Around Town

Volunteers Needed to Deliver Meals to Seniors

By |

Springwell seeks to continue to provide services to older residents during the Coronavirus outbreak, and they are looking for volunteers to deliver meals to seniors. Springwell sent out the following information:

Due to the unprecedented impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Springwell is working diligently to continue to provide services to our senior community.  At this time, Springwell is seeking volunteers who are willing to provide home delivery of meals.* 

Springwell is an essential part of the social safety net for thousands of older adults each year, and we are continuing to provide the services that are helping them stay safe and in their homes during this challenging time. We especially need volunteers who can work in the towns of Belmont, Watertown, and Waltham. If you are:

interested in receiving training and support to help us reach vulnerable seniors with critical in-home meals;have a reliable car, a current driver’s license, and a clean driving record;are available between 10 am – 1 pm;are able to provide these services, consistent with guidance we receive from the CDC, WHO and other governmental agencies, recognizing you may come into contact with high-risk members of our community and others; andand are successfully able to meet the regulatory pre-requisites for the position. 

 Please contact us! Email volunteer@springwell.com to start the process; or go online and apply to volunteer at www.springwell.com/volunteer Thank you

Around Town

Grocery Store Chain Opening Early to Allow Older Customers to Shop

By |

Supermarket chain Stop & Shop announced that it will soon start opening early to allow shoppers 60 and older to get their groceries as part of their efforts for social distancing due to the Coronavirus. Stop & Shop said it would open early to allow give older people to shop before the broader public can start shopping. “To support this group, beginning Thursday, March 19th, all Stop & Shop stores will open earlier in order to service only customers who are age 60 and over from 6:00a.m.-7:30a.m. daily.” “We’re making the decision to offer this every day of the week to allow for community members in this age category to shop in a less crowded environment, which better enables social distancing. They’ll also be shopping prior to any other customers entering.”

Around Town

Watertown Library Increasing Numbers of Titles Available Online, Find Out How to Access Them

By |

Watertown Free Public Library

The Watertown Free Public Library may have closed during the Coronavirus outbreak, but that does not mean people can’t access books, videos and music. The Library has a number of ways to access ebooks, audiobooks, videos and more, and the staff has added more copies of popular titles. There is also content for kids, access to newspapers and magazines and information to medical information. The following announcement came from the Watertown Library:

Here’s what we’re doing at the Watertown Free Public Library to keep you digitally connected to books and media while we’re closed. We’ve increased our digital collections.

Around Town

State Announces Resources to Help Small Businesses During the Coronavirus Outbreak

By |

State and federal officials sent out the following information about assistance for small businesses during the outbreak of the Coronavirus (COVID-19), including information on loans, layoff prevention and emergency contacts. Massachusetts state officials sent out the following information:

1 – Resources for the Business Community: COVID-1 MEMA’s Emergency Operations Center’s Private Sector Hotline

The hotline will be staffed Monday – Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.The number for the hotline is 508-820-2094. 2 – Small Business Recovery Loan Fund – https://www.empoweringsmallbusiness.org/what-we-offer/emergency-loan-funds/covid-19-loan-fund

$10 million Small Business Recovery Loan Fund, administered by Massachusetts Growth Capital Corporation (MGCC), to provide emergency capital up to $75,000 to Massachusetts-based businesses impacted by COVID-19 with under 50 full- and part-time employees, including nonprofits.This fund is being offered with no payments due for the first 6 months, then 30-months of principal and interest payments and no prepayment penalties (annual interest rate of 3.0%). 3 – Small Business Administration’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program – https://www.mass.gov/info-details/covid-19-resources-and-guidance-for-businesses

EIDL offers Massachusetts businesses who are experiencing hardships resulting from the COVID-19 outbreak access up to $2M in emergency loan capital with rates capped at 3.75%.We are currently working with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to activate the EIDL program. We will update this group when the program formally opens.Businesses can learn more about the SBA’s response to COVID-19 here: https://www.sba.gov/page/guidance-businesses-employers-plan-respond-coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19

3 – Governor Baker’s Emergency Order (3/15) limiting gatherings to 25 individuals and prohibiting on-premises consumption of food or drink at bars and restaurants, beginning on March 17 and effective until April 6.

Around Town

CatholicTV Broadcasting St. Patrick’s Mass from Boston on Tuesday

By |

The following announcement was provided by Watertown-based CatholicTV Network:

On Tuesday, March 17, the CatholicTV Network will air Mass for the Feast of Saint Patrick, the principal patron of the Archdiocese of Boston, celebrated by Cardinal Seán O’Malley, O.F.M., from the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston. 

During Mass, Cardinal O’Malley will offer prayers for all those impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Reverend Monsignor Liam Bergin will be the homilist. Ciarán Nagle, world-renowned Irish tenor, will provide music. There will be no congregants present at the Mass. The Mass will air live on CatholicTV at 12pm ET and will be rebroadcast at 8pm ET.

Around Town

Watertown Library Closed for 3 Weeks, Online Services Available

By |

Watertown Free Public Library

The following announcement was provided by the Watertown Free Public Library:

The Watertown Free Public Library will be closed to the public from March 14 – April 6 to help minimize the spread of Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19.) The Library is currently scheduled to reopen on April 7. This date is subject to change. During the Library’s closure, patrons are encouraged to keep borrowed items at home, even if they are overdue. The Minuteman Library Network (MLN) is extending all due dates until at least mid-April. Fines will be waived while the Library is closed.

Around Town

Mass. Gov. Bans Gatherings, Over 25, Makes Restaurants Take-Out Only & Closes All Schools

By |

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker announced some sweeping steps to try to control the outbreak of Coronavirus in Massachusetts Sunday evening, including limiting the size of gatherings, allowing restaurants only to serve take out meals and closing all the schools in the state. During the press conference he said there are no plans currently to have residents shelter in place to stop the spread of COVID-19. He did stress that people should only gather in small groups, according to a report on WCVB Channel 5. “These gatherings include all community, civic, public, leisure, faith-based events, sporting events with spectators, concerts, conventions and any similar event or activity that brings together 25 or more people in single room or a single space at the same time. This includes venues like fitness centers, private clubs and theaters,” Baker said.

Around Town

Watertown Boys & Girls Club Closing as Precaution for Coronavirus

By |

The Watertown Boys & Girls Club announced it will follow the lead of the Watertown Public Schools and will close temporarily as a precaution after the outbreak of the Coronavirus in the area. Executive Director Renee Gaudette said: “At this point in time, WBGC will remain closed in sync with Watertown Public Schools. We are working closely with all town departments to ensure the safety of our members, families and community.” She added that updates about Club operations will be posted to the WBGC website (http://www.watertownbgc.org/) and Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/WatertownBoysandGirlsClub/). Originally, the Club planned to close for deep cleaning and reopen on Monday, but that was before the Watertown School’s decision to close through March 27.