Around Town

MassDOT Hosting Meeting About Plans for Newton Corner Mass Pike Interchange

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MassDOT’s study area at Newton Corner. The following announcement was provided by the City of Watertown:

Massachusetts Department of Transportation is leading two exciting projects to transform Newton Corner. If you travel through the area on your way in/out of Watertown, you may be interested in learning more and providing input. Please let your voice be heard on how you use Newton Corner to connect to your public transit trips to improve your commute; the quality and safety of walking and cycling through; how you think overall safety and comfort can be addressed; how you best see sidewalks, parks, public space & destinations in the study area being used; and what your own long-term transit & commuting vision is for the area. The Newton Corner Improvements Project construction is starting!

Around Town

LETTER: MBTA Bus Barn Could Become a Street Car Museum

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The original letter was sent to City Council President Mark Sider, City Manager George Proakis and Assistant City Manager Steve Magoon:

By Clyde Younger

The newly identified UPS site represents an exceptional opportunity to exceed the number of Multi-Family Units planned for the Square. The property is an easy site to comply with the MBTA Law allowing ample land area. The Developer will have “By Right” an easier pathway of building the number of units outlined as the City’s goal.  

Lessening the density of the Square allows an intriguing use of the MBTA Lot, a/k/a “The Cow Barn.” Given its past history of service to the community the site could easily be converted into an Urban Transportation Museum. 

The history of urban transportation growth, as the country moved from an Agriculturally based economy to Industrial, would be of interest to our children as well as their parents and neighboring cities and towns. Visitors to Watertown would see the Square as a viable and lively destination point comprising an exemplary Library, Armenian Museum and diverse Merchants and Restaurants. 

Bringing people into the Square can only assist our small businesses become more profitable. Educators of School Districts may find the Museum of interest and conduct planned Field Trips to see the various modes of early, recent and future transit. Perhaps the Board Members may consider importing a San Francisco Cable Car, in addition to old Rail Cars we used. Mono-Rails and Chicago’s El may be of consideration, etc. Since Pilots and Air Traffic Controllers have simulated training. Using a similar tool the Museum would not be limited to a walk through for our children. 

There are two Street Car Museums in Massachusetts: 1. The National Streetcar Museum in Lowell and 2.

Around Town

Watertown Groups Hosting Screening of Film About Environmental Justice Advocate Stewart Udall

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The following announcement was provided by Race Reels, Progressive Watertown, and Watertown Faces Climate Change:

The film “Stewart Udall and the Politics of Beauty.” tells the inspiring story of Stewart L. Udall (1920-2010) and his legacy as an advocate of social and environmental justice. No American political figure is as relevant to the issues we face today as a nation – learning to work together, achieving racial and environmental justice, improving international relations, enhancing beauty and the arts, alleviating climate change and moving toward sustainability – as Stewart Udall, Secretary of the Interior under Presidents Kennedy and Johnson. Udall was a pioneer in environmentalism; he was the first public official to speak out about global warming. He worked collaboratively with native communities and fought to win compensation for Navajo Indians and “downwinders” who got cancer from their exposure to radiation during the Cold War without being warned of the dangers. Today, in our now deeply partisan environment, the film reveals a time when Americans were not yet so polarized, when big ideas could still capture bipartisan attention, and when America awakened to the unfolding destruction of paradise and determined to stop it.

Business

Watertown Resident Named Woman to Watch by MassCPAs

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Tracy Noga

Watertown resident Tracy Noga, PhD, CPA, was selected as a 2024 Women to Watch Award winner by the Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants (MassCPAs), the professional association of certified public accountants, representing over 11,500 members. The awards recognize women who have made outstanding contributions to the accounting profession, their communities, their firms or companies and to the development of women as leaders.  

Noga, professor and accounting department chair at Bentley University, is one of seven women selected to receive a 2024 Women to Watch Award. She is being honored in the Experienced Leader category, reserved for women with more than 15 years of experience in accounting. Awards are also presented in the Emerging Leader category, which is reserved for women with fewer than 15 years of experience in the profession. 

“MassCPAs is proud to recognize these exceptional women for their outstanding contributions to the accounting profession and their communities,” said Zach Donah, CAE, president and CEO of MassCPAs. “Tracy’s leadership and dedication have made a significant impact on our industry, and we’re excited to celebrate her achievements.” 

Noga brings over 25 years of diverse accounting experience to her role as a leader in academia and professional practice.

Entertainment

Library’s 4th Annual Watertown Zine Fest Spotlights DIY Creators

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The following announcement was provided by the Watertown Free Public Library:

On Saturday, October 19, the Watertown Free Public Library (WFPL) will be a hive of activity during the Fourth Watertown Zine Fest, a day-long celebration of zine-making and do-it-yourself creativity. All are welcome, even if you don’t know what a zine is! For the uninitiated, here’s a quick primer: Zines are small, self-published works featuring original or repurposed content, often replicated by photocopier and/or shared online. Their subjects are as varied and diverse as their creators, covering everything from art and music to politics and personal stories. Because they cover so much ground, zines are hard to define!

Entertainment

Comics: Small Saves Looks for a Needle in a Stack of Hockey Gear

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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.”

Business

Watertown Store Named 2024 Mass Save Climate Leader

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The Sponsors of Mass Save® announced the 2024 Mass Save Climate Leaders. This distinguished recognition honors 19 entities across Massachusetts for their ongoing efforts to curb energy use, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and guide the Commonwealth to a net-zero future. One Watertown store made the list. The 2024 Mass Save Climate Leaders represent a range of industries and sectors including museums, grocery, education, healthcare, hospitality, municipalities, and more. Each honoree has shown a deep commitment to addressing the climate crisis by taking significant measures toward a sustainable future through energy efficient upgrades.  

The 2024 cohort of Climate Leaders is helping Massachusetts lead the nation in energy efficiency and meet the Healey-Driscoll administration’s ambitious 2050 climate goals by reducing environmental impacts and lowering energy costs. Each honoree exemplifies how environmentally conscious actions drive economic success and a positive climate future for the Commonwealth. 

The 2024 Mass Save Climate Leaders are: 

Acton-Boxborough Regional School District 

Berkshire Family YMCA 

BioMed Realty 

Boston College 

Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program 

Bristol Community College 

BXP 

City of Boston 

City of Melrose 

Fitchburg Art Museum 

Hampton Inn & Suites Cape Cod – West Yarmouth 

Häns Kissle 

Mass General Brigham – Martha’s Vineyard Hospital 

Moderna, Inc. 

Munters Corporation 

Roche Bros.

Around Town

UPDATED – LETTER: Watertown Resident Evaluates Ballot Questions

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By Matt Lashof-Sullivan

Hey Watertown neighbors. Another election season is approaching and so it’s time for everyone to decide how they are going to vote this November. For many years I have sent out voting information and a list of endorsements for our local elections to my friends and immediate neighbors. This year, I decided to share them with a larger group, so I hope you find this helpful. How to Vote

To vote in person, go to your polling place on November 5th. 

We can all also vote by mail again, and you can still request a mail-in ballot until October 26th by using this form or otherwise by sending a letter to the city clerk.