Around Town

Learn About Community Volunteer Events at Info Session

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The following information was provided by the City of Watertown:

Seeking individuals (14+) who are interested in volunteering for community events! Join us at the Watertown Free Public Library, in the Watertown Savings Bank Meeting Room on Wednesday, September 13, 2023 from 4PM to 6PM. What You’ll Find…

Stop by and talk to event leaders to learn more about how you can help!High school students enter our raffle for a chance to win free gift cards!Light refreshments will be served. Participating Organizations…

Commander’s MansionWatertown Arts MarketWatertown Free Public LibraryWatertown Business CoalitionWatertown Cable Access TVWatertown Public Arts & Culture CommitteeYardArt

Please email events@commandersmansion.com if you have any questions or would like more information.

Around Town

LETTER: Attend the Community Meeting on Manley Way, Proposed to be One of Many Bio Labs Around Watertown

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A rendering of the building at 10-30 Manley Way proposed to be redeveloped into lab/R&D/non-nuisance manufacturing space. (The Seyon Group)

This letter is about 10-30 Manley Way, but humor me, please, while I get there. With at least 25 bio lab buildings and more on the way in a four square mile area, (Alexandria hasn’t even begun the massive transformation of the Watertown Mall yet). 

Here’s a list of just Alexandria’s current holdings in Watertown:  

I hear they have their eyes on more Watertown land. Alexandriatown … how does that sound to you?  

This is a case of being careful about what you wish for.  We have about 70 labs in these buildings so far. There’s plenty of unused lab space without converting one more inch into labs … just my opinion, but it seems to be shared by others. 

To give you an example of the enormity of these projects (besides the in-your-face street presentation of them … hello, Galen Street), there’s a permit meeting for a Coolidge Street lab this month to approve a 7,000 gallon oil tank on the roof of a parking garage that will hold 497 cars.

Around Town

LETTER: City Councilor Kick’s Off Campaign, Discusses His Priorities

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Tony Palomba seeks re-eleciton as City Councilor At-Large. Dear Friends, Supporters, and Neighbors,

I write to invite you to my Re-election Campaign Kick Off at the home of Connie and DeWitt Henry in the West End:

Sunday, September 104:00 to 6:00 PM33 Buick Street, Watertown

There will be plenty of refreshments and great company. I will give a short speech and then invite everyone to share their ideas and concerns. It will be a lot of fun! More importantly, I write to thank you for all you do for Watertown.

Around Town

New Watertown Fitness Studio Hosting Grand Opening Celebration

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Karina Bergevin will welcome people to the Owl Fitness Studio’s grand opening celebration. (Courtesy of Owl Fitness Studio)

OWL Fitness Studio recently opened the doors to its studio in Watertown and invites the public to attend a grand opening celebration. The celebration will take place on Friday, Sept. 8, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the studio located at 468 Main St. Light fare will be provided by Olivia’s Bistro and Quebrada Bakery.

Around Town

Rocker Tells Bruce Springsteen About His Watertown Origins on Stage at Gillette Stadium

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During Bruce Springsteen’s recent concert at Gillette Stadium, one of the members of the E Street Band revealed that he was born not just in the Boston area, but in Watertown. During the band’s performance of “Glory Days” the band asked the crowd “Do you want to go home?” to which guitarist Steven Van Zandt responded, “You know, I was born here,” according to a report on Boston.com. Springsteen responded, “In Boston?” And, Van Zandt specified, “Yeah, Watertown!” 

According to the report, he spent his first several years before moving to New Jersey.

Around Town

See How Labor Day Impacts Watertown City Facilities & Services

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Watertown LibraryThe Watertown Free Public Library. Multiple City-run facilities in Watertown will be closed on Monday for Labor Day, and the holiday will impact trash and recycling pick-up. The City of Watertown announced:

Watertown City Hall and Senior Center are closed in observance Labor Day, on Monday, September 4, 2023. Please note: Trash and recycling pickup is delayed one day. The schedule is Tuesday, September 5 – Saturday, September 9, 2023.

Around Town

Our History: Mercy Otis Warren, “The Muse of the Revolution”

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Copy of John Singleton Copley’s portrait of Mercy Otis Warren that hangs in the Edmund Fowle House (Courtesy of Joyce Kelly)

The following story is part of a series on local history provided by the Historical Society of Watertown. It was written by Historical Society board member Mary Spiers who served as the Recording and Corresponding Secretary, and retired from the board last month but is still a volunteer. She wrote this article for our April 2014 newsletter, “The Town Crier”.)

I have to credit the blizzard of February, 2013 for the inspiration to pick up a copy of Snow-Bound by John Greenleaf Whittier and thereby find this nugget of historical gold on Mercy Otis Warren. I also utilized the library at the Massachusetts Historical Society to research Mercy’s poems.

Mercy Otis Warren born in 1728, who we think of today as “the Conscience of the American Revolution” and a “Founding Mother,” is the graceful lady in the blue dress in the John Singleton Copley iconic portrait of her that hangs in the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. A copy hangs on the walls of the Edmund Fowle House, now home to the Historical Society of Watertown.