Around Town

Burials at Local Cemeteries Spiked During COVID-19 Surge in Massachusetts

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Gravestones at Mount Auburn Cemetery. Two of the largest cemeteries in Watertown saw a huge increase in the number of burials during the height of the COVID-19 outbreak in Massachusetts. At the Town-operated Ridgelawn Cemetery, the number of burials almost doubled compared to a year ago, according to Jesse Myott, Department of Public Works Director of Administration & Finance. “The last few months we have seen a significant increase in — not to be cold, but — cemetery operations,” Myott told the Town Council last week. “It is nothing like anything that any of our senior staff has ever seen, and we have a number of 10 and 20 year veterans.

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Gov. Approves Opening of Gyms, Museums, Cinemas & More in Phase 3 of COVID Reopening

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Gov. Charlie Baker, with Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito. Beginning Monday, July 6, gyms, movie theaters and museums will be allowed to reopen as part of Phase 3 of Massachusetts’ COVID-19 reopening plan. Also allowed will be weddings and professional sporting events, but both have significant limitations. Gov. Charlie Baker announced the beginning of Phase 3 Thursday afternoon, and said residents of the state have done a good job slowing the spread of COVID-19. He added that Phase 3 will not start in the City of Boston until Monday, July 13.

Around Town

Library Fines Eliminated in Watertown, Current Fines Removed

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The Watertown Free Public Library will no longer be charging fines for late materials. The following announcement was provided by the Watertown Library:

The Watertown Free Public Library has abolished overdue fines for most materials. At their May 5 Board Meeting, the Library Board of Trustees voted unanimously to recommend Town Manager Michael Driscoll eliminate library fines. As a result, fine elimination was included in the FY21 budget which was approved by Town Council on June 29, 2020. 

Beginning July 1, fines will no longer be charged for items that are returned late. This applies to any Watertown or Minuteman Library Network (MLN) item checked out at the WFPL.

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This Week at the Watertown Library: Online Events, Curbside Pickup Poll & More

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The historic facade of the Watertown Free Public Library. The following information was provided by the Watertown Library:

This Wednesday at 7 PM, join us in welcoming Erik Edstrom for an author talk and Q&A session via Zoom. Edstrom’s memoir, Un-American: A Soldier’s Reckoning of Our Longest War, tells the story of his military service Afghanistan while probing his eventual disillusionment with the War on Terror. 

Also this week, Aimee is hosting Living Room Trivia via Zoom and our popular “read/watch” group will explore the world of My Antonia. Do you know a teen with a creative streak? Starting today, we’re offering free “take and make” project materials for students in grades 6-12, available for pickup at WFPL. Keep scrolling for a full list of virtual programs…

Around Town

See the Rules for Using Watertown’s Basketball Courts, Playgrounds & Picnic Areas

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Watertown’s basketball courts, like this one at Casey Park, have reopened with COVID-19 social distancing restrictions. The Watertown Recreation Department reopened basketball courts, playgrounds and picnic tables in public parks on June 24, but social distancing rules and other requirements apply to users. Playgrounds and basketball courts are limited to Watertown residents only. Playgrounds

Face coverings must be worn at playgrounds and tot lots, unless a person has an underlying health condition preventing them from doing so. Users must remain at least 6 feet apart.

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Senior Center Offering Exercise, Art and More Classes Online

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Watertown Senior Center

The Watertown Senior Center remains closed as part of the COVID-19 shutdown, but classes are still available online, including exercise and art classes. The following information was provided by the Senior Center:

The Watertown Council on Aging/Senior Center has been offering fitness, art and discussion programs via Zoom! Please call the Senior Center at (617) 972-6490 for program information and Zoom access. UPDATED Link to Watertown Senior News:  https://www.watertown-ma.gov/150/Activities-during-COVID-19

Week of June 29-July 3, 2020

Monday, June 29

12:30 PM – 1:30 PM, Chair Yoga with Diane

2:00 PM – 4:00 PM, Art Class with Dawn Scaltreto                                                            

Tuesday, June 30

10:00 AM – 11:00 AM, PRIDE Month Discussion with Tracy McKay of PFLAG. All are invited to discuss PRIDE month, older adults and allies of the LGBTQ community.

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Drivers Can Renew Licenses Online, Upgrade Free to REAL ID

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The following announcement was provided by MassDOT:

The Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) is encouraging all eligible customers to renew their standard Massachusetts driver’s license or Massachusetts ID card online at Mass.Gov/RMV any time between now and August 12, 2020, in order to qualify for a free upgrade to a REAL ID credential in 2021. This one-time, time limited offer is available to most customers who have an expired or expiring license or ID card dated between March 2020 and August 2021, as renewals are allowed up to two years after expiration, or up to a year in advance of the expiration date printed on their license or ID. “The RMV is encouraging all of our customers to stay safe, save time, and go online during the COVID-19 pandemic to renew their license or ID card, rather than attempting to come in to get a REAL ID,” said RMV Registrar Jamey Tesler. “Over 500,000 people have a license or ID credentials that expires this summer that can be renewed online, and we hope they will all take advantage of this one-time offer for a free, future upgrade to allow the RMV to prioritize ‘social-distancing’ and other essential transactions that may only be completed in-person.”

Qualifying customers who complete their renewal online prior to August 12th and wish to upgrade to a REAL ID for free, will have to wait until at least February 2021 to visit an RMV Service Center. At this time, customers will not need a federally-compliant REAL ID for the purposes of boarding domestic flights prior to October 1, 2021 because the federal government delayed the compliance effective date by one-year. The fee for obtaining a standard or REAL ID license is $50, while the fee for obtaining a standard or REAL ID card is $25.

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Watertown Library’s Pride Month Reading Picks & This Week’s Virtual Events

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Watertown Free Public Library

The Watertown Library provided the following announcement:

If you didn’t make it to the Summer Reading Drive-Thru last week, don’t worry. It’s easy to participate in the Library’s Summer Reading programs from home. Head to watertownlib.org/summerreading to learn more about our programs and prizes for children, teens, and grown-ups. To commemorate Pride Month and the anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising, we asked WFPL staff to choose books that helped shape their views on queer politics/culture, assisted them in their process of coming out, or affected them in another way. We hope you enjoy these Staff Picks for Pride: watertownlib.org/pride

Want to stay up-to-date with everything that the Library has to offer during the COVID-19 pandemic?