Around Town

LETTER: Former Town Councilor Urges Support of Town/BB&N Fields Agreement

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A drawing of the proposed playing fields that BB&N School wants to build on Grove Street. The land currently belongs to Mount Auburn Cemetery. Dear friends and neighbors,

As many of you may have heard, the Mount Auburn Cemetery’s property on Grove Street is up for sale. Just next door to Filippello Park, the site is currently being leased by the Mount Auburn Hospital for employee parking. Most bidders on the lot are looking to build lab/office or residential space there. This means more cars on Grove Street and no chance at expanding our open and green space in Watertown. There’s also a historic home on the site called the Shick House which isn’t likely to be saved under that scenario. The Shick family once operated a dairy farm from that house in the mid 1900’s. The Trustees of the cemetery have a fiduciary responsibility to be responsible stewards of the cemetery’s assets for the long-term and have chosen to liquidate the asset. They’re going to make the responsible choice for their institution and one can hardly blame them.

Entertainment

Watertown Library Hosting Four Free Winter Concerts

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The historic facade of the Watertown Free Public Library. The following announcement was provided by the Watertown Library:

The Watertown Free Public Library’s Winter Concert Series kicks off on Sunday, Dec. 8. This year, the library has booked an eclectic lineup featuring a string trio, a banjo virtuoso, a singer/songwriter, and a local swing and blues band. Concerts are free and open to all.

Cartoon

Small Saves: New Gear

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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

Watertown Hosting Pearl Harbor Ceremony in Watertown Square

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Members of Watertown’s veterans organizations talk before the Pearl Harbor Commemoration at the Watertown Dock in Watertown Square in 2017. The Watertown Veterans Service Office sent out the following information:

On Friday, Dec. 6, 2019 from 12:00-12:30 p.m., we will honor those who lost their lives during the Pearl Harbor attacks on Dec. 7, 1941. Please join us as we lay a ceremonial wreath and hold a brief ceremony honoring our fallen service members.

Charity

Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts Collecting Food for Watertown Food Pantry

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Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts announced they are holding their biggest joint service project of the year this Saturday, Nov. 23. Scouts from Troop 30 and Pack 30 will be at Stop & Shop, 171 Watertown Street, from 9-3 p.m. collecting food and personal items for the Watertown Food Pantry. Scouts have traditionally collected items that are eventually measured in tons — We filled 200 paper bags full of groceries last year. This year we’re bringing bins so extra resources are not used during this effort to feed our community.

Around Town

Watertown Library Seeks Volunteers to Help Create Strategic Plan

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Watertown Free Public Library

The Watertown Free Public Library announced that it seeks Strategic Planning Volunteers to be part of the creation of the latest strategic plan. Libraries across Massachusetts are required to have a 3-5 year strategic plan on file with the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners to be eligible for construction or Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grants. An integral part of this process is to get input from the community. To do this, the Watertown Free Public Library has four opportunities for you to participate. First, and easiest, is by filling out a quick, four minute survey, available online at watertownlib.org/survey.

Around Town

LETTER: East End Councilor Calls Town’s Partnership with BB&N “Win-Win”

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A drawing of the proposed playing fields that BB&N School wants to build on Grove Street. The land currently belongs to Mount Auburn Cemetery. Hello East Enders,

Interesting possibilities are on the horizon…………. The private, Buckingham, Browne and Nichols School (BB&N) has shown an interest in purchasing the Mount Auburn Cemetery property at 165-183 Grove St. in our East End of Watertown.

Arkuda

Biotech Company Announces Move to Watertown’s Arsenal Yards

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The following information was provided by Boylston Properties:

Boylston Properties, a Boston-based real estate developer of distinctive places, today announced that Arkuda Therapeutics, a biotechnology company developing therapies to change the trajectory of neurodegenerative disease, has signed a 10,819 square foot lease at Arsenal Yards’ new state-of-the-art life science lab space. Arkuda is the latest in a number of emerging, innovative life science companies to relocate from Kendall Square in Cambridge to Watertown’s booming biotech cluster. With openings beginning this month, Arsenal Yards is the perfect work environment for Boston area companies that hope to attract and retain talent. Arsenal Yards boasts more than one million square feet of development including lab and office space, diverse dining options such as City Works Eatery and Pour House, The Gallows, Tori Jiro, Shake Shack, and Condesa Restaurante and Tequila Bar, fresh groceries from Roche Bros., boutique fitness options, entertainment at the Majestic 7, green space, and more. “The relocation to Arsenal Yards has afforded Arkuda state-of-the-art facilities in what is quickly becoming a dynamic and flourishing biotech community,” said Gerhard Koenig, PhD, President and CEO, Arkuda Therapeutics.