Business

Town Survey Surveying Small Businesses About How COVID-19 Has Impacted Them

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The Town of Watertown has created a survey to hear from small businesses in town and how they have been impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak. The online survey asks more than two dozen questions, including when businesses seek to reopen, how the community can help them and how much revenue they have lost due to the Coronavirus outbreak. The survey was posted by Watertown Department of Community Development and Planning. The survey will be open for a couple of weeks. CLICK HERE TO TAKE THE SURVEY

Coronavirus

Town Council Meeting Virtually Tuesday, Discussing Budget, Parking Plan

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Watertown Town Hall

The Town Council will meeting for the first time since social distancing orders have prevented them from meeting in person. The meeting will be held virtually with the public able to participate by computer or phone. The agenda includes an update on the Town’s Fiscal 2021 budget, a proposal to move forward with the Parking Management Plan, and a discussion of the proposed contract for the Firefighters union. See the entire agenda by clicking here. Town Council President Mark Sideris told the Council in March that he will try not to have meetings during the COVID-19 outbreak, in part because it is difficult for the public to participate.

Business

Watertown Company Developed More Accurate COVID-19 Testing Swabs

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The following announcement was created by Watertown-based Markforged:

 Markforged, the leading manufacturer of metal and carbon fiber 3D printers, today announced that it is partnering with Neurophotometrics to produce Fiberflex Rayon, a 3D printed nasopharyngeal (NP) swab for use in diagnostic testing for COVID-19. The new 3D printed swabs take just minutes to make, and in testing, they successfully detected the virus in all of the patients, while the commercial swabs reported false negatives. The team is currently producing 10,000 swabs per day, with plans to scale to 100,000 per day. “Identifying COVID-19 infected patients is the best way to slow down the spread of the disease, but we’re seeing a lot of issues with wide-scale testing,” said Greg Mark, CEO and Founder of Markforged. “There are massive shortages of nasal swabs and to make matters worse, hospitals are reporting false negatives with the current swabs on the market.”

In a collaborative effort by the San Diego Covid Research Enterprise Network (SCREEN) Initiative — a group of scientists, students, research institutions, and others in the San Diego area — Neurophotometrics, Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego, the Scripps Research Institute, and the University of California San Diego designed and tested the 3D printed swabs with fifty volunteers.

Schools

School Officials Debate Keeping Spring Break, School Committee to Meet Monday

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With schools closed at least through May 4 due to the Coronavirus outbreak, Watertown Public Schools officials unveiled the second phase of the virtual learning for students, and are debating whether to keep spring break. The School Committee will meet Monday, April 13 to discuss spring break, the budget for the 2020-21 school year budget and hear a presentation phase II of the district’s Extended Learning Plan. (See information about watching and participating in the meeting below). In a letter to families and staff sent out earlier this month, Superintendent Dede Galdston said that students will have more interactive time with teachers, “requiring students to participate in the learning provided to the extent that is possible.” Teachers reached out to families this week with more details about the schedule and plans.

Schools

Progress Being Made on School Building Projects, But it May be Slowed by Social Distancing Orders

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Watertown School officials continue to work on the school building projects at the three elementary schools and the high school during the Coronavirus outbreak, but they may eventually hit a roadblock due to restrictions imposed during the outbreak. Town Council President Mark Sideris wrote an update to the School Building Committee about the progress of the School Building Projects. Progress could be slowed by the social distancing requirements, particularly limiting the number of people who can gather in one place. “Work on all projects is still continuing even though we are not meeting as a committee,” Sideris wrote in the letter. Work at Hosmer and Cunniff is planned to start in late June, right after the school year ends, but the School Building Committee had to postpone community meetings at both schools where they planned to update the communities on the projects.

Business

Watertown Farmers Market Plans to Open on Schedule, Vendors Offer Delivery & Pick Up Ordering

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The Watertown Farmers’ Market will be back this June, organizers say. Residents can support the vendors who appear at the Watertown Farmers Market even before the season begins in June, and organizers say that the market plans to open on schedule in June. While the COVID-19 outbreak has closed many businesses, Stephanie Venizelos, manager of the Watertown Farmers Market, said that the market will be opening in June. “Farmers markets have been declared an essential business, like grocery stores,” Venizelos said. “We are planning for a safe market that adheres to all the guidelines.”

Around Town

Mass Cultural Council Offers Relief Fund for Individuals

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The following information was provided by the Mass. Cultural Council:

Mass Cultural Council believes in the power of culture, and we recognize that the work done by creative and innovative individuals is key to our vital communities. We know that the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis has caused major disruptions for the careers of individuals who earn income through their work in the cultural sector. In response, Mass Cultural Council has launched the COVID-19 Relief Fund for Individuals. The purpose of the COVID-19 Relief Fund is to support individuals whose creative practices and incomes are adversely impacted by the COVID-19 crisis.