Government

Replacing Watertown Senior Center Included in City’s 5-Year Capital Plan

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Courtesy of the City of WatertownThe City’s Capital Improvement Plan includes replacing the Watertown Senior Center. Building a new Senior Center made the list of projects planned to be undertaken by the City of Watertown over the next five years, Watertown City Manager George Proakis at Tuesday night’s City Council meeting. Proakis presented the Fiscal Year 2025-29 Capital Improvement Plan, which includes $210 million of projects with $93 million of general obligation bonds to cover part of the cost. Senior Center

The City explored replacing the Senior Center in 2022 as part of a review of the Phillips Building site. That study by Ai3 Architects, done during the planning for the new Watertown High School, looked at tearing down the former Phillips School, but Proakis said that would be too disruptive for the Watertown Public Schools administration, as well as Watertown Cable that now resides in the basement.

Around Town

Local Fitness Studio Celebrates Galentine’s Day with Free Taylor Swift-Themed Event

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The following announcement was provided by Get Lively:

Get ready to shake off the winter blues and celebrate friendship, fitness, and fun at Get Lively®: Health & Fitness! In honor of Galentine’s Day, our fitness studio is hosting a FREE event that combines the best of both worlds – a heart-pumping workout with the magic of Taylor Swift. Get Lively®’s Galentine’s Day extravaganza will kick off with an energetic workout set to the songs of Taylor Swift!  Whether you’re a Swiftie or just looking to have a blast with friends, this workout is designed for all fitness levels. Our night together doesn’t end with the workout – stick around for some locally made treats and social time! Connect with fellow fitness and Taylor enthusiasts, make new friends, and enjoy the positive and inclusive community atmosphere that Get Lively® is known for.

Business

Small Business Champion Contest Includes Awards for Businesses Owned by Veterans, Minorities & Women

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The following announcement was provided by Citizens Bank:

Citizens announced it has opened its annual Small Business Community Champion Award Contest, which will again recognize the positive contributions small businesses make within their communities. Now in its seventh year, the contest will award $10,000 each to 30 small businesses across Citizens’ footprint, including 10 minority-owned and 10 women-owned businesses. This year, for the first time, Citizens will also set aside five of its 30 awards exclusively for veteran-owned businesses along with five other qualifying businesses. The contest is open until 5 p.m. ET on Feb. 1, 2024.

Entertainment

Watertown Arts Market Seeks Committee Members for 2024 Event

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The following announcement was provided by the Watertown Arts Market:

Would you like to get involved with the Watertown Arts Market? If so … we have several key volunteer positions available:

Artist Manager or Co-Manager

Food and Vendor Manager or Co-Manager

Volunteering Manager or Co-Manager

Day of Event Manager or Co-Manager

General Volunteers and Helping Hands

The Arts Market is a one-day celebratory event bringing together an abundance of artists, arts and cultural organizations, and cultural-related businesses based in and/or serving the Watertown area. The 4th Annual Watertown Arts Market is planned for Saturday, Aug. 17th (location TBD).  Find out more at watertownartsmarket.com

To inquire about volunteering or getting involved, email with interest to watertownartsmarket@gmail.com.

Around Town

Watertown Food Pantry Receives More Than $202K in Contributions in December

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The following announcement was provided by the City of Watertown:

The Watertown Department of Senior Services is absolutely thrilled to announce the incredible contributions received in December 2023! We are overjoyed to have awarded a substantial $152,000 American Rescue Plan (ARPA) grant from the Watertown City Council, as well as an additional grant of $20,000 from the Friends of the Council on Aging, secured in partnership with the Director of the Senior Services after partnering for a grant application from the Cambridge Savings Bank. The excitement doesn’t stop there! We also want to extend our heartfelt thanks for the $30,000 in donations from local businesses, churches, and residents. These remarkable contributions have resulted in a staggering 52 percent increase to our operational budget’s bottom line – an enormous impact within just one month!

Around Town

Charles River Watershed Association Holding Annual Meeting

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The following announcement was provided by the Charles River Watershed Association:

We hope you’ll join us Wednesday, March 27 at 6:00 PM at MIT Welcome Center for Charles River Watershed Association’s 58th Annual Meeting. We look forward to connecting with our members and recognizing CRWA advocates and volunteers whose dedicated work helps protect and preserve the resilience of the Charles River. We are happy to announce that our Annual Meeting will be in-person this year! You can look forward to socializing with fellow advocates while browsing CRWA’s interactive tables on current projects, and learning more about the role your support has played in keeping the Charles River clean and healthy. Invitations will be arriving soon!

Government

Watertown Hires Familiar Face to be New City Clerk

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Noelle Gilligan, right, has been named Watertown’s City Clerk. Here she gave the oath to the School Committee members, from left, Rachel Kay, Kendra Foley, and Lisa Capoccia, when Gilligan was the interim clerk. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

The City of Watertown sent out the following announcement:

Congratulations to Noelle Gilligan, who has been appointed and sworn in as Watertown’s new City Clerk, effective today, Monday, January 22, 2024. Noelle has been a key member of the Clerk’s Office staff for five years, providing customer service while coordinating many aspects of licensing and elections, first working with City Clerk, John Flynn, and then with Janet Murphy, who recently left the office. Noelle stepped up into the new Deputy Clerk role, and quickly hit the ground running when it came time to become Acting City Clerk, organizing important documents, and leading an effective city election this past November.

Around Town

Food Insecurity in Watertown: Hunger is a Multi-Faceted Problem — It Won’t Magically Go Away

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The Watertown Food Pantry set up outside the United Methodist Church while its facility was being repaired. (Photo by Kathy Cunningham)

For the last several weeks, Watertown News, in conjunction with Watertown Cable Access Television, published six stories in a series called “Watertown’s Hidden Problem: Food Insecurity Among Us.” (See part one here). In the course of reporting these stories on food and hunger in our community, one absolute fact has emerged: how indelibly intertwined the problem of food insecurity is with other challenges. Food is too expensive. If you can afford food, it might only be cheap, low-nutrient food.