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LETTER: ‘Thank You for Your Service’ from Watertown Veterans’ Services Officer

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I remember exactly where I was on 9-11-01. Similarly, I recall exactly where I was when I wastold I’d be going on my first deployment to Afghanistan. I was an aviation IT Marine who was chosen to teach the Afghanistan National Army (ANA) how to maintain HMMWVs and operatein convoys. 

I was 21, suddenly in charge of the training and support of over 100 ANA soldiers alongside fiveMarines and five interpreters. We accomplished a lot of great things on that deployment; weimproved the training and their fleet of vehicles; and even got a literacy program established tobuild create better ANA soldiers. In Marine Corps terms: we left things better than we foundthem; and we served to protect the service members to our left and our right.

Government

LETTER: Planning Board Member Explains Comments Made at the July Meeting

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Dear Honorable Town Councillors and fellow Planning Board members:

I am writing to you all today in regards to some comments that I made at the July 14th Planning Board meeting, which have apparently caused some consternation amongst several members of the Watertown community at large, and for which I would like to set the record straight:

First of all, I would like to be absolutely clear on the fact that I take public feedback on proposed projects very seriously — in fact, on several occasions during Planning Board meetings, I have expressed my preference to hear comments from the public BEFORE board members add their thoughts and questions, because these comments often influence my own. I always make every effort to read all of the letters and e-mails that are forwarded to us by Planning Staff, even when they are “form letters” where only the author’s name and address are altered, but the text is otherwise identical. My objection, in this case, was to the expectation of having to read dozens of messages that arrived in my Inbox on the afternoon of the meeting, within hours of the meeting start time, which is why I expressed my strong preference to have some sort of “cut-off” time for e-mailed public comments, prior to the meeting. I have no objection whatsoever to hearing any and all public comments, either in person or read into the record from e-mails, live at the hearing.   

As for the letter from 3 members of the WE3C that I read aloud at the meeting, my intent in reading that particular letter was to voice my frustration which was exacerbated by a comment made by a community member on the Zoom call, and for that I apologize to all of you and to the community at large — I realize that, as a member of this board, I need to have a “thicker skin” when it comes to situations like these. In summary, I can assure you that I take my role as a Planning Board member quite seriously, and always value the feedback of members of the public, so long as it is expressed in a respectful manner. I am proud and honored to represent my community on this board, and I hope that people have found my decisions to be fair and thoughtfully considered, even if they do not necessarily agree with the outcomes. Sincerely,

Jason D. Cohen

Watertown Planning Board

Vice-Chair, Community Preservation Committee

New Plan for Arsenal on the Charles Approved by Planning Board, Millions in Mitigation Projects to be Done

Letters

OP-ED: The Police Chief and The Missing Data

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We take a lot for granted. It’s human nature to live each day believing that what we regard as normal will stay that way. We often cling to this belief even when we know, deep in our gut, that change is inevitable. It’s one thing to deal with change that happens gradually, allowing time to digest it. Even that can be disturbing, but when change comes all at once and seemingly out of the blue, we are likely to find it jarring.

Around Town

LETTER: Is There a Way for Watertown to Avoid Losing a Gem like Russo’s?

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To the Editor:

I just saw on line that Russo’s is closing. This store has been a cherished family-owned retailer for more than 70 years, and we are deeply grateful to Tony Russo and his family and to their wonderful employees for their dedication and hard work – and for all their contributions to our community. We wish Tony and his family a happy, healthy, and well-deserved retirement. And we wish the Russo’s employees all the best as they face an uncertain future when Russo’s closes. Russo’s is a gem.  What will happen to Watertown when it is gone??!!! I think that all the Russo’s customers — and this includes shoppers from all across metropolitan Boston, not only Watertown — view Russo’s as a unique resource for excellent reasonably-priced produce and fruit, a great bakery, and wonderful source of cheeses and prepared foods — plus plants and gardening supplies and Christmas trees. For many of us, Russo’s is a weekly destination for shopping and for seeing neighbors. Many say that Russo’s has a positive effect on Watertown property values. And I and many others fear that the loss of Russo’s would be a blow to the character of our city.

District B

LETTER: Candidate for District B Town Councilor Introduces Herself

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Watertown organizer, small business owner focusing on community conversations,granddaughter of Mexican immigrants, and parent of 2, running for Town Councilor for District B.

My name is Tiffany York and I am running for Watertown Councilor for District B. I am filled with many emotions as I step into this opportunity. I want to build off of the amazing work folks are doing here in Watertown and I want to represent District B with integrity and vulnerability. I realize many people in Watertown may not know who I am or what I am doing for our city or where I come from, so I wanted to take this opportunity to introduce myself. I started my relationship with Watertown in 2009, as I visited my now husband of 11 years, Eric. I remember the community we experienced in our building on Whites Ave., neighbors across the hall, new neighbors to laugh and cry with when a water leak affected three floors.

Letters

LETTER: Parent Urges School Committee to Mandate COVID Vaccinations

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Dear School Committee,

As far as I’m aware, Watertown has not yet announced a policy for COVID vaccination in schools. I’m writing today to urge you to adopt a mandate as many other jurisdictions are now doing. COVID vaccines are safe and effective, and are by far the most effective way to prevent COVID outbreaks in our schools and keep our teachers and students safe. I got vaccinated at the first opportunity and will get my children vaccinated as soon as they are eligible. 

Masks, ventilation, social distancing, and testing can help, but there is a limit to what ventilation can do, and in many ways masks, social distancing, and testing are far more burdensome than getting a vaccine because the vaccine is two doses at single points in time, whereas masks and social distancing restrict what people can do every single day. It seems incongruous to mandate the less effective, more burdensome intervention, while leaving the more effective, less burdensome intervention up to the individual.

COVID-19

OP-ED: State Sen. Brownsberger on Updated Mask Guidelines

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State Sen. Will Brownsberger

This week, as the delta variant has spread, we’ve gotten new advice from the Centers for Disease Control, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. I’m personally going with the stronger CDC advice. New general advisory from DPH (July 30)

Today, in response to the emerging evidence of about the infectiousness of the Delta variant of the COVID virus, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health issued a new mask advisory. Masks remain mandatory in certain locations where risks of transmission are higher (including public transportation) and are newly advised in some additional circumstances. The mask rules page on the state’s website now includes the following summary.

Election 2021

LETTER: Vote in November, the Town Election Will be an Important One

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Charlie BreitroseWatertown residents cast their ballots in 2020. Dear Watertown Residents,

I strongly urge you to vote in this fall’s municipal elections. As a lifelong resident, I know this election will be consequential! It will set the trajectory for Watertown for many decades to come, just like those held forty years ago did. What you will be voting for on NOVEMBER 2nd:

Town Council is your legislative branch.  They chair committees, pass ordinances, make budget recommendations, and most importantly, hire and fire the Town Manager, aka CEO. The Town Manager hires persons such as Assessor and Chief of Police. The current Town Manager is retiring after close to 30 years in the position.