Around Town

Hatch Makerspace Offering Curbside Pickup of 3D Printing, Laser Cutting

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Hatch Makerspace Coordinator Liz Helfer preps the 3D printer for new orders. Design and submit your 3D printing or laser cutting projects and the Watertown Library’s Hatch makerspace will do the work. Then you pick it up! See details in the Hatch announcement below:

Even though the Watertown Free Public Library’s Hatch Makerspace is closed to the public, you can still access Hatch’s 3D printers and laser cutter for free. Starting the week of May 25, Hatch staff will be available to 3D print and laser cut original work submitted online.

Business

Town Looking for Ways to Allow More Outdoor Seating at Restaurants During COVID-19

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Watertown Town Hall

Restaurants could soon be reopening for in-house dining, but they will have limited capacity due to the state’s COVID-19 protocols. Watertown officials have started looking for ways to allow for restaurants to have outside seating, and how they can streamline the application process. Under the four phase plan outlined by Gov. Charlie Baker last week, restaurants would be allowed to reopen in phase 2, but would have to allow for social distancing inside the restaurant which would reduce capacity. This phase would start, at the earliest, three weeks after the start of the reopening plan, which began on May 18. Allowing outdoor seating at restaurants that do not have it currently, or expanding it at those that do, requires approval for both zoning and licensing changes.

Around Town

Sen. Brownsberger Surveying Residents About COVID-19 and the MBTA

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State Sen. Will Brownsberger

State Sen. Will Brownsberger’s latest survey seeks to find out how the COVID-19 outbreak has impacted how people work and if they are using public transportation. Brownsberger, who represents Watertown Belmont and parts of Boston, posted the survey on his website on Tuesday evening. Questions include what people’s work situations are (working from home, going into work, unemployed), what people did before the outbreak and their plans for when the state reopens. Also, how much people are using the MBTA now, previously, and plans in the future. There are also questions about Massachusetts’ response to the Coronavirus and how financially secure people are feeling.

COVID-19

Watch Out for Watertown’s Plan to Reopen Recycling Center, Parks, Library & More

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With Gov. Baker laying out the reopening plans for Massachusetts, Watertown’s municipal facilities will begin to reopen from the COVID-19 shutdown in coming days and weeks. As of Friday, Watertown had a total of 373 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 254 residents who have recovered. The town has lost 23 people to the virus. Four Town employees have had confirmed cases. Two of those employees are back to work, Town Manager Michael Driscoll said.

Around Town

See This Week’s Virtual Programs at the Watertown Library

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Watertown Free Public Library

The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department:

The Watertown Free Public Library’s new curbside book pickup service has been a big hit with Watertown residents. “Talking to patrons and hearing how thrilled they are to have books again is truly the highlight of my day” says WFPL director Leone Cole. 

While curbside orders pick up, WFPL continues to offer virtual programs. This week via Zoom, find peace during Community Yoga, learn to knit, or make homemade mac & cheese during Cook the Books: Pantry Edition. For tweens in grades 5-7, the Library is starting First Chapter Fridays (via Facebook Live) to spotlight some fantastic books available online via the Library apps Hoopla and Overdrive. Here’s a full list of virtual offerings for the week of May 25 – 31:

FOR CHILDREN

Springo!May 1 – 30 | Can you get bingo on our spring-themed outdoor scavenger hunt? Post your bingo board on social media and be sure to tag WFPL! Download the Springo bingo board here: bit.ly/SpringoWFPL

Story Time (via Facebook Live)Tuesday at 10:30 am with Emily | Thursday at 11 am with Kazia | facebook.com/watertownfpl

Lunch Bunch Book Group (via Facebook Live)Mondays and Thursdays | 12 PM | Children’s Librarians will read aloud from The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo. This title is available without waiting via Hoopla.

Around Town

Senior Center Offers Programs Online, Answering Phone Calls

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Watertown Senior Center

The following announcement came from the Watertown Senior Center:

Good afternoon,

We hope you are doing well! As you know, the Senior Center remains closed, but the Council on Aging continues to operate with staff on hand to answer your calls and emails. We are always happy to hear from you. We have moved many of our programs to an online format using Zoom. Please call us at (617) 972-6490 to register for a program and to receive Zoom access information.

Around Town

No Parade, But Watertown Cable Broadcasting Memorial Day Ceremony Featuring Veteran Interviews

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The COVID-19 restrictions has cancelled the 2020 Watertown Memorial Day Parade, but the Town’s Veterans Agent and Watertown Cable are teaming up to broadcast a live ceremony on Monday. After the parade each year, a ceremony is held next to Town Hall. Veterans Agent Patrick George said he wanted to hold something like that this year, and teamed up with Watertown Cable to put on the live broadcast at noon on Monday, May 25. The featured speaker will be Watertown-native Lt. Col. Stephanie Cooper.

Charity

COVID-19 Putting Up Hurdles for Watertown-Based Group Effort to Get Care Packages to the Troops

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During normal times, volunteers will gather in Watertown and pack care packages to send off to American servicemen and women across the globe, but social distancing requirements during the COVID-19 outbreak have slowed Operation American Soldier’s ability to fulfill its mission. The base of operations for the non-profit group is the basement of the Marine Corps League’s Shutt Detachment on Mt. Auburn Street. The group has some loyal volunteers who would come in to pack boxes, said Wendy Rocca, who co-founded the group in 2003 with her husband. Sometimes businesses or other organizations would send a team of people over to put together the packages, but those efforts have largely stopped because of the Coronavirus shutdown.