Around Town

State Looks to Fill Job Openings in Tricky Economy, Offering Programs for Career Changers & Immigrants in Shelters

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Lauren Jones, State Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development, spoke at the Charles River Regional Chamber event at the Hampton Inn & Suites in Watertown on Feb. 6. (Courtesy of Charles River Chamber)

Massachusetts finds itself in an unusual job market in the post-Pandemic period. The state added more than 50,000 jobs from 2019 to 2023, but at during the same period the workforce declined by 113,000 people, creating a tight job market. Last week, Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Lauren Jones spoke at an event hosted by the Charles River Regional Chamber at Watertown’s Hampton Inn & Suites.

Around Town

Armenian Teen Injured in Explosion Gets Medical Care with Help from Local Man

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Nelson, a 17-year-old from Armenia, was injured in an explosion and has received medical care in Boston. (Photo by David Ghahramanyan)

An Armenian teen, Nelson, who was injured during recent attacks in Artsakh received care in a Boston hospital with the help of Watertown’s Stepan Chiloyan and the Armenian American Medical Association. Chiloyan has started a crowdfunding campaign to raise money to help Nelson. The following piece was provided by Chiloyan:

In a heartrending call to action, a GoFundMe campaign was launched on Feb. 11, 2024, to support Nelson, a 17-year-old survivor of a catastrophic explosion in Berkadzor, near Stepanakert, amidst the recent aggression and ethnic cleansing by Azerbaijan against the Armenian population of Artsakh.

Around Town

Changing Main Street: Post Office Closes (for Now), Restaurants Coming and Going

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Crown CafeDiners enjoy a meal at Crown Cafe on Main Street. The restaurant will soon close after getting a notice to vacate to make way for a new development on Main Street. Over the past couple of weeks, the section of Main Street near Watertown Square has gone through more changes than it has for many years, with the Post Office closing — at least temporarily — restaurants opening and closing, and a new development starting construction soon. On Jan. 26, the Main Street Post Office closed for at least two years.

Around Town

Watertown Resident Promoted to Chief of Real Estate at 2 Life Communities

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Watertown’s Zoe Weinrobe has been promoted to Chief of Properties at 2Life Communities. (Courtesy Photo)

The following announcement was provided by 2Life Communities:

2Life Communities is pleased to announce the promotion of Zoe Weinrobe to chief of real estate, overseeing a portfolio that has seen unprecedented growth during her seven years with the organization. In her previous role as director of real estate, Weinrobe led the creation of nearly 400 affordable apartments at 2Life while also overseeing the renovations of 2Life’s Golda Meir and Coleman Houses in Newton. As chief of real estate, Weinrobe will expand on her success and lead the organization’s real estate development at a time of tremendous growth. 2Life is currently developing multiple large-scale projects including its middle-income housing model Opus Newton, a redevelopment of the J.J. Carroll Apartments in Brighton with the Boston Housing Authority and Brooke House at Olmsted Village in Mattapan.

Around Town

Watertown Organization Received Grant from Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism

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The following information was provided by the Doug Flutie Jr., Foundation for Autism:

The Doug Flutie Jr., Foundation for Autism (The Flutie Foundation), a leading non-profit in the Autism community, awarded over $639,000 to 67 leading non-profit organizations through the Autism Community Impact Grant. One of the organizations receiving a grant was the Association of Autism and Neurodiversity in Watertown, which received $10,000. The Flutie Foundation recognized organizations located in Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Rhode Island, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, and Central Florida who share a passion for helping those with autism live life to the fullest. The grant also puts an emphasis on supporting traditionally under-served, under-funded, culturally diverse communities. Funds from the grant will be used to support crucial resources, programming, and activities within the autism community.

Around Town

Online Fund Raising Effort to Help Family of Young Boy Who Passed Away Recently

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A screenshot from GoFundMe.com

Cunniff Elementary School lost a young student recently, and a crowdfunding campaign has been started to help his family. Second grader Ayyan passed away at the age of 7, and is remembers for his infectious joy, according to a building-based substitute, Pete Carron. “The loss of Ayyan is felt throughout Cunniff and the community. As a building-based substitute teacher I’ve had the pleasure of working with Ayyan on several occasions. He was quick with a smile and a high-five whenever I would see him. That kind of joy is infectious and the best kind of light to share with others,” Carron wrote.