Around Town

State Rep. Lawn Named Legislator of the Year by Mass. National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys

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Staten Rep. John Lawn (right) received the Legislator of the Year Award from MassNAELA Executive Director Clarence Richardson. At its annual meeting held on December 12, 2024, the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (MassNAELA) honored several individuals for their advocacy efforts and commitment to raising awareness of legal issues affecting older adults. Watertown State Rep. John Lawn was named the Legislator of the Year for going above and beyond in supporting legislation that protects the rights and improves the lives of seniors and individuals with disabilities. Mary Freeley, Director of the Attorney General’s Elder Justice Unit, received the Arthur Stavisky Award, an honor MassNAELA bestows each year to a person in the community who has dedicated themselves to advocating for seniors and promoting elder causes. Four organizations were presented the Deborah H. Thomson Advocacy Award, which recognizes efforts in advocating for elder issues in state government: Berkshire Arc, Guardian Community Trust, Planned Lifetime Assistance Network (PLAN) of MA and RI, and The Arc of Bristol County.

Around Town

Neighborhood Covered in Dusting of Flour from Nearby Food Factory, Neighbors Frustrated by Response

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A coating of flour can be seen on the Watertown-Cambridge Greenway path and fence that sit in the shadow of the silos of Newly Weds Foods. The flour was released from the factory on Dec. 12. (Contributed Photo)

Residents of one East End neighborhood woke up last week to what appeared to be a coating of snow, but what was falling from the sky for several hours was not flakes but flour. The flour came from the nearby Newly Weds Foods factory, located on Grove Street and abutting a neighborhood off Mt.

Around Town

Watertown’s Winter Parking Ban to be Temporarily Lifted

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Watertown’s overnight winter parking ban will be temporarily lifted starting the week of Christmas. See more information in the announcement from the City of Watertown, below. Effective December 23, 2024 enforcement of the All Night Parking Ban will be temporarily suspended – barring any snowfall that would require plowing or sanding. Should there be a snow event please refer to the City’s website for available off-street parking locations. All homeowners are encouraged to continue using available off-street parking during the overnight hours.

Around Town

Toys Delivered to 100s of Watertown Families in Need by Police & Firefighters for the Whooley Foundation

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Some of the toys collected for the 2024 Sonny Whooley Foundation. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

The mission given to 40 Watertown police officers and firefighters Tuesday morning was to fill boxes full of gifts, and then deliver them to more than 150 families around the Community. They had their choice of hundreds of toys, games, balls, even bicycles that filled the Community Room at the Watertown Police Station. All were donated to or purchased with funds given to the John “Sonny” Whooley Foundation, named after a former Watertown Police officer who would raise money and give it to families in need during the holidays. Watertown Police Justin Chief Hanrahan looked over the hive of activity as people packed boxes with gifts.

Around Town

Council President Calls for Recognition of Watertown’s Efforts to Create Housing

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City Council President Mark Sideris speaks at the 2024 Inauguration. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

Watertown City Council President Mark Sideris recently wrote a letter to the Boston Globe asking for recognition of the City’s effort to allow housing, going above and beyond the state’s requirements. The letter was published by the Globe on Dec. 14. He wrote it in response to an article the paper ran about how Lexington met the requirements of the MBTA Communities Law and has about 1,000 units in the pipeline to be constructed.

Police/Fire

Cambridge Man Arrested for Vandalizing Armenian Church; Watertown Police Log

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Watertown Police Chief Justin Hanrahan announced the arrest of a Cambridge man in relation to vandalism at one of Watertown’s Armenian churches in November. See the announcement, and this week’s Police Log, below. Chief Hanrahan is pleased to announce the successful conclusion of our investigation into the vandalism incident at St. Stephen’s Armenian Church on November 18, 2024. Thanks to the diligent efforts of our patrol and detective divisions, a Cambridge resident has been identified and will face criminal charges for their actions.

Entertainment

Artist Selected to Create Mural Celebrating Artist Arshile Gorky

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“100 Years of Arshile Gorky” digital mural rendering by Brandon Gaia Marshall, 2024. Part of the selected mural proposal that will wrap both sides of the Grove Street underpass on the Watertown-Cambridge Greenway in Spring-Summer 2025. The artist who will create a mural celebrating Watertown artists Arshile Gorky has been selected by the Watertown Arts and Culture Committee. See details in the announcement from the City of Watertown, below. After a public meeting on November 18th, the Watertown Public Arts and Culture Committee (PACC) is excited to announce that artist Brandon Marshall will paint his mural design at the Grove Street underpass on the Watertown-Cambridge Greenway.

Police/Fire

FBI Arrests New York Man for Allegedly Selling Drugs in Watertown

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The FBI arrested a man who traveled to Watertown from New York to allegedly sell drugs on Friday. The Boston Globe reported that Cesar Nunez Lopez, of New York City, went to a parking lot in town to meet a person he believed to be a buyer, but was actually a federal informant. Nunez Lopez allegedly sold the man fentanyl on three different occasions, including at the Home Depot parking lot in Watertown. He was arrested on drug trafficking charges. See more details in the Boston Globe report by clicking here.