Around Town

OP-ED: As Watertown Builds, What Can Be Done to Protect Trees Adjacent to Construction?

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This oak tree on Mount Auburn Street has been wrapped in 2×4’s to help prevent damage during road construction. By James Briand, Trees for Watertown

Watertown is a city under construction. From major public works such as the Mount Auburn Street renewal to numerous private developments, streets and lots are being disrupted for improvements. While the projects may deliver important benefits, the heavy equipment and excavation work required sometimes presents difficulties for mature trees in the zone adjacent to construction. Protecting such large, mature trees is vital, because even if new trees are planted post-project, it will be years before they can deliver the same cooling impact as lost mature trees.  

Watertown residents may have noticed the vertical 2×4 lumber barriers on many trees along the Mount Auburn Street construction area.

Around Town

Get Active with Ted Lasso — Watertown Studio Hosts Free Fitness Event

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The following announcement was provided by Get Lively:

Get Lively with Ted Lasso – Free Community Event at Get Lively®: Health & Fitness

Are you a fan of… Ted? Coffee and treats?  Getting your sweat on with a lively group of people? Join the lively crew at Get Lively®: Health & Fitness for a free community event with our very own Ted Lasso*!  Let’s all come together for a morning of exercise, connection, community, coffee, and a whole pile of FUN.  As Ted says: BELIEVE! Details:

Sunday, Oct. 23 at 9 a.m. workout, 9:45 a.m. “Biscuits with the Boss”

Get Lively®: Health & Fitness, 100 Parker St., Watertown

This is a FREE event, but space is limited, advanced registration required:

www.getlivelynow.com/tedlasso

This event is open to all adults of all fitness levels.  

Contact: Jan Taylor, jan@getlivelynow.com

Around Town

See Photos from the Watertown’s First Indigenous Peoples Day Celebration

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Charlie BreitroseA special performance of New Rep Theatre’s “Listen to Sipu” was held during the first Watertown Indigenous Peoples Day held at the First Parish Church. People filled the First Parish Church hall on Monday, Oct. 10 to celebrate Watertown’s first Indigenous Peoples Day. The audience heard from keynote speaker Elizabeth Solomon, a representative of the Massachusett Nation, about issues facing Indigenous People today and the effects of colonialism. Charlie BreitroseElizabeth Solomon, a representative of the Massachusett Nation, gave the keynote address during to the audience at the First Parish Church during Indigenous Peoples Day.

Around Town

Local Businesses That Have Contributed to the Success of the Watertown Boys & Girls Club

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The following piece was provided by the Watertown Boys & Girls Club:

As the Watertown Boys & Girls Club (WBGC) approaches its 50th anniversary Gala celebration on Oct. 28, 2022, the list of those who have contributed to the Club’s success is long. As part of the celebration, the last two executive directors, Renee Gaudette and Allen Gallagher, who shepherded the Club for more than 30 years consecutively, recollected some of those who helped make the Club such a welcome and nurturing resource for the children and teens of Watertown. The list includes folks who guided the children every day, who have donated their time, talent, and treasure, as well as some of the outstanding youth who have benefited from their experience at the club. The number of contributors extends far beyond those on this list, but in the spirit of this golden milestone, here are 50 for 50, each one equally as meaningful as the other.

Around Town

LETTER: Resident Wants Congressional Candidates to Debate

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Dear Editor,

In reading recent local publications including this one, I’ve noticed something troubling. Recent articles of Caroline Colarusso and her supporters are calling on our 5th Mass. District Congresswoman Kathrine Clark to debate the issues that surround the upcoming election. Mrs. Colarusso has challenged Clark to five debates with little or no conditions attached. That’s not the troubling part of it. The troubling part of it is that Kathrine Clark and her team have not responded to most or any debate requests.

Around Town

LETTER: Missing Russo’s, Striving to Create Food Co-op

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It’s been one year since Russo’s announced they were closing. Over 365 days have passed with our community lacking one of Boston Metro West’s best sources for produce, baked goods, and plants. As I stood in the checkout line on their last day — laden with too much cheese and veggies — my mind raced, thinking of the 200 people who would be without jobs soon, wondering why Watertown needed yet another lab facility for a biotech company instead of a market. My kids would no longer be able to prowl through the Christmas trees stacked up outside each December. My wife would need to find a replacement for the especially spicy maror (horseradish) that would make us tear up at Passover.

Around Town

Watertown Boys & Girls Club Names New Executive Director

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The Watertown Boys & Girls Club new Executive Director, Gary Beatty, and his family. They live in Watertown. The following announcement was provided by the Watertown Boys & Girls Club Board of Directors:

The Watertown Boys & Girls Club Board of Directors is proud to introduce Gary Beatty as its new Executive Director. The Search Committee of the Board worked with a consultant to cast a wide net for qualified candidates who had, in addition to promising resumes, two intangible qualities: an understanding of and passion for working with youth, and who were the right fit for Watertown. The selection process was lengthy, involving several rounds of interviews, both virtual and in-person, a site visit, and a written response to some Committee questions.