Around Town

New Rep Theatre Reemerges from Break, Returns to the Stage With a New Focus

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Nine months after going on hiatus, New Repertory Theatre will return to the stage with a show that is part of the new focus of the Watertown-based theater company. New Rep’s We Are Storytellers series begins at the Mosesian Center for the Arts on Saturday, April 23. The two-show festival features the stories of people who have not always had a chance to be seen and heard on stage. This is part of the strategy that New Rep has adopted as it makes its return after the break. The Hiatus

When the COVID-19 Pandemic hit in March 2020, New Rep could not put on performances inside the Mosesian Center, but continued with a pair of virtual plays in 2020, and an outdoor, historical walking play on the grounds of the Arsenal on the Charles in 2021.

Government

Residential Snow Shoveling Ordinance Being Reviewed by Council Committees

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A pair of committees of the City Council began working on changing Watertown’s Snow Removal Ordinance to include rules for residential properties, including required width of shoveling, deadlines, and fines. The Joint Committees on Public Works and Rules & Ordinances discussed the changes during a virtual meeting on March 29, and discussed some significant changes to the ordinance. Eventually the proposed ordinance will be presented during a Public Forum, and then considered by the full City Council for approval. Classification of Properties

One of the first changes was how to define properties, and which rules would apply to each classification. The current Snow Removal Ordinance has different rules based on the zoning of the area, business districts vs.

Around Town

Armenian Churches Hosting Joint Musical Service for Maundy Thursday

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The Armenian Memorial Church and First Armenian Church invite the public to join the Joint Maundy Thursday Communion Service featuring a special musical program. The service will be held Thursday, April 14 at 7:30 p.m. at Armenian Memorial Church, 32 Bigelow Ave. in Watertown. The service features selections from “We Remember Calvary” by Joel Raney. “The program is a hauntingly beautiful musical program that combines traditional and contemporary hymns, scripture, and narration to paint an emotionally moving picture of Christ’s last days and His journey to the cross.

Capital Projects

Capital Projects Include Community Path, Work at Middle School, Reuse of Old Police Station

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The City Council approved the recommendations for the Fiscal Year 2023-27 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP), which includes extending the Community Path, improvements to Watertown Middle School, reusing the old Watertown Police Station, along with road repair and other projects. The 34 recommendations of the FY23-27 CIP includes $27.6 million in capital spending in Fiscal year 2023, which would be 7.71 percent of the total projected City revenues not including the funds for the Building for the Future school projects (16 percent with them). That figure fits within the City Council’s budget guideline to spend between 7.5 percent and 8 percent of the City Operating Budget on capital projects, said Council Vice President Vincent Piccirilli. Community Path

Three of the CIP recommendations related to extending the Community Path, which currently goes from Arlington Street, behind Target to School Street, and runs along Arsenal Street. The path will be extended from Taylor Street (off Arsenal Street) to Saltonstall Park.

Development

Major Residential, Retail Project Proposed for Main Street, Near Watertown Square

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Icon ArchitectureA view of the proposed project at 104-126 Main St. from Main Street. A five-story mixed use project with housing units on top of retail and commercial space may be coming to Main Street. The development would include properties that currently include the Post Office, a restaurant, a boutique and other properties. The pre-application plans were sent to the to the Watertown Planning Department for review on March 31 show 146 residential units in four stories.

Around Town

Semifinalists Interviewed by Library Director Search Committee

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Watertown Free Public LibraryThe Watertown Free Public Library. The semifinalists for the Watertown library director were interviewed last week and finalists will be chosen by the Preliminary Screening Committee. The job posting closed on March 18, and 15 people submitted applications, said Leanne Hammonds, chair of the Board of Library Trustees. “We reviewed the applications in an executive session and narrowed down to five candidates,” Hammonds said. “At this point in the process, the candidates are not public knowledge and our interviews this week will be in executive session.