Around Town

Rep. Lawn Receives Mass. Commission on Persons with Disabilities Legislative Champion Award

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State Rep. John Lawn

The following announcement was provided by Rep. John Lawn’s Office:

Watertown State Rep. John J. Lawn, Jr. was recognized as one of two Legislative Champions Awards recipients by the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Persons with Disabilities at this year’s Annual National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) celebration in the Great Hall of Flags at the Massachusetts State House. The event recognized the invaluable contributions of employees with disabilities, alongside policymakers, employers, service providers, and key stakeholders in the disability community in Massachusetts and the Country. “Representative Lawn cares deeply about the disabled community,” said Commission on the Status of persons with disabilities Chairwoman Rep. Denise Garlick (D-Needham). “He has consistently shown his commitment to fighting for the community through his championing of priority legislation such as Operation House Call and his continued advocacy for its funding. He is a strong ally of the disabled community.”

“I am honored and humbled to be recognized by the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Persons with Disabilities as one of this year’s Legislative Champions,” said Watertown State Representative John J. Lawn, Jr. “This recognition is very personal to me, as my best friend David has an intellectual disability.

Sports

Watertown Field Hockey Team Final Four Bound After Beating Bedford

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The Watertown High School field hockey team celebrates earning a berth into the MIAA Div. 3 Tournament Final Four. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)\

Watertown High School’s field hockey team eased into the Final Four with an overwhelming victory over Bedford in the Round of 8 in the MIAA Div. 3 State Tournament at Victory Field on Saturday. The second-seeded Raiders scored early and often, with senior Caroline Andrade scoring the first two, followed by three straight tallies by senior co-captain Rachel Egan.

Around Town

Plans for Victory Field Track Renovation Presented, Some Call for Artificial Turf Field

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The Victory Field Phase II project includes renovation of the track, courts, and the driveway in the complex. Six years after a committee issued recommendations for the renovation of the track and courts at Victory Field, the project will be moving forward. However, some at the meeting on Wednesday where the plans were presented called for making the field inside the oval artificial turf to allow for more use by high school and youth sports teams.

Another area of concern raised at the meeting held at Lowell Elementary School, was that the project does not solve the lack of a changing area for female athletes at Victory Field. The 75 Percent plans for Victory Field Phase II are based on the recommendations of the Victory Field Ad Hoc Committee, which issued a report in June 2018. In 2019, designers from CDM Smith presented the 25 percent plan, and underground testing was conducted.

Around Town

Food Assistance Benefits Will be Cut in December, Groups Calling for State to Restore Funds

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Recipients of food assistance in Massachusetts will see their benefits that can be used to buy fresh produce cut beginning in December, but there are efforts to ask the Governor and Legislature to restore the funding the in the State Budget. Stephanie Venizelos, the City of Watertown’s Community Wellness Program Manager, said that the Massachusetts Healthy Incentives Program (HIP) will be reduced to $20 per household. The program is available to recipients of SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). “Recently, DTA and MDAR announced the following changes to the HIP program beginning on December 1, 2024, due to insufficient funding in the MA state budget. The HIP benefit structure will be reduced to $20 each month, and the maximum HIP benefits a household can earn will be $20 a month for all households, regardless of size.

Government

See How Watertown Voted for President, Senate & on Ballot Questions in 2024

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Charlie Breitrose

Watertown voters came out to vote in large numbers, both on election day and during the early voting and mail-in period. Two-thirds of Watertown’s 26,418 voters cast their ballots in the 2024 State Election, according to the unofficial Watertown Election results sent out by the Watertown City Clerk’s Office. Nearly 60 percent of the 17,542 votes in the election were cast during the early voting period or sent in mail-in ballots, said City Clerk Noelle Gilligan. About 200 to 300 people voted each of the day during the 14 day early voting period. A total of 3,250 residents came to City Hall to vote during the early voting period, Gilligan said, while 7,203 mail-in ballots were sent in.

Business

Preserving Tradition: Watertown Woman Turned Her Family’s Passion for Jams Into a Business

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Hanna Opdahl sells her homemade jams and preserves at the Watertown Farmers Market, at other markets, and online. (Contributed Photo)

Jams and jellies run in the family. Or at least, they do for Hanna Opdahl, Watertown resident and owner of Berry Mari and Belle. 

What began as a hobby shared by Hanna and her mother, Marianne, is now a small business that crafts and sells small batch novelty jams, jellies, and marmalades. 

“I grew up jamming, canning, and gardening with my parents and I loved it,” said Hanna. “My mom is an incredible cook and is always coming up with fun experimental recipes and flavors.”  

Originally from Oregon, Hanna relocated to Watertown a little over three years ago after accepting a job offer in Boston. “It was a little bit of a scary jump, but I was very excited to come out here.