Watertown News (https://www.watertownmanews.com/2023/08/page/10/)
LaFauci Tile and Marble will host a blood drive on Aug. 25 at its store on Main Street in Watertown. Those interested in donating can sign up at the Mass. General Hospital website by clicking here. The drive will take place from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at LaFauci, 425 Main St., Watertown.
Clipartpanda.com
Watertown students earned academic honors at their college or university, and dozens earned a degree this spring. The following information was provided by the colleges and universities:
Dean’s List
Wentworth Institute of Technology
The following local students have made the dean’s list at Wentworth Institute of Technology for the Spring 2023 semester. Jack Edgely of Watertown, Mass. Maxwell Juscen of Watertown, Mass. James Walter of Watertown, Mass.
Watertown City Hall
The following announcement was provided by the City of Watertown:
If you need assistance listening to any meeting in Council Chambers in City Hall, please ask the person running the meeting for a device when you enter the room. They will show you where you can borrow a device during the meeting. Also in Council Chambers are huge television screens that display all discussions in large type closed captions. Closed captions are a text version of spoken words. Closed captioning was developed to enable people with hearing impairments read the audio on that can’t be heard.
Courtesy of Gore PlaceThe historic home at Gore Place will host an escape room on Aug. 24 and 25. The following announcement came from Gore Place:
On Thursday evening, August 24, and Friday evening, August 25, you and a group of friends can test your knowledge and puzzle-solving skills at our brand-new Escape Room inside the historic house at Gore Place! You will have thirty minutes to crack the code and escape the Oval Room in the 1806 mansion of Christopher and Rebecca Gore. “Parlor games, charades, and puzzles were popular in the early 19th century.
At 51 Water St., just across the river from downtown Watertown, several local services have been available to the Watertown community, including a large adult day care service and, notably, the Community Rehab Care group. (For orientation, 51 Water St. is the area facing Nonantum Road, behind the bus turn-around and near the MBTA lots.)
Community Rehab Care provides (in their own words): “community-based outpatient rehabilitation and support services to adults and children with neurologic, musculoskeletal, or orthopedic injuries or illnesses.” That covers everyone from children to adults to elderly, who must deal with anything from serious car, sports, or other accidents, to strokes, brain-surgery, post-cancer or post-Covid problems — and much else. As I know from personal experience, the professionals there are dedicated, very busy, and relatively convenient for Watertown residents who need their help. But very unfortunately, the part about convenience is about to change, quite a bit. Up to this past year, relatively easy access to 51 Water St. was possible, though not without a quirk or two having to do with traffic and lane closures on Galen and blockage on Water St.
A view of the plans for the Watertown Mall Transformation Project. (Illustration from Alexandria Real Estate)
Wednesday night, the Planning Board will hear plans for the redevelopment of the Watertown Mall and nearby properties planned by Alexandria Real Estate Equities. Alexandria seeks a Master Plan Special Permit with Site Plan Review for what is known as the Watertown Mall Transformation Project. The plan calls for four office/lab buildings, a new retail building, two amenity spaces and two parking garages, including one that would be a separate project at 480 Arenal Way. The application reads: “The proposed master plan would create a new mix of uses within a development that spans 4 existing parcels, carried out in phases, with laboratory/R&D, retail, office, commercial and amenity space within 8 buildings (Target/building to remain), with supporting structured and surface parking.”
Photo by Anaïs MarkwoodOne of the sculptures on the Community Sculpture Walk. The walk will be one of the stops of the Aug. 10 Walk N Talk. Here, artist James Payne speaks about his sculpture “Opposition.” The public is invited to join the City of Watertown and the Watertown Business Coalition for a Walk ‘n’ Talk in Watertown Square.
The following School Committee Update was provided by Kendra Foley, the Chair of the Watertown School Committee:
The Watertown School Committee has been active this summer, meeting monthly to prepare for the upcoming school year and to address routine business. At our July meeting, the School Committee presented its annual evaluation of Dr. Galdston’s work as Superintendent. The review found that Dr. Galdston is meeting her goals, with all 7 members of the School Committee giving her a proficient or exemplary rating in her overall job performance. You can read the full review, with comments from each member of the committee, here. The committee is grateful for the Superintendent’s steady and thoughtful leadership. We are lucky to have her leading the Watertown Public Schools.