Government

Multiple Planning & Zoning Offices Moving Out of City Hall

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The City of Watertown announced that multiple parts of the Planning and Zoning Department will be moving out of City Hall. See more information below. Please be aware that Watertown Planning & Zoning Division, Zoning & Code Enforcement Team, Historical Commission and Historic District Commission offices (the remainder of Community Development & Planning offices (DCDP) will still be in City Hall) are moving on Thursday, August 28, 2024 to Suite 2A of the Parker Annex located at 124 Watertown Street, Watertown, MA 02472. They will still have the same phone numbers, the same contact information, and the same webpages. The staff will not be available for in-office face-to-face interactions on Thursday, August 28, 2024 due to the move.

Sports

Watertown Residents Can Apply for a Youth Sports Scholarship

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Get Lively hosted a sport equipment rally to raise money for a youth sports scholarship. The following announcement was provided by Turf and Get Lively:

Turf and Get Lively(R) Health & Fitness Studio hosted the first-annual Pass the Torch: Youth Sports Equipment Rally to get gently used equipment into the hands of local kids. At the end of a very busy and beautiful spring day, we were left with a few items of value, so we headed over to Play it Again Sports in Waltham to trade them for cash. We planned to push the cash back to the community in the form of a recreational scholarship designed to help a family defray some the expense of a program for which their child would like to participate. Turf rounded up the amount received from Play it Again and matched it so that it can now offer a 2024 Turf Recreation Scholarship of $200.

Around Town

Watertown Added Communities at High Risk for West Nile Virus

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The following announcement came from the Mass. Department of Public Health:

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) announced Tuesday two additional human cases of West Nile virus (WNV) in Massachusetts this year, bringing the total number of human cases to four. Both people are males in their 60s. One was exposed in Suffolk County in an area known to be at increased risk. The other was exposed in Norfolk County.

Around Town

Watertown Staff at MAB Community Services Receive $5,000 Maxo Joseph Excellence in Direct Care Awards

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Romil Sanon and Bennett Anyanwu, who work at two different MAB community-based residences in Watertown,each received the 2024 Max Joseph Award. The following announcement was provided by MAB Community Services:

MAB Community Services, a leading social service agency supporting nearly 2,000 people with visual impairment, intellectual and developmental disabilities, and acquired brain injuries across Massachusetts, has announced the 11 honorees of the 2024 Maxo Joseph Excellence in Direct Care Awards, who received $2,000, $5,000, or $10,000 awards. Romil Sanon and Bennett Anyanwu, who work at two different MAB community-based residences in Watertown, each received a$5,000 award. Two anonymous donors recently contributed a total of $110,000 to support the continuation of this unique awards program. Established in 2021, the Maxo Joseph Awards recognize direct care staff in MAB’s Adult Disability Services division who go above and beyond in their commitment to the participants they support.

Government

City Hires Watertown’s First Director of Community Design

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The following announcement was provided by the City of Watertown:

City Manager George Proakis is excited to announce that the City of Watertown has hired Erika Oliver Jerram as the City of Watertown’s new Director of Community Design!  

Erika is a certified professional planner with over 20 years of experience in both the private sector and municipal planning. She joins Watertown after working for the Town of Billerica, where she was the Director of Planning and Community Development and led the Town’s efforts in zoning, open space design, and economic development. Prior to her time in Billerica, Erika previously held roles in the Planning and Community Development in Framingham, and as an Associate Planner with Sasaki Associates in Watertown.  

When Erika begins on Monday, August 26, 2024, she will be leading the newly formed Community Design Division within the Community Development and Planning Department.

Around Town

Watertown Resident Named 2024-2025 GBH/Becton Fellow

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The following announcement was provided by the WGBH:

Boston public media producer GBH has awarded fellowships to eight outstanding producers, recognizing excellence, potential, and creativity, including Watertown resident Louise Flannery. The recipients of the 2024 – 2025 Fellowship Awards are Alyson Roseman, Flannery, Hannah Reale, and Alexi Cohan for the Becton Fellowship; Kathleen DiPerna, Shirin Jaafari, and Jessica Andrews for the Margret and Hans Rey Fellowship; and Michelle Mizner for the Peter S. McGhee Fellowship. With the fellowship grants, recipients can explore future professional development opportunities. “These eight producers have demonstrated a dedication to creating exceptional content. From promoting STEM learning in early childhood to covering overseas conflicts, each fellow has set a high standard for creativity and innovation,” said GBH President and CEO Susan Goldberg.

Obituaries

OBIT: Mark Santamaria, 64, Animal Lover, Worked with Special Needs Adults

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Mark Santamaria

Mark Santamaria, age 64, of Watertown, Massachusetts, sadly passed away on June 22, 2024, unexpectedly. 

Mark is preceded in death by his parents, Vincent and Virginia Santamaria of Monument Beach, Cape Cod, and survived by his brother and sister-in-law, Gary and Christine Mason of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, his aunt Joanne Santamaria Ferguson of Upton, Massachusetts, and his niece and nephew Michele Taylor and Daniel Mason of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Mark grew up in Newton and went to Newton High School. He graduated from Worcester State College with a bachelor’s degree Human Services. He spent many years taking care of adults with special needs. Mark was an avid animal lover, but especially loved his cat, Little who will miss him very much.

Around Town

Watertown Using AARP Grant to Start Senior Housing Stabilization Program

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The following announcement was provided by the City of Watertown:

The Watertown Department of Senior Services is proud to launch their Senior Housing Stabilization Program thanks to a 2024 AARP Community Challenge Grant they received. This compassionate initiative is dedicated to providing crucial support and education to seniors and their families facing housing instability in Watertown, MA. Their 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 run out of the City of Watertown’s MA Department of Senior Services. The Department will provide financial assistance and education on this program and other housing support services eligible to Watertown seniors.