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Watertown residents will be able to put trees out to be collected on trash days for two weeks in January. The City sent out the following announcement:
Please be aware that Christmas trees will be collected on your trash day for two weeks from Monday, January 8 to Monday, January 22, 2024.
Please make sure to remove all lights and ornaments, and do NOT put the tree in a bag. The city will only collect the tree itself.
City Council President Mark Sideris outlined the accomplishments of the past two terms and issues facing the City Council in the new term at the 2024 Inauguration. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)
The New Year also ushered in a new term for Watertown’s elected boards, and the City has some issues on its plate to tackle soon, including a show shoveling ordinance, short-term rentals, and reusing some former city buildings. City Council President Mark Sideris addressed the crowd Tuesday night at the Commander’s Mansion after members of the City Council, School Committee, and Board of Library Trustees took the oath of office. Watertown’s elected officials waited to be sworn in at the 2024 Inauguration at the Commander’s Mansion. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)
When the Council meets on Jan.
Jan Singer, left, the former Executive Director of the Watertown Community Foundation, discussed how the Foundation responded to food insecurity during the Pandemic with journalists Maya Shwayder and Charlie Breitrose. (Photo by Dan Hogan / WCA-TV)
As the numbers of people facing a scarcity of food, worried about losing their home, or paying for utilities rose at the start of the Pandemic, a group of people in Watertown was gathered to bring together their knowledge of how to serve those in need. The task force continues to meet regularly, and tries to figure out ways to fill the gaps and patch the cracks in the local, state, and federal social services programs.
This story is the third in a series by Watertown News, in conjunction with Watertown Cable Access Television, called “Watertown’s Hidden Problem: Food Insecurity Among Us.” (See part one here). The Task Force
Jan Singer, who was executive director of the Watertown Community Foundation when COVID-19 hit, said the Community Resilience Task Force came about when the Foundation got a grant from the Massachusetts COVID-19 Relief Fund aimed at providing assistance in key areas such as housing, childcare, and food security. Singer and members of the Foundation board quickly realized that they needed to gather the experts to help them direct the funds where they were needed most.
The following information was provided by the Unity Breakfast organizers:
Each year, the residents of Watertown come together to celebrate civil rights and to honor the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. and other civil rights leaders by recommitting to foundational principles of racial, social and economic justice.
This year’s Unity Breakfast will take place on Monday, January 15, 2024 at 10 a.m. The event will be broadcasted live from www.unitybreakfast.org. It will feature a keynote address from Dr. Charmain Jackson, a psychologist working to disrupt racial disparities in mental health along with remarks from Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell. The honorary host is Dr. Ceronne Daly, Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging at Watertown Public Schools.
Watertown DPWResidents will soon be able to purchase a second recycling toter – the green one – for less than before. For one week only, Watertown residents will have an opportunity to put out trash that does not fit in trash toters. City officials sent out the following announcement:
The City of Watertown will offer an overflow trash week from January 8 through 12, 2024. Households may place up to 3 trash bags next to their trash tote for collection. Find out more about trash and recycling in Watertown by clicking here.
Members of the Boston Gold Kings hit the ice at their home rink, John A. Ryan Arena in Watertown. The semi-pro team starts its first season on Jan. 6. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)
For some, playing for the Boston Gold Kings is a second chance to keep their hockey career going, for others being on the semi-pro team based out of Watertown is the first time playing with an organized adult team, and it’s fun for all. The first game for the Boston Gold Kings will be at Ryan Arena on Saturday, Jan.
The Post Office located on Main Street in Watertown will be closing for an extended period starting in January 2024. The Post Office, located across from the Library at 126 Main St., Watertown, will close while the building where it is located is torn down and replaced with a five-story mixed use building with retail on the ground floor and four stories of residential above. The project was approved by the Zoning Board of Appeals in October. During the hearing for the project, the developers said they had contacted the U.S. Postal Service about designing a new space in the development, and also said there may be a temporary location. Under current plans, there will be no temporary spot in Watertown Square.
Watertown senior Molly Driscoll Molly was named the Middlesex League Field Hockey MVP, along with being an All-Star in 2023. Here she celebrates scoring against St. Mary’s State Tournament. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)
Watertown High School had 19 athletes from eight sports named Middlesex League All-Stars during the Fall 2023 sports season. The Watertown field hockey team, which won its third straight state championship, led the way for the Raiders with seven All-Stars.