Around Town

Watertown’s Unity Breakfast to be Broadcast Live on MLK Day

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The following information was provided by the Unity Breakfast organizers:

Each year, the residents of Watertown come together to celebrate civil rights and to honor the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. and other civil rights leaders by recommitting to foundational principles of racial, social and economic justice. 

This year’s Unity Breakfast will take place on Monday, January 15, 2024 at 10 a.m. The event will be broadcasted live from www.unitybreakfast.org. It will feature a keynote address from Dr. Charmain Jackson, a psychologist working to disrupt racial disparities in mental health along with remarks from Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell. The honorary host is Dr. Ceronne Daly, Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging at Watertown Public Schools.

Around Town

UPDATE: Extra Trash Disposal to be Allowed for Watertown Residents for One Week

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Watertown DPWResidents will soon be able to purchase a second recycling toter – the green one – for less than before. For one week only, Watertown residents will have an opportunity to put out trash that does not fit in trash toters. City officials sent out the following announcement:

The City of Watertown will offer an overflow trash week from January 8 through 12, 2024. Households may place up to 3 trash bags next to their trash tote for collection. Find out more about trash and recycling in Watertown by clicking here.

Around Town

OBIT: Maureen Mulligan, 62, Associate Justice of Mass. Superior Court

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Maureen Mulligan

Hon. Maureen Mulligan, Associate Justice of the Massachusetts Superior Court The Honorable Maureen Mulligan, 62, of Watertown, Massachusetts and Westminster, Vermont, died early Christmas Morning, December 25, 2023, at her home in Watertown, MA, after six months of courageously confronting pancreatic cancer. She was surrounded by love, warmth and peace. Maureen was born in Lowell, Massachusetts on December 10, 1961 to Patrick Mulligan and Janice Wojcik, and raised in Vermont, a state she loved. She attended Westminster Center School, Bellows Falls Middle School and Concord Academy before studying and excelling at field hockey and lacrosse at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island (BA).

Around Town

MBTA Announces New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day Service

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The following information was provided by the MBTA:

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) today announced that free service on all modes will be available after 8 PM on December 31 through the end of the service day to help support safe celebrations on New Year’s Eve. Full holiday service schedule information is available at mbta.com/holidays. December 31: Increased New Year’s Eve Service:

·       Subway: All subway lines will operate on a Sunday schedule with increased service after 3 PM. ·       Buses and The RIDE: Buses and The RIDE will operate on a Sunday schedule. ·       Ferry: Charlestown ferry services will end at 6 PM.

Around Town

Watertown’s Main Street Post Office Closing for at Least 2 Years

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The Post Office located on Main Street in Watertown will be closing for an extended period starting in January 2024. The Post Office, located across from the Library at 126 Main St., Watertown, will close while the building where it is located is torn down and replaced with a five-story mixed use building with retail on the ground floor and four stories of residential above. The project was approved by the Zoning Board of Appeals in October. During the hearing for the project, the developers said they had contacted the U.S. Postal Service about designing a new space in the development, and also said there may be a temporary location. Under current plans, there will be no temporary spot in Watertown Square.

Around Town

Watertown Community Foundation Provides $40,000 in Health and Education Grants

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The following information was provided by the Watertown Community Foundation:

The Watertown Community Foundation awarded $40,487 in health and education grants during the fall grant cycle to invest in healthy, bright futures for Watertown’s families and kids. Healthy Watertown Grants Will Keep People Healthy and Save Lives

“We are so impressed by the quality of the proposals we received to address the health and well-being of the Watertown community,” said Emily Barclay, WCF Board Secretary and Healthy Grants Committee Chair. “There is more need in Watertown than we can possibly know. This year’s grants support programs that touch every age group and support some of the most vulnerable people in Watertown.”

The Watertown Community Foundation awarded a total of $7,500 in grants to the Watertown Boys and Girls Club for afternoon snacks, the Watertown Housing Authority for hygiene and cleaning supplies for residents, Enhance Asian Community on Health for a stability movement program for elders, and the Watertown Police Department for the free NARCAN program. Education Program Grants To Enhance the Excellence of Our Schools

“This year we were excited to see so much interest in our Education Grant program.