Around Town

MassDOT Hosting Meeting About Plans for Newton Corner Mass Pike Interchange

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MassDOT’s study area at Newton Corner. The following announcement was provided by the City of Watertown:

Massachusetts Department of Transportation is leading two exciting projects to transform Newton Corner. If you travel through the area on your way in/out of Watertown, you may be interested in learning more and providing input. Please let your voice be heard on how you use Newton Corner to connect to your public transit trips to improve your commute; the quality and safety of walking and cycling through; how you think overall safety and comfort can be addressed; how you best see sidewalks, parks, public space & destinations in the study area being used; and what your own long-term transit & commuting vision is for the area. The Newton Corner Improvements Project construction is starting!

Around Town

LETTER: MBTA Bus Barn Could Become a Street Car Museum

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The original letter was sent to City Council President Mark Sider, City Manager George Proakis and Assistant City Manager Steve Magoon:

By Clyde Younger

The newly identified UPS site represents an exceptional opportunity to exceed the number of Multi-Family Units planned for the Square. The property is an easy site to comply with the MBTA Law allowing ample land area. The Developer will have “By Right” an easier pathway of building the number of units outlined as the City’s goal.  

Lessening the density of the Square allows an intriguing use of the MBTA Lot, a/k/a “The Cow Barn.” Given its past history of service to the community the site could easily be converted into an Urban Transportation Museum. 

The history of urban transportation growth, as the country moved from an Agriculturally based economy to Industrial, would be of interest to our children as well as their parents and neighboring cities and towns. Visitors to Watertown would see the Square as a viable and lively destination point comprising an exemplary Library, Armenian Museum and diverse Merchants and Restaurants. 

Bringing people into the Square can only assist our small businesses become more profitable. Educators of School Districts may find the Museum of interest and conduct planned Field Trips to see the various modes of early, recent and future transit. Perhaps the Board Members may consider importing a San Francisco Cable Car, in addition to old Rail Cars we used. Mono-Rails and Chicago’s El may be of consideration, etc. Since Pilots and Air Traffic Controllers have simulated training. Using a similar tool the Museum would not be limited to a walk through for our children. 

There are two Street Car Museums in Massachusetts: 1. The National Streetcar Museum in Lowell and 2.

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Watertown Groups Hosting Screening of Film About Environmental Justice Advocate Stewart Udall

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The following announcement was provided by Race Reels, Progressive Watertown, and Watertown Faces Climate Change:

The film “Stewart Udall and the Politics of Beauty.” tells the inspiring story of Stewart L. Udall (1920-2010) and his legacy as an advocate of social and environmental justice. No American political figure is as relevant to the issues we face today as a nation – learning to work together, achieving racial and environmental justice, improving international relations, enhancing beauty and the arts, alleviating climate change and moving toward sustainability – as Stewart Udall, Secretary of the Interior under Presidents Kennedy and Johnson. Udall was a pioneer in environmentalism; he was the first public official to speak out about global warming. He worked collaboratively with native communities and fought to win compensation for Navajo Indians and “downwinders” who got cancer from their exposure to radiation during the Cold War without being warned of the dangers. Today, in our now deeply partisan environment, the film reveals a time when Americans were not yet so polarized, when big ideas could still capture bipartisan attention, and when America awakened to the unfolding destruction of paradise and determined to stop it.

Around Town

Anoush’ella: A Sweet Taste of Armenia in the Heart of Watertown

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Manakeesh, a flatbread with za’atar and cheese on top, served at Anoush’ella Cafe in Watertown. (Photo by Maya Shwayder)

Tucked inside the Armenian Cultural and Educational Center (ACEC) in Watertown, the café Anoush’ella — a name that translates to “may it be sweet” in Armenian — has quickly become a beloved weekly fixture, serving more than just food. Run by Nina Festekjian and her husband Rafi, alongside community center manager Vatche Seraderian, this gem of a spot blends culinary delights with cultural pride, providing a space for the Armenian community to gather, share stories, and reconnect with their heritage through shared space and food. Though the café only opens its doors just once a week on Thursday, it’s already establishing itself as a key part of the community’s rhythm. The story of Anoush’ella started as a personal passion project for Nina and Rafi.

Around Town

UPDATED – LETTER: Watertown Resident Evaluates Ballot Questions

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By Matt Lashof-Sullivan

Hey Watertown neighbors. Another election season is approaching and so it’s time for everyone to decide how they are going to vote this November. For many years I have sent out voting information and a list of endorsements for our local elections to my friends and immediate neighbors. This year, I decided to share them with a larger group, so I hope you find this helpful. How to Vote

To vote in person, go to your polling place on November 5th. 

We can all also vote by mail again, and you can still request a mail-in ballot until October 26th by using this form or otherwise by sending a letter to the city clerk.

Around Town

MassDOT to Begin Changes to Area Around Mass Pike Exit at Newton Corner

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MassDOT’s study area at Newton Corner. The following announcement came from a newsletter sent out by Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller:

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) will begin work in a few weeks on some immediate changes to the complicated convergence in Newton Corner where there are exit and entrance ramps to the Mass Pike that intersect with major streets (Washington Street, Centre Street, Galen Street, Charlesbank Road, Park Street and more). These changes are primarily focused on safety concerns and involve an upgrade to one traffic signal and the addition of another, quite different signal operations, a marked change in the use of lanes via different pavement markings, and new signage in and around the Newton Corner circle. The Newton Corner Short-Term Improvement Project is the first step in MassDOTs mid- and longer-term improvement projects at these roads and highway ramps over the Mass Pike. We know this is an inhospitable area for motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians.