New Podcast, “Eye on Watertown,” Seeks to Create a Place for Informal Public Engagement

Former Town Council President Clyde Younger has teamed up with residents Chris Chapron and Ann Healey to host a new podcast called “Eye On Watertown,” which is available on the Watertown Cable website. In the first episode, the Younger and Chapron interviewed Watertown’s Fred Grandinetti and David Hudon. Grandinetti hosts “Drawing with Fred” on Watertown Cable, and has written books about Popeye the Sailor and other subjects. Hudon illustrated Grandinetti’s books and created the logo for Eye on Watertown. An upcoming episode will feature City Council President Mark Sideris.

Residential Snow Shoveling Requirement: City Focusing on Education, Not Fines, This Winter

Snow season has arrived, and this winter Watertown residents will be required to shovel snow and ice from the sidewalks in front of their homes within 24 hours after the end of the storm. In future years failing to do so could result in a warning and fine, but this year the City will focus on educating rather than ticketing. The City Council approved changes to the Watertown Snow Ordinance in January. City staff planned to use the remainder of the 2023-24 winter to educate residents about how the new residential snow shoveling rules work, but since then the area has not had a significant snowfall. With this in mind, in the winter of 2024-25 the City will once again focus on education, said Tyler Cote, Watertown’s Community Engagement Specialist.

Toy Drive for Watertown Boys & Girls Club at Revival Cafe

Revival Cafe sent out the following announcement:

We are hosting a Toy Drive for the Boys & Girls Club of Watertown at Revival Cafe! Feel free to send this information around so we can get as many gifts for children in need as possible! Revival Cafe is located at 99 Coolidge Ave., Watertown, and gifts will be accepted seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. through Dec. 13. Popular gift categories:

Sports Balls: Soccer/Basketball/Football/Volleyball                                                             

Action Figures or Soft Toys (e.g. Squishmallows)

Science/STEM Kits

Board Games/Small Electronic Games

Gift Cards (for Teens)

Lego Sets

Pokémon sets

Arts & Craft kits

Local Podcast Episodes Focus on Director of Armenian Photo Archive, Plus a Real Estate Agent & Business Leader

Arto Vaun

Little Local Conversations Podcast creator Matt Hanna recently profiled the executive director of the Project Save Photograph Archive, as well as a local real estate agent and business leader. In “Little Local Conversations,” discover the people, places, stories, and ideas of Watertown. Hanna has conversations with various businesses owners, community leaders, creatives, and other interesting folks in Watertown to learn about what they do and get to know a bit about the people behind the work. 

Arto Vaun

Meet Arto Vaun! He’s Executive Director of Project Save Photograph Archive and a musician and poet here in Watertown. We talk about his own journey as a self-described late bloomer in owning his artistic identity to now getting public acclaim for his music, how he came to be interested in joining Project Save and his vision for reimagining it for the future to have a broader scope outside of just the Armenian community, and we dive into the backstory of Project Save and its founder and how it’s a truly incredible 50 year old cultural collection that is unique not only in the region, but the country and world.

Giving Tuesday: See Some Local Organizations You Can Support

Watertown has many worthy organizations to support on Giving Tuesday, whether it is supporting children, the arts, troops overseas, history, and more. Watertown Community Foundation

Giving Tuesday is almost here! How will you give for the greatest impact? Your support of the Watertown Community Foundation can been a force for positive change in people’s lives in Watertown. Your donations have helped:

Feed people

House people

Support and educate kids

Invest in the arts and protect the environment

Build community by bringing people together

You can see your impact here.