Around Town

LETTER: What the Delta Saw: A (slightly) Irreverent and Rambling History of Watertown Square (Part 7 & 8)

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Watertown Baptist Church Members over the age of 50 (Photo courtesy of the Watertown Free Public Library)

Part 7: What We’ve Got Here is a Failure to Communicate! More of the 1800’s

The 1800’s were more than just an industrial revolution in Watertown. Many national and localissues were being played out locally to great drama and effect. For instance, the Temperance Movement was in full bloom. In a few words, women had had enough of family beatings and earnings all going to the local tavern and not to feed their children.

Around Town

LETTER: What the Delta Saw: A (slightly) Irreverent and Rambling History of Watertown Square (Part 5 & 6)

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Coolidge Tavern (Photo courtesy of Watertown Free Public Library)

By Linda ScottWatertown Resident

Part 5: The Roaring 1700’s

By the 1700’s, Watertown was hopping. There were stage coach lines coming through town and a lively lumber business floating up and down the Charles. Besides the mills, there were hotels, stables, blacksmiths, and horse boarding establishments. (Burke)

Situated right in the middle of Watertown Square, Galen Street was proving to be kind of a problem. At this point in time, which was surprising, because Watertown was still mostly a farming community, this square was a lively place, and not always in a good way.

Around Town

LETTER: What the Delta Saw: A (slightly) Irreverent and Rambling History of Watertown Square Parts 3 & 4

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Map of the Original Allotments of of Land and the Ancient Topography of Watertown, By Henry Bond, MD (Photo courtesy of the Watertown Free Public Library)

By Linda ScottWatertown Resident

Part 3: Grist for the Mill

So, the Watertown colonists have lots of fish to eat [See Part 2 to read about the fish weir]. What else does any decent English town in the 1600’s need? A grist mill, of course! (If you’d like to see a still functioning grist mill, take a ride out to the Wayside Inn in Sudbury). In 1634, two years after the weir was installed, a mill dam and millrace were constructed.

Government

City Manager: Team Working on Watertown Square Study is Creative & Collaborative

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City of Watertown

Work on solving one of the biggest riddles facing Watertown, how to fix Watertown Square, will soon begin, City Manager George Proakis said this week, and the process will include some new approaches with plenty of public participation. Proakis spent a significant chunk of time talking about the Watertown Square study during Wednesday’s State of the City event. “One of the key goals that came out of the Comprehensive Plan is that we need to look at Watertown Square in a holistic manner,” Proakis said. The study will not just look at how the main intersection operates for motor vehicles, but also buses, pedestrians, and bicyclists, Proakis said. The study will not just look at how to get through and around the Square, but also being able to “enjoy the space.”

Government

While the State of the City Looks Good, Manager Also Address Challenges Facing Watertown

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City Manager George Proakis, left, and City Council President Mark Sideris spoke during the first annual State of the City on Wednesday night. Behind them is a photo of a juggler at the Faire on the Square. (Courtesy of the City of Watertown)

The State of the City of Watertown is strong and the future is bright, City Manager George Proakis said during the first annual State of the City on Wednesday night, but there are still many challenges to deal with. The event where the City Manager and the City Council President talk about how the City of Watertown is doing is now required to be held annually, following the changes to Watertown’s City Charter adopted in 2021. At the end of his presentation, Proakis included a photo of a performer at the Faire on the Square.

Around Town

GoFundMe Effort Raising Money for Artist Who Created New Watertown Square Mural

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The artists behind the Watertown Square mural Amir Tabatabaei, left, and Niloufar Keyhani, right, with resident Elodia Thomas. (Courtesy of Elodia Thomas)

The wall on the side of CVS in Watertown Square has gotten a new look thanks to two local artists, but they have had to cover most of the cost of the project. A GoFundMe campaign has been created to help reimburse the husband and wife team from Watertown for their time and expenses. The artists are Amir Tabatabaei and Niloufar Keyhani, who moved to the United States several years ago from Iran. Accomplished artists who worked on public art projects in their homeland, they got the opportunity to create a piece in their new home.

Business

New Italian Restaurant Opens in Center of Watertown

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Bar ‘Cino has opened in Watertown Square. (Photo courtesy of Bar ‘Cino)

The following piece was provided by the Newport Restaurant Group:

Newport Restaurant Group, the Rhode-Island based and 100 percent employee-owned hospitality group that operates a collection of restaurants and properties across New England, today opens Bar ‘Cino in Watertown. Derived from vicino, the Italian word for “neighbor”, the new Bar ‘Cino is nestled in the heart of Watertown Square and is the third location of the Italian-inspired dining concept which first opened in Newport, Rhode Island in 2019 followed by Brookline 2020. “We are thrilled that our latest Bar ‘Cino opening will be in the vibrant and historic city of Watertown,” said Paul O’Reilly, CEO of Newport Restaurant Group. “Over the past several years, we’ve enjoyed bringing our passion for delicious Italian food and drink to our guests in Newport and Brookline and are excited to foster that same spirit right on Watertown’s Main Street.

Government

Council Rejects 2 Resident Petitions, Ideas Remain Alive in Zoning Discussions

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Watertown City Hall

The City Council did not pass two citizen petitions seeking to change Watertown’s zoning rules, but Councilors said they heard the frustration expressed by the supporters and signers and said they support many of the ideas contained in the petitions. The first petition called for reducing the floor area ratio (FAR) allowed for new buildings in the Watertown Square area, while the second called for more protections for residential neighborhoods located next to areas where large commercial or residential projects could be built.

While the Council rejected the petitions — the first not going to a vote after receiving no second, and the second unanimously voted against — City Council President Mark Sideris said he has heard the signers of the petitions concerns. “I want to take a moment to thank the 600 people who signed the petitions because I think there is some frustration — and we noticed that this evening — with the process. I think we can always do a better job with process, and I think the Manager’s FY24 budget had proposed additional ways that we can communicate with the citizens and we approved that, ” Sideris said. “There is clearly a sense of frustration and I am not sure that any actions that we are going to take are going to satisfy those frustrations until, as somebody pointed out, that we come together and talk about things comprehensively.” 

Petition 1: Watertown Square Building Size

The Council heard from people supporting and opposing the petitions.