Around Town

Entertainment Lineup Announced for Watertown Pride 2024

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The City of Watertown provided the following announcement:

Announcing the Watertown Pride 2024 festival entertainment at Saltonstall Park on Sunday, June 2, 2024 from 12-5 p.m.:

Tyler Tuccio/Tee Sparks, Watertown native AND Mr. Trans Massachusetts USA 2022

Danny B. Goode, Reigning Mr. Gay New England 2023

DJ Zeneida Ramos

Watertown Pride 2024: Loud, Proud, Island-Bound is an inclusive, all-ages event that celebrates our LGBTQIA+ communities. 

It is free and open to everyone on Sunday, June 2, 2024 from 12 to 5 p.m.The event kicks off with a parade at noon that will begin at Moxley parking lot and travel along the Watertown Community Path to a festival at Saltonstall Park. 

Visit www.WatertownPride.com for more event details.

Government

Memorial Day Weekend Hours for the City of Watertown

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The City of Watertown announced the hours for the Memorial Day weekend. City Hall, the Parker Annex, Department of Public Works Offices and the Senior Center are closing at 2 PM on Friday, May 24, 2024, and Watertown City Hall, Parker Annex, Senior Center, Department of Public Works Offices, and the Watertown Free Public Library are closed on Monday, May 27, 2024, in observance of Memorial Day. Please note that trash and recycling pickup will be delayed one day. The pickup schedule next week is Tuesday, May 28 through Saturday, June 1, 2024. A holiday postpones Trash and Recycling collection by one day.

Around Town

MassDOT Expects Busy Memorial Day Weekend, Encourages Travelers to Plan Ahead

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The following information was provided by MassDOT:

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) is encouraging individuals who plan to travel during the Memorial Day holiday weekend to plan, expect increased travel volumes, utilize MassDOT’s “real time” travel tools and resources, and take public transportation as much as possible to help get to planned destinations.   

“We are expecting a very busy travel weekend for this upcoming Memorial Day,” said Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver. “Traffic congestion is expected to grow on Thursday afternoon and will be much heavier than normal early Friday afternoon. Drivers should leave extra time when making travel plans, consult MassDOT resources, and always drive sober and undistracted. We at MassDOT wish everyone a happy and safe Memorial Day weekend.” 

Construction operations for the Sumner Tunnel Restoration Project are not occurring this weekend. The tunnel will remain open for travel during the weekend of Friday, May 24 through Monday, May 27.  

Using traffic data, MassDOT has created a traffic forecast for the holiday weekend.

Around Town

LETTER: A Resident’s Comments on Proposed Rezoning of Watertown Square

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To the Editor:

I’ve been impressed by Manager George Proakis’ initiative, effort and community involvement process for the Watertown Square Area Redesign. In terms of the streetscape, it’s terrific that the manager is trying to create a plan that insists that our Square is first and foremost the center of our community, not just an intersection to drive through as quickly as possible. It is in terms of zoning that the draft plans have led to more disagreement. Unlike some municipalities, we are choosing to obey the new MBTA Communities law and join in the region-wide attempt to increase the supply of housing by changing the zoning in the Square. The need for more housing units at lower rents and/or purchase prices is clear.

Around Town

Registration Open for 2024 Faire on the Square Vendors

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The following information was provided by the City of Watertown:

Vendor registration is now open for the 25th anniversary of the Faire on the Square! 

The event will be held on Saturday, September 21, 2024 from 12-5 p.m. at Saltonstall Park. Visit faireonthesquare.planningpod.com to register as a business, non-profit or food court vendor. Registration will remain open until Friday, August 30, 2024 at 5 p.m.

Businesses and Non-profits

You will have the option during checkout to purchase an upgrade that includes one 6 foot table and two chairs at your booth for an additional $10. All other materials, including a pop-up tent, if desired, must be brought by the vendor.  All vendors will receive their assigned booth location at the welcome tent on the morning of the event beginning at 9am.  More information will be sent via email in the weeks leading up to the event. Each booth space is 10 feet by 10 feet and businesses and non-profits can register for up to two booths. 

Food Vendors

Each food vendor will be allotted one space that is 15 feet long by 10 feet deep.  Only one space is allowed per food vendor due to space limitations. A temporary food permit must be obtained from the Watertown Health Department for all food court vendors.

Business

Charles River Chamber’s Spring Event Focuses on the Need for Housing in the Region

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The Charles River Regional Chamber announced it will hold its Spring Business Breakfast on June 7. The Chamber, which serves Watertown, Newton, Needham and Wellesley, provided the following information. Housing, our region’s competitive future, and a salute to an outstanding member of our business community are on the menu at this year’s Spring Business Breakfast, presented by Eastern Bank. Program Information

We’ll hear from the Commonwealth’s first Secretary of Housing and Livable Communities, Ed Augustus, the point person in the Healey-Driscoll Administration on efforts to drive efforts to increase housing production and lower housing costs across Massachusetts. We will be honoring Susan Paley who is retiring after leading The Village Bank’s community commitment efforts in support of all aspects of the region’s civic life, safety net, and cultural vitality for nearly two decades.

Entertainment

Concert in Watertown Featuring the Sounds of the Andes

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Sounds of the Andes will appear at Watertown’s First Parish Church. (Courtesy Photo)

The following announcement was provided by Spectacle Collective:

Spectacle Collective presents Sounds of the Andes, an evening of musical fusion featuring the Alturas Duo and Gonzalo Cortés, on Saturday, June 1, 2024, at 7:30 pm at First Parish of Watertown. Alturas Duo consists of Carlos Boltes on viola and charango and Scott Hill on guitar and voice. They will be joined by Gonzalo Cortés, Andean woodwinds, and Western flute for a seamless blend of Western classical music with South American folk music. The audience is invited to reimagine familiar classics while also being presented with a whole new world of sound.

Around Town

MassDOT Holding Meeting on Parking Around Newton Corner & Transportation Alternatives

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The following announcement was provided by MassDOT:

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) is announcing it will be hosting the first working group meeting for the Newton Corner Long Term Planning Study. The meeting will be held on Wednesday, May 22, at 10:30 a.m., in person at the Newton Free Library, at 330 Homer Street in Newton. At this meeting, the Study Team will present the background and review the study area, draft goals and objectives, and the evaluation criteria for the alternatives to be developed later. The Newton Corner Long-Term Planning Study will develop and analyze transportation alternatives to improve the Newton Corner I-90 Interchange, located at Exit 127. Building on the MassDOT Highway Division’s Newton Corner Improvements Project to implement short and mid-term improvements, this study will consider long-term means to improve safety, congestion, accessibility, mobility, connectivity, quality of life, and climate resilience in the area.