Around Town

City Seeks Input on Watertown’s New 311 Service Center

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The following information came from the City of Watertown:

The launch of the 311 Service Center is approaching. Your assistance is invaluable in gathering feedback on our non-emergency report system and understanding where you’re accessing this system. We invite you to participate in the City of Watertown 311 Focus Group and contribute to this initiative. Focus groups will be on Tuesday, April 16, 2024 from 6-7:30 p.m. and Tuesday, April 23, 2024 from 6-7:30 p.m. at the Watertown Savings Bank Room in the Watertown Free Public Library at 123 Main Street in Watertown. Throughout these sessions, we’ll make use of both the mobile app and web app editions of SeeClickFix.

Around Town

Watertown Square Housing & Intersections Proposals Revealed

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A large crowd listened to the presentation at the Watertown Square Area Plan Meeting on April 4 at 66 Galen St. (Photo by Rachel Kay)

The proposed design of Watertown Square will look similar to the current intersection, with one leg removed and larger open space. Designers also revealed a new plan to meet the MBTA Communities Law on Thursday, showing a plan with areas for by-right housing around Watertown Square, and south of the Charles River. The design team and City officials have gathered input from the public at previous meetings, City Manager George Proakis said, and there were strong agreement on some areas, such as that the Watertown Square intersection needed improvement and the downtown area has some nice historic architecture, but much of the area lacks character and is not friendly to shoppers and pedestrians. Other matters were more mixed.

Around Town

Free T-Shirt Days at the Watertown Library

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The Watertown Library will be giving away T-shirts in April. (Courtesy of the Watertown Library)

The Watertown Free Public Library will be giving away T-shirts. Find out more information in the announcement provided by the Library, below. On April 12 and April 13, 2024, the first 100 children and first 100 teens & adults to stop by our table in front of the Library will receive a free T-shirt. Come and meet Library Director Kim Hewitt, pick up a free button, sticker, or T-shirt (while supplies last) and learn about everything your library has to offer.

Around Town

2024 Watertown Pride Events Include Parade & Tipsy Tea Party

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The following information was provided by the City of Watertown:

Plans are underway for Pride Month in Watertown! Please visit the city’s official Pride website at WatertownPride.com for upcoming event details and sponsorship opportunities. More community events will be added as they are announced.  

Watertown Pride 2024: Loud, Proud, Island-Bound will be held on Sunday, June 2 from 12 to 5 p.m. It is an inclusive, all-ages event that celebrates our LGBTQIA+ communities. The event will kick off with a parade at noon beginning at the Moxley parking lot leading to a festival at Saltonstall Park. 

Watertown Pride 2024: A Tipsy Tea Party is scheduled for Sunday, June 23 from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Commander’s Mansion (440 Talcott Avenue). This is a ticketed event for guests ages 21 and up. Head to the Watertown Pride website to purchase your ticket today!  Tickets must be purchased in advance and will be capped at 200 guests. We are also seeking local eateries to provide “brunch bites” during this event.  

More information on both events can be found on the Watertown Pride website. Contact info@watertownpride.com if you have details to share on this website about Pride community events in Watertown.

Around Town

Neighbors Running Fund Raiser to Help Family Pay for Vet Bills for Cat Injured in a House Fire

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Two cats were in a fire at a Watertown home, and one — Basil — has required medical care. An online fundraising effort has started to help a Watertown family who are trying to pay for their cat’s veterinary bills after their home was damaged in a fire. Shortly after the March 21 fire that damaged the home on Quincy Street a group of neighbors rallied to support their neighbors. Jason Gerdom and Diana Richards put together the GoFundMe campaign to help their neighbors. They provided the following background on the campaign site:

“Hi, we’re a group of neighbors on the west side of Watertown who are raising money for a family who lost their house in a fire last week (March 21).

Around Town

Rep. Steve Owens Hosting Earth Day Cleanup & April Office Hours

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State Rep. Steve Owens. The following announcement was provided by the Office of State Rep. Steve Owens:

State Rep. Steve Owens, a Democrat in the 29th Middlesex District made up of parts of West Cambridge, North Cambridge, and Watertown, has an upcoming Earth Day cleanup event and office hours in Cambridge and Watertown. For the fourth year in a row, the Office of Representative Steve Owens will be sponsoring an Earth Day Cleanup in cooperation with the Charles River Conservancy. Please join us on Saturday, April 20th at 10 am at the American Legion Marsh Post 442 (5 Greenough Blvd., Cambridge) to help pick up trash along the Charles River between Eliot Bridge and Grove Street along Greenough Boulevard. Last year, we had nearly 50 volunteers and prevented about 45 contractor bags of waste from getting into the river.