Around Town

LETTER: Make COVID Rules More Clear This Time Around

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The immediate spur for this letter is the board of health’s new order reinstating the indoor mask mandate. I have found it a big source of frustration this entire pandemic that it has often not been all that clear what the rules actually are. I appreciate that the town’s website currently has on the front page the new mask mandate, but how long will this stay up there? Given that a mask mandate is such a sharp difference from everyday life as of 2019, whatever rules we want everyone to follow we should be shouting from the proverbial rooftops. Why can’t we have a permanent feature on the homepage, as well as on any interactive town signage and posted all over town, something like the following:

The “Last Update” part is important, because I found it just as frustrating to discover when requirements were removed as to confirm when they were still in place.

Around Town

City Surveying Residents About Qualifications, Characteristics Desired in Next City Manager

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The process to hire the next City Manager for Watertown has begun, and residents can weigh in on what they think the most important qualifications and characteristics for the next chief executive of the City to have. They survey is being conducted online, and the City sent out the following message:

“Watertown residents, please participate in this citizen survey which is designed to help identify the desired experience and attributes of Watertown’s next City Manager. Your opinions will assist our recruitment consultant and the City Manager Screening Committee as they identify candidates and work to narrow the field to a small group of finalists to submit to the City Council.” The survey has five questions about the next City Manager:

Which professional qualifications are most importantWhich personal characteristics are most importantWhat challenges and opportunities are most critical for the City Manager to be able to addressThe most important thing a new City Manager should know about Watertown, andWhat other information the City Manager Search Committee should know in the search for a new City Manager

Access the public input survey by clicking here.

Around Town

Board of Health Reinstates Indoor Mask Mandate Citing Sharp Increases in COVID-19 Cases

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People must wear face masks or coverings in Watertown while inside after the Board of Health reinstated the indoor face covering mandate Monday night. Health Director Larry Ramdin said cases of COVID-19 in Watertown have increased sharply since early November, and recommended the indoor face mask mandate be reinstated. The Board of Health voted unanimously to start the mandate on Dec. 21, 2021, and it will be in effect until rescinded by the Board. “We have had an explosion of cases in Town since the 3rd of November,” Ramdin said.

Around Town

Temporary Suspension of Watertown’s Winter Parking Ban Over the Holidays

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Clipartpanda.com

The Watertown Police Department announced a temporary suspension of enforcement of the overnight parking ban over the holidays. The City sent out the following announcement:

Effective December 23, 2021, enforcement of the All Night Parking Ban will be temporarily suspended – barring any snowfall that would require plowing or sanding. Should there be a snow event please refer to the City website for available off-street parking locations. 

Police Chief Michael Lawn encourages all homeowners to continue using available off-street parking during the overnight hours. Enforcement of the All Night Parking Ban will resume on January 3, 2022.  

Have a safe and healthy holiday season.

Around Town

OP-ED: Keep Health Care Workers in Mind, System Strained by More Than COVID

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State Sen. Will Brownsberger

The following piece was provided by State Sen. Will Brownsberger, who represents Watertown, Belmont and parts of Boston:

Please keep our health care workers in mind as you make decisions about what COVID risks to take over the coming weeks. As of Tuesday, December 14, there were 1411 people hospitalized with COVID in Massachusetts, of which 326 were in the ICU and 176 were intubated. That is well below the level in the first April 2020 surge when hospitalizations peaked at almost 4,000, yet for a combination of reasons, the hospital system is feeling a lot of strain. Steve Walsh, President of the Massachusetts Hospital Association testified at a hearing on December 16 about the state of the hospital system. He made the following points in his testimony:

Like many employers across the country, hospitals are having difficulty recruiting staff — nurses and behavioral health specialists are most in demand, but all hospital jobs are hard to fill.Caregivers are exhausted and burnt out — many are leaving for other fields or retiring.In the early days of COVID, it was possible to recruit travel nurses — acute surges were happening in only a few states.

Around Town

Alzheimer’s Association Hosting Luminary Walk of Hope in Watertown

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The Alzheimer’s Association Massachusetts/New Hampshire Chapter will host the Luminary Walk for Hope on Dec. 20 from 7-8 p.m. at Victory Field in Watertown. The Alzheimer’s Association sent out the following information:

As we prepare for the Winter Solstice, we invite you to join us for a luminary lighting and walk of hope for the first survivor. Enjoy a musical performance and hot chocolate bar as we honor those living with dementia as well their caregivers, and remember all of those we have lost. This is a FREE outdoor event, all are welcome!

Around Town

Free Audio Tour of Gore Place Available Using Cellphones

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The following information came from Gore Place:

Gore Place is offering a new audio tour of the 50-acre estate in Waltham and Watertown. The tour entitled, My Farm at Waltham will be available, year-round, free of charge. Accessed by phone, the audio tour describes the information on interpretive panels which can be found on six key points of the property. The panels tell the story of Christopher and Rebecca Gore’s 250-acre farm, the people who worked the land, and the animals they raised. The audio tour and interpretive panels are available dawn to dusk, year-round, except during special events. Check the museum’s website for availability. The audio tour was funded, in part, by a grant from the Watertown Cultural Council and Waltham Cultural Council, which receive support from the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.