Letters

LETTER: Councilor’s Statement on Nuclear Disarmament Resolution

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by Tony PalombaCity Councilor At-Large

At the City Council meeting tonight, February 10 there will be a public hearing on a Citizen Petition on a Request to Call on Federal leaders to Support Nuclear Disarmament. Below is the statement I hope to make at the Council meeting. I would like to thank the members of the Nuclear Disarmament Committee of Watertown Citizens for Peace, Justice and the Environment for bringing this Resolution to the City Council via the Citizen Petition option as delineated in our Charter.  I am honored to have worked with them for nearly two years as they collected nearly 500 signatures, held numerous public forms, appeared on WCATV, wrote and distributed brochures and handouts, arranged for a presentation on this issue to Watertown HS students, sent a letter, materials and a copy of Annie Jacobsen’s book, “Nuclear War: A Scenario,” to all City Councilors and continued to reach out to you to arrange an in-person or zoom meeting to present their case for why they hoped you would pass the Resolution.  They are remarkable and dedicated folks committed to keeping the residents ofWatertown safe from the devastating effects of a nuclear exchange or an all-out nuclear war.  Thank you. I can’t do justice to the excellent statements they made this evening, but allow me to make four points. I may repeat a bit, but what I offer are the reasons why I hope you will support the Resolution.

Letters

OP-ED: Reasons Why Council Should Pass a Nuclear Disarmament Resolution

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by Jeanne TrubekMember of Watertown Citizens for Peace, Justice and the EnvironmentPeace and Common Security working group

On Tuesday, February 10, the city council will be requested to support a Back From the Brink resolution asking our U.S. government to work toward world nuclear disarmament. This request comes from a citizen petition initiative. We obtained close to 500 signatures of Watertown residents on petitions requesting the City Council to support this resolution that asks our government to pursue a verifiable agreement to eliminate nuclear weapons and to enter into negotiations with other nuclear-armed states to eliminate their nuclear arsenals. This agreement must remove the option of using nuclear weapons first for every country with nuclear weapons. In the U.S. we must end the sole authority of the President to launch a nuclear attack.

Letters

LETTER: Housing Production — A Review of Small, but Industrious Watertown (Past, Present and Future)

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By Linda ScottWatertown Resident

We shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us. – Winston Churchill

This is a follow-up to “Where is your Neighborhood Going? (Parts One and Two)”

As I read the responses to the above letters in Watertown News, I decided that maybe an overview of recent housing development in Watertown was in order. So here goes. Watertown’s Bona Fides

Watertown has proven again and again that we are a thoughtful, generous community.

Letters

LETTER: Wayside Multi-Service Center Gives Thanks for Support During Difficult Times

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As we reflect on the holiday season, we are reminded that while this time of year is often filled with joy and celebration, many families in our community continue to face growing financial pressures that make the holidays especially difficult.

Rising costs for essentials such as food, utilities, and household supplies have placed additional strain on already tight budgets. In response, Wayside Youth & Family Support Network’s Multi-Service Center once again collaborated with local churches and businesses to offer extra support to Watertown families. Thanks to these efforts, families receiving services through Watertown’s Social Services Resource Program were provided with meaningful assistance thanks to the generosity of community donors. We would like to express our gratitude to Sacred Heart Parish, who generously provided gift cards for Watertown families in need. These gift cards offer not only holiday gift support, but also the flexibility for families to purchase exactly what they need during a time where many are facing increased financial challenges.

Letters

LETTER: Do You Know Where Your Neighborhood is Going? (Part 2)

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By Linda ScottWatertown Resident

Looking at Trends

Looking back on the past few years, I see a trend:

1 – The Watertown Square Planning process was a plan to rezone our city core. The MBTA state Law that mandated zoning for 1701 new housing units was a major part of this process, and yet a plan for 1,701 didn’t even reach our councilors’ desks, not to mention the community. After community input for 1,701 units, the City came back with a plan for 6,320 units and effectively defined Watertown Square as an area that extended west on Main to Lexington Street and up Galen, almost to the Mass Pike. The City ultimately “settled” for a number just over 3,000 (3,133) units. The response from our City government when this bait and switch was pointed out?

Letters

LETTER: Do You Know Where Your Neighborhood is Going?

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By Linda ScottWatertown Resident

Part One: Preserving Our Neighborhoods

“Preserving neighborhood character involves balancing tradition with growth through strategieslike historic designation, context-sensitive zoning (scale and setbacks), protecting green spaces, community engagement, and rehabilitation of existing buildings, all while fostering a sense of place, often focusing on a neighborhood’s unique look, feel, and activities, rather than just enforcing uniformity, to maintain stability and appeal.”

The above AI definition of preserving neighborhood character is a far cry from the standard, knee-jerk response to the phrase “preserving a neighborhood’s character” as a racist construct. (See also this AI definition: The phrase “preserving neighborhood character” has a complex history rooted in racially exclusionary policies [often referred to as redlining] that were used to maintain segregation in housing in the United States. While seemingly neutral today, the language was historically used as a coded way to prevent people of color from moving into predominantly white areas”). Can it be used for these purposes? Sure.

Letters

LETTER: Hardware Chain Sharing License Plates from Flock Cameras with Law Enforcement

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To the Editor:

Dozens of Home Depot Stores in Texas are sharing parking lot surveillance camera license-plate scans — through the Flock network — with the Johnson County, Texas, Sheriff’s office. This is according to the Electronic Frontier Foundation and 404 Media. 

Visitors to those stores are unaware that they are being tracked. 

I think, until I hear otherwise, that I will limit my hardware shopping to our local friends at Coolidge Hardware. 

William BeckettWatertown Resident

Letters

LETTER: A Constitutional Question for the 250th Anniversary

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As the nation marks the 250th anniversary of the Constitution, we should confront a structuralquestion that receives far too little attention: What happens if a President refuses to comply witha ruling of the Supreme Court? Over decades, both Congress and the Court have contributed to a presidency with more concentrated power than the Framers intended. Congress has weakened itself through gridlock and partisan entrenchment. The Supreme Court, through decisions expanding presidential immunity and narrowing avenues for accountability, has further strengthened the office. The result is a modern presidency that holds the only practical enforcement authority in the federal system.