Around Town

YardArt: Townwide Outdoor Art Exhibition Returns to Watertown

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City of WatertownYardArt is back in 2022. Watertown residents can display their art and get on the official map. Watertown residents can tap their creative side and beat the winter blues by participating in YardArt 2022. The second annual outdoor art exhibition begins Friday March 4 and runs through April 3. Entry is free, but participants must register to get onto the YardArt website and onto the official map, said Liz Helfer, the City’s Public Arts & Culture Planner.

Around Town

Council Thanks Retiring Watertown Library Director with Proclamation

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Watertown Free Public LibraryThe Watertown Free Public Library. Watertown’s Library Director is retiring after more than a quarter century overseeing one of the most popular features of the City. To express their gratitude, the City Council passed a proclamation honoring Leone Cole. Under Cole’s leadership, the Watertown Free Public Library underwent a major renovation and expansion in 2006, preserved Watertown’s historic books, documents and photos, and increased funding by more than 200 percent. During her 27 years, Cole also increased support for Project Literacy (which teaches immigrants English and helps them apply for citizenship), added the Hatch Makerspace, and started the path toward adding a bookmobile to the Watertown Library’s offerings.

ARPA

Congresswoman Visits Watertown, Touts Impact of Federal Funds on City’s Water Infrastructure

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Charlie BreitroseCongresswoman Katherine Clark speaks about how American Rescue Plan funds will improve water infrastructure in Watertown. Behind her is State Sen. Will Brownsberger

Congresswoman Katherine Clark visited the Watertown Department of Public Works Facility Tuesday to talk about how the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) benefits local communities. Some of the money sent to Massachusetts will pay for replacing lead pipes and improving drainage in an area of Watertown prone to flooding during major rain storms.

The City will receive $400,000 in ARPA funds allocated by the State Legislature, in addition to its share that came directly from the Federal level. Providing safer drinking water is one of the goals of ARPA and another major spending bill passed by Congress. “The American Rescue Plan Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act eliminates lead pipes across America and ensures that every household, school, and childcare center has clean, safe drinking water,” Clark said.

Business

Restaurants Can Apply to Serve Alcohol at Sunday Brunch; Licensing Board Given Power to Impose Fines

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Restaurants in Watertown will be able to apply to serve alcohol with Sunday brunch after the City Council approved adopting a change to the liquor licensing rules. At the same meeting, Councilors approved giving the Watertown Licensing Board the ability to impose fines and give warnings to holders of liquor licenses. The change approved at the Feb. 8 Council meeting will allow alcohol to be served on Sundays and certain legal holidays from 10 a.m. to noon. A couple restaurants recently asked (and about 10 have asked over the past couple years) if they could get approval to serve alcoholic drinks during brunch, said Noelle Gilligan, the head clerk in the Town Clerk’s Office.

Arrests

Police Log: UPS Employee Busted for Stealing Packages, Man Faces Second OUI Charge

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The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department. Arrests

Feb. 1, 9:15 a.m.: Security at UPS conducted an internal investigation after suspecting that an employee was taking items from boxes. They determined that the employee had taken $8,800 worth of merchandise. UPS contacted the Watertown Police and said he had taken a Canada Goose jacket worth $1,125 and two iPhones worth $800 each.

City Council

Residents, City Employees Named to City Manager Screening Committee

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Watertown City Hall

The group that will review the applicants for Watertown’s new City Manager will include two residents and two employees appointed by City Council President Mark Sideris. The Screening Committee will look at the applications and narrow down the candidates for City Manager to finalists, who will be forwarded on to the City Council. The members will have a chance to interview some of the candidates. The Screening Committee will also include three City Councilors: Sideris, Council Vice President Vincent Piccirilli and Caroline Bays, who chairs the Personnel and Town Organization Committee. The interest in serving on the screening committee was high, Sideris said.