Around Town

Through Pandemics & Collapsed Ceilings, the Watertown Food Pantry Stays Open

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Food on the shelfs at the Watertown Food Pantry, which has seen an increase in the number of people using its services since the start of the Pandemic. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

With her pert Boston accent and indefatigable can-do attitude, Kathleen Cunningham welcomes visitors into the basement of the Belmont-Watertown United Methodist Church. It’s a big open space, with low ceilings, pink walls, some generous storage space and an older industrial kitchen. It’s also very obviously crumbling. Construction tape blocks off part of the kitchen.

Around Town

LETTER: Part 2: My City of Watertown New Year’s Predictions & Ninth City Resolution

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By Linda ScottWatertown Resident

These are my opinions, based upon hundreds of conversations, attending numerous City meetings, and making thousands of observations over the past few years. I hope that they can stimulate conversation and help busy Watertown folks focus on some of the current issues. Things to be on the lookout for in 2024, if these City resolutions are not taken to heart by our City Councilors:

1 – Expect the assault on residents’ quality of life to continue:

Short-Term Rentals. That’s where your neighbors are allowed to run an informal hotel business out of their homes right next door to you. (And the City gets to collect a fee).

Around Town

Owl Trapped in Net in Watertown Rehabilitated & Released – See the Video!

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A Great Horned Owl that got trapped in a net in Watertown was released back into the wild this week. (Screen shot from Video)

An owl that got caught up in the netting at an athletic field in Watertown in December has been nursed back to heath and this week it was released back into the wild. The Great Horned Owl was released at Victory Field, and it flew into the trees on nearby Whitney Hill. The Watertown Police Department sent out the following statement on social media:

“An update on the Great Horned Owl … Back on December 13, 2023, the owl had to be cut out of a batting cage net and sent to a Veterinary clinic before going to a rehabilitation center in Wayland.

Around Town

Snow Emergency Declared in Watertown for Weekend Storm

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Snow forecast for Saturday and Sunday from WBZ Channel 4. The City of Watertown will be under a snow emergency beginning Saturday evening. The storm that is forecast to begin hitting the area on Saturday evening could drop six inches or more of snow on Watertown, according to the WBZ Channel 4 forecast. See the City’s announcement below:

The Superintendent of Public Works is declaring a snow emergency effective 6:00 PM, Saturday, January 6, 2024. On-street parking will be banned, and any motor vehicle left on the street will be subject to towing.

Around Town

LETTER: Part 1: 2024 New Year’s Resolutions for the City of Watertown

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And How the Heck Did We Lose Our Post Office?? By Linda ScottWatertown Resident

Dear City Officials,

I’ve taken this opportunity to write this resolution list as a service to you, with explanations for each resolution. It’s based upon my observations and the hundreds of conversations that I’ve had with residents over the past two years. I hope that you won’t find this extremely annoying, but what can I say? I hope that you’ll also find it helpful and motivating for this new year.

Around Town

Watertown Residents Can Dispose of Christmas Trees for 2 Weeks

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Watertown residents will be able to put trees out to be collected on trash days for two weeks in January. The City sent out the following announcement:

Please be aware that Christmas trees will be collected on your trash day for two weeks from Monday, January 8 to Monday, January 22, 2024. 

Please make sure to remove all lights and ornaments, and do NOT put the tree in a bag. The city will only collect the tree itself.