Around Town

Watertown Non-Profits Create $50K Fund for Residents Needing Immediate Emergency Assistance

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The following announcement was provided by the Watertown Community Foundation:

To help Watertown residents who need urgent help with rent, utilities or other emergency needs, the Watertown Community Foundation, the Marshall Home Fund, and the Helen Robinson Wright Fund at the First Parish of Watertown, came together in December to create a one-time Watertown Emergency Assistance Fund of $50,000. Grant awards from The Watertown Emergency Assistance Fund, in collaboration with local social service organizations, have provided immediate relief for rental assistance, help with utilities, and other short term emergency needs. Grant recipients have included The Watertown Housing Authority to provide rental assistance, Springwell will help older adults with rental assistance and other needs, and the Watertown Senior Center. Seeded by the Watertown Community Foundation, the Marshall Home Fund and the Helen Robinson Wright Fund quickly pledged their support to create the Watertown Emergency Assistance Fund to help individuals and families get back on their feet during a very difficult time. “When the SNAP program was suddenly cut off in November, we could see this was the tip of the iceberg and families were struggling.

Around Town

Marshall Home Fund Holding Grant Info Session for Organizations Working with Older Adults

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Marshall Home Fund will hold a Grant Information Session on Thursday, Feb. 12, at 1 p.m. at the Watertown Free Public Library. See more information provided by Marshall Home Fund, below. The Marshall Home Fund (MHF) awards modest grants to organizations that serve older Watertown residents. MHF also provides limited financial assistance grants to Watertown seniors with urgent needs, referred through a local service agency.

Around Town

LETTER: Willow Park Needs Community Support to Win State Funding

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Can you imagine sleeping with your children in your car tonight? Or bedding down beneath an overpass, hoping that layers of tarp and wool blankets can stave off the cold and snow? Housing is a human right. Public housing fills a crucial need in our community, ensuring that every person has a roof over their head and a decent place to call home, regardless of their circumstances. That’s why we support the proposed redevelopment of the Willow Park public housing complex in Watertown. 

Now we’re asking you to join us by signing a letter of support.

Around Town

Road Construction Continues This Week on Mt. Auburn Street

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Crews will be out on Mt. Auburn Street installing drainage and making test pits along the thoroughfare this week. See exactly where in the announcement from the City of Watertown, below. The Mount Auburn Street Complete Street Project is a MassDOT funded and managed initiative to fully reconstruct State Route 16, creating a safer, more accessible street for all users, whether traveling by car, bicycle, transit, or on foot. Below, you’ll find this week’s project update, including upcoming construction activities, anticipated traffic impacts, a look at the project’s final design in the area of work, and access to view more info on the projects history and details.

Entertainment

COMIC: Small Saves Has Big Hockey Aspirations

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James DeMarco grew up in Watertown and became a goaltender at age 5. It’s his life’s passion to stand between the pipes and keep the puck out of the net. Combining this with the love of cartooning Small Saves emerged in 1991 and took on a life of his own. “To play goal – then come home and draw Small Saves — is my ideal definition of a good day.”

Around Town

Watertown Group Announces First 2 Films in Monthly Palestinian Film Series

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The following announcement was provided by Watertown Citizens for Peace, Justice and the Environment:

The Palestine-Gaza Committee of Watertown Citizens for Peace, Justice and the Environment is launching a series of documentary and feature films that will explore the history and culture of the Palestinian people and provide a picture of their life under Israeli occupation. The series gets underway at 6 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 15, at the Church of the Good Shepherd, 9 Russell Ave., Watertown, with the showing of “1948: Creation and Catastrophe.” A discussion will follow the presentation. Admission is free.

Schools

Students Can Apply for 58th Annual Lt. Paul Sullivan Scholarship

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A scholarship has been given in honor of Lt. Paul Sullivan for 58 years. The 58th Lt. Paul J. Sullivan Scholarship will be awarded in 2026. Students living in Watertown or in area parishes can apply for several scholarships awarded in honor of the Marine from Watertown who died serving in Vietnam. The Lt. Paul Sullivan Scholarship Committee provided the following information:

We are looking for well-rounded student-athletes who are actively involved in their school, religion, and community. While grades and athletics are important components, CHARACTER is by far the most essential quality we look at in determining finalists.