Around Town

New Vendors Joining Watertown Farmers Market — Opening Day June 17

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The start of the Watertown Farmers Market is around the corner and shoppers have some new options to choose from this year, which will be offering baked goods, bagels, produce, tahini and more. The first farmers market will take place on Wednesday, June 17, from 2:30-6:30 p.m. in Saltonstall Park, at the corner of Main Street and Whites Avenue, next to Town Hall (149 Main St.). The Market will run rough Oct. 14, and — to begin with, at least — will operate with social distancing measures (see farther below). The managers of the Farmers Market sent out the following statement”

The start of the season has been challenging for many small farms and businesses from loss of staff and the need to make changes to business operations with new safety precautions in place.

Around Town

Watertown Library Kicking Off Summer Reading Drive-Thru on June 16

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The Watertown Library sent out the following announcement:

How do you throw a summer reading kick-off party in the age of social distancing? The Watertown Free Public Library has hit on a fun solution: it’s the first-ever Summer Reading Drive-Thru! On Tuesday, June 16, you’re invited drive (or walk) to the Library and pick up summer reading booklists, bingo boards, and more for children and teens. WFPL librarians will be stationed in the parking lot handing out grab bags to take home. There will be music, there will be balloons … so bring the kids along for the ride.

COVID-19

Musicians Gather Virtually to Put on 2020 Watertown MusicFest

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A shot from the Watertown High School Orchestra’s video from the Virtual MusicFest 2020 website. The organizers of the annual Watertown MusicFest were not going to let COVID-19 stand in the way of putting on their 2020 event. They put together a virtual musical jamboree featuring more than 100 performances by Watertown students and others from the community. The event was created by the Friends of Watertown Music, a group of volunteer parents and friends of the music program that formed in 2011 to support and advocate for the music program in the Watertown Public Schools. The organizers wrote the following introduction for the Watertown Music Fest website (Click here to go to the website):

“Corona may be keeping us apart but it isn’t keeping us silent.

CARES Act

UPDATED: No Layoffs in Watertown Budget Despite Projected Revenue Loss of $4 Million

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Watertown’s Town Hall. (This story was updated on June 15 at 9:06 am and corrected the number of ALS ambulances funded in the FY21 budget.)

No layoffs — that was the first highlight given by Town Manager Michael Driscoll when he presented the Fiscal Year 2021 budget on Tuesday night. This comes despite the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic — projected to cause a drop of more than $4 million in revenues for the Town government. The total budget would be $152.44 million, which is $2.5 million (1.69 percent) more than the FY2020 revised budget. The increase from FY2019 to 2020 was $5 million.

Around Town

Watertown’s Camp Pequossette Cancelled Due to COVID-19

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Watertown’s summer camp, that has run for more than half a century, will not be taking place during the summer of 2020 due to the COVID-19 outbreak, announced Recreation Director Peter Centola. Centola sent out the following letter:

The Pequossette Summer Program has served our Watertown residents for the past 52 years and made a life changing positive impact on our children in terms of physical, emotional and social learning and development. The Pequossette Program has also fostered a nurturing and mentoring environment for our adolescent and young adult staff to assist them in theirdevelopment. Over the past several years, under the direction of Director Brian Donato, the Pequossette Summer Program has served approximately 237 children per week and employed over 70 dedicated and talented staff. As you are well aware, the COVID19 pandemic has negatively impacted life as we know it and dramatically limited our ability to offer opportunities as we once did in a safe and practical atmosphere.

COVID-19

Watertown Preschoolers Get to Say Goodbye to Their Teachers in Drive By Event

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A staff member from the Early Steps Integrated Preschool attended the preschool parade where the staff could say goodbye to their students. Children in the Watertown Early Steps Integrated Preschool got a special treat last week, and got to see some old friends — their teachers! The Watertown Public School’s preschool program, located at the Phillips Building, closed along with the other schools in March. As the school year wound down, the preschool staff wanted to see the kids one more time, and they organized a parade to come by the school, said Karen Feeney, Watertown’s Director of Early Childhood. Cars full of preschoolers and their parents drive through the lot behind the Phillips Building during the drive through goodbye event on June 1.

Schools

Minuteman Seniors Get Diplomas at Drive-In Graduation, Watertown Student is Valedictorian

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A Minuteman High School students attends the drive-in graduation, Friday, held due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The following piece came from Minuteman High School:

On Friday, June 5, 121 students in the Minuteman Regional Vocational Technical High School’s graduating Class of 2020 received their diplomas in a historic drive-in graduation ceremony. The first-ever drive-in ceremony was held to honor seniors in a timely fashion while also ensuring social distancing amid the coronavirus pandemic. 

Each student was permitted to attend in one vehicle with family or loved ones. They each parked in assigned parking spaces that were grouped by their career majors. One by one, as their names were announced over a live stream on YouTube, students drove to the front of the building where they exited their vehicles to receive their diplomas and posed for photographs. 

In his remarks during the ceremony, Superintendent-Director Edward A. Bouquillon addressed the ongoing pandemic, economic turmoil, and racial unrest that the nation – and our families and communities – are grappling with. 

“I have confidence that you, the class of 2020, who have lost so much this senior year… you have gained an appreciation for the relationship and connection that only this crisis can teach,” Bouquillon said.

Business

Gov. Baker Approves Phase 2 of Reopening Which Includes Restaurants, Retail & Childcare

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Gov. Charlie Baker, with Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito. Beginning Monday, June 8, Massachusetts restaurants can begin to offer outdoor dining and retail store will be able to open for shoppers. They are part of Phase 2 of the state’s COVID-19 re-opening plan, along with childcare, and additional recreation facilities and medical services. Gov. Charlie Baker made the announcement of the beginning of Phase 2 on Saturday afternoon. There will be two steps of Phase 2, with the first one including outdoor dining at restaurants, retailers stores opening, childcare, day camps, lodging and youth sports.