Government

Town Council Will Hear About Department Budgets at 4 Budget Hearings

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Watertown Town Hall

The Town Council will hear about the budget for each municipal department as well as the Watertown Public Schools during the Fiscal Year 2022 budget hearings, which begin May 17. Four budget meetings are planned, and the Council will hold a public hearing and vote on the FY22 budget on June 8. Unlike most years, the department heads will not be presenting PowerPoint slideshows about their department in 2021, said Council President Mark Sideris. The Department heads will be available during the hearings to answer the Council’s questions. The Town of Watertown provided the following information:

The Fiscal Year 2022 General Fund Budget, as proposed, totals $164,430,000.

Police/Fire

Fire Damages Apartment in Large Complex South of the Charles River

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A fire started in an apartment in an apartment complex on Watertown Street on Wednesday, but was doused before it spread within the unit or to other apartments. The Watertown Fire Department received the fire alarm at 1:31 p.m. on Wednesday. The fire began in the kitchen area of a unit in the Watertown Square Apartments, located at 20 Watertown Street. No one was home when the fire began, but it was discovered by an alert employee, said Watertown Fire Capt. Eric Allen, the WFD’s Fire Investigator. “There was a maintenance worker that was on the roof of the building that saw smoke coming out of one of the vents,” Allen said.

Charity

Watertown Group Hosts Walk for Peace on Mother’s Day, Raises Nearly $5K for Peace Institute

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Watertown Walk for PeaceWatertown Walks for Peace held their own Mother’s Day Walk for Peace around town in 2021. The group raised the most money in seven years. The following announcement was provided by Watertown Walks for Peace:

The 2021 Watertown Walks for Peace (WW4P) initiative has raised over $4,800 to support the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute in Dorchester, exceeding its original $3,000 fundraising goal by at least 60 percent. The funds are being raised as part of the Institute’s annual Mother’s Day Walk for Peace, celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. Largest Sum Raised in Seven Years

The $4800 total is the largest amount raised by Watertown Walks for Peace in its seven years of joining the annual Mother’s Day Walk for Peace.

District A

Library Trustee Mike Hanlon Announces Candidacy for District A Town Councilor

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Mike Hanlon. Mike Hanlon, an elected member of the Watertown Library Board of Trustees, has announced his candidacy for East Watertown District A Town Councilor. Hanlon provided the following statement:

My wife, Joyce, and I are longtime residents and homeowners of Coolidge Avenue having lived in Watertown for over 25 years. We have appreciated living in a community that is rich in tradition and deep in so many cultures where people are so respectful and friendly. I understand the importance of the quality of life for Watertown residents and it has been a wonderful experience to have been elected to four terms (a total of 16 years) as a member of the Watertown Free Public Library Board of Trustees.

Around Town

New Rep’s Second Moving Play, Listen to Sipu, Focuses on Local Indigenous Woman

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The following piece was provided by New Rep Theatre:

New Repertory Theatre has partnered with the Pigsgusset Initiative, the Historical Society of Watertown and the Watertown Free Public Library to present Listen to Sipu, an outdoor immersive theatrical experience that leads audiences through a too often overlooked history of Watertown. The second play in the Watertown Historical Moving Play series, Listen to Sipu will kick off June 5th , and will focus on local Indigenous culture-keepers. This moving play will be led by actors Maria Hendricks (Mashpee Wampanoag) and Grace Wagner (Wampanoag Tribe of Aquinnah), featuring a script written by Morgan (Mwalim) J. Peters (Mashpee Wampanoag), and Director, Jaime Carrillo (Aymara). Tickets are $25/each, and will be on sale May 10th. More information about Listen to Sipu can be found at https://www.newrep.org/productions/listen-to-sipu/

About Listen to SIPU

Following the success of New Rep’s first Historical Moving Play, the Charles W. Lenox Experience, audiences were clamoring for more. Listen to Sipu answers the call with a captivating and powerful story that illuminates Watertown’s Indigenous history.

Government

OBIT: John Flynn, 63, Served as Watertown Town Clerk for 26 Years

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Long-time Watertown Town Clerk John Flynn. John “Jack” Flynn, who served as the Town Clerk of Watertown for more than a quarter century, died on Friday, May 7, 2021 after a brief illness. He was 63 years old. Born in Cambridge, he served as Deputy City Clerk and Principal Budget Analyst for the City of Cambridge before becoming Watertown’s Town Clerk in 1995. He retired in 2021.

District D

Candidate Announces Run for District D Town Council Seat Representing Westside

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Connie HenryConnie Henry, right, filed to run for the District D Town Council seat. She is with her grand daughter Eva Henry. The following announcement was provided by Connie Henry:

After thoughtful consideration, I’ve decided to run for Town Council in District D. On Monday, May 3rd, I went to Town Hall to pull nomination papers and was thrilled to be joined by my granddaughter Eva, who turned 18 on Earth Day and registered to vote! I love Watertown and appreciate being a lifelong resident of the community. As the town grows, my goal is to help ensure a vibrant, respectful, inclusive community and to support the particular needs of District D. I am dedicated to listening to our constituents and will actively advocate for their interests, including issues of development, traffic, and transportation.

Around Town

Watertown Library Seeks Donors to Help Cover Cost of Book Mobile

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Watertown Free Public LibraryThe Watertown Free Public Library. The Watertown Library is looking to bring books and other items closer to residents by starting a book mobile. The effort got a big boost from a donor, but the library still needs to raise about $70,000 to cover the cost of the custom vehicle, said Daniel Pritchard, a member of the Watertown Board of Library Trustees. “It is a great opportunity to reach the parts of the Watertown community that are not able to get to the Library, and maybe aren’t as mobile and can’t get down there as easily,” Pritchard said. “The Library is also just such an important resource for the Town, and to be able to go out to every nook and cranny in the community and make resources available is a really exciting opportunity.”