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Residential Snow Shoveling Requirement Approved by Council

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Watertown residents will be required to clear snow and ice from sidewalks in front of their homes within 24 hours of the end of a storm after the City Council passed the amendment to the City’s Snow and Ice Removal Ordinance. Under the new rules, residents face a fine for repeatedly not clearing sidewalks, but those will not be levied during the current winter. The vote Tuesday night was 6-3, and came after more than two hours combined public input and discussion by Councilors. Residents against the proposal brought up concerns about how the new rules would be enforced, potential liability, and even whether people should be required to remove snow and ice from sidewalks, which are owned by the City. They added that most people do shovel their sidewalks, so they don’t see the need for new regulations.

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World in Watertown Remembers Board Member Susan Klaw

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Susan Klaw

By Chuck Dickinson

Former and current members of the World in Watertown Board of Directors were deeply saddened by the passing of their friend and colleague, Susan Klaw. Susan died peacefully at home at age 74 from ALS on December 23, 2023. There will be a memorial service on January 13th at 3 p.m. at the First Parish of Watertown Unitarian Universalist, 35 Church Street, Watertown. Susan was an active and engaged force with World in Watertown, and served on the Board of Directors for many years. She was always an active participant in meetings and many of World in Watertown events and programs (e.g., Unity Breakfast). She provided special leadership for World in Watertown’s sponsorship (with Friends of Project Literacy) of a naturalization ceremony and voter registration, a life-changing event for 200 immigrants from 50 different countries. She also played a key role in the transition of Board leadership from the “old guard” who had founded WiW to a new generation of community leaders in Watertown.

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LETTER: Thoughts on the Residential Snow Ordinance from a Former Councilor

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Greetings Councilors:

Many of you already know my thoughts on the proposed 2024 Residential Snow and Ice Removal Ordinance. In 2012, I voted a well thought out and vetted: “No.” I listened to the residents and the many scenarios of circumstances that were brought before the Committees. One of my comments was as follows:

“… something we need to work on as a community, but mandating it, I don’t think is appropriate …”

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LETTER: 2024 New Year’s Resolutions For the City of Watertown, Part 3: And on the Bright Side

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My 2023 Thank You’s to Our City Council. Thank you, Council President Mark Sideris for your availability to residents and for standing up for the integrity of Watertown Square. Thank you Councilor Gardner for your work on the ARPA funding process. Thank you Councilor Palomba for your advocacy regarding developer linkage fees for affordablehousing. Thank you Councilor Feltner for supporting the need for more resident involvement in the development planning process and raising the bar on planning for our City parks.

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Through Pandemics & Collapsed Ceilings, the Watertown Food Pantry Stays Open

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Food on the shelfs at the Watertown Food Pantry, which has seen an increase in the number of people using its services since the start of the Pandemic. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

With her pert Boston accent and indefatigable can-do attitude, Kathleen Cunningham welcomes visitors into the basement of the Belmont-Watertown United Methodist Church. It’s a big open space, with low ceilings, pink walls, some generous storage space and an older industrial kitchen. It’s also very obviously crumbling. Construction tape blocks off part of the kitchen.

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LETTER: Part 2: My City of Watertown New Year’s Predictions & Ninth City Resolution

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By Linda ScottWatertown Resident

These are my opinions, based upon hundreds of conversations, attending numerous City meetings, and making thousands of observations over the past few years. I hope that they can stimulate conversation and help busy Watertown folks focus on some of the current issues. Things to be on the lookout for in 2024, if these City resolutions are not taken to heart by our City Councilors:

1 – Expect the assault on residents’ quality of life to continue:

Short-Term Rentals. That’s where your neighbors are allowed to run an informal hotel business out of their homes right next door to you. (And the City gets to collect a fee).

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Owl Trapped in Net in Watertown Rehabilitated & Released – See the Video!

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A Great Horned Owl that got trapped in a net in Watertown was released back into the wild this week. (Screen shot from Video)

An owl that got caught up in the netting at an athletic field in Watertown in December has been nursed back to heath and this week it was released back into the wild. The Great Horned Owl was released at Victory Field, and it flew into the trees on nearby Whitney Hill. The Watertown Police Department sent out the following statement on social media:

“An update on the Great Horned Owl … Back on December 13, 2023, the owl had to be cut out of a batting cage net and sent to a Veterinary clinic before going to a rehabilitation center in Wayland.