Celebrate the Coming of Summer with Songs, Crafts & More

The following information was provided by the Watertown Mall:

The Watertown Mall, located at 550 Arsenal Street, together with Watertown Families Together invite you to come on Thursday, June 20, 2019 from 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. for “Set Sail for Summer,” an event to kick off the summer season with an aquatic/nautical theme. There will be themed songs, stories and crafts! This is a free event & allages are welcome, although the stories are catered to younger children. This will take place in the back hallway of the mall, across from Carter’s. Come kick off the summer the right way at the Watertown Mall with your loved ones!

Dozens of Open Houses in Town on Father’s Day Weekend

See the homes around Watertown available for home buyers to visit. $875,000 – 40 Langdon Ave., 9 room, 5 bedroom, 1 full & 1 half bathroom, Colonial single-family home, Open Houses: Saturday 12-2 Sunday 12-2

$1,049,000 – 87 Putnam St. Unit 87, 8 room, 5 bedroom, 4 full bathroom, 2/3 Family condo/townhouse, Open Houses: Saturday 12-2 Sunday 12-2

$874,000 – 85 Putnam St. Unit 85, 8 room, 3 bedroom, 2 full & 1 half bathroom, 2/3 Family condo/townhouse, Open Houses: Saturday 12-2 Sunday 12-2

$320,000 – 145 Warren Unit 2, 5 room, 2 bedroom, 1 full bathroom, Low-Rise condo/townhouse, Open Houses: Saturday 10-12 Sunday 10-12

$547,000 – 91 Spring St. Unit 12, 6 room, 2 bedroom, 2 full & 1 half bathroom, Townhouse condo/townhouse, Open Houses: Saturday 11:30-1 Sunday 11:30-1

$795,000 – 13 Barbara Ter.

Designing of Watertown’s New Elementary Schools Entering the Home Stretch

An illustration showing one corner of the new Cunniff Elementary School. This corner, closest to Warren Street, is where the media center will be located. Architects will soon be completing the designs for Watertown’s elementary schools, and the committee overseeing the project wants to give input before the final touches are put on the plans. The end of the design development stage will be in late July, and some on the School Building Committee want to get more details on the materials that will be used on the exterior and what the interiors of the new school will look like. On June 5, Ai3 Architect’s Scott Dunlap provided an update on the school designs, including touching on what the exteriors will look like.

Plumbing Museum Hosting the First WATERtown Film Festival

The following information was provided by The Plumbing Museum:

The Plumbing Museum is pleased to announce its first annual WATERtown Film Festival designed to increase the public awareness of environmental, social, and cultural importance of water. This two-day festival will kick off on Thursday, June 27 at 6 p.m. at the Plumbing Museum featuring an exciting line up of documentary, narrative, and experimental short films from around the world. The full program will screen 20 films in four screening blocks over two days. Highlights include a narrative film Haleema about two young children in a search for water in Sudan, a documentary film Bass by Kayak about an expedition party crossing from the Australian mainland to Tasmania in sea kayaks, a narrative film The Great Route about the effects of global warming in the west cost of Greenland, and an experimental film Plankton about the ideas and aspirations that float around at the bottom of the food chain. “We’re excited to bring such a great variety of unique films to Watertown,” said Sasha Parfenova, Festival Director.

Events to Raise Awareness About Alzheimer’s Planned in Watertown This Saturday

On Saturday, June 15, the eighth annual Hope Lap will be held at Victory Field as part of the Longest Day. The event is just one that day in Watertown to raise awareness about Alzheimer’s Disease. For the past several years, Watertown’s Judith Johanson has dedicated her time to spread awareness about Alzheimer’s Disease, raise money to find a cure and advocate for more research. The effort started after her husband Steve was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s just before he turned 59. One of the annual events held in Watertown is the Longest Day walk at Victory Field, which the Johanson’s started eight years ago in conjunction with the Alzheimer’s Association.

In Effort to Improve Communication with Residents Town Holding Listening Meetings

Watertown Town Hall

The Town Council wants to improve the way the town communicates to the public and a subcommittee in charge of the issue will begin a series of listening meetings with an informational meeting in June. The Council’s Committee on Media and Public Outreach will be hosting a series of “kitchen table conversations” around town, but first it is recruiting people to host these events, said Town Councilor Tony Palomba. “Being host is easy,” Palomba said. “You organize a meeting at your home or in a public location for 6-8 neighbors and friends at some point in July, August or early September to discuss a series of questions related to public engagement.” In particular, the effort is aimed at people who do not ordinarily participate in town government, Palomba said.

LETTER: Trees Group Thanks Those Who Supported Teen Program

Trees for Watertown President Libby Shaw and Meghan O’Connell chat at the fundraiser for Teens for Trees at Branch Line. The following piece was provided by Trees for Watertown:

On Saturday, June 8th, local residents gathered at Branch Line restaurant to support Trees for Watertown’s youth summer program, Teens for Trees (tfwteensfortrees.org). Supporters enjoyed refreshments donated by Branch Line and coffee donated by Intelligentsia. They learned about the Teens for Trees program’s past successes and its goals for the 2019 summer. 

For the past two years the program has provided over a dozen Watertown youth with opportunities to learn, work, and give back to the community.  For some, this program is their first job, providing them with leadership skills in local environmental issues and teaching them how to advocate and care for the urban greenery around them. 

This year the program will be hiring six to eight teens to care for trees through watering, pruning, and other basic maintenance. They’ll also be engaging with residents to teach them about the important role of trees in creating healthy environments. “We’re thrilled for the continued support and enthusiasm shown by community leaders and local businesses,” said David Meshoulam, Teens for Trees Program Director.