Around Town

Watertown Group Discussing “Biodiversity for a Livable Climate” at Monthly Meeting

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

Watertown Citizens for Peace, Justice and the Environment will hold our May Monthly Meeting via Zoom on Thursday, May 21, at 7 PM. All are welcome. Biodiversity for a Livable Climate is the topic of our meeting.  Our speakers will be:

Adam Sacks, Executive Director, Biodiversity for a Livable Climate. He will discuss the importance of biodiversity and the power of eco-restoration in different habitats and the challenges of thinking differently in a world that is increasingly unfamiliar. He will also cover the need to shift from a carbon-centered to a biodiversity-centered perspective, the building of a global movement called “Blessed Unrest,” and Adam’s experiences as an activist in eco-restoration and climate over the past 20 years.

Around Town

Grant, Mitigation Funds Will Help Pay for Arsenal Park Renovations, See Project Details

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A drawing of the proposed renovation for the eastern section of Arsenal Park, near the Arsenal Yards development. The Town Council will be asked to consider funding a $1.65 million renovation of a section of Arsenal Park, but the Town will get some help paying for the project from a grant and mitigation money from the next door Arsenal Yards project. The Town received a $200,000 Housing Choice Capital Grant, which will be applied to the first phase of the Arsenal Park project, along with $500,000 in mitigation funds paid by Arsenal Yards developers Boylston Properties, Town Manager Michael Driscoll said. He added the construction bids may come in lower due to the economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 outbreak, so the might be lower than the original $1.65 million budget. The Town Council voted unanimously to let Town officials put the project out to bid.

Around Town

Library Still Closed, But Offering Curbside Pickup, Online Activities

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Watertown Free Public Library

The Watertown Library provided the following announcement:

The Watertown Free Public Library will remain closed pending guidance from the State of Massachusetts regarding safe re-opening. The Library will update the community when more information is available. This announcement is part of Town Manager Michael Driscoll’s COVID-19 Update for Watertown, issued on Friday, May 15. View the update here: bit.ly/WatertownUpdateMay15 

Next week, WFPL will continue to offer curbside book pickup and virtual programs via Zoom. For more information, visit watertownlib.org. Want to stay in the loop? The Library’s eNewsletter is the best way to learn about everything that the Library has to offer during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sign up at watertownlib.org/eNews

There are so many ways to access the Library from home. Here’s a list of virtual programs for the week of May 18:

FOR CHILDRENSpringo!May 1 – 30 | Can you get bingo on our spring-themed outdoor scavenger hunt?

Around Town

Watertown Restaurant Raising Funds to Give Meals to Local Families

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Donohue’s Bar & Grill has started a GoFundMe effort to raise money to pay for meals for local families struggling duding the COVID-19 shutdown. Dubbed the Donohue’s Cares Act, the effort will provide a meal for every $10 donated, and the restaurant is providing the first 500 meals. As of Saturday morning, more than $1,100 has been donated by 17 people. The goal is $10,000. Find out more and donated by clicking here.

Around Town

Library & Other Facilities Remain Closed, Town Awaits Gov.’s New Order; Schools Feeding Hundreds Each Day & More

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The historic facade of the Watertown Free Public Library. The Town’s facilities, including the Library, Town Hall and the Senior Center will remain closed through at least Monday, as Town official await word from Gov. Charlie Baker about the state’s reopening plan. More details about the four phased reopening plan, discussed this week by Baker, are expected to be released Monday, Town Manager Michael Driscoll said in his latest Town Manager’s Update. In the first phase, “limited industries” will be allowed to reopen. The second and third phases will let more and more industries resume operation, and the fourth phase will be after a vaccine or therapy for COVID-19 is developed and the “new normal” can begin.

Around Town

Watertown Parks Remain Closed, But Gradual Reopening Could Start Soon

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Watertown’s parks, like Filippello Park, are empty these days due to the COVID-19 shutdown, but they may slowly reopen in coming weeks. Recreation Department Director Peter Centola spends parts of his day driving around town asking people to leave Watertown’s parks, fields and playgrounds which are closed by COVID-19, but he may soon be welcoming visitors to the Town’s Recreation facilities. On Monday, May 18, Gov. Charlie Baker is expected to unveil his plans for reopening Massachusetts from its COVID-19 shutdown, and Centola said he hopes that will allow a partial reopening of Watertown’s parks and recreational facilities. Town officials have started looking at what could be possible, while still maintaining social distancing. “I don’t think could go from zero to 60,” Centola said.

Around Town

Watertown Reaches Two Milestones in COVID-19 Cases; Residents Urged to Remain Vigilant in Stopping the Virus’ Spread

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With the number of COVID-19 related deaths in Watertown went over 20 this week, and the number of cases surpassed the 300 mark, Town Council President Mark Sideris encouraged residents to remain vigilant in efforts to stop the spread of the virus. Town Manager Michael Driscoll gave the latest Coronavirus numbers for Watertown at Tuesday’s Town Council meeting: 331 confirmed cases, 148 have recovered, and the town has 22 COVID-19 related deaths. The numbers rose from 298 cases and 19 deaths as of May 7. Sideris said that the virus has already taken too high a toll in Town. “Our deepest sympathies go out to all people who have lost family members, never mind only in Watertown, but across the country and across the world,” Sideris said.

Around Town

Watertown Resident Co-Authors Book to Teach Children About COVID-19

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Watertown’s Diana Saville heard from many of her friends that they were struggling to explain the Coronavirus to their children, so she decided to help out by co-writing a children’s book on COVID-19. She teamed up with Srini Pillay, a Harvard-trained psychiatrist, and illustrated and co-wrote King T and the Gamma Troupe: The Story of a Brave Bodyguard Who Vanquished the Viral Villain. Saville has a background in molecular biology, neuroscience, and scientific animation, but this is her first children’s book. “So many of our friends were having trouble explaining coronavirus to their kids in a way that is both honest and not-scary,” Saville said. “It’s a little rhyming adventure with a focus on how the body is built to fight off viruses and other invaders.”