April at Gore Place: Plant Sale, Spring Photo Session, Virtual Sheepshearing Festival

The following information was provided by Gore Place:

What’s a Living Salad Bowl? Now available from the Farm at Gore Place! A living salad bowl is a container of growing salad greens. We’re offering these special living salad bowl arrangements created by Farmer Scott at Gore Place. He’ll use a variety of greens including red and green leaf lettuce, chard, and spicy microgreens (all “cut-and-come-again” varieties).

Watertown Company Teams Food Trucks, Schools to Put on Fundraisers

Watertown-based Food Truck Ventures teams up food trucks and schools for fundraisers. Here a food truck visits Wellington School in Belmont as part of the StrEATS for Schools program. The pandemic has made fundraising for schools and PTOs more challenging, but a Watertown-based company has provided a way for schools to bring in money and also provide a tasty meal. This school year, Food Truck Ventures started offering StrEATS for Schools, where food trucks can come to the school or neighborhood and provide food and bring in some funds. Several schools in the area, including Lowell Elementary School in Watertown, have taken advantage.

Watertown Farmers Market Planning for 2021, Provides Access to Fruits & Veggies to Everyone

The opening of the Watertown Farmers Market is still a few months away, but the 2021 season will feature more produce vendors, modified COVID-19 restrictions and has special programs for people who qualify for the SNAP program. The Farmers Market opens on June 16 and runs through Oct. 20 in Saltonstall Park (next to Town Hall). The hours will be 2:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Watertown’s Community Wellness/Market Manager Stephanie Venizelos continues to confirm which vendors will be at the Watertown Farmers Market in 2021, but she said there will be three large produce vendors, all of which will have at-market sales, and also preorder and/or CSA (community supported agriculture) where subscribers get a box of vegetables each month. The Watertown Farmers Market newsletter announced information about the CSA programs:

“We’re looking forward to having many of our fabulous vendors back in the park, in addition to welcoming back Farmer Tim’s and welcoming in Stillman’s Farm!

Town Taking Application for Additional Outdoor Seating at Restaurants

Deluxe Town Diner was one of several Watertown restaurants approved to have outdoor seating in 2020. Restaurants can apply again in 2021. Diners may have more outdoor dining opportunities in 2021 as the Town of Watertown is allowing restaurants to apply for additional outdoor space for temporary seating. Last year, the Town allowed some restaurants to have seating on the sidewalk in front of their business, or other places on their property, and 15 did so. The temporary permits were given to allow for increased capacity during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Watertown Restaurants Cooking Something Up for New Year’s Celebrations

Several Watertown restaurants have special menus planned to ring in 2021. City Works & Pour House will host a Brew Year’s Eve event on Dec. 31, 2020 with a special menu, including filet medallions, short rib and Cajun linguine. See more details here. Branch Line will be cooking up special meals to take home to celebrate New Year’s Eve, including entrees of prime rib or lobster thermidor.

Fees for Liquor Licenses, Others in Watertown Waived for 2021

Watertown Town Hall

The Licensing Board voted to waive fees for liquor licenses and other fees charged to do business in the Town of Watertown for all of 2021 in an effort to help them endure the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. On Thursday night, the Board heard a proposal to eliminate the annual fees for liquor licenses for restaurants, which is $2,700 for most. After a discussion, Licensing Board members decided that not just those, but also fees for other businesses should be removed for 2021. Other communities have already made changes to their liquor license fees, said David Doneski, the attorney that works with the Licensing Board. Newton and Needham approved a 50 percent reduction in fees, and Malden and Quincy waived the entire fee.