Group that Sends Care Packages to Military Personnel May be Grounded by Change in Mail Rules

For 20 years, Operation American Soldier has been sending out a piece of home to men and women serving in the U.S. Military overseas from Watertown, but the pipeline of care packages appears to be coming to a sudden halt with a change in rules for shipping packages to military bases. Co-founder Wendy Rocca recently learned that the flat-rate boxes used to send the care packages will soon no longer be available, and the rates will be much higher. “It was $15.30 (per box) at the Christmas-time rush. It was $14 and change for the rest of the year,” Rocca said. “Now we do not have the flat rate.

Watertown Reduced Trash by More than 1,000 Tons in 2022

Watertown DPWWatertown’s compost, trash and recycling toters. The following information was provided by the Department of Public Works:

Happy New Year! 2022 was a big year for waste reduction in Watertown. We implemented newprograms to help achieve the newly ratified Massachusetts 2030 waste goals. This landmarkmasterplan set the objective of municipalities reducing the amount of waste they send for disposal by 30% by 2030.

Developers of Residential, Retail Project on Main Street Holding Community Meeting

The following announcement was sent out by O’Connor Capital Partners:

O’Connor Capital Partners would like to introduce itself and cordially invite you to a presentation of its plans to transform the site in Watertown Square located at 104-126 Main Street, 55 Pleasant Street, 2-10 Cross Street and corner of Pleasant and Cross Street into a vibrant mixed use commercial/residential property which will enhance the retail offered along the Main Street corridor within a thoughtfully conceived design which incorporates design elements of the existing Watertown Main Street design esthetic. The design uses high-quality materials within a creative design that will preserve the historic row houses along Cross Street. This transit-oriented development will incorporate some of the best sustainability principles while offering public benefits including much needed housing, including an affordable component. The development will help reenergize Main Street and incorporate retail and residential vitality that benefits the greater Watertown community. We will be hosting an interactive meeting on Thursday, January 19, 2023 at 6:30 PM.

Water Main Break Shuts Off Service in Area of West Side

The Department of Public Works announced that water has been shut off for some streets on the West End of Watertown on Wednesday. The DPW sent out the following information on its Instagram account:

Please be aware that the Department of Public Works is reporting on Wednesday, January 18, 2023 at 12:30 PM that the water is shut down on Copeland near Highland to address a water break. We’ll provide updates as we get them.

Watertown High Grad Plays on NCAA Title Winning Soccer Team

Watertown’s Julio Fulcar finished up his college soccer career at Syracuse with a win in the National Championship game

When the Syracuse University men’s soccer team lifted the championship trophy in December, one of players celebrating was Watertown’s own Julio Fulcar. The Watertown High School graduate played for the Orange for five years, including this year as a graduate student. This season, Syracuse won the soccer National Championship for the first time in school history, finishing 19-2-4, and won the ACC regular season division, and the ACC tournament. Watertown News caught up with Fulcar, who said that being able to achieve the team’s ultimate goal was a very special experience. “It is difficult to describe the feelings one feels when they know they are a part of a real team but it is an unforgettable feeling, one I have been fortunate enough to feel twice now; the high school basketball team from 2018 echoes many of the same sentiments I had this past fall at Syracuse,” Fulcar said. 

Syracuse AthleticsWatertown’s Julio Fulcar kicks the ball in a game against Louisville.

4 Watertown Athletes Garner Boston Globe All-Scholastic Honors

Charlie BreitroseWatertown senior co-captain Maggie Driscoll shoots the ball in the 2022 State Final. Driscoll was named the Div. 3 Player of the Year by the Boston Globe. The Fall season had many highlights for Watertown High School teams — including a state championship and a rivalry victory at Fenway Park. For their role in the successful season, four Raiders received All-Scholastic honors from the Boston Globe.

Registration Open for Summer Classes at the Mosesian Center for the Arts

Sarah WintersChildren in the 2022 Summer Stages & Studios program at Mosesian Arts enjoyed coloring by the light of the large arch windows. The following announcement was provided by the Mosesian Center for the Arts:

It may be January, but Mosesian Center for the Arts is ready for summer!  

Enrollment opens on January 17 for Summer Stages & Studios for children and teens in grades K-12. Summer arts education programming at Mosesian Arts fosters an engaging, welcoming, and creative community where students can explore new art forms, focus on specific interests, learn from professional teaching artists, and make connections with other participants in a variety of weekly programs grouped by age and arts discipline.  

Mosesian Arts offers a process-based approach to exploring the arts that guides students towards developing both art skills and techniques as well as life skills such as collaboration, creativity, and empathy. The staff are committed to creating an inclusive, welcoming space for people of all abilities, ethnicities, economic status, sexual orientations, and gender identity. 

A catalog of summer programming is available online at www.mosesianarts.org/education/info. Questions may be directed to education@mosesianarts.org. 

In other arts education programming, winter classes in performing and visual arts for all ages are just beginning.