Around Town

DCR Seeks Lifeguards for Pools and Beaches in Watertown & Other Communities

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The DCR’s Dealtry Pool in Watertown. The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) announced a renewed push to recruit lifeguards, swim instructors, and other roles across Massachusetts ahead of the summer season. Certified lifeguard applicants who commit to working at an agency beach or pool through Labor Day can still earn up to $750 in bonuses, in addition to competitive hourly wages ranging from $22 to $27 depending on position and associated certifications.   

“DCR’s beaches and pools welcome thousands of families and residents each summer, and hiring qualified lifeguards is crucial to ensuring a safe and fun experience for all,” said DCR Commissioner Brian Arrigo. “Our lifeguards spend their summers outside, made good money, and may even get to save some lives.

Around Town

Tree Group Concerned About Proposed Removal of 9 Trees on Mt. Auburn Street

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16″ DBH Honeylocust at 489 Mount Auburn Street in Watertown. The following announcement was provided by Trees for Watertown:

TREE HEARING this Wednesday for Nine Shade Trees MassDOT Wants to Remove

The Mass. Department of Transportation (MassDOT) wants to cut down nine shade treesalong Mount Auburn Street in order to make way for roadway modifications. This was unexpected by those of us who believed MassDOT’s assurances months ago that destruction of shade trees as part of the Mount Auburn Street Project would be minimal. If this destruction concerns you, the Public Shade Tree Removal Hearing for these trees is on Zoom at 10 a.m. this Wednesday, May 14.

Around Town

Mt. Auburn St. Project: Installation of Electrical Pipes Continues at 3 Intersections

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The Mt. Auburn Street project will continue during the week of March 12-16, including installation of electrical conduit (underground electrical pipes) at three intersections on Mt. Auburn: Common Street, Irving Street/ Palfrey Street, and between Bates Road and Garfield Street. See details in the announcement from the City of Watertown, below. Traffic and Sidewalk ImpactsDuring this work, you can expect temporary lane shifts and possibly lane closures, but one travel lane in each direction will remain on Mount Auburn Street.

Around Town

Traffic Advisory for Roads in and Around Watertown, Including North Beacon Street

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Road work on Department of Conservation and Recreation-owned roadways in and around Watertown will lead to lane closures over the coming weeks, beginning on Sunday, May 11. See more details in the announcements from the DCR, below. DCR Traffic Advisory: North Beacon Street in Watertown

WHAT: Beginning on Sunday, May 11, 2025, and continuing through Monday, June 2, 2025, the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) will close lanes along North Beacon Street from Greenough Boulevard to Charles River Road in the City of Watertown from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. to accommodate milling and paving work. Traffic patterns will be clearly marked, and a police detail will be on site.    

WHERE: North Beacon Street from Greenough Boulevard to Charles River Road in the City of Watertown 

WHEN: Sunday, May 11, 2025 – Monday, June 2, 2025, 7 p.m. – 5 a.m. 

DCR Traffic Advisory: Gerrys Landing Road in Cambridge

WHAT: Beginning on Monday, May 12, 2025, and continuing through Friday, June 13, 2025, the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) will close lanes along Gerrys Landing Road from Greenough Boulevard to Mt Auburn Street in the City of Cambridge from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. to accommodate milling and paving work. Traffic patterns will be clearly marked, and a police detail will be on site.

Around Town

LETTER: Thoughts on Watertown’s Housing Production Goals

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Dear Editor,

Wednesday evening, May 7th  the Eye on Watertown Podcast had the pleasure to have as our guests Josh Rosmarin and Jacky van Leeuwen, Members of the Steering Committee of Housing For All Watertown. 

Housing for All Watertown’s mission is to build a broad coalition of residents to advance local policies and projects in order to expand housing options. My understanding is their  focus is on finding solutions to current housing challenges for both current and future community members. Advance in the mission statement for Housing for All Watertown is used in the context of pushing forward policies and projects that expand housing options. The group has also been involved in efforts to combat ethnic – and income-based discrimination in Watertown’s housing market. We found that Expanding Affordable Housing has been in the forefront of their efforts and has pushed for more affordable housing units as part of the MBTA Communities Act Plan which aims to increase housing near transit hubs. The Housing for All Watertown’s group and its approach has been deemed by many as one of the most ambitious housing advocates in the state.

Around Town

Weather Forecast: Rainy Days to be Followed by Sunny, Warmer Stretch

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Eastern Massachusetts is in for a classic spring rollercoaster this week, beginning with a dreary, windswept rain event on Friday and Saturday before transitioning to a prolonged stretch of dry, sunny, and increasingly warm weather. A slow-moving coastal low brings widespread rain and gusty onshore winds to end the workweek. Conditions improve gradually through the weekend, and by Sunday, high pressure takes over — ushering in sunshine and a steady warming trend. Expect highs in the 50s and 60s to start, climbing well into the 70s and even low 80s by midweek. Patience will be rewarded.

Obituaries

OBIT: Maria Ann Littleton, 100, Active in the Community, Loved to Travel

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Maria Ann Littleton

Maria Ann Littleton, 100 years old, of Belmont and Watertown, Massachusetts, passed away peacefully, surrounded by the love of her family. Born in Watertown to Italian Immigrants, Carmela and Pasquale DiGiacomo, she was the oldest of six children. 

Maria lived a full and vibrant life. She loved her active roles in the community with the Belmont Street Baptist Church, the League of Women Voters, the Belmont Women’s Club, the Belmont Library, and volunteer work at Massachusetts General Hospital, and the Town Polls. Maria enjoyed attending cultural events and musical programs. She loved to travel, especially to Italy to visit family. Maria loved driving her Alfa Romeo back and forth to Key West and was a club member.

Around Town

Watertown Group Will Hear from Student Advocating for Nuclear Disarmament

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The following announcement was provided by Watertown Citizens for Peace, Justice, and the Environment:

Please join us on Saturday, May 17 to hear Maria Udalova from Students for Nuclear Disarmament speak about why she is passionate about nuclear disarmament, why young people understand the necessity for disarmament, and how they take action to achieve a world without nuclear weapons. 

The program will take place at 3:00 PM in the Lower Meeting Hall at the Church of the Good Shepherd at 9 Russell Ave., Watertown. Ms. Udalova is a senior at Brookline High School and leads her school’s Students for Nuclear Disarmament (SND) Chapter. She is also a member of the SND. 

Locally, Ms. Udalova has organized student lobbying efforts at the State House on climate and disarmament legislation, led educational initiatives on nuclear disarmament, and spearheaded disarmament policy efforts in Brookline. She has spoken to students and civil society groups, emphasizing the critical role of student engagement in nuclear disarmament. Students for Nuclear Disarmament is a national, nonpartisan, 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to raising awareness among Gen-Z about the threat that nuclear weapons pose to humanity.  We unite young people to urge the U.S. government to pursue common-sense nuclear weapons policy. You can learn more at students4disarmament.org. The program on May 17 is sponsored by the Peace and Common Security of Watertown Citizens for Peace, Justice, and the Environment. The Working Group has collected 450 signatures to put a back from the Brink (https://preventnuclearwar.org/) nuclear disarmament resolution in front of the City Council via a Citizen Petition which will be submitted to the City Clerk at sometime this summer. If passed by the City Council, Watertown would join 21 Massachusetts cities and towns who have passed similar resolutions. The working group has developed education resources, organized a number of public programs on the existential threat of nuclear weapons and the need for nuclear disarmament, and taped a program on WCATV titled “Ending Nuclear Weapons” focused on the contradictions of nuclear deterrence.