Around Town

Watertown Girl Scout Given Award for First Aid Instruction

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The following announcement was provided by Girl Scouts of Eastern Mass.:

Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts (GSEMA), the largest girl serving organization in Massachusetts, is proud to recognize Bianca Sciocchetti of Watertown with the GSEMA President’s Award for the GSEMA First Aid Instructors. GSEMA recently celebrated the dedication and skills of its 4,000 active volunteers at its annual Volunteer and Donor Recognition Celebration, which took place on Sunday, May 19, 2024. The 2024 class of GSEMA Volunteer Recognition Honorees included over 130 volunteers. Bianca was awarded with the GSEMA President’s Award for the GSEMA First Aid Instructors. The GSEMA President’s Award recognizes the efforts of a service team, committee, or volunteer team whose exemplary service in support of delivering the Girl Scout Leadership Experience surpassed team goals and resulted in significant, measurable impact toward reaching the council’s overall goals.

Entertainment

A Blast from the Past in This Week’s Small Saves Cartoon

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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

LETTER: Reflections on Deliberations by City Council & Planning Board on Watertown Square Area Plan

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I’ve participated in every public meeting since October 2023 and I have publicly supported a renaissance for our city center through the Watertown Square Area Plan … both the 4 Corners streetscape and the proposed zoning changes to enable new housing of at least 3,300 unit capacity. I call these “imaginary units” because the concept of unit capacity assumes that existing landowners will tear down whatever exists on their property today and build housing up to the plan limits (an unlikely scenario at best). I strongly oppose the suggestion to limit “imaginary units” to 1701, either as a so-called “Phase1” or as a final number. The phased approach suggested by one Planning Board member seemslike a thinly veiled attempt to kick the controversy down the road in hopes that a highernumber will ultimately be rejected. However, the 1,701 number is too low to achieve our goalsto make Watertown Square a vibrant, attractive city center and an economically viable place forsmall businesses.

Around Town

Watertown Senior Services Receives AARP Community Challenge Grant

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The City of Watertown provided the following information:

Watertown’s Department of Senior Services is thrilled to announce they have been selected to receive a 2024 AARP Community Challenge grant. They are one of only 343 grantees selected (out of 3,300+ applications!) from across all 50 states, Washington D.C, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. “We are incredibly proud that AARP selected Watertown Department of Senior Services for this investment to make Watertown a more livable for residents of all ages,” stated Lydia McCoy, Watertown’s Director of Senior Services “AARP is a nationwide leader in making communities more livable and we are honored that they see the tangible value this project will bring to our area.”

Tenancy Preservation and Community Support Program for Older Adults in Watertown, MA

The City of Watertown’s Senior Service Tenancy Preservation and Community Support Program is a compassionate initiative dedicated to providing crucial support to seniors and their families in Watertown, MA. Our mission is to ensure that older adults aged 60 years or older can age in place with dignity and security, fostering intergenerational, livable communities where residents of all ages and backgrounds thrive together. This program will be run out of the City of Watertown’s Department of Senior Services.

Police/Fire

Nigerian Man Pleads Guilty to Fraudulently Obtaining Passport, Including in Watertown

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The following release came from the United States Department of Justice:

A Nigerian man, formerly of Massachusetts, pleaded guilty today to his role in separate schemes to launder criminal proceeds from fraud and obtaining a United States passport through false statements.  

Chukwunonso Obiora, 36, pleaded guilty to one count of passport fraud conspiracy and one count of money laundering conspiracy. United States District Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for Oct. 8, 2024. Obiora was arrested on a complaint in October 2023 in Atlanta, Ga.

Around Town

LETTER: Charles River Chamber Supports Watertown Square Plan

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Dear City Councilors and Planning Board:

The Charles River Regional Chamber enthusiastically supports the Watertown Square Area Plan. This refreshing reimaging of Watertown Square was created through a remarkably collaborative public process and positions the square to become something we can all be proud of. This plan transforms the square’s most frustrating and unwelcoming traffic patterns, replacing it with a vision that welcomes pedestrians, cyclists, bus commuters, and drivers. 

This plan greatly enhances our existing restaurants’, retailers’, and other merchants’ long-term viability while opening new opportunities and a desirable environment for new businesses.  

This plan smartly unlocks opportunities for multi-family housing, addressing a desperate need for employers struggling to hire, young professionals and their families to live, and for seniors looking to downsize. And this plan creates new open public spaces, transforms the Delta into a desirable destination, and opens access to our favorite river. While there may ultimately be a need to adjust particular building heights or the angle of an intersection, those are deliberations for a later time through the zoning process, streetscape evaluations and other subsequent steps.  We also are concerned that the ultimate execution of this project is carefully managed to minimize disruption to existing businesses.

Around Town

Progress in Restoration of Historic Paintings from Watertown City Hall

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City of WatertownOne of two historic paintings in Watertown’s City Hall being cleaned using funds from the Community Preservation Act. By Joyce Kelly

As we have reported, the geographical paintings that usually flank the foyer at the main entrance to City Hall are currently in the studio of conservator Louise Orsini being refurbished. In 2022, the Historical Society of Watertown received a grant from the Community Preservation Committee (CPC) for the conservation of the two geographical paintings. The 5 ½ x 7 ½ foot paintings were installed when the building opened in 1932. One painting represents a map of the town in the early years (1630 is the year of its founding) and the other painting is a depiction of an aerial view of Watertown in 1930 (our Tercentenary year).

Around Town

Chamber President Receives Housing Hero Award

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Greg Reibman, president of the Charles River Regional Chamber. The following announcement was provided by the Massachusetts Housing Partnership:

Each year MHP honors individuals and communities for their hard work and unwavering commitment to supporting and furthering affordable housing. President and CEO of the Charles River Regional Chamber Greg Reibman has been selected as one of four recipients of this year’s Housing Hero award. MHP will present the award on day 2 of its Housing Institute training conference on Thursday, June 13 in Worcester. 

Reibman has become known as the voice that people will listen to. He has built an exceptional level of support for housing, especially in the business community.