Around Town

See What’s Closed for the Juneteenth Holiday

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The City of Watertown announced the closings for the Juneteenth holiday, and how the trash and recycling schedule will be impacted. Watertown City Hall is closed Monday, June 19, 2023 in observance of Juneteenth. The Watertown Free Public Library and the Watertown Senior Center will also be closed on June 19. Please note: There is a one-day delay for trash and recycling pickup. The pickup schedule is Tuesday, June 20 – Saturday, June 24, 2023.

Schools

Watertown High Class of 1964 Planning Reunion, Started Facebook Page

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Watertown High School

The following information was provided by the WHS Class of 1964:

ATTENTION 1964 classmates! A Facebook page has been created for updates regarding our 60th Reunion, to be held sometime in September, 2024. 

The page name is: 

Watertown, MA – Class of 1964 – Reunion. 

Plans are proceeding and as you can imagine, it is a bit daunting to locate and contact classmates. It would be greatly appreciated if you are still in contact with former students to pass on this information. An email address has been provided on the FB page. 

Government

City Negotiating Trash & Recycling Contract in Topsy Turvy Solid Waste Market

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Photo by Watertown DPWCurbside composting toters, like the one on the left, have been added to the Watertown trash and recycling program. The economics of trash and recycling has been a bit of a rollercoaster ride in recent years, which means the City of Watertown’s new waste disposal contract will not be as immune to price changes, and will have to pay contractors to take the recycling, rather than being paid for the products. The City Council voted to allow City Manager George Proakis to negotiate a five year contract with Republic Services, which deals with trash and recycling for most homes in Watertown and runs the Recycling Center. Approval from the Council is needed for any contract longer than three years. The City is not in as favorable a position in negotiating the solid waste contract compared to prior years, Proakis said.

Entertainment

Watertown Artists Painting Statues to be in Jimmy Fund’s CowParade New England

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Bill Belicow by Dawn Evans Scaltreto will be on display in Kenmore Square near Ace Tickets. (Photo courtesy of CowParade New England)

The following information was provided by the Jimmy Fund:

Local residents and artists, Carol Leonesio and Dawn Evans Scaltreto, have painted and transformed life-size cow sculptures as part of CowParade New England presented by Herb Chambers, a one-of-a-kind public art installation and fundraiser designed to recognize the Jimmy Fund 75th anniversary, benefiting Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s lifesaving mission. The cows, Miss Moosachusetts, Bill Belicow, A Wicked Good Bruins Game, A Great Day at Fenway, The Eliot and Space Penguins, are on display from June 24 through September 4. CowParade will be located throughout Greater Boston, including herds sponsored by presenting sponsor Herb Chambers, Coca-Cola, fairlife, HomeGoods, OOFOS, Bond Brothers, Bonhams Skinner and Jordan’s Furniture, the Boston Common Pasture Sponsor. A full pasture map will be available this spring at CowParadeNewEngland.org/PastureMap.

Around Town

LETTER: City Should Listen to Residents Voices About Development

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Submitted by Linda Scott, Watertown Resident

Information lodged in mythical/moving spaces …Extremely long surveys with no obvious “save” function …Sticky notes rather than conversation …Underplaying or omitting what residents are actually saying in government reports …Information “hidden” in plain sight …Meeting notes for City meetings not updated or correct … These are all things that stymie public participation, and yet residents persisted! On March 9, 2023, a group of over 100 Watertown residents (according to the Comprehensive Plan consultants) came out (about 80 in person and 20 or more on zoom) to attempt to get their voices heard on the Comprehensive Plan … again. We had the usual run of sticky notes on poster boards, but at one point, when residents had obediently filled in their “stickies,” one brave citizen stood up and insisted that we, as a group, have a chance to speak. There is a recording of that conversation that is frustratingly garbled beyond recognition … another roadblock to understanding.

Around Town

Community Walk N’ Talks Series Kicks Off Thursday! 

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The following announcement was provided by the City of Watertown:

The Walk N’ Talks are designed to get us outside and walking while learning a bit more about our city! Bring a friend or meet someone new. Our first program will start at Arsenal Yards, go through Arsenal Park with a stop at the Commander’s Mansion before looping back. The program is a partnership between Live Well Watertown and the Watertown Business Coalition

DATE: Thursday, June 15, 2023, 1:00 PM

LOCATION:  Meet at Arsenal Yards by the River Green, between Shake Shack and Buttermilk & Bourbon

REGISTER HERE 

Business

Watertown Life Sciences Company Gets $20 Million in Investments

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The following information was provided by Lyndra Therapeutics:

Lyndra Therapeutics Inc. of Watertown raised $20.3 million from seven investors as part of an offering of equity and option securities, according to a Form D dated June 7. Total amount of the offering is just over $179 million. Last month Lyndra announced it has dosed the first participant in its pivotal clinical trial investigating oral weekly risperidone (LYN-005) for the treatment of schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder. This is Lyndra’s lead drug candidate.  

The investigational oral weekly risperidone is a unique “long-acting oral therapy” powered by Lyndra’s LYNXTM drug delivery platform, which delivers a week’s worth of medication in one oral capsule.

Schools

Watertown Mother, Education Professional Enters School Committee Race

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Rachel Kay is running for School Committee. Rachel Kay announced Tuesday that she will be running for the School Committee during the 2023 Watertown City Election. Kay also ran in 2021. She sent out the following announcement:

I am excited to announce that I am running for School Committee in this November’s election. I am passionate about working for the underserved and under-recognized communities in our schools to ensure all voices are heard and considered.