Around Town

OP-ED: The Watertown Square Area Zoning Proposal is Out — What’s Next?

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A diagram of the proposed by-right housing zoning in Watertown Square to meet the MBTA Communities Law requirement. The by-right areas are outlined in a dark dashed line. (Courtesy of City of Watertown)

I’m filling out my “Very important Paper.” This is what I’m Considering. [EDITOR’s NOTE: The plans and ideas for Watertown Square presented at the April 6 meeting and discussed in this piece are conceptual, have not yet been approved, and if they are do not necessarily mean that they will become a reality]. By Linda ScottWatertown Resident

First, I’d like to thank City Manager George Proakis and his team for all of their efforts for the April 4th meeting.

Around Town

Watertown Boys & Girls Club Announces 2024 Youth of the Year Winner

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The Watertown Boys & Girls Club’s Youth of the Year for 2024, Yazmin Ramirez Arias. (Courtesy Photo)

The following announcement was provided by the Watertown Boys & Girls Club:

The Watertown Boys & Girls Club held their Annual “Rising Stars” Youth of the Year Awards Celebration on Wednesday, March 6, 2024 in the Club’s gymnasium. Three highly qualified Club Member were nominated as a result of their service at the Club and further in the community. Yazmin Ramirez Arias was named the Watertown Boys & Girls Club “Youth of the Year.”

In this Leadership Development Program, Club Members nominated by Club Staff are prompted to write a “Club Experience” Essay that shares their achievements and why they personally believe they should be named “Youth of the Year.” They present this essay to local judges who collectively decide the top candidate. The top chosen candidate and Official “Youth of the Year” will represent The Watertown Boys & Girls Club and qualify for the next step to compete at the State Event for the title of Massachusetts Youth of the Year on May 7, 2024 at Gillette Stadium.

Around Town

Volunteers Wanted to Help With 40th Annual Run of the Charles Race

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The following information was provided by the Run of the Charles:

Nearly 150 volunteers are needed to help set up the race, check in paddlers, direct boat traffic through portages, check boat numbers, post results and take care of all the other details that make the Run of the Charles such a success each year! We are most in need of volunteers for:

Moody Street Dam, Waltham (Approx. 8:30 AM – 12:30 PM) check-in for Relay leg 2 and portage 1

Bleachery Dam, Waltham (Approx. 10:00 AM – 2:30 PM) portage 2

Watertown Dam, Watertown (Approx. 9:30 AM – 1:30 PM) portage 3, check-in for Relay leg 3

Watertown Bridge, Watertown (Approx.

Government

Resident Wanted to Serve as Alternate Member of Planning Board

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The following announcement was provided by the City of Watertown:

City Manager George J. Proakis is seeking community-minded residents to become an Alternate Member of the Planning Board. Are you interested in shaping the overall future of our City? Then the Planning Board might be just the thing for you.  

You will have opportunities to participate in the review and discussion of new plans and projects proposed within the City. Candidates should have background in architecture, landscape architecture, engineering, land-use planning, construction, or any related fields. 

The Planning Board meets the 2nd Wednesday of each month at 7:00 p.m.

Interested applicants should submit a letter of interest accompanied by a resume or other information concerning background or experience by email to Citymgr@watertown-ma.gov or City Manager’s Office, 149 Main Street, Watertown, Massachusetts 02472.

Schools

A Couple of Late Evenings of Construction at Watertown High School

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The following announcement was provided by project management firm Vertex:

Progress continues at the site of the new Watertown High School Project with work ongoing both inside the new building structure and around the site. In the coming days please be aware that the site may require work to extend beyond 7 p.m. due to ongoing concrete slab placements. The construction team has several slab placements on the schedule for this week and potentially long shifts on the following dates:

Wednesday April 10th

Friday April 12th

These slab placements are beginning at 7 a.m. on each of the above dates. The duration required for the slabs to be finished is dependent on the outside air temperature and weather conditions on the day of placement. Therefore, it is likely that the effort to finish the slabs once placed will continue into the evening on each of the above listed dates and have the potential to extend past 7 p.m. into the evening.

Around Town

City Seeks Input on Watertown’s New 311 Service Center

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The following information came from the City of Watertown:

The launch of the 311 Service Center is approaching. Your assistance is invaluable in gathering feedback on our non-emergency report system and understanding where you’re accessing this system. We invite you to participate in the City of Watertown 311 Focus Group and contribute to this initiative. Focus groups will be on Tuesday, April 16, 2024 from 6-7:30 p.m. and Tuesday, April 23, 2024 from 6-7:30 p.m. at the Watertown Savings Bank Room in the Watertown Free Public Library at 123 Main Street in Watertown. Throughout these sessions, we’ll make use of both the mobile app and web app editions of SeeClickFix.

Entertainment

Small Saves Addresses the Media in This Week’s Comic

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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.”