Learn About How to Apply for Community Preservation Act Funds & Approved Projects

The following information was provided by the City of Watertown:

The CPA Annual Public Hearing will be held in the Council Chamber in City Hall on Thursday, June 15, 2023, at 7 p.m.

Don’t miss the CPA Annual Public Hearing hosted by the Community Preservation Committee (CPC) in the City Hall, City Council Chamber.  You may also join remotely via Zoom: https://watertown-ma.zoom.us/j/91525442843. This event is a great opportunity to: 

Hear more about the recently funded CPA Projects;

Tell us your open space, outdoor recreation, community housing, and historic preservation priorities;

Learn how to apply for CPA funding; and

Get answers to your questions about CPA in Watertown. Take our one question survey, What is one thing you would like to know about the Watertown CPA? 

You may send questions or comments in advance to Lanae Handy, Community Preservation Coordinator, at lhandy@watertown-ma.gov. Visit watertown-ma.gov/cpc for more information.

Rain Can’t Dampen Watertown Pride Extravaganza Festivities

(Photo by Maya Shwayder)The JP Honk band performs during the second Watertown Pride Extravaganza at Saltonstall Park. Set against a gray, rainy sky, the rainbows of Watertown’s 2023 Pride festivities looked especially bright on Saturday. Families, folks, and four-legged friends of all shapes, sizes, and identities gathered on Saltonstall Park to mark the second year in a row that that space had hosted the celebration. “It’s perfect,” said Carey Conkey-Finn, Teen Services Supervisor at Watertown Free Public Library and Pride team co-leader. “We got some extra tents in a pinch.

Rabies Clinic at City Hall Offered by Watertown Animal Control

The following information was provided by the City of Watertown:

Watertown Animal Control will be hosting its annual Rabies Clinic on Saturday, June 24, 2023 in City Hall at 149 Main Street from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Cats will be from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., Dogs will be 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. This clinic is open to Watertown and Belmont residents. *Enter City Hall through the side door on the park side. Go straight through the hallway where the line will be formed. Exit will be out the side door on the Library side.*

Cost: $15 per pet

Requirements:

Proof of Residency

Proof of previous vaccination (if you want a 3 year)

All dogs must be leashed, cats must be in a carrier. Payment in the form of cash or check.

Watertown Resident Receives Blue Cross Blue Shield of Mass. Achievement Award

Christine Moynihan (right) receives The President’s Club award from Blue Cross CEO Sarah Iselin. The following information was provided by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts:

Christine Moynihan, Watertown local and Client Relationship Manager, National & Major Accounts at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (Blue Cross), was welcomed into The President’s Club, the company’s highest achievement that reflects its values and recognizes outstanding performance and dedication to its customers and business partners. “During a challenging year, Christine was a trusted ally to her employer customers and was committed to providing them with high-quality, affordable health plan options for their employees,” said Senior Vice President and Blue Cross Chief Sales and Marketing Officer Debbie Williams. “Her dedication to our company and her customers is exceptional and contributed to her outstanding performance last year.”

Christine is a strong advocate for her customers. A 16-year veteran of Blue Cross, Christine’s deep knowledge of the health plan’s products and services, along with her commitment to her customers, are the hallmarks of her success. About Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts:

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (bluecrossma.org) is a community-focused, tax-paying, not-for-profit health plan headquartered in Boston.

Families Invited to Watertown Touch-a-Truck Event

The public is invited to get a close-up look at firetrucks, construction vehicles, and other trucks at the Touch-A-Truck event on June 17. The DPW sent out the following announcement:

Save the date! Please join us for this free and fun Touch-A-Truck event on Saturday, June 17, 2023 from 10am – 2pm at the Department of Public Works (DPW), located at 124 Orchard St., Watertown. There will be food and activities for all ages, including being able to look inside & explore construction trucks, firetrucks, and recycle trucks.

OP-ED: A Proposal Templeton Pkwy. Property With Historic Church

A Google Earth image of the former Belmont Baptist Church, proposed by the author to turn into art studios and gallery space. By Joseph LevenduskyWatertown Resident

A Modest Proposal for 126-134 Templeton Parkway

One of my neighbors, who grew up on Templeton Parkway, has told me stories of a decrepit old mansion that stood on a large plot of land that extended from Belmont Street up to Woodleigh and over to the corner of Templeton and Belmont. There resided an old lady living out her final years. Out of curiosity, my neighbor and his friends would try to sneak into the mansion and would be chased away by the lady’s household help. That lady was Rosamond Coolidge of the fabled Coolidge family who played an important role in the history of Watertown.