Around Town

Watertown Library Now Offering Scheduling for Curbside Pickups, Placing Holds

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Bags prepared to be delivered to patrons of the Watertown Library as part of the curbside pickup program. The Library is now offering scheduled pickups and putting holds on items.

The following information was provided by the Watertown Library:

The Watertown Free Public Library’s curbside pickup service is growing more popular with every passing week. Since WFPL launched the service on May 11, Library patrons have placed over 3,000 pickup orders for books, DVDs and other materials. On busy nights, as many as 200 book bags are delivered to patrons in the Library parking lot. In order to meet the growing demand for this service, WFPL is making some changes to the curbside pickup process.

Entertainment

Pure Bliss for Small Saves in This Week’s Comic Strip

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Cartoon by James Demarco

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.”

Business

Arsenal Yards Giving Away “Good Vibe” Bags, Collecting for Food Pantry

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The following information was provided by Arsenal Yards:

Stop by Monday, July 20th – Wednesday, July 23rd from 11AM – 1PM to receive a special surprise from AY and support our local community! Sign-up required. Limited bags available, only 1 bag per family. Please register to secure your spot. It’s a good day to have a good day, so we hope you enjoy this Good Vibes bag including:

DIY Kids Face Mask Kit: (2) kids cloth face masks, (2) tie dye colorsA Tie Dye surprise (we know you’ll love!) for adults An adult face maskDiscounts towards newly opened, Ben & Jerry’s!A free pass towards Majestic 7A special perk from Shake ShackMessages from our neighbors, New Rep Theater and Watertown Farmers MarketSwag from T-mobile and more!

29th Middlesex

Mass. Peace Action Endorses Steve Owens for State Representative

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Democratic activist and Democratic State Committee member Steve Owens is running for the State Representative seat that Jon Hecht will be leaving. The following announcement was provided by the Steve Owens for State Representative campaign:

Massachusetts Peace Action, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization workingto develop the sustained political power to foster a more just and peaceful U.S foreign policy has endorsed Steve Owens in the race to fill the 29th Middlesex district’s House seat. “We are proud to endorse Steve Owens for State Representative for 29th Middlesex (Watertown, Cambridge)! Steve is a progressive candidate who supports green, affordable public transportation and housing. He champions the Safe Communities Act for immigrant protections.” – Massachusetts Peace Action

Through grassroots organizing, policy advocacy, and community education, Massachusetts Peace Action promotes human rights and global cooperation, seek an end to war and the spread of nuclear weapons, and support budget priorities that re-direct excessive military spending to meeting human and environmental needs in our communities.

Government

OP-ED: Mass. Senate Passes Police Reform Bill, Brownsberger Gives Details

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Massachusetts State House. State Sen Will Brownberger provided the following piece:

Early in the morning on July 14, the Senate passed S.2800 — the Reform, Shift and Build Act. We look forward to working with our colleagues in the House of Representatives to finalize soon a joint package to lay before the Governor. The outline below offers a thematic organization of the bill. Links in the outline lead to relevant resources.

Around Town

West Suburban YMCA Providing Free Meals for Children

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The following information was provided by the West Suburban YMCA:

The West Suburban YMCA has partnered with the Metrowest YMCA to participate in Summer Eats, Massachusetts’ Summer Food Service Program. The federally funded nutrition program provides free, healthy meals to all children ages 18 and under when school is not in session. The program is administered by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education with support from the Child Nutrition Outreach Program at Project Bread.    

Meals are available for pick-up at the West Suburban YMCA in Newton, Monday through Friday from 12:00 – 1:00 pm (lunch) and 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm (snack) through September 4, 2020. Kids and teens who wish to pick up a lunch or snack should check in at the Y’s Welcome Center.   

This is the Y’s second year participating in the program.  In 2019, the Summer Eats program distributed 2,310 lunches and 4,991 snacks to youth in the community over the course of 8 weeks. 

These free lunches and snacks are available to campers at the Y’s onsite day camp, Camp Pikati. Camp Pikati, as well as the off-site day camp Camp Chickami, are currently running and open for registration.  Both camps are adhering CDC, state, and local guidelines to ensure a safe and happy summer.    

According to the USDA, nearly 10% of Massachusetts households experience food insecurity. This year’s COVID-19 pandemic, which has led to layoffs and reductions in hours for many Americans, has underscored the importance of programs that address food insecurity in our communities.  During the school year, many families stretch their food budget by applying for free or reduced-price school meals for their children. Frequently, these families find it difficult to absorb the additional meal costs when school is not in session. The Summer Meals Program helps to fill the gap left open during the summer months for these families. When children have reliable access to food during the summer, they can return to school ready to learn.

Around Town

Scholarships Available for Summer Recreation Programs from Community Foundation

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The following information was provided by the Watertown Community Foundation:

The Watertown Community Foundation’s (WCF) Community Resilience Fund, created to respond to the impacts of the COVID-19 emergency and similar crises, has announced a $10,000 grant to the Watertown Recreation Department. The fund is for scholarships for families in need who want to participate in the summer 2020 program. 

“WCF is committed to ensuring every Watertown child that wants one has a camp experience this summer,” said WCF co-president Darshna Varia. “As there were no planned camps for kids in Watertown for this summer, the foundation discussed trying to help the town find a way to give some relief to families and get some outdoor activity for children. With the RecreationDepartment’s announcement of the Parks Adventure Program, we found a perfect partnership.”

“It’s been a long tough spring and now there may be a little relief for families during the summer mornings,” added Peter Centola, Director of Watertown Recreation. Any family in need of financial assistance can contact PCentola@watertown-ma.gov.

Online registration here.

Around Town

Virtual Library: Movie Discussion Group, Painting & Build Your Own Workshop

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The Watertown Free Public Library. The following information was provided by the Watertown Library:

Missing Hatch Makerspace? Hatch staff and volunteers are offering a wide range of virtual workshops via Zoom, free and open to all skill levels. This week, check out Build Your Workshop with Liz and Gouache Painting with Yi Bin. Register online: watertownlib.org/calendar

Even though WFPL can’t host Movie Mondays right now, we can still enjoy films together!