Around Town

Watertown Organization Received Grant from Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism

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The following information was provided by the Doug Flutie Jr., Foundation for Autism:

The Doug Flutie Jr., Foundation for Autism (The Flutie Foundation), a leading non-profit in the Autism community, awarded over $639,000 to 67 leading non-profit organizations through the Autism Community Impact Grant. One of the organizations receiving a grant was the Association of Autism and Neurodiversity in Watertown, which received $10,000. The Flutie Foundation recognized organizations located in Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Rhode Island, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, and Central Florida who share a passion for helping those with autism live life to the fullest. The grant also puts an emphasis on supporting traditionally under-served, under-funded, culturally diverse communities. Funds from the grant will be used to support crucial resources, programming, and activities within the autism community.

Around Town

Online Fund Raising Effort to Help Family of Young Boy Who Passed Away Recently

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A screenshot from GoFundMe.com

Cunniff Elementary School lost a young student recently, and a crowdfunding campaign has been started to help his family. Second grader Ayyan passed away at the age of 7, and is remembers for his infectious joy, according to a building-based substitute, Pete Carron. “The loss of Ayyan is felt throughout Cunniff and the community. As a building-based substitute teacher I’ve had the pleasure of working with Ayyan on several occasions. He was quick with a smile and a high-five whenever I would see him. That kind of joy is infectious and the best kind of light to share with others,” Carron wrote.

Around Town

New Banh Mi Restaurant Opens in Watertown, Grand Opening This Week

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Watertown has a new destination for Vietnamese sandwiches known as banh mi. Boston Restaurant Talk posted that Banh Mi Cafe has opened at 102 Main Street in Watertown. The location is next to O Some Cafe and is across from the Watertown Fire Station. According to the Banh Mi Cafe Instagram site, the restaurant also serves bubble tea. The restaurant will have a Grand Opening celebration on Feb.

Around Town

Post Office Warns of Thieves Taking Checks, Credit Cards from Mail

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The following information came from the U.S. Postal Service:

Every day, the U.S. Postal Service safely and efficiently delivers millions of checks, money orders, credit cards, and merchandise. Unfortunately, such items are also attractive to thieves. That’s why Postal Inspectors across the country are at work to protect your mail. But with deliveries to more than 164 million addresses, they cannot do the job alone. Here are some proactive steps that both individuals and businesses can take to protect their mail and parcels from thieves:

– Don’t let mail sit in your mailbox.

Around Town

Senior Center Hosting Extreme Weather Preparedness Discussion

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Town of WatertownWatertown Senior Center

The Watertown Senior Center announced it will host an extreme weather preparedness discussion with Leigh Meunier from CREW and Dira Johanif from CRWA on Tuesday, Feb. 6, at 3:30 p.m.

Are you concerned about extreme weather and its impacts on your community? Want to learnmore about how Watertown is responding to flooding and how you can be prepared? Joinfriends from Communities Responding to Extreme Weather and the Charles River Watershed Association to learn about flooding impacts in Watertown and across our watershed. We’ll share ideas for nature-based projects that address flooding and benefit our environment (tree planting, removing pavement, rain gardens!).

Around Town

Date for Next Meeting on Watertown Square Area Design Announced

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The following announcement was provided by the City of Watertown:

The Watertown Square Area Plan project team invites you to attend our next Public Meeting on Thursday, February 29, 2024, beginning 6:30 PM at 64 Pleasant St, Watertown, MA 02472. 

Following the October kickoff meeting and the November Charrette series, the project team has been busy reviewing the ideas discussed and developing proposed roadway configurations, urban design concepts, and zoning options for the Square. This public meeting will summarize feedback from previous events and continue the conversation with residents, businesses, and other members of the community. The project team will discuss updated scenarios and dive into recommendations based on this evolving conversation. Following this public meeting, the project team will incorporate feedback and present the recommendations and plan in Spring 2024. More details on the meeting agenda and virtual participation opportunities will be released closer to the meeting date.

Around Town

Hear How Watertown is Tackling the Growing Problem of Hunger at a Live Roundtable Discussion

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After the ceiling collapsed in the church that hosts the Watertown Food Pantry, pickup was moved outside for several weeks. (Photo by Kathy Cunningham)

A lack of food has long been a problem for some Watertown residents, but the number of people worried about going hungry increased during the Pandemic and the numbers have only declined slightly in the past few years. On Feb. 12, Watertown News and Watertown Cable Access Television will host a live discussion with some of the people working on the problem of food insecurity in town. The Watertown Food Pantry has seen the number of families served each week double from pre- to post-pandemic.