Around Town

Community Preservation Committee Holding Annual Public Hearing, Application Deadline Announced

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The City of Watertown announced the annual Community Preservation Act public hearing, and the deadline to apply for Community Preservation Act funds, which can be used on projects involving historic preservation, open space, and affordable housing. Community Preservation Act Annual Public Hearing

CPA Annual Public Hearing will continue in City Hall, in the City Council Chamber on Thursday, July 18, 2024, at 7 p.m.

Don’t miss the CPA Annual Public Hearing hosted by the Community Preservation Committee (CPC). You may also join the hearing and meeting remotely via Zoom: https://watertown-ma.zoom.us/j/91525442843. This event is a great opportunity to: 

Tell us your open space, outdoor recreation, community housing, and historic preservation priorities;

Hear more about CPA projects;

Learn how and when to apply for CPA funding; and

Get answers to your questions about CPA in Watertown. You may send questions or comments, in advance, to Lanae Handy, Community Preservation Coordinator, at lhandy@watertown-ma.gov .

Around Town

MBTA’s Red Line to be Replaced by Shuttles During Extended Repair Project

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The following announcement was provided by the MBTA:

The MBTA is reminding riders of the upcoming multi-day Red Line service suspension and providing an update on weekend service outages on July 13 – 14 and July 27 – 28.  

Red Line service will be replaced with shuttle bus service between Alewife and Kendall/MIT beginning at approximately 8:15 PM through the end of service on Friday, July 12. Free and accessible shuttle buses will make stops at all stations. Planned Red Line service change during the weekends of July 13 – 14 and July 27 – 28 have been extended with service suspended from Alewife to JFK/UMass. This decision comes after a thorough review of the work required and logistical challenges following recent overnight work to prepare for the work taking place during the service outage. With the goal of significantly improving service reliability and reducing travel times for thousands of daily riders, the extended outage during these weekends allows for the installation of over three and a half miles (19,200 feet) of new rail that will allow the MBTA to lift seven speed restrictions along this heavily traveled corridor. 

“Our priority is to provide safe, reliable service while addressing long-standing infrastructure needs. The scope of this project is unprecedented, involving the replacement of over three and a half miles of running rail,” said MBTA General Manager and CEO Phillip Eng.

Around Town

Dozens of Open Houses Around Watertown This Week

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A mix of properties, from condos to two-families, will be holding open houses this weekend in Watertown. 19 Garfield St., $2,750,000, 6 bedroom 6 bathroom 6,274 sq. ft. Single Family, Open house: Saturday, July 13 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM

72 Bradford Road #2, $629,000, 2 bedroom 1 bathroom 1,140 sq. ft.

Around Town

Watertown High School Students Learning on the Job at Local Non-Profits

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The following announcement was provided by the Watertown Community Foundation:

Since 2015 the Watertown Community Foundation has made it possible for high school students in Watertown to gain valuable professional experience by funding summer internships. Nearly 70 high-schoolers have received stipends from the Watertown Community Foundation High School Internship Program since it began. This year, four students from Watertown High School will receive internship stipends from the Watertown Community Foundation to learn more about working in one of Watertown’s non-profits. Selected from a competitive field of applicants, we congratulate Evelyn Rodriguez, Kostas Jerome, Arthur Venturim, and Sherri Wu on being chosen to participate in this year’s Watertown Community Foundation High School Internship Program. These students will have internships at the City of Watertown’s Commander’s Mansion, the Watertown Free Public Library and Watertown Cable Access TV.

Around Town

Watertown’s First Miyawaki Forest to be Planted This Fall

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Local teens have been tending tiny trees for the Miyawaki forest planting. By Liza Ketchum

Good news for Watertown: the city’s first Miyawaki Forest will be planted this fall! Miyawaki forests — which can be as small as a ping pong table or as big as a parking lot — are named for Akira Miyawaki, a Japanese ecologist and weed expert (1928-2021). He studied groves of ancient, native trees growing close together at shrines around Japan. Since trees take up carbon and release oxygen into the atmosphere, Miyawaki realized that these small groves could clean the air in urban areas, while attracting wildlife, birds, and beneficial insects. When planted densely, they become self-sustaining ecosystems in just a few years. With the help of other botanists — soon joined by volunteers of all ages — he began planting these small forests across Japan and eventually, around the world.

Around Town

Learn About Food Assistance Programs at This Week’s Watertown Farmers Market

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See what’s happening at this week’s Watertown Farmers Market in the announcement sent out by the Market. Now that summer is here in full swing, the market is full of lots of fun and flavorful fruits and veggies, fantastic baked goods, sustainable seafood and meat, and so much more! 

This week, stop by the market’s Food Assistance Information table and learn about the growing issue of food insecurity and local resources available. Find out about how to access the market’s exclusive benefits including:

Our SNAP match

Using HIP dollars 

WIC and Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program coupons

Summer EBT 

Project Bread will host our community booth to provide information and pre-screen for eligibility of SNAP benefits. Women, Infants, and Children’s (WIC) will be on site for their annual Distribution Day beginning at 4:00pm – details below. Please bring a non-perishable food DONATION for the City’s Food Pantry!

Around Town

City Manager’s Update on Watertown Square Area Plan

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City Manager George Proakis provided the following statement he presented at the Watertown Square Area Plan Meeting on June 27. The third meeting on the plan will take place on Tuesday, July 16 at 6 p.m. at Watertown Middle School. This letter reproduces the introductory remarks given by the City Manager to the City Council and Planning Board at the Watertown Square Area Plan Joint Hearing on June 27, 2024, with modifications for publication:

As we embark on what I call the end of the beginning of the work on Watertown Square, I’d like to reflect on the progress we have made and the process we have taken to get to the publication of the Watertown Square Area Plan. Since the beginning of this process, we have spread the word about this plan throughout the city, by sharing announcements with the Watertown News, advertising on-line through our social media channels, sharing information in regular City Council meetings, three different tax bill inserts, and on signage at businesses and in public places throughout the city. We are tremendously proud of our community for joining us to participate in this process, and the ability to build this plan with collaborative involvement.

Around Town

Historical Society Program Explores Watertown’s Link to Declaration of Independence and Nation’s First Treaty

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Marilynne Roach of the Historical Society of Watertown made a presentation about the signing of the Treaty of Watertown and the reading of the Declaration of Independence at the Edmund Fowle House. This year the ceremony will be at the Senior Center. (Courtesy of the Historical Society)

The following announcement was provided by the Historical Society of Watertown:

A program presented by the Historical Society at the Watertown Senior Center, honoring two important events: the Declaration of Independence and the Treaty of Watertown. A talk & slide-show presentation will tell the story of the role & significance that the Edmund Fowle House (28 Marshall St) played in Watertown’s first public reading of the Declaration of Independence and the signing of the Watertown Treaty between the Mi’kmaq and St. John’s (aka Maliseet) Indigenous nations in Canada and the newly formed United States.