Around Town

Big Bunch of Bikes Donated to Watertown Boys & Girls Club

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Ten members of the Watertown Boys & Girls Club headed over to the Belmont Country Club and received a special gift – a new bike. In all, 40 new bikes were donated to the club. The bicycles come courtesy of Intuit Software and Best Corporate Events and were assembled as part of a team building exercise. “The bikes will be distributed to club members over the next few days,” said Renee Gaudette, executive director of the club. “The Watertown Boys and Girls Club wishes to thank Best Corporate Events and Intuit Software for selecting our organization as beneficiary of this amazing donation!”

Around Town

DCR Celebrating Groundbreaking for Charles River Riverfront Project

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A flurry of work can already be seen along the Charles River, east of Watertown Square, and the official groundbreaking for the construction project will be held on Monday, July 21. The work is phase I of the Watertown Riverfront Park Project and goes from the Founders Monument to Perkins Hill. Improvements include reconstructing pathways, additions of river overlooks and a sensory trail for vision impaired students. The work is due to be completed this fall. Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Maeve Bartlett, DCR Commissioner Jack Murray, Senator Will Brownsberger, State Rep. Jonathan Hecht and other local officials will be at the ceremony.

Around Town

Watertown Will Name Square After 95-Year-Old WWII Veteran

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During World War II Tony Basile landed in Normandy, fought in the Battle of the Bulge and earned a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star. This year the 95-year-old U.S. Army veteran will have a square dedicated in his name. On Tuesday night the Town Council voted to make the intersection of Worcester and Springfield streets Anthony “Tony” Basile Square. Tony’s daughter Sandra Basile-Duncan thanked the council for honoring her father. “This means a whole lot for our family, a lot for my father,” Basile-Duncan said.

Around Town

Boston Will Name Playground After Fallen Firefighters, Including Ed Walsh

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The two Boston firefighters killed in a blaze in March, including Watertown-native Edward Walsh, will be honored by having a tot lot in West Roxbury dedicated in their names. Boston Mayor Marty Walsh will reopen the Billings Field playground at 369 LaGrange Street in West Roxbury on Saturday, July 26, at 10 a.m. The tot lot will be named for Walsh, a fire lieutenant, and Firefighter Michael Kennedy, who died in a 9-alarm fire in the Back Bay. The nearly $500,000 playground improvement project includes the Lt. Edward Walsh and Firefighter Michael Kennedy Tot Lot which will include two new fire truck panels to be placed in the 2 to 5-year-old and 5 to 12-year-old play areas. The panels resemble the front of a fire truck and are adorned with the Boston Fire Department logo and the names of Engine 33 and Ladder 15, as well as interactive elements such as steering wheels and a fire bell. Two park benches will also be named in Walsh and Kennedy’s honor.

Around Town

Hundreds Turn Out for Watertown Library’s 5K Race

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The first ever WFPL 5K road race drew nearly 200 runners and raised money for the Watertown Free Public Library. On Saturday, June 21, 2014 runners of all ages gathered at the Watertown Free Public Library with their friends and families to participate in the first ever Watertown Library fun run. Emily Miranda, supervisor of Children’s Services, thanked the participants in the race:
“We at the library are inspired by our incredible patrons, and this event truly exemplified the spirit of this community. So what can you do now that the race is over? Support the library by taking advantage of all of the resources and programs we have to offer.  Ask questions!

Around Town

Celebrate the First Reading of the Declaration of Independence in Watertown

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Two weeks after the United Stated declared its independence from the British, the document proclaiming the new nation was read for the first time in Massachusetts in Watertown. The next day the first treaty entered into by the U.S. was signed in town, too. On Saturday, July 19, 2014, the Historical Society of Watertown will mark the anniversaries of these events with a reading of the Declaration of Independence and a celebration of the Treaty of Watertown. The free event will be Saturday from noon-4 p.m. at the Edmund Fowle House and Museum, 28 Marshall St. The Declaration was first read on July 18, 1776, and on July 19, 1776, a treaty was signed with the St.

Around Town

Watertown Resident Featured in Globe Story on Adventure Racing

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Watertown’s Rick Keilty recently spent four days venturing through 250 miles of woods in Maine by foot, bicycle and boat. The adventure racer was featured in a story in the Boston Globe. He and his teammate Eric Wyler of Brighton took part in the Untamed New England race near Moosehead Lake. Teams from around the world came out to take on the event, which showcases land preserved by the Boston-based Appalachian Mountain Club’s Maine Woods Initiative. Keilty and Wyler took 30th in the competition.