artists and musicians.
Marsha Moeller, center, cuts the ribbon at the Helen Caloggero Women’s and Family Center in California. The center is named after her mother who grew up in Watertown. (Photo from Providence St. Joseph Hospital)
A health center in California that provides services to women and families was dedicated to and named for a woman who grew up in Watertown.
With a collection of tens of thousands of historic post cards, Watertown’s Kathryn Alpert had a wealth of choices for her new book “Lost & Found: Historic Boston in Post Cards.” Watertown News spoke with Alpert about the creation of her book.
The following information came from Gore Place:
Gore Place is offering a new audio tour of the 50-acre estate in Waltham and Watertown. The tour entitled, My Farm at Waltham will be available, year-round, free of charge. Accessed by phone, the audio tour describes the information on interpretive panels which can be found on six key points of the property.
Northeastern UniversityJohn Portz retired from the School Committee in December after 16 years. He also served eight years as a Town Councilor.
School Committee Chair John Portz oversaw his final meeting earlier this month, ending not only 16 years on the School Committee but more than 25 years serving the residents of Watertown.
Linda ScottStumps remaining after several trees were taken down at a property on Olcott Street.
An Open Letter to the Watertown Planning and Zoning Boards:
There’s a war on trees on Olcott Street. On a one block street where the only major street tree is dying, it was a terrible shock to me and my neighbors when we returned home from our work and chores to find that a developer who bought 45-47 Olcott St., had, in one day, chopped down at least five trees on this private lot … five mature trees that were homes and roosts for wildlife; provided shade on those extremely hot days that have become so prevalent; provided privacy, a commodity hard to come by in this dense neighborhood; and served as a sound buffer for traffic and neighborhood noises.
The following announcement was provided by Pathfinder International:
Pathfinder International is pleased to announce that Collin Mothupi will serve as the organization’s new board chair. Mothupi has been on Pathfinder’s board of directors since 2017 and is the first Pathfinder board chair born and raised in sub-Saharan Africa, where the organization operates many of its programs.
The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department.
Enter the Watertown Holiday Decorations and Lights Contest and win money for yourself and your favorite local charity.
Which house in Watertown has the best holiday display? If you think it is your home, enter the Watertown Holiday Lighting & Decoration Contest.
The Prudential Center sports a blue top and towers over Boston’s Back Bay skyline.
The following announcement was provided by Perkins School for the Blind:
Earlier this month, Perkins School for the Blind lit up the Back Bay skyline as part of the Prudential Center’s Annual 31 Nights of Light program. Each night during December the Prudential Tower shines bright to celebrate local Boston-area organizations.
State Sen. Will Brownsberger
The following piece was provided by State Sen. Will Brownsberger:
We are pleased to announce that the state’s positive financial position combined with additional federal support has allowed the legislature to make new contributions to Watertown’s health, housing, and environmental programs.