Around Town

LETTER: Watertown Affordable Housing an Inside Story, Part Two

By |

By Linda ScottWatertown Resident

Is There Any Other Way? – What other Strategies can we use to add to Watertown’s housing stock? People, there just has to be a better way or a combination of better ways for us to provide affordable housing and grow our community. Here are just four possible approaches:

1) One way that we could add significantly to affordable housing units in Watertown would be by banning STR’s (short term rentals … AirB&B’s) in Watertown. There are hundreds of them in Watertown.

Entertainment

Holiday Makers Market Coming to Mosesian Center for the Arts

By |

The following information came from the Mosesian Center for the Arts:

On November 25 & 26, the Saturday and Sunday of Thanksgiving Weekend, join Mosesian Arts for our first Holiday Makers Market! Crafters, creatives, artists, and artisans from Watertown, Greater Boston, and around New England offer a wide range of affordable, giftable, one-of-a-kind creations. We’ve got jewelry, pottery, handknits, and greeting cards; calendars, paintings, ornaments, photo prints, and so much more to choose from. The Makers Market also coincides with our annual Members Exhibition in the MCA galleries, with many pieces for sale, which we encourage all visitors to explore. In addition to our artist vendors, we’ll be joined both days by Lawson’s Finest Liquids for a pop-up brewery event in the MBar, and by local food vendors and musicians.

Around Town

OBIT: Thomas E. McVey, 60, Owner of T.H. McVey Stone Company

By |

Thomas McVey

The following piece is from Farmer & Dee Funeral Home:

Thomas E. McVey, age 60 a longtime Tewksbury resident, and devout communicant of St. William’s Parish, passed away surrounded by family on Thursday, November 9, 2023, following a courageous battle with cancer. Born in Brighton, MA on November 28, 1962, he was the son of the late Thomas H. McVey, III and the late Joan F. (Shaughnessy) McVey. Tom was raised in Tewksbury, attended Tewksbury schools, and graduated from Tewksbury Memorial High School in 1981. Following high school, Tom continued the legacy of his forefathers and followed in the McVey family footsteps to become the latest generation of his family to operate the T.H. McVey Stone Company in Watertown, which was founded by his great grandfather in 1905.

Around Town

LETTER: Watertown Group Calling for End of Hostilities in Palestine & Israel

By |

The Peace and Common Security Working Group of Watertown Citizens for Peace, Justice and the Environment and Massachusetts Peace Action will be sponsoring a Standout for Humanitarian Aid, Ceasefire, and Negotiations. We seek an end to the hostilities and killing in Palestine and Israel. Killings and oppressions by whatever means in the Middle East are unjustifiable. This includes murder, taking of hostages, holding political prisoners, bombing of civilian targets, blockades, unlawful annexations of land, harassments by illegal settlers, and withholding of humanitarian aid. The current position of most American politicians who support the Israeli government unconditionally is equally unjustifiable.

Around Town

LETTER: Watertown Affordable Housing, an Inside Story, Part One

By |

By Linda ScottWatertown Resident

I have a quick transcript from a Watertown Affordable Housing Trust meeting, where Brett Buehrer, Senior VP of O’Connor Capital Partners (New York) is discussing plans that his company has for a very large apartment building on Main Street, where the Post Office is currently located. There is an initial discussion with the Trust. Buehrer comes back a few minutes later to discuss something that he “forgot.”

Affordable Housing Trust Meeting October 16, 2023:

Brett:We’re making progress with the Post Office. I was wondering if you guys would be willing to write a letter to the Post Office in support of affordable housing. We’re working to relocate them and hopefully bring them back into a new building.

Around Town

Watertown Scouts Collecting Food for the Watertown Food Pantry

By |

Watertown Scouts will be collecting items for the Watertown Food Pantry. (Courtesy of Watertown Scouts)

The following announcement was provided by Watertown Scout Pack 30 and Troop 30:

Help Scouts feed Watertown

Pack 30 and Troop 30 scouts are flyering their neighbors this week, hoping to collect bags of groceries from doorsteps Nov. 18. It’s part of a drive we call Scouting for Food, and we’ll collect tons of food for the Watertown Food Pantry, the largest one-day drive serving our community. Didn’t get a flyer?

Around Town

James Beard Award Winning Chef Cooking in Watertown Indigenous Food Week

By |

The following announcement was provided by the Pigsgusset Intitiative:

Starting on November 16 and for one week only, diners can sample award-winning Indigenous cuisine prepared according to recipes by Mashpee Wampanoag Chef Sherry Pocknett, 2023 winner of the James Beard Award for Best Chef in the Northeast. Branch Line restaurant in Watertown will feature Chef Pocknett’s butternut squash soup, corn cakes, and cranberry chutney as part of Watertown’s Indigenous Peoples’ Day celebration and in recognition of Native American Heritage Month. In 2022, Branch Line hosted the first Indigenous Food Week with Chef Pocknett. Chef Pocknett will travel to Watertown to collaborate with Branch Line’s new Executive Chef, Michael Morway, and his staff on Thursday, November 16th. She will talk about the 12,000 year history of the Mashpee Wampanoag and describe her deep connection to food and cooking.

Government

Several Watertown Boards Have Vacancies: Planning, Zoning, Board of Health & Several More

By |

The City of Watertown has opening for several boards and committees, and seeks applications from those interested in serving. The boards are the Planning Board, the Zoning Board of Appeal, Board of Health, Community Preservation Committee, the Conservation Commission, and the Licensing Board. The City sent out the following announcement:

City Manager George J. Proakis is seeking Watertown citizens interested in serving on the following City Boards, Commissions and Committees with appointment dates in February 2024 in accordance with Ordinance # 2007-46, an Ordinance on the Timing and Process of Appointments to City Boards, Commissions and Committees.  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. Board/Commission: Board of Health

Vacancy/Term: One Member, Three Year Term.