Around Town

Senior Center Update: Shuttle, Parking Permits & Medicare Open Enrollment

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Watertown Senior Center

The following information was provided by the Watertown Senior Center:

Senior Shuttle Update

The Watertown Senior Shuttle Bus is back on the road for grocery shopping. Due to COVID-19, the bus is limited to 4 riders plus the driver. Masks must be worn. Rides are now scheduled by appointment only. Call the Senior Center on Fridays from 8:30 AM to 1 PM to schedule your ride for the following week.

Around Town

Watertown Sons of Italy Celebrates Columbus Day, Marking Lodge’s 100th Anniversary

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The Watertown Sons of Italy hosted a Columbus Day celebration on the Watertown Delta, where a monument to Christopher Columbus is located. The following announcement was provided by the Watertown Sons of Italy:

Scores of Italians from many Italian organizations assembled peacefully at Columbus Delta in Watertown Square for a wreath presentation. As statues and monuments are being defaced and torn down, this Columbus Day the members of the Watertown Lodge Piave Fiume #1036 of the Order Sons and Daughters of Italy in America united to honor the great explorer who brought the new world to everyone, Christopher Columbus. The monument on the delta was originally proposed by the Watertown Knights of Columbus, Council #155 with support from the Watertown Sons of Italy. The delta name of “Columbus Delta” was approved by the Watertown Board of Selectmen with the dedication on October 12, 1940.

Around Town

Watertown Residents Can Request a Tree be Planted in Front of Their Homes

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The following announcement was provided by Trees for Watertown:

Are you trying to forget our brutal summer that featured heat wave after heat wave? Now it’s official: the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reports that June through August 2020 was the hottest summer on record for Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island. As hot as it was, on walks around the neighborhood (what else was to be done during a global pandemic?), I felt instant relief as I passed beneath the green canopies of street trees. The immediate cool I felt was not only due to the leafy parasol above sheltering me from direct sunshine, it was also thanks to the lack of heat radiating off asphalt and sidewalks, which store up solar gain and turn our streets into ovens. Evaporation from trees helps cool the air, too.

Around Town

Watertown Group Hosting Discussion of Israeli-Palestinian Land Issues

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The following announcement was provided by Watertown Citizens for Peace, Justice and the Environment:

Please join us at the October Monthly Meeting of Watertown Citizens for Peace, Justice, and the Environment for a very special program “Israeli Annexation – Geopolitical Implications and the Future of Palestine.” 

Date: Wednesday, October 21, 6:45 PM to 9:00 PM

Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86157111785?pwd=a1NJMU1qaG5jbjh5bGtmWTIrbkVVQT09

We are very excited to have as our guests Phyllis Bennis, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies, one of the founders of U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights, board member of Jewish Voice for Peace and author of Understanding the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict: A Primer and Leila Farsakh, Associate Professor and Chair of the Political Science Department at the UMass Boston, Senior Research Fellow at the Center for Development Studies at Birzeit University, West Bank and author of Palestinian Labor Migration to Israel: Labor, Land and Occupation. 

The government of Israel threatened to formally annex parts of the West Bank in July 2020, while they have been carrying out de facto annexation for years, since 1967 – by confiscating land, building the wall within the Green line, demolishing homes and expelling Palestinians.  July 1 came and went without annexation – and then we learned in Sept. that the UAE, and subsequently Bahrain, agreed to normalize relations with Israel, in return for which (or so it seems) “formal” annexation has been delayed.  Our speakers will present the geopolitical context in which all this is happening and what annexation actually means for Palestinians in the occupied territories and within Israel proper (within the Green line). Jeff Klein, Coordinator of Mass Peace Action’s Israel/Palestine Committee and member of the Steering Committee of Massachusetts Against Israeli Annexation, will close the program by presenting action items that the participants can take to address the issue of annexation and occupation. 

For questions email watertowncitizens@gmail.com and visit us at watertowncitizens.org  

Co-sponsors:  Mass. Peace Action, The Community Church of Boston, Unitarian Universalists for Justice in the Middle East – MA Chapter, Jewish Voice for Peace Boston.

Around Town

Final Watertown Farmers Market of 2020, Fall CSA Program

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The following information was provided by the Watertown Farmers Market:

The Watertown Farmers’ Market wraps up this week. Last chance to stock up on all your market faves! Support local and keep your pantries and freezers well stocked for the week’s ahead. It’s time to start making your shopping lists and placing preorders for the final market of the 2020 season! This week’s rotating vendors are Flores de Cafe and We Grow Microgreens.

Around Town

Watertown Seeks Vets for Veterans Day Interview Series

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Members of Watertown’s veterans groups salute at the Flag Retirement Ceremony in 2019. The following information was provided by the Watertown Veterans’ Services Department:

Out of an abundance of caution, and in observance with existing COVID-19 safety measures, Watertown must make changes to their traditional Veterans’ Day Observance. In keeping with the digital trends, the Veterans’ Services Department is looking to speak with residents of Watertown who would like participate in a Veterans’ Day Interview series: preference will be given to families with multi-generational military service (families with at least two Veterans). The goal is to speak about themes that may have led to a family’s continued military service. Interested participants should contact Veterans’ Services Officer Patrick George at the following methods: Office (617-972-4614) Cell (781-645-9127) or email (Pgeorge@watertown-ma.gov).

Around Town

YMCA Holding Drive-In Movie as Fall Fundraiser

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On Saturday, October 17, 2020 from 6:00-9:00 pm, the West Suburban YMCA in Newton will host a reimagined version of their signature fall fundraiser event, inviting the community to enjoy a drive-in movie in the Y’s parking lot and field. Traditionally, the Y hosts over 200 guests at their November gala, raising money for the Y’s Annual Fund which allows hundreds of families, individuals, and children to access programs and membership at the Y regardless of financial circumstances. With restrictions on gatherings in place due to COVID-19, the West Suburban YMCA is offering a whole new event this fall – Double Feature: A Mission & A Movie – highlighted by a drive-in showing of The Princess Bride. The October 17th event will take place outdoors in the Y parking lot and field and will feature a brief presentation from Y President & CEO Jack Fucci and a few laughs from comedian Nick “Fitzy” Stevens. The short program will summarize the past seven months at the Y, celebrating the Y’s resilience and looking forward to the future.

Around Town

LETTER: Town Councilor Questions Bike Lane Markings on Arlington Street

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Markings for a proposed bike lane on Arlington Street between Grove and Arsenal streets. (The following letter originally was sent by District A Town Councilor Angeline Kounelis to her constituents.)

Greetings East Enders,

Many of you have viewed and inquired about the pavement markings and scoring of Arlington St.; from the area of Grove St. to Arsenal St. Social media is abuzz with conversations. Unbeknownst to myself, and others, Watertown’s Administration has chosen to prematurely set forth a plan for proposed bike lanes; as outlined on page 2-14 of the Draft Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan Report. I have brought my concerns to the attention of the Administration; but have no authority to intervene. Staff directly reports to the Town Manager; not to the Town Council.