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Watertown Gifted BlueBike Station, Also Using Grant to Expand System

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Arsenal YardsThe BlueBike station outside Arsenal Yards. Watertown will have up to four new BlueBike stations after being gifted one bikeshare docking station and receiving a grant for up to three more. A 19-bike station was donated to the City of Watertown by BlueCross BlueShield and Lyft, City Manager George Proakis announced at Tuesday night’s City Council meeting. “They ended up with a spare station, and communities could apply for it,” Proakis said. “We responded and this is a free station being granted to us as a gift.

Around Town

Watertown Business Coalition Hosting After Hours Event at Wicked Bagel

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Wicked Bagel will open its Watertown location on June 1. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

The Watertown Business Coalition’s next after hours event will be at one of the City’s newest dining spots — Wicked Bagel. The hosts will provide a “make your own bagel sandwich” station, and beer and wine will be available. Also, tour the space at 68 School St., which is the site of the former Porcini’s Restaurant. There will also be plenty of time for networking. The free event will be on Wednesday Sept.

Around Town

Watertown’s Fall Fire Hydrant Flushing to Begin Soon

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The Department of Public Works provided the following announcement:

The Water Department’s Annual Hydrant Fall Flushing Program is September 16 through October 24, 2024 between 7 to 11 p.m.

The purpose of flushing is to remove sediment build up in the water mains and to verify the safe operation of hydrants and valves. Flushing the system may cause discolored water. It is bacteriologically safe to drink, but unpleasant to look at. This situation can usually be resolved by running your cold water until it clears up. Locate the closest and lowest cold-water faucet in your building.

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Mosesian Arts Members Exhibit Features Range of Works from the Natural World to Abstraction

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Claudia Ravaschiere’s “Journey of a Thousand Trees” is part of the Mosesian Center for the Arts’ Members Exhibition. The following announcement was provided by the Mosesian Center for the Arts:

The Mosesian Center for the Arts is excited to showcase a diverse body of art works from our current members. The upcoming exhibition gives our artist members the opportunity to demonstrate many and various ways to create work. In addition, artists explore a wide selection of themes. Several of the artists have turned to nature for inspiration and reflection.

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Residents Share Their Desires for Watertown Square with City’s Economic Development Planner

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Residents on a tour of Watertown Square shared their vision for the area with Watertown’s Senior Planner for Economic Development Erin Rathe. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

Two members of the City of Watertown staff who will be designing the new Watertown Square led a group of more than a dozen people on a walk through the area to get an idea of what residents want to see in the center of town. The walk, held on Sept. 5, was part of Live Well Watertown’s Walk N Talk series, and was led by Erin Rathe, the City’s Senior Planner for Economic Development. Joining her was the Director of Community Design, Erika Oliver Jerram.

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Residents Invited to Apply for Watertown Cultural Council Grants

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The following announcement was provided by the City of Watertown:

The Watertown Cultural Council (WCC) invites Watertown residents to apply for Local Cultural Council (LCC) grants. 

The Watertown Cultural Council (WCC) is one of 355 Local Cultural Council Programs and serves Watertown. WCC is part of the largest grassroots cultural funding network in the nation annually supporting thousands of community-based projects in the arts, humanities, and sciences. WCC is funded in large part by the state through the Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC). Watertown individuals, schools, and cultural organizations are eligible to apply for project support from WCC. Since its establishment in 1982, the WCC has distributed over $200,000 and funded over 500 programs that have enriched the lives of tens of thousands of community residents.

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Podcast Spotlights the Creator of the Program that Brings Life Science Lessons Into the High School

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Merle Kummer

The fourth episode of Little Local Conversations podcast spotlighted the work of Merle Kummer, the founder of a unique program that brings together members of life science community with students at Watertown High School. In Little Local Conversations, discover the people, places, stories, and ideas of Watertown. Creator and Watertown resident Matt 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. 

Hanna wrote:

“Meet Merle Kummer! She’s the co-founder and president of CoLAB: High School STEM Collaboration. We talk about her movement from Kendall Square to Watertown to seek a more connected community, how CoLAB came to be and the unique ways it engages high schoolers in the possibilities of STEM work, and she shares a bit about the life science sector here in Watertown.”

Around Town

Youngsters Invited to an Intergenerational Story Time

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Brigham HouseChildren can visit Brigham House and listen to a story read by a librarian from the Watertown Library. The following announcement was provided by Watertown Families Together and the Watertown Free Public Library:

This fall we are going to be … READING READY! Young children and their caregivers are invited to our intergenerational event at Brigham House – 341 Mt. Auburn St.