The Watertown Recreation Department reopened basketball courts, playgrounds and picnic tables in public parks on June 24, but social distancing rules and other requirements apply to users.
Playgrounds and basketball courts are limited to Watertown residents only.
Playgrounds
Face coverings must be worn at playgrounds and tot lots, unless a person has an underlying health condition preventing them from doing so. Users must remain at least 6 feet apart.
Capacity of tot-lots and playgrounds is limited to 10 family units, and each family is limited to 30 minutes.
The Recreation Department warns that playground equipment is not routinely cleaned or sanitized, and adds that users should wash or sanitize their hands before and after using the equipment.
Basketball Courts
Face coverings must be worn at basketball and multi-use courts (such as the rink at Casey Park), unless a person has an underlying health condition preventing them from doing so. Users must stay at least 6 feet apart.
State guidelines restrict use of the courts to only shooting baskets or drills. No games with contact are allowed. Each person must have his or her own ball.
People must wash or sanitize their hands before and after using the courts.
Picnic/Grilling Permits
The Recreation Department released the following information about use of the picnic areas in Town:
The Watertown Recreation Department will resume issuing picnic permits for Arsenal and Filippello Parks with restrictions in place through August.
- Permits will be issued from July-August, later dates will be evaluated as more health/safety information is available.
- Permits will be limited to groups of 10 or fewer using the new table/grill groupings only.
- Permits will be issued at $4 per hour for residents and $8 per hour for non-residents with a limit of 6 hours.
- Face coverings must be worn at all times, excluding patrons eating or drinking.
- Permits and table groupings may not be combined with any other group/event.
- All other posted park rules, health ordinances, and COVID-19 guidelines set by the town/state must be observed.
- Violation of the above guidelines or any other regulations set forth by the Town of Watertown or Commonwealth of Massachusetts will result in the immediate revocation of the permit and removal from grounds.
For all questions or concerns please contact the Watertown Recreation Department: call 617-972-6494, email recreation@watertown-ma.gov, or go to www.recreation.watertown-ma.gov
Fine, we understand these rules.
But in many cities in the US, as we have seen, you can have an outdoor protest with thousands of people not doing social distancing and many not wearing masks.
These protester stage unlicensed demonstrations and sit-ins, and often there is violence, vandalism, stealing, and arson.
And the politicians that support those events do NOT criticize those from a Covid-19 standpoint.
But now please recall a demonstration in front of the Mass. State House a couple of months ago by people who were protesting what they believed were some of Gov. Baker’s excessively strict shutdown orders.
Note, however, that in THAT case, Democrats blamed these demonstrators for not maintaining social distancing and wearing masks.
Blatant hypocrisy, of course. Now we see why many elected officials have no credibility.