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Watertown Touch-a-Truck Features DPW, Fire & Police Vehicles + Bookmobile

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The following announcement was provided by the City of Watertown:

Calling automobile enthusiasts of all ages! Watertown Department of Public Works is hosting a Touch-a-Truck on Saturday, May 11, 2024 at 124 Orchard St. from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. Guest experiences will include a Road Sign Maze as well as a Planting Station where participants can plant seeds in a paper cup to take home. Free popcorn and giveaways for children will be available while supplies last. You can plan to see DPW vehicles and others from around the city, including Watertown police and fire, the library’s bookmobile, plus recycling and compost trucks!

Around Town

Sidewalks Closing on Common Street for High School Project

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The project managers for the Watertown High School project, Vertex, announced that a portion of the sidewalk near the high school construction site will be closed temporarily. Vertex provided the following announcement:

Please note that the permanent fix of the sidewalk at the intersection of Spring & Common Street is expected to take place this Friday 4/19/24 (weather depending). That portion of the sidewalk will be temporarily unavailable on Friday 4/19/24 and will be returned to service on Saturday 4/20/24. The above image shows the exact location where the sidewalk will be repaired on the High School side of Common Street.

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Volunteers Wanted to Clean Up Charles River in Watertown

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Charlie BreitroseThe Charles River. In honor of Earth Day, a clean up along the banks of the Charles River in Watertown will be held on Saturday, April 20. The following announcement was provided by State Sen. Will Brownsberger:

We have plenty of room for more volunteers to pick up trash at one of the sites we’re organizing for the annual Charles River Earth Day Cleanup this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 12 noon. 

The location is between Galen Street and the Watertown Dam bridge, along the Greenway. Go to the volunteer form for a map and to sign up. We will email you with details on the meetup location.

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Watertown Cable’s New Studios Showcased at Grand Opening, Public Can Use the Facility & Equipment

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Photo by Charlie BreitroseWatertown Cable staff gave the public a look around their new studio during the grand opening on April 11. After years of planning, and months of construction, Watertown Cable Access Television officially opened its new and improved studios in the basement of the Phillips Building. On April 11, WCA-TV invited the public to take a look at the new facility, which features a new studio, control room, editing suite, and a brand new addition: a podcasting studio. While Watertown Cable may be known for broadcasting government meetings, producing news shows, and covering local sports, Executive Director Andrea Santopietro said WCA-TV facilities are for the community, too. “All of the spaces that you will see today are available to you to create.

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WBC Life Science Panel Spotlights Collaboration Between Schools & Life Science Companies

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If you missed the fourth annual Watertown Business Coalition Life Science Panel on April 9 focusing on the collaboration between the Watertown Public Schools and local life science companies, you can see the video produced by Watertown Cable Access Television. The collaboration is known as CoLAB High School STEM Career Collaboration, and has been organized by Watertown’s Merle Kummer and the group’s board. CoLAB is a nonprofit organization in Watertown where local life science professionals and high school educators collaborate to inspire student interest in STEM careers — Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math — and build new levels of STEM self-confidence.  The Life Science Panel was held at Mosesian Center for the Arts. The event included panelists from Addgene and Acrivon Therapeutics, and a Watertown High School Junior shared his experience on what it is like to have a real scientist as a mentor.”We are proud to partner with life sciences professionals, working together to mentor our students and future scientists,” the Watertown Business Coalition said after the event. See the video below:

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Earth Day Discussion Features Leader of Beyond Plastics Group

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Joshua TousterWatertown’s Eileen Ryan, founder of Beyond Plastics Greater Boston, advocated for legislation to limit plastic in front of the State House. Earth Day in 2024 is coming up on Monday, April 22. The theme this year is Planet vs. Plastics. For our April monthly meeting, we are pleased to present Eileen Ryan as our featured speaker.

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LETTER: Social Worker Calls for City Leaders to Include Senior Housing in Watertown Square Plan

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As a clinical social worker for older adults and their families, I see the impact of the housing crisis every day. Housing shortages, coupled with a rising number of aging residents, leave many seniors with extremely difficult choices as they age. It has become harder than ever for people to age with dignity and independence. While many older adults would choose to age in place, this option is often untenable for a variety of reasons. 

Financial constraints can leave long-time residents unable to stay in homes, which frequently means leaving the communities where they have lived for decades. Physical needs change too.

Around Town

April Vacation Irish Dance Open House Taking Place in Watertown

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The following announcement came from O’Shea Chaplin Academy of Irish Dance:

Boys and girls ages 4 & up are invited to spend part of April break trying Irish dance with O’Shea Chaplin! Our school, celebrating its 70th anniversary in 2024, offers performance, competitive, and recreational opportunities. Come see why dancers join our family in preschool and choose to stay with us through high school, college, and beyond. This event is FREE to attend and all open house guests will be entered into a raffle for $50 off tuition. Monday April 15th – NewtonBalera Studio105 Rumford Ave5:00-5:45 PM

Tuesday April 16th – WatertownAOH Hibernian Hall151 Watertown Street5:15-6:00 PM

Thursday April 18th – ReadingKnights of Columbus11 Sanborn Street5:00-5:45 PM

Saturday April 20th – NewtonBalera Studio105 Rumford Ave12:30-1:30 PM

Questions?