Business

Beams from Demolished Watertown Building Have a Bright Future

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When the old Circle Supply building on Bacon Street was torn down, the demolition company found some diamonds among the rubble – old pine wood beams. 

While the wood looked in rough shape, it was just what Cambridge-based Longleaf Lumber wants. The beam are made from heart pine that came from the southern longleaf pine forest and was brought up to construct the building, said Marc Poirier, co-owner of Longleaf. “The building seems to go back to the 1920s, but the wood looks older,” Poirier said. “It is beautiful, dense beams. They have a lot of damage but we will saw off the waste and end up with the pearls inside.” The heart pine is prized because it is rot and insect resistance, but it has been harvested out of existence, except for some groves that have been preserved.

Around Town

See How the New Park Along the Charles River is Shaping Up

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The area along the Charles River, east of Watertown Square has a snazzy new look featuring places to sit, look over the river and to appreciated the natural surroundings. Travis Mazerall, the project designer from Sasaki Associates, recently led a tour of the park near the intersection of Charles River Road and Irving Street has been turned into place that can be enjoyed by everyone, including the blind and visually impaired. The path includes wires hung across posts every 20 feet, or so. “Some have indicator beads about the size of a fist, that tell the user what is around, such as if there is a bench across from it,” Mazerall said. The project is being built by the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), but is funded by a mix of local non-profits, foundations and some money from the town.

Environment

LETTER: Watertown Can Participate in Local, State Solar Programs

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Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Neighborhood Solar is very happy to pass along the following information:

The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) would like to provide an important update regarding the Commonwealth Solar II rebate program. As MassCEC has previously indicated, the Commonwealth Solar II rebate program is scheduled to sunset permanently at the end of funding Block 20.  Launched in January 2010, the program has helped to jump-start the small-scale solar market in Massachusetts, and has grown along with this segment of the industry.  To date, the CSII Program has awarded over 10,000 rebate applications for over 62 MW of solar capacity, facilitating the investment in solar of over $314 million by home owners and business owners across Massachusetts. As a result of higher-than-anticipated demand associated with the end of this program, the $3 million that was initially allocated for Block 20 is fully subscribed as of today (October 30, 2014). Given the funding depletion has happened earlier than expected, MassCEC has today obtained approval from its Board of Directors for an additional $3 million in funding to ensure the orderly close-out of the program. 

This is the final funding allocation for the Commonwealth Solar II Rebate Program, which will sunset at the end of the fourth quarter 2014, or when the additional funds are fully reserved, whichever occurs earlier. So, in addition to the 20% discount that Neighborhood Solar is offering (through December 31, 2014), the 30% federal tax credit (through 2016), the 30% state tax credit capped at $1,000 (through June 2015), and the SRECS that are still in place although vulnerable, there is the above additional rebate program available on a first-come, first-serve basis (through December 31, 2014).  If there was ever a time to install solar, this is it.

Environment

Council Disbands Watertown Recycling Committee

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After 22 years, Watertown’s Recycling Advisory Committee has been dissolved. 

The decision to end the committee was made by the Town Council last week after the Public Works subcommittee recommended the move. The Recycling Committee and officials in the Watertown Department of Public Works have disagreed about the goal of the committee since Watertown went to a single-stream recycling program, according to Councilor Cecilia Lenk, chair of the Public Works subcommittee. Councilor Aaron Dushku worried about what will happen when issues around recycling arise. “I think we need a place where recycling issues will be discussed in town,” Dushku said. “We need some way to convene residents who want to discuss recycling issues.”

Elections

State Rep. Jonathan Hecht Named Environmental Champion

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Watertown State Rep. Jonathan

Watertown State Rep. Jonathan Hecht received recognition for his work on environmental issues from two groups. Hecht was named an “Environmental Champion” by the Environmental League of Massachusetts Action Fund and the Massachusetts League of Environmental Voters (MLEV) and endorsed for re-election for his seat in the 29th Middlesex District. “Our organizations are united in support of the extraordinary commitment to environmental protection made by Jonathan Hecht,” said Chuck Anastas, MLEV board Chairman. “We need his 21st century leadership in the state legislature.”

George Bachrach, president of the ELM Action Fund, said Hecht understands the importance of clean energy technology. “Representative Hecht understands the connection between the environment and the economy,” Bachrach said.

Environment

Find Out How to Get a Tree from the Town for Your Property

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Watertown residents can have a tree planted in front of their home, or even on their property by the town – find out how! Watertown Tree Warden Chris Hayward is preparing for the fall 2014 tree planting season and he is looking for places to put new trees. He has nearly 30 species of all sizes to choose from, including variety of dogwood, cherry, maple and many more trees (see the list here). Hayward will put together a database of requests. “They can say these are the trees I want and I’ll come out and see if it works,” Hayward said.

Environment

LETTER: What Watertown Needs to Know About Stormwater

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As Watertown reviews and finalizes the Comprehensive Plan, the Stormwater Advisory Committee would like to draw your attention to stormwater management in our community. The Charles River is recognized as a key asset to our community life, and the Plan recommends restoring other water assets, such as Sawins and Williams Ponds. For the Charles and the ponds, polluted stormwater is a major, ongoing cause of contamination. Stormwater comes from rainfall and snow melt — they sound so pure, don’t they? But in a town like Watertown, not enough stormwater soaks into the ground, which would filter and clean the water.

Environment

Watertown Student Studying Abroad in Denmark

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Watertown’s Sam Allen will be headed overseas to take part in implementing a sustainable energy system. Allen, a third-year student at College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, Maine, will be heading to Denmark with a class taught by COA faculty and led by COA students in a collaboration with the Rockland-based Island Institute under the auspices of a new philanthropic arm called The Fund for Maine Islands, according to the announcement from the college. During the student trip Sept. 22 through Oct. 4, to Samsø Energy Academy on Samsø Island, Denmark, Allen will study firsthand how Samsø, a farming and tourist community, became carbon negative through efficiency upgrades, wind and solar power production, biomass heating and other elements of a renewable energy portfolio, the announcement said.