Around Town

New Assistant Director Hired for Watertown Recreation Department

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The City of Watertown announced the hiring of a new Assistant Director in the Recreation Department. See the details, below. The City of Watertown is excited to introduce Jon Kazanjian as the Department of Recreation’s new Assistant Director of Recreation! Jon joins Watertown after eight years with the Town of Littleton, most recently serving as the Town’ Recreation Supervisor, and previously in the role of Parks and Recreation Program Coordinator. A Certified Park and Recreation Professional (CPRP), he comes to Watertown with an impressive career in building and managing successful recreation programs. This includes the respected Camp Tahattawan, where he oversaw 400 campers and 55 staff for 10 weeks each summer, as well as his Adult Recess program, which received the 2024 Regional Agency of the Year Award for Program Outreach from the Massachusetts Recreation and Park Association.

Around Town

Local Podcast: Meet a Local Cookie Maker & the Director of Watertown Cable

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Elan Rohde

Podcast host Matt Hanna spoke with the woman behind one of Watertown’s favorite cookie makers, and also caught up with the executive director of Watertown Cable. Find out more about these episodes of Little Local Conversations. In “Little Local Conversations,” discover the people, places, stories, and ideas of Watertown. Hanna has conversations with various businesses owners, community leaders, creatives, and other interesting folks in Watertown to learn about what they do and get to know a bit about the people behind the work. 

Elan Rohde

Meet Elan Rohde! She’s the owner of Campolongo Cookie Company right here in Watertown.

Around Town

Coming to the Mosesian Center: Live Music, Classes, Call for Artists

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Mosesian Center for the Arts has live performances as well as classes on writing, and preparing for your audition coming up. Also, a call for artists. See more information below. Mosesian Arts Live, Art of Jazz: SheGrooves

This Wednesday, December 18 at 7:30 PM, Art of Jazz brings a powerful group of women musicians dedicated to elevating and celebrating the female experience. SheGrooves is an eclectic mix of pop, rock jazz and r&b, and for this performance, they will showcase holiday favorites and more! Click here for tickets

Call for Artists

The year 2025 marks the 100th anniversary of the time when Armenian American artist Arshile Gorky lived in Watertown, and the Mosesian Center for the Arts will be a part of town-wide events honoring Gorky’s work.

Around Town

Watertown Receives Grant to Evaluate ADA Accessibility

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Watertown City Hall

The following announcement was provided by the City of Watertown:

The City of Watertown is pleased to announce it has been awarded the Massachusetts Office on Disability’s (MOD) Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Self Evaluation and Transition Planning grant! A recipient of the MOD’s planning grant award, Watertown will utilize the funds to conduct an evaluation of all City programs, services, and buildings, and their accessibility and compliance with ADA standards. As Watertown works to improve its access across all of its services, this grant funds the support to appropriately identify the barriers that might be impacting equal access to our City. Once the self-evaluation is completed, the City will develop a Transition Plan which will consist of all the barriers to equal access that were identified in the self-evaluation, along with a timeline for and plan for removing them. This is a significant step in making Watertown accessible to all, and Watertown’s ADA Coordinator Patrick George speak to what this means for Watertown and our residents: “The City is grateful to receive this grant.

Around Town

City Releases Final Version of Health and Human Services Report

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The City of Watertown provided the following announcement. The City of Watertown is excited to announce the release of the Health and Human Services Assessment Final Report! You can read the report today, which includes an analysis of the existing health and human services available in Watertown, an identification of gaps between needs and services, a series of recommendations made by the experts at Health Management Associates to the City of Watertown, and much more! You’re also encouraged to stay up to date at the City of Watertown’s website for the next steps of this report in the coming weeks and months!

Around Town

2025 Watertown Trash and Recycling Calendar Released

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The City of Watertown sent out the 2025 Trash and Recycling Calendar. See details in the announcement below, and a preview above. Please watch your mailbox for the 2025 Trash and Recycling Calendar. In addition to the calendar showing which days your trash, recycling and yard waste will be picked up, there is also useful information about composting, how to dispose of mattresses, furniture, clothing and TVs, the hours and location of the Recycle Center and what you can bring there, and a guide to what materials are and are not recyclable. You can also see the calendar on the Trash and Recycling page, where you can also download it if you can’t find the copy that you received in the mail.

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.

Business

Charles River Chamber Hosting 1st Annual Watertown Night at Olespana

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The following announcement was provided by the Charles River Chamber:

The Charles River Regional Chamber invites the community to the first annual Watertown Night, a special evening bringing together business owners, professionals, civic leaders, and community members. The event will take place on Thursday, Jan. 23 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Olespana Whiskey and Tapas Bar on Mt. Auburn Street. Highlights include networking opportunities, a sampling of Olespana’s signature Spanish inspired cuisine, and the celebration of the Watertown Business Awards honorees, recognized for their outstanding contributions to the community.