Schools

Student Leads Effort to Install Fridge at Watertown School to Save Unopened Items for Community Fridge

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Third-grader Naomi Ward stands next to the fridge where food is saved after lunches at Lowell School and donated to the Watertown Community Fridge. She helped raise money to purchased the fridge. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

Thanks to the effort of an elementary school student, bags full of food from lunches at one Watertown school will be saved and made available to those who visit the Watertown Community Fridge. Setting up a program to collect the food and make it available to those who need it was a multi-year effort. Now third-grader Naomi Ward first got the idea of trying to save food from lunches at Lowell Elementary School when she was in first grade.

Business

One Watertown Restaurant Closes, a New One Opens

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Some of the South of the Border dishes being served at Plazita Mexico Tacos. As 2025 begins, Watertown has seen one restaurant close, while an addition has been made to the eating scene. Restaurant Says ‘Bye Bye’

Olespana Whiskey & Tapas Bar on Mt. Auburn Street announced that it will be closing. The restaurant that served Spanish food, pizza and other dishes had opened in the former Mount Auburn Grill space in 2023.

Around Town

Diaper Drive Being Held for Watertown Housing Authority Families

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The Watertown Housing Authority seeks donations of diapers to assist residents of families in WHA housing. Watertown Housing Authority social worker Maeve Kennelly said she has seen a need for diapers since she arrived in September. “Throughout my time here it has been brought to my attention that many WHA families are seeking resources for diapers, and although there are many diaper banks in surrounding areas, there are few resources readily available for our residents,” Kennelly said. “To better serve our residents and help them meet their immediate needs, we will be hosting a diaper drive for the month of January.” WHAT: Watertown Housing Authority Diaper Drive

DATE: January 6, 2025 – January 31, 2025

LOCATION: WHA Main Office Lobby, donations can be dropped off M-Th 8:30-4:30

WHAT’S NEEDED: New, unopened diaper packs (any sizes welcome)

Around Town

Watertown Day Care Trying to Preserve Historic Building as it Creates a New Home

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The University Prints Building on Boyd Street has much history, and is now home to First Path Day Care. (Courtesy of First Path)

The new home of a Watertown day care center will be in a building off Galen Street that’s full of history, from the architecture to the former uses, which includes being a cookie factory to a printer of textbooks and one of the nation’s largest providers of checks. First Path Day Care Center moved to 13 Boyd St. in November after many years sharing the Watertown Boys & Girls Club facility. When First Path learned it would need to find another location, the search led them to purchase the building on the Southside of Watertown in 2017.

Around Town

Hundreds Celebrate Chanukah at Chabad Watertown’s Third Annual Menorah Lighting

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Rabbi Dovid Zaltzman lights the ice menorah at Arsenal Yards during the third annual Watertown Chanukah Celebration. Looking on are Assistant City Manager Ari Sky, right, Fire Chief Ryan Nicholson (far left), and Police Capt. Dan Unsworth. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

The fire that lit the Third Annual Watertown Chanukah Celebration at Arsenal Yards mesmerized and brought warmth to a crowd of several hundred people on Monday evening. Before the lighting of a menorah, which stood several feet high and was made of ice, the crowd of more than 300 people enjoyed treats, games, crafts, and a performance by a fire dancer. Rabbi Dovid Zaltzman from Chabad Watertown lit the candles on the menorah with help from Watertown Assistant City Manager for Finance Ari Sky.