Around Town

Community Foundation Seeks Applicants for Healthy Watertown Grants

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The following announcement came from the Watertown Community Foundation:

The Watertown Community Foundation (WCF) announces the release of the Fall 2018 Healthy Watertown Grants to support organizations that work to create new or existing programs to keep our community healthy. A total of $10,000 will be distributed through these health grants. Past Healthy Grant awardees have included: Local food pantries; nutrition and meal programs for seniors; programs and services fostering healthy aging; programs designed to combat the opioid crisis and provide services and supports for individuals and families struggling with substance use disorders; and
health-related programs for infants and their families. Eligible organizations may apply for a maximum of $2,500. The average amount awarded will range from $500 to $2,500.

Around Town

Find Out About Self-Directed Learning at Mosesian Center for the Arts

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The following information was provided by Bay State Learning Center:

Your child can become a self-directed learner who explores personal interests, sets goals and makes good use of local resources to spur his/her curiosity and intellectual growth. On Monday Oct. 1, discover how self-directed learning is possible by attending a talk by Blake Boles (www.blakeboles.com) at the Mosesian Arts Center from 7 to 9 p.m. The talk is free and open to the public, and kids from pre-teen through 18 are encouraged to attend with their parents. Self-directed learning can take place during school hours or during non-school hours. It’s an empowering approach that spurs kids to naturally think of the future they want for themselves, and take action, based on what’s meaningful to them.

Around Town

COLUMN: Good Bye, Paul, My Good Friend

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I can still remember the first time I met with Paul. He invited me to coffee to talk to me about how we might work together. I had recently started covering Watertown in my old position as editor at Patch, and he was working with Belmont Savings. Through the years we met dozens of times and worked on a number of projects, and we became friends. I have been thinking a lot about our ventures over the past several years since hearing the sad and shocking news that Paul Airasian had passed away last weekend.

Around Town

Rave Reviews Continue for 2018 Faire on the Square, Council Thanks Organizers

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The rave reviews for the 2018 Faire on the Square continued at Tuesday night’s Town Council Meeting. 

Town officials tried to change things up from previous years to breathe new life into the annual event, which drew thousands on Saturday. “This was a really fun, successful, revitalized event,” Sideris said. He thanked several people for organizing the event, including Dan McCarthy, who took over as chairman of the Faire on the Square Committee. Watertown resident James Mello said the event brought back memories of Town events from many years ago. “It reminded me of when we were kids on the Fourth of July when they brought out rides and set them up behind Town Hall,” Mello said.

Around Town

State Shuts Down Watertown Daycare Center Where Infant Died

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According to a Fox Channel 25 report, the daycare center where an infant died has been shut down by the state. On Sept. 13, 2018, a 5-month-old girl was found unresponsive at the Strawberry Child Care center on Watertown Street. She was pronounced dead a the hospital. The Fox 25 report said state officials issued an emergency suspension of the child care center because the staff did not perform CPR on the infant, failed to use good judgement in an emergency, and did not to adequately supervise infants in the school.

Around Town

Get Your Entries Ready for the Watertown Mall’s Scarecrow Contest

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The following information was provided by the Watertown Mall:

The Watertown Mall, located at 550 Arsenal Street, Watertown, will be hosting its beloved 27th Scarecrow Competition. Our Scarecrow Contest is open to all. This is an ideal way to bring people together and have lots of fun. Scarecrows. The contest is open to individuals, families, schools and businesses and will be displayed throughout the Watertown Mall from Oct.

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Newly Renovated Watertown Boys & Girls Club Wows the Public at Grand Opening

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When the Watertown Boys & Girls Club reopens its doors for the school year this week members may not recognize the building. The facility on Whites Avenue recently completed a major renovation, and on Saturday the Club had a grand opening. Executive Director Renee Gaudette said she can’t wait to see the looks on children’s faces when they get their first look. “We plan to take videos of children as the come in,” Gaudette said. Town Council President Mark Sideris said the renovation turned out very nicely.

Around Town

Watertown News Poll: Traffic, Once Again, Tops the List of Concerns for Watertown Residents

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A poll of  Faire on the Square attendees found that traffic/transportation came top among concerns about Watertown, followed by development. People who stopped by the Watertown News table could participate in the poll, in which they were asked “What concerns you most in Watertown Today,” and participants could check one or more of these five issues, and could write in their own issue:

Schools
Development
Traffic/transportation
Heroin/opioids
Property Taxes
Or, add their own write-in issue

This year 30 people took the poll, and some checked more than one issue. Traffic/transportation received 21 votes, followed by 15 for development. Close behind was heroin/opioids, which got 12 votes. The schools got 10 votes and property taxes got six.