Around Town

Residential Snow Shoveling Requirement: City Focusing on Education, Not Fines, This Winter

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Snow season has arrived, and this winter Watertown residents will be required to shovel snow and ice from the sidewalks in front of their homes within 24 hours after the end of the storm. In future years failing to do so could result in a warning and fine, but this year the City will focus on educating rather than ticketing. The City Council approved changes to the Watertown Snow Ordinance in January. City staff planned to use the remainder of the 2023-24 winter to educate residents about how the new residential snow shoveling rules work, but since then the area has not had a significant snowfall. With this in mind, in the winter of 2024-25 the City will once again focus on education, said Tyler Cote, Watertown’s Community Engagement Specialist.

Entertainment

Watertown Artists Taking Part in Turtle Studios Open Studios

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Watertown artists will be showing their work as part of the Turtle Studios Open Studios. See more information below:

Turtle Studios Newton will fling open its doors to the public for its semiannual Open Studios art exhibition and sale at 213 California Street, Newton on December 7 and 8, 2024 from 12 noon to 5 p.m.

Turtle Studios has an exciting and eclectic mix of members who keep art in their lives and bring their lives to their art in a supportive community that values the creative process, experimentation and self-expression. They are joined by a handful of guest artists who will also display and sell. 

The event is free, open to the public and family-friendly. Gourmet gift baskets will be raffled off, with proceeds to benefit Turtle Studios, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, and its Scholarship Fund. Vendors handle their own sales, and typically accept cash or credit through Venmo, Square or PayPal. 

Bring your holiday shopping list!

Around Town

Toy Drive for Watertown Boys & Girls Club at Revival Cafe

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Revival Cafe sent out the following announcement:

We are hosting a Toy Drive for the Boys & Girls Club of Watertown at Revival Cafe! Feel free to send this information around so we can get as many gifts for children in need as possible! Revival Cafe is located at 99 Coolidge Ave., Watertown, and gifts will be accepted seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. through Dec. 13. Popular gift categories:

Sports Balls: Soccer/Basketball/Football/Volleyball                                                             

Action Figures or Soft Toys (e.g. Squishmallows)

Science/STEM Kits

Board Games/Small Electronic Games

Gift Cards (for Teens)

Lego Sets

Pokémon sets

Arts & Craft kits

Government

Public Review Period for Board of Assessors Conducting Property Revaluation is Dec. 2-6

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The following announcement was sent out by the City of Watertown Board of Assessors and first published on Nov. 26:

Following state statutes and Department of Revenue (DOR) regulations, the Board of Assessors is completing the FY2025 Quinquennial Revaluation of all real and personal property in Watertown. Revaluation is a year-long process when the DOR examines in detail all assessing methodologies used by the city, as well as the values derived through the mass appraisal system. These valuations are pending preliminarily approval by the Massachusetts Department of Revenue. The values are subject to change within this disclosure period.

Government

Two Years Worth of Road Construction Coming in 2025, Ratings of City’s Roads Have Dropped

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The City plans to do two years worth of road reconstruction work in the 2025 construction season, and nearly 30,000 feet of utilities line will be replaced around town. The City Council approved the 2025 Local Road Construction Program on Nov. 26, which includes five streets funded in Fiscal Year 2025, and five roads approved but not constructed in FY24. The Department of Public Works selects the roads to be reconstructed based on multiple factors, including the condition of the pavement, and utilities that have been replaced by the City or utilities, City Engineer Tyler Glode told the City Council’s Committee on Public Works. Based on these factors, the DPW chose to reconstruct Poplar Street, Partridge Street, Pequosette Street, north and south Irving Park and Royal Street, and Green Street during the 2025 construction season, from April to November.

Entertainment

Library’s Winter Concerts Include Norwegian Fiddle, Indie Folk & Songs from Around the World

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The Watertown Free Public Library (WFPL) is thrilled to announce our 2024—25 Winter Concert Series! Join us at the Library, December through March, one Sunday per month. As in previous years, our concert series features talented, local artists. Performances are free and open to all and registration is not required. Violinist Joshua Peckins

Sunday, Dec.

Entertainment

Watertown Gallery’s Latest Show, “Family, Creativity, Continuity + Art | Interrupted” Opens Saturday

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Watertown gallery Storefront Art Projects will host Family, Creativity, Continuity, and Art | Interrupted from Dec. 7 to 28, featuring the art of Lisa Olson and Mary Beth Muscara. A Reception will be held Saturday, Dec. 7, from 1-4 p.m. Gallery Hours: Thursdays and Saturdays 1-4

Find out more in the following information provided by the gallery:

Lisa Olson and Mary Beth Muscara share two grandchildren, but their lives and art practices are as far apart as their studios in Lexington, MA and Baltimore, MD. They both explore the fragility and danger of life and the relentlessness of time with collaged, painted, sculpted, corporeal, and somatic interruptions. 

Lisa is living with Parkinson’s disease which has robbed her of her manual dexterity and strength but her art is still flowing.