Around Town

Watertown Residents Can Join Solar Discount Program

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Watertown residents can participate in a program offering discounts on home solar systems.

Organizers sent out the following information:

From March 1, 2019, to July 31, 2019, Neighborhood Solar joins Watertown Faces Climate Change, a 350 node and a working group of Watertown Citizens for Peace, Justice and the Environment, Belmont goes Solar, Mothers Out Front, GreenCambridge, and 350-Cambridge, in offering the communities of Watertown, Belmont, and Cambridge a solar group purchase discount program. An all-volunteer program, Neighborhood Solar offers residents, businesses, and non-profits in Watertown, Belmont, and Cambridge a 20 percent discount on solar photovoltaics and a 14 percent discount on solar hot water. Its installers are SunBug Solar, a seven year-running Angie’s List Super Service Award winner, and New England Solar Hot Water. The offer is designed to take advantage of Massachusetts’ new SMART solar incentive program (photovoltaics), the Mass CEC rebates and Alternative Energy Certificates (solar hot water), the last year of the 30 percent federal tax credit, combined with the best solar prices and the best solar quality and craftsmanship. All evaluations and proposals are free.

Around Town

Registration Open for 20th Annual Charles River Cleanup

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Chuck Dickinson’s “Charles River, Watertown” came in third in the Watertown Savings photo contest. The 20th Annual Charles River Clean up is coming up in April. See how you can get involved. The following announcement came from State Sen. Will Brownsberger’s Office:

Registration is now open for the 20th Annual Charles River Cleanup, which will take place on Saturday, April 27 from 9 AM – 12 PM, followed by a volunteer appreciation picnic on the Esplanade. If you’re interested in participating this year, click here to register!

Environment

Town Council Seeks to Have Town Move to 100% Renewable Energy

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Watertown Town Hall

In a move to respond to climate change, the Town Council voted to create a Climate and Energy Master Plan, and get the town to 100 percent renewable energy in the coming decades. A proposal for the Climate and Energy Master Plan was presented to a joint subcommittee at meetings in October and December by the Watertown Environment & Energy Efficiency Committee (also called W3EC). It seeks to prepare Watertown for the changing weather conditions, and take steps to reduce the town’s impact on climate change. The proposal states, in part:

“It is clear from projections that Watertown as a community will be increasingly affected by climate change. Significant impacts to daily life in Watertown are to be expected.

Environment

LETTER: Author of Watertown’s Solar Requirement Thanks Supporters, Urges More Action

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The following statement was read, in part, to the Town Council on Dec. 11, 2018, by Watertown Resident Jocelyn Tager. The requirement to have solar power systems on new developments over a certain size was passed by the Town Council on Nov. 27, 2018, making the town the first in the state to adopt such a requirement. Here is the full version:

My name is Jocelyn Tager.

Environment

Sen. Brownsberger Hosts Discussion on the Future of Energy, Environmental Policy

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The following announcement was provided by Sen. Will Brownsberger’s office:

Senator Will Brownsberger will host – alongside Senator Michael Barrett (D-Lexington), Transportation for Massachusetts‘ Executive Director Chris Dempsey, and the Environmental League of Massachusetts‘ Legislative Director Casey Bowers – a town hall discussion on the future of energy and environmental policy in Massachusetts. WHEN: Saturday, Dec. 8 from 2:30-4:30 p.m.

WHERE: Watertown Free Public Library, 123 Main St., Watertown, MA

This event is open to the public and all are encouraged to attend to learn more and ask questions. For more information, contact Quinn Diaz at 617-722-1280 or quinn.diaz@masenate.gov

Environment

Council to Look at Ways to Increase the Number Trees Along Watertown’s Streets

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Having trees on your street can reduce the heat in the summer, prevent flooding when it rains and can even increase property values. However, a study of street trees done by Watertown High School students found that many residents have few or no trees along their blocks. Monday night, the results of a survey of more than 3,400 street trees around Watertown were presented to a joint meeting of the Town Council’s Public Works and Rules & Ordinances subcommittees. The group made a recommendation to the full Town Council to seek ways to use the data to bring trees to streets that lack them. The data was presented by two members of Trees for Watertown, a citizens group committed to planting and maintain trees in town.

Adelaide Sproul

Gifts to Teens for Trees Program Honor Watertown Tree Activist Adelaide Sproul

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The following piece was provided by Trees for Watertown:

TFW Teens for Trees, a six-week summer internship program to teach Watertown teens about the many benefits of maintaining a healthy urban shade tree population, received two generous donations this Fall in honor of former longtime Watertown resident Adelaide Sproul. Adelaide Sproul was a painter, sculptor and writer, and a founder and early president of Trees for Watertown (TFW), a volunteer citizens group founded in 1985 to protect and plant public shade trees and to advocate for a healthy urban forest in Watertown. Ms. Sproul lived and worked on the top floor of a house overlooking Whitney Hill Woods until shortly before her death in 2009 at age 95. “Adelaide was an early proponent of TFW and the prime mover organizing the first Whitney Woods Cleanup Days,” said Paul A, Tamburello Jr., longtime neighbor of Ms. Sproul, who gave a matching-funds gift of $500 in Ms. Sproul’s honor to Trees for Watertown’s fundraising campaign for Teens for Trees. “She would be over the moon about the central project to inventory Watertown’s public shade trees.”

Environment

Watertown Residents Can Get a Discount on Home Solar Systems in October

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The following information was provided by Neighborhood Solar:

Watertown residents can get a discount on home solar systems during the month of October. October is National Energy Awareness Month. During the month of October, through Neighborhood Solar, Watertown, Belmont, and Cambridge residents and landlords can obtain a free solar evaluation, proposal, and a discount of $1,000 off a solar voltaic system installed by SunBug Solar.  To inquire about this October offer, contact Neighborhoodsolar@sunbugsolar.com.