Around Town

Chat with Tyler, Watertown’s Community Engagement Specialist

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The following announcement was provided by the City of Watertown:

Join Tyler for the next installment of Watertown Chats! He will be near the spray pad at Filippello Park between Grove Street and Arlington Street on July 17, 2024 at 3:30-5 p.m. All are welcome to join and ask questions, raise concerns, and discuss all things Watertown – no appointments needed. Tyler hopes to see you there! Learn more and stay up to date on future Chats.

Around Town

LETTER: Watertown Square Plan Decision Should be Made by More than Just Council & Planning Board

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Dear Editor,

It appears Watertown has had Comprehensive Planning Study after Comprehensive PlanningStudies. I served this fair city in a few elected positions for a number of years and am dumbfounded by what I see today. I have considered or prided myself in being a positive person or at least I strived to be. I know many people associate me with flipping burgers; however, before I was a Burger King Franchisee, I spent twenty-five years with the United States Public Health Service (PHS), principally working with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). My first assignment out of College was in Los Angeles, then Albuquerque, New Mexico then Boston.

Around Town

OP-ED: Fixing Deteriorating T Service Should Play Role in Watertown Square Redesign

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Cars driving through Watertown Square. (Photo by Mark Pickering)

By Mark Pickering

The former Watertown Square rotary was one of my big obstacles while I learned to drive a small delivery truck. Once through that wild intersection, I had to make my way past the trolley tracks still-embedded in Galen Street during the late ’70s. That’s why I enjoyed Councilor John Gannon’s remarks at the July special meeting on the Watertown Square Area Plan. I, too, remember learning how to drive through that rotary.

Entertainment

See What Small Saves Does During Beach Weather

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James DeMarco grew up in Watertown and became a goaltender at age 5. It’s his life’s passion to stand between the pipes and keep the puck out of the net. Combining this with the love of cartooning Small Saves emerged in 1991 and took on a life of his own. “To play goal – then come home and draw Small Saves — is my ideal definition of a good day.”

Government

Next Watertown Square Area Plan Hearing Set for July 16

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The City of Watertown provided the following information:

The Joint Hearing to discuss the Watertown Square Area Plan will continue on July 16, at 6 p.m. in the Watertown Middle School Auditorium at 68 Waverley Avenue in Watertown. This is a continuation of the Joint Hearing held on June 13 and June 27 in the same location. 

This Hearing will be a hybrid meeting, meaning you will have the opportunity to participate virtually on Zoom or in-person. You will also be able to watch the Hearing live online on WCA-TV. 

Access the Plan Document, Q+A Sheet, Hearing’s Recordings, and the June 13 Hearing’s Presentation

We encourage everyone to visit the project website to learn more and to access the plan document. Printed copies of the Plan Document can be found at the Watertown Library and Senior Center. The City of Watertown has also developed a packet of responses to questions about the Watertown Square Area Plan that have been collected from the previous Hearings. If you missed it, we encourage all to watch the recordings of the June 13 and June 27 Hearings, as well as access the slide presentation given by the Project Team about the Plan Document. For more information about the project, or to ask a question about the Joint Hearing, please visit the project website. 

You can also contact the City by dialing 311 in Watertown or by calling 617-715-8660. https://www.watertownmanews.com/2024/07/01/city-council-planning-board-weigh-in-on-watertown-square-area-plan

Around Town

Community Preservation Committee Holding Annual Public Hearing, Application Deadline Announced

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The City of Watertown announced the annual Community Preservation Act public hearing, and the deadline to apply for Community Preservation Act funds, which can be used on projects involving historic preservation, open space, and affordable housing. Community Preservation Act Annual Public Hearing

CPA Annual Public Hearing will continue in City Hall, in the City Council Chamber on Thursday, July 18, 2024, at 7 p.m.

Don’t miss the CPA Annual Public Hearing hosted by the Community Preservation Committee (CPC). You may also join the hearing and meeting remotely via Zoom: https://watertown-ma.zoom.us/j/91525442843. This event is a great opportunity to: 

Tell us your open space, outdoor recreation, community housing, and historic preservation priorities;

Hear more about CPA projects;

Learn how and when to apply for CPA funding; and

Get answers to your questions about CPA in Watertown. You may send questions or comments, in advance, to Lanae Handy, Community Preservation Coordinator, at lhandy@watertown-ma.gov .

Around Town

MBTA’s Red Line to be Replaced by Shuttles During Extended Repair Project

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The following announcement was provided by the MBTA:

The MBTA is reminding riders of the upcoming multi-day Red Line service suspension and providing an update on weekend service outages on July 13 – 14 and July 27 – 28.  

Red Line service will be replaced with shuttle bus service between Alewife and Kendall/MIT beginning at approximately 8:15 PM through the end of service on Friday, July 12. Free and accessible shuttle buses will make stops at all stations. Planned Red Line service change during the weekends of July 13 – 14 and July 27 – 28 have been extended with service suspended from Alewife to JFK/UMass. This decision comes after a thorough review of the work required and logistical challenges following recent overnight work to prepare for the work taking place during the service outage. With the goal of significantly improving service reliability and reducing travel times for thousands of daily riders, the extended outage during these weekends allows for the installation of over three and a half miles (19,200 feet) of new rail that will allow the MBTA to lift seven speed restrictions along this heavily traveled corridor. 

“Our priority is to provide safe, reliable service while addressing long-standing infrastructure needs. The scope of this project is unprecedented, involving the replacement of over three and a half miles of running rail,” said MBTA General Manager and CEO Phillip Eng.

Around Town

Watertown High School Students Learning on the Job at Local Non-Profits

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The following announcement was provided by the Watertown Community Foundation:

Since 2015 the Watertown Community Foundation has made it possible for high school students in Watertown to gain valuable professional experience by funding summer internships. Nearly 70 high-schoolers have received stipends from the Watertown Community Foundation High School Internship Program since it began. This year, four students from Watertown High School will receive internship stipends from the Watertown Community Foundation to learn more about working in one of Watertown’s non-profits. Selected from a competitive field of applicants, we congratulate Evelyn Rodriguez, Kostas Jerome, Arthur Venturim, and Sherri Wu on being chosen to participate in this year’s Watertown Community Foundation High School Internship Program. These students will have internships at the City of Watertown’s Commander’s Mansion, the Watertown Free Public Library and Watertown Cable Access TV.