Around Town

Watertown’s Headliners in Education a Finalist for Mass. Nonprofit Network Award

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Headliners in EducationWatertown’s John Vitti, founder of Headliners in Education. The non-profit is a finalist for an award from the Massachusetts Nonprofit Network. The following announcement was provided by the Massachusetts Nonprofit Network:

The Massachusetts Nonprofit Network (MNN) announced today, Headliners in Education (HIE) of Watertown, has been selected as a finalist for the 2021 Nonprofit Excellence Award for Small Nonprofits. The winners of the Nonprofit Excellence Awards will be announced at a virtual awards ceremony, MNN’s 2021 Nonprofit Excellence Awards: Celebrating Idealism and Achievement presented by Citizens, on Wednesday, June 23 at 10 a.m.

“We are excited to recognize Headliners in Education for their invaluable contributions to the Commonwealth,” said Jim Klocke, CEO of MNN. “We look forward to recognizing them and the other Excellence Award finalists and announcing the six winners on June 23.”

Around Town

Watertown Memorial Day Ceremony Moving to Commander’s Mansion

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Charlie BreitroseThe Watertown Police and Fire honor guards stand at attention during the Memorial Day Ceremony. For 2021, Watertown will commemorate Memorial Day at the Commander’s Mansion, starting at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, May 31. The annual parade was cancelled due to concerns with COVID-19, but the ceremony held afterward will take place, said Watertown Veterans Services Officer Patrick George. The weather prompted a change of venues for the ceremony. “It was going to be at Victory Field, because the bleachers would allow people to space out,” George said.

Homepage Featured

Shuttle Will Serve Pleasant Street Area Residents, Link to Harvard Square

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Watertown TMAA shuttle will start serving Pleasant Street in Watertown in the fall of 2021. After years of planning, the Pleasant Street shuttle will begin serving residents and businesses on the westside corridor this fall and will go all the way to Harvard Square. Watertown’s Fiscal Year 2022 Town Budget will include $96,000 to help fund the shuttle. The route will go through Watertown Square and will operate on a commuter schedule, with runs in the morning and late afternoon/early evening, said Watertown Transportation Planner Laura Wiener. The general public will be able to use the shuttle for $1 a ride, and residents living in complexes which are members of the Watertown Transportation Management Agency will be able to ride for free.

District D

LETTER: Candidate for District D Council Seat Serves as Library Trustee, Worked as Legislative Aide

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Emily Izzo announced her candidacy for the District D Town Council seat. It is with great enthusiasm that I announce my candidacy for District D Town Councilor. My name is Emily Izzo and I am a lifelong Watertown resident who grew up in the west end and attended Cunniff Elementary School, Watertown Middle School and Watertown High School, graduating in 2008. After graduating from Assumption College, where I majored in Political Science and History and minored in Sociology, I began my career in public service working for State Representative John Lawn. First as a legislative aide and later as Chief of Staff, my work with residents and elected officials to enact good government policies reaffirmed in me what public service is all about.

Homepage Featured

10 Students Honored During 53rd Lt. Paul Sullivan Scholarship Ceremony

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Watertown’s Lt. Paul Sullivan was killed in Vietnam in 1968, and a scholarship in his name has been given out for 53 years. The following announcement was provided by the Lt. Paul Sullivan Scholarship Committee:

The Lt. Paul Sullivan Scholarship Committee is pleased to announce the winners of the 53rd Scholarship awards. Paul was a member of Sacred Heart Parish in Watertown and a graduate of St. Mary’s High School in Waltham in 1961. He was a 1965 graduate of Boston College. During those years he participated on many area athletic teams, most notably in the areas of basketball and baseball. He worked for the Watertown Recreation Department as a park instructor.

Elections

Council Seeks Applicants to Fill Westside District Seat, Must Agree Not to Run in Fall

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Watertown Town Hall

The Town Council decided to appoint someone to fill the vacancy in the District D seat, which represents the westside of Watertown. Applicants must agree not to run for the seat in the November Town Election. The seat became vacant when Ken Woodland stepped down after taking a job that does not allow him to serve on the Town Council in April. The Council debated whether or not to even fill the seat, and other details, such as whether the person would be able to run for re-election in the fall. Councilor John Gannon asked how the Town could enforce the rule that the person could not run for the seat in the Town Election.

Charity

Crowd-Funding Effort Started to Prevent Watertown Woman with Medical Issues from Being Foreclosed

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A crowd-funding campaign has been started in an effort to prevent a Watertown woman with severe medical problems from losing her home. Alyssa Pinzone started the GoFundMe campaign to help her mother, Angela, raise $15,000 to stop the foreclosure of her Watertown condominium. The mother of two had a car accident in 2018 and continued to have medical issues, which were originally misdiagnosed. Angela has not been able to work, and her bills have been poling up, Pinzone wrote on the GoFundMe page. Pinzone wrote on Facebook:

“I made a GoFundMe for my mom in hopes to help save her home from being foreclosed.

Schools

Watertown High School Graduation to be In-Person, Seniors Will Have Prom, Other Events

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Charlie BreitroseThe Watertown High School’s Class of 2021 will hold an in-person graduation ceremony at Victory Field with no limits on guests. Pictured here, the Class of 2014 celebrates. Watertown High School’s graduation ceremony will return to Victory Field in 2021, with full attendance, and the senior class will also get to attend prom, the senior barbecue and other events. The Class of 2021 will graduate on Friday, June 4 at 6 p.m. at Victory Field, announced WHS Principal Joel Giacobozzi on Tuesday. There had been discussions about limiting the number of guests each student could invite, but with the change in the state’s COVID-19 guidelines the school will not limit the number of people attending the ceremony.