Watertown Celebrating 2 Historic Events During Virtual Event

Charlie BreitroseA re-enactor from the Historical Society of Watertown reads the Declaration of Independence from the same spot it was first read in 1776, the second floor of the Edmund Fowle House during a Treaty Day Celebration from a previous year. The Historical Society of Watertown announced that the 2022 Treaty Day celebrations will be held virtually. The event marks not just one, but two events of historic significance in the local, state, and the national history. In the past, the event has been held at the Edmund Fowle House on Marshall Street where re-enactors read the Declaration of Independence and members of the modern groups that descended from those that took part in the signing of Treaty of Watertown attend the event. This year, due to multiple reasons, the event will be held virtually.

July at the Watertown Library: Author Talks, Yoga, Dominos and More

Watertown Free Public LibraryThe Watertown Free Public Library. The following information was provided by the Watertown Free Public Library:

Summer is the perfect season to learn something new or get lost in a great story. This year, WFPL has summer reading programs, prizes, and more for children, teens, and adults! Get started at watertownlib.org/summer. Coming up in July, practice Yoga for Stress Relief, join ¡Noche deDominó en la Biblioteca! (in English and Spanish), or sew a Bluebird of Happiness.

See How the Fourth of July Impacts City Facilities, Trash & Recycling

The City of Watertown announced the schedule for municipal facilities on the Fourth of July. City officials sent out the following information:

Watertown City Hall, Library, and Senior Center, are closed on Independence Day, Monday, July 4, 2022. Have a safe and fun holiday! Due to the holiday being on Monday, the trash and recycling pickup schedule shifts a day to Tuesday, July 5 through Saturday, July 9, 2022. Learn more about Trash and Recycling here.

Drivers Can Now Park at Watertown Parking Meters Using Cellphone App

People parking at meters in the Watertown will have the option of using a cellphone app to pay. The City of Watertown announced it has started using the Passport parking app. “Drivers can now use their smartphones to pay for and manage parking sessions, as an alternative to coins and credit cards,” the City’s announcement said. “After downloading the free Passport parking application, users create an account with license plate number and credit card, then enter the zone number marked on the meter and nearby signage.” The minimum charge is $1, plus a 25 cent service fee, said Senior Transportation Planner Laura Wiener.

Community Spirit Awards Return, Watertown Youth Coalition Holds In-Person Celebration

Watertown Youth CoalitionThe Watertown Youth Peer Leaders pose with the staff from the Watertown Youth Coalition after the peer leaders received their awards at the 2022 Community Spirit Awards. For the first time since 2019, on June 8, the Watertown Youth Coalition along with Wayside Youth and Family Support Network hosted their yearly Community Spirit Awards ceremony and reception at Arsenal Park in Watertown. The event was put together by Watertown Youth Coalition (WYC) Peer Leadership Advisor, Zhane Goode, and WYC Program coordinator Stephanie Sunderland, who had to miss the ceremony due to unforeseen circumstances. Zhane, who has been working with all of the honored students for a few years, was very happy to finally be able to hold the awards in person and noted that the students were especially excited to get to celebrate together with their friends and family. For Zhane herself, she began her work at the WYC during the pandemic, so she said it was really nice to see everyone all together as a community. 

The event has not been held in recent years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and was attended by many members of the community, including the honorees, those who nominated them for spirit awards, and families, friends, and other Watertown citizens who came to celebrate their achievements.

Young Basketball Players Return to Summer Camp for First Time in Years

Charlie BreitroseYoung basketball players attended a camp run by Watertown High School coaches and players this week. School might be out, but the gyms at Watertown High School and Watertown Middle School have been full of youngsters this week. They joined WHS’s basketball coaches for a week-long basketball camp, and there is another program next week. The summer basketball camps have been around for many years, said Watertown boys basketball coach Steve Harrington, who runs it along with Watertown girls basketball coach Pat Ferdinand. The program has been on hiatus for a few years.