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2 Watertown Field Hockey Players Take Part in National Junior Championships, One Named to Junior Olympics Team

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The following announcement came from USA Field Hockey:

Following evaluation at the 2024 Junior Nexus Championship, presented by Osaka Hockey, USA Field Hockey is pleased to announce the athletes who have been selected to play in the 2024 Girls AAU Junior Olympic Games, including Reagan Driscoll of Watertown. This year’s event will take place at Wake Forest University in Winston Salem, North Carolina, from July 29 to August 1. These selected athletes will have the opportunity to participate alongside some of the best athletes in other sports, from across the country. AAU Junior Olympic Games athletes have until Friday, July 19, 2024 to register online through their USA Field Hockey Membership Account. If a player declines their invitation, an alternate will be notified.

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Many, Many Open Houses to Check Out in Watertown This Week

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Homebuyers have a wide selection of homes for sale in Watertown to visit this weekend. 47 Stuart St., $950,000, 4 bedroom, 2 bathroom 1,860 sq. ft. Single Family, Open houses: Friday, July 19 4:30 PM – 6:00 PM Saturday, July 20 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM Sunday, July 21 11:30 AM – 1 PM

63 Bradford Road #B, $932,500, 3 bedroom 3 bathroom 1,289 sq. ft.

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Watertown Square Plan Approved by Council & Planning Board; Zoning & Design to Occur This Fall

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City Manager George Proakis addresses the City Council and Planning Board at the Watertown Square Area Plan hearing on July 16. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

After three meetings, and nearly 10 hours of discussion and public comment, the City Council and Planning Board approved the Watertown Square Area Plan on Tuesday night. The plan was amended by the Council, but retained the major goals of the version first discussed by the boards at the first meeting on June 13: a by-right housing unit capacity of 3,133; and the Four Corners reconfiguration of the Watertown Square roadways, which removes Charles River Road from the intersection. The details of the zoning and design to make the plan a reality will take place this fall, including some public meetings. During the public comment period, multiple people suggested the vote be postponed, and/or that the City should only allow for the minimum housing capacity required by the state, 1,701.

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Watertown Cancer Survivor Riding the 2024 Pan-Mass Challenge

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Theresa Welsh, right, and her partner Andrea. Welsh will be riding the 45th Pan-Mass Challenge to raise money for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in August. Theresa first rode the PMC in 2011 in honor of a friend, and Andrea started in 2023 to support Welsh. (Contributed Photo)

On Aug. 3 and 4, 2024, Watertown’s Theresa Welsh will join more than 6,500 riders who take on the 45th annual Pan-Mass Challenge, a bike-a-thon that raises money for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

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Panera Relocates to Watertown Square, Offering Rapid Pick-Up

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Hamra Enterprises opened a new Panera To Go bakery café at 11 Mount Auburn Street in Watertown on July 11. (Courtesy Photo)

The following announcement was provided by Hamra Enterprises:

Consumers in Watertown and surrounding areas now have the convenience of a new dining option with the opening of a Panera To Go location, fully enabled for digital convenience and Rapid Pick-Up®. The grand opening of the new location at 11 Mount Auburn Street was on July 11. For Hamra Enterprises, a nationwide, family-owned restaurant operator headquartered in Springfield, Mo., this is the second Panera To Go location and the first in Massachusetts. It is the company’s 18th Panera location in Massachusetts, 91st Panera overall, and 195th across four brands: Panera Bread, Wendy’s, Noodles and Company, and Caribou Coffee.

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LETTER: Open Letter to the Council on the Watertown Square Area Plan

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To: Watertown City CouncilorsFrom: Linda ScottSubject: Response to Councilor Gannon’s comments on Watertown’s History on June 27, 2024ATTN: Please include this letter in the record and read at the July 16th Joint Hearing

Dear John,

I am sending this to all of the City Councilors, but I’m addressing it to you, since I am responding to the comments that you made about the history of Watertown at the June 27 Joint Meeting of the City Council and the Planning Board. Your comments gave me food for thought. I thought about how circular the path of Watertown has been … large, broken down factories replaced with office space. That gave way to Bio Tech labs. It’s been a pattern in Watertown’s history to go all-in on one thing.

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LETTER: A Look at Recommended Amendments to Watertown Square Area Plan

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By Linda ScottWatertown Resident

As I was perusing my e-mail on Friday, late afternoon, I saw this:

Subject Line: Watertown Square: Continued Joint Hearing on 7/16 at 6 PM & Kids Space! Oh, I thought. That’s the announcement of this Tuesday’s meeting at the Middle School to have more resident input on the “Watertown Square Area Plan.” I didn’t think much of it, until a (really) alert resident actually opened this up to find pages of additions and corrections to the Square Area Plan document! Yes, I opened this message and saw a link entitled: “Recommended Amendments to the Plan”Click here to see the amendements to the plan. As I opened this link up, my first thought was, “This is a whole lot to dump on the Council, Planning Board and the public just a few days away from this very important meeting!”

I also thought, “What a confusing presentation!

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Artists and Scientists Wanted to be Part of Edible Watertown Project

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The artwork from Edible Plants 2022, Clockwise from top left: Daylily by Patti Murphy, Bee Balm by Niloufar Keyhani, Elderberry by Marija Draskic Brancazio, Wintergreen by Kate Martens, Mayapple by Carol Leonesio, Mountain Mint by Cat Bennett, Huckleberry by Donna Calleja, Red Bud by Debajyoti Biswas, Bearberry by Connie Henry, and Garlic Chives by Jaclyn Kain. The City of Watertown provided the following announcement:

The Public Arts & Culture Committee is pleased to launch its next public art initiative, part of the Edible Watertown project, titled Expert Pairings. Supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts. Full details linked below:

Call for Artists and Scientists: Expert Pairings – Application open until September 15, 2024, at 11:59 p.m.! Expert Pairings invites artists and scientists to explore the ecology of Watertown and collaborate on temporary public artwork. Artists and scientists can submit qualifications individually or as a pair.