Around Town

Anoush’ella: A Sweet Taste of Armenia in the Heart of Watertown

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Manakeesh, a flatbread with za’atar and cheese on top, served at Anoush’ella Cafe in Watertown. (Photo by Maya Shwayder)

Tucked inside the Armenian Cultural and Educational Center (ACEC) in Watertown, the café Anoush’ella — a name that translates to “may it be sweet” in Armenian — has quickly become a beloved weekly fixture, serving more than just food. Run by Nina Festekjian and her husband Rafi, alongside community center manager Vatche Seraderian, this gem of a spot blends culinary delights with cultural pride, providing a space for the Armenian community to gather, share stories, and reconnect with their heritage through shared space and food. Though the café only opens its doors just once a week on Thursday, it’s already establishing itself as a key part of the community’s rhythm. The story of Anoush’ella started as a personal passion project for Nina and Rafi.

Business

Restaurant That Transformed Historic Building into Dining Destination to Celebrate 9th Anniversary

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Branch Line has transformed a former military weapons development facility into a dining destination. (Courtesy of Branch Line)

Nestled within the historic Watertown Arsenal, Branch Line stands as more than just a restaurant; it’s a testament to community, perseverance, and the art of culinary craftsmanship. Celebrating its ninth anniversary this coming October 2024, Branch Line has become a beloved fixture in Watertown, owing much of its success to its deep roots in the neighborhood and its commitment to quality and hospitality. General Manager Andrew Holden, a Watertown native himself, recalls the serendipitous discovery of the restaurant’s location — an expansive, historic space dating back to 1912. Holden said he was captivated by the building’s rich history, once a hub of industrial activity during the military and industrial revolutions that made trains, weapons, and equipment for the military.

Government

City Council & Planning Board Weigh In on Watertown Square Area Plan

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Traffic flows and affordable housing remained front and center issues for city officials who gathered on June 27th to discuss — for the second time this year — the comprehensive redevelopment plan for Watertown Square. The discussion among the City Councilors and Planning Board members circled around what the sticking points of the Watertown Square Area Plan were and how, exactly, they should move forward. “Watertown Square is a failed concept. It’s been failing for 30 years. We need housing.

Schools

Perkins School for the Blind Teams with MIT to Host Hackathon: The Super Bowl of Accessibility

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A team working on ideas to adapt technology for those with disabilities at #HackDisability: AI for Accessibility Hackathon hosted by MIT and Perkins School for the Blind. (Courtesy of Perkins School for the Blind)

CAMBRIDGE — On any given Friday night at MIT there’s bound to be a few stragglers hanging around the Strata Center, the architecturally world-famous building in Cambridge that houses the MIT Computer and Artificial Intelligence Lab. On Friday Feb. 23, there were more than a few folks about, and not just from MIT: people from Perkins School for the Blind, Amazon, the Museum of Science, Cisco, and even a representative from the White House gathered for Perkins’ “#HackDisability: AI for Accessibility Hackathon,” the Watertown-based school’s second-ever hackathon and the first focused specially on harnessing artificial intelligence for a group that is often left behind by technology. The task was seemingly simple.

Around Town

Food Insecurity in Watertown: Hunger is a Multi-Faceted Problem — It Won’t Magically Go Away

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The Watertown Food Pantry set up outside the United Methodist Church while its facility was being repaired. (Photo by Kathy Cunningham)

For the last several weeks, Watertown News, in conjunction with Watertown Cable Access Television, published six stories in a series called “Watertown’s Hidden Problem: Food Insecurity Among Us.” (See part one here). In the course of reporting these stories on food and hunger in our community, one absolute fact has emerged: how indelibly intertwined the problem of food insecurity is with other challenges. Food is too expensive. If you can afford food, it might only be cheap, low-nutrient food.

Around Town

Through Pandemics & Collapsed Ceilings, the Watertown Food Pantry Stays Open

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Food on the shelfs at the Watertown Food Pantry, which has seen an increase in the number of people using its services since the start of the Pandemic. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

With her pert Boston accent and indefatigable can-do attitude, Kathleen Cunningham welcomes visitors into the basement of the Belmont-Watertown United Methodist Church. It’s a big open space, with low ceilings, pink walls, some generous storage space and an older industrial kitchen. It’s also very obviously crumbling. Construction tape blocks off part of the kitchen.

Around Town

Hunger Hits Home: A Watertown Teenager’s Struggle to Feed Herself

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Shivani Sharma reaches into her refrigerator, which is more full than was when she was finishing high school. (Photo by Dan Hogan)

A glass of milk and a granola bar, eaten slowly; this is breakfast for 19-year-old Shivani Sharma. On this particular day it’s noon and she actually hasn’t eaten yet. It may not seem extraordinary, but for her, these days, it’s a big improvement in her situation over how she had to live at the end of high school. Sharma shared her story with Watertown News, in conjunction with Watertown Cable Access Television, as part of the series “Watertown’s Hidden Problem: Food Insecurity Among Us.”

Entertainment

Two Watertown Natives Bring Play Focused on Interrogation of JFK’s Assassin to the Mosesian Center

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Louis Fantasia was in West Junior Middle School — the former name of Watertown Middle School — when the principal came on the school P.A. system and announced the school was closed for the rest of the day. “They didn’t say anything about what it was. They just dismissed us and sent us home,” he said. “In those days there were maybe 10 houses between the school and Main Street, so all the old ladies saw us coming out of school, and they knew something was up, and that’s when people turned on their radios and TV.”

What had happened? JFK had just been assassinated, one of those moments that pauses our collective historical memory and everyone can recall clearly exactly where they were and what they were doing.