Around Town

City Calls for Art to Revitalize Coolidge Square During Mt. Auburn St. Construction

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A map of Coolidge Square showing possible installation locations. The City of Watertown today announced “Open for Business,” a new public art initiative inviting artists and artist teams to submit proposals for temporary outdoor art installations in Coolidge Square. This project aims to maintain the vibrancy of the neighborhood and support local businesses during the ongoing reconstruction of Mount Auburn Street. The extensive Mount Auburn Street reconstruction project, while essential for long-term revitalization, will undoubtedly cause temporary disruption to businesses in Coolidge Square. In response, the City of Watertown seeks to transform this period of change into an opportunity for community engagement and economic support through the power of public art.

Around Town

Group Seeking to Bring Food Co-op to Area Hosting Virtual Open House

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The Charles River Food Co-op will host an open house on Wednesday, July 23 at 8 p.m. The group has more than 950 members, and the remote open house is a chance to meet others interested in local, organic food. The Charles River Food Co-op sent out the following announcement:

Join us for our open house on Zoom to learn about our community-owned food co-op coming to Watertown, Waltham, and Newton!! What to expect:

Meet fellow community members passionate about local, organic food. Learn about our mission to bring affordable products and locally-sourced foods to our neighborhoods. Discover how our member-owned model puts community interests first.

Entertainment

Watertown Cultural Council Announces Results of 2024-2025 Grants Season

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Attendees at the Watertown Cultural Council Grantee Celebration. (Contributed Photo)

By Lawrence KessenichWatertown Cultural Council member

The Watertown Cultural Council (WCC) has completed its 2024-2025 grants season, awarding just under $35,000 in grants to a variety of individuals and organizations. The grants were funded by Massachusetts Cultural Council, and, for the first time, the Commonwealth’s funds were matched by funds from The City of Watertown, enabling the WCC to double its impact on Watertown’s cultural life. The WCC processed 66 grant applications, approving 33 of those grants. Here are some examples of projects that received funding from the WCC:

• Watertown ArtsMarket• Porchfest• Open Mic• Multiple events at the Watertown Library• Multiple events at Watertown public schools and one at the Perkins School• Senior Center musical presentations• Mossessian Center for the Arts course tuition assistance• Actor’s Shakespeare Project course tuition assistance• Watertown’s first dragon boat entered in the Dragon Boat Festival• Plaque to commemorate Watertown artist Arshile Gorky• Historical Society newsletter• River of Light workshops and performance

In May, the WCC held a reception for its grantees at Gore Place, where the recipients shared how they made use of the grant money provided.

Entertainment

Comedian Paula Poundstone Performing at Watertown’s Mosesian Center for the Arts

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The Mosesian Center for the Arts will be hosting renowned comedian Paula Poundstone in December. See more information from the MCA below. Iconic comedian Paula Poundstone is known for her smart, observational humor and a spontaneous wit that has become the stuff of legend. She regularly plays theaters across the country, hosts a weekly comedy podcast, Nobody Listens to Paula Poundstone, and is a regular panelist on NPR’s Wait, Wait… Don’t Tell Me. She also voiced the character ‘Forgetter Paula’ in the feature films Inside Out and Inside Out 2. Paula has starred in several HBO specials, including Cats, Cops and Stuff, which nabbed a cable ACE award for Best Comedy Special.

Around Town

Sidewalk Excavation, Drainage Work Continues on Mt. Auburn St.

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During the week of July 21, sidewalk work will continue in East Watertown, and Drainage Work will take place in Coolidge Square. See more details in the announcement from the City of Watertown. Sidewalk Excavation Continues

Excavation of the westbound sidewalk on Mount Auburn Street between St. Mary Street and Prentiss Street will begin Monday, July 21, 2025 from 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Learn about travel and parking impacts below. Traffic and Sidewalk Impacts

The westbound sidewalk will be closed for excavation starting Monday, July 21, 2025 at 7:00 a.m. A bypass sidewalk on the westbound side will be opened up while this work is being completed.

Entertainment

Small Saves Gets Some Acting Lessons in This Week’s Cartoon

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James DeMarco grew up in Watertown and became a goaltender at age 5. It’s his life’s passion to stand between the pipes and keep the puck out of the net. Combining this with the love of cartooning Small Saves emerged in 1991 and took on a life of his own. “To play goal – then come home and draw Small Saves — is my ideal definition of a good day.”

Around Town

Registration Open for the 2025 Faire on the Square

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Watertown’s Faire on the Square returns to Saltonstall Park on Saturday, Sept. 13 from noon to 5 p.m.

Businesses, non-profits and organizations can register. Vendor registration will remain open through Friday, August 22, 2025. Due to space constraints, all participating vendors will be limited to a maximum of one 10×10′ space. Registration categories are expected to sell out.

Sports

Watertown Hosts Mid-Summer Basketball Interleague Classic

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The following piece, and all the photos, were provided by the Watertown Recreation Department:

For the first time, three premier summer basketball leagues met on the Saltonstall Court on Wednesday, July 2. Watertown Recreation hosted the Portsmouth (N.H.) Serious Summer League and the Honan League, of Allston-Brighton for a pair of friendly interleague contests.  

The first game of the night was also a first, featuring a competitive women’s game between the Honan League and the Portsmouth Women, before the defending champion Watertown Men’s League New Day hosted the Portsmouth Men. Harvard Head Coach Carrie Moore took time out of her busy schedule to visit Saltonstall Park for a few hours along with Harvard men’s Assistant Coach Matt Fraschilla. Community involvement and outreach is paramount for both Crimson basketball teams.

We thank both Carrie and Matt along with Portsmouth’s Harry Rafferty and Honan League’s Shawna Kelly for coming down for a historic night. Also a huge shout out to our scorekeepers Morgan Macomber, Emilio Berndt and Andrew MacDonald as well as Steve Shorter, Dave Engelson and Michal Ksiadz for outstanding officiating.