Around Town

Watertown Business Coalition Celebrates New Chapter, Expanding Mission & Offering Membership

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Watertown Business Coalition co-founders Bob Airasian and Doug Orifice speak during the WBC’s Membership Kickoff Event at Not Your Average Joe’s. The Watertown Business Coalition kicked off a new phase of its young life last week during the membership kickoff event at Not Your Average Joe’s. More than 50 people attended the Feb. 17 event, including local business owners, elected officials, and representatives of community organizations. The volunteer-run organization started in late 2019 with a vision of connecting local businesses, but has branched out to advocating for businesses, hosting arts and culture events and fostering ties to the community, said WBC Co-Founder Doug Orifice.

Around Town

Watertown Community Foundation Offering Grants for Youth Sports Leagues

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The following information was provided by the Watertown Community Foundation:

Youth Sports League Grants will support team sports organizations that serve Watertown youth to help defray registration costs and increase participation. Examples of programs eligible for Youth Sports League Grants include:

Baseball/SoftballFootball/CheerleadingSoccerBasketballLacrosseHockey

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for a Youth Sports League Grant, organizations must be public entities, nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status, or an organization that is affiliated with a 501(c)(3) organization. Organizations must:

Be based in Watertown and serve the town’s residents or, if based outside of Watertown, can document an existing partnership with an organization that directly serves Watertown residents ANDProvide a program or service to the community. Timeline:

February 14 : Call for Applications

March 4 : Applications due to WCF

March 11: Applicants Notified of Grant Decisions

December: Final Grantee Reports Due to WCF

Submission Instructions

Email or paper applications will not be accepted. Applications must be completed online at: https://forms.office.com/r/PfGniV36qRApplicants will receive an email confirmation after your proposal is received.

Around Town

See the History, and Possible Future of the Watertown Dam and the Charles River

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Charlie BreitroseThe Watertown Dam near Watertown Square slows the flow of the Charles River. A group is advocating removing the dam. The Charles River Watershed Association recently produced a history of the Charles River, including a look at the Watertown Dam, called A River Interrupted. The group is advocating for the removal of the dam near Watertown Square as a way to return the Charles to its natural state. One reason is to help migrating restore the numbers of migrating species in the river that struggle to get upstream due to the dam and other obstacles.

Around Town

See What’s Happening at the Senior Center the Week of Feb. 21

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The Watertown Senior Center decorated for Valentine’s Day. The following information was provided by the Watertown Senior Center:

Watertown Senior Center Programs for Week of February 21, 2022. Some programs are offered on Zoom and some are in-person at the Senior Center. Please call us at 617-972-6490 to pre-register for all in-person programs to reserve your spot. New participants are always welcome in every program.

Around Town

YardArt: Townwide Outdoor Art Exhibition Returns to Watertown

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City of WatertownYardArt is back in 2022. Watertown residents can display their art and get on the official map. Watertown residents can tap their creative side and beat the winter blues by participating in YardArt 2022. The second annual outdoor art exhibition begins Friday March 4 and runs through April 3. Entry is free, but participants must register to get onto the YardArt website and onto the official map, said Liz Helfer, the City’s Public Arts & Culture Planner.

Around Town

Watertown Dog & Cat Owners Can Get Pet Licenses Online

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The following announcement was provided by the City of Watertown:

Watertown dog and cat owners can now license their pets with PetData, a full-service animal licensing provider. PetData will be mailing pet owners their license renewal notice. Owners will have several options for renewing their pet license, including by mail, online or in-person at City Hall. Owners that are hoping to license new pets, may also license via PetData. Licensing your pet is one of the most important steps you can take as a responsible pet owner.

Around Town

Perkins Library Print Deliveries Impacted by Paper Shortages

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The following announcement was provided by Perkins School for the Blind:

Patrons who subscribe to the Talking Book Topics (TBT) catalogue in print will not receive the January–February 2022 issue due to ongoing supply-chain issues and worldwide paper shortages. 

For those who use TBT in audio format, the January–February 2022 edition is already available on cartridge, and for download on BARD and through BARD Mobile as DB 106440. Additionally, TBT Abridged will be available through Braille Book Review in hardcopy braille, as well as in the BRF electronic format. If you would like to subscribe to TBT on cartridge or to Braille Book Review, please contact the Library at (617) 972-7240 or Library@Perkins.org Patrons can also access TBT January–February 2022 online in HTML and PDF. TBT in HTML contains direct links to BARD for downloading or adding books to wish lists, and TBT in PDF includes printable order forms for mailing. View January-February 2022 TBT Online

Around Town

Council Thanks Retiring Watertown Library Director with Proclamation

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Watertown Free Public LibraryThe Watertown Free Public Library. Watertown’s Library Director is retiring after more than a quarter century overseeing one of the most popular features of the City. To express their gratitude, the City Council passed a proclamation honoring Leone Cole. Under Cole’s leadership, the Watertown Free Public Library underwent a major renovation and expansion in 2006, preserved Watertown’s historic books, documents and photos, and increased funding by more than 200 percent. During her 27 years, Cole also increased support for Project Literacy (which teaches immigrants English and helps them apply for citizenship), added the Hatch Makerspace, and started the path toward adding a bookmobile to the Watertown Library’s offerings.