Around Town

Watertown Insurance Agency Runs Successful Toys for Tots Drive

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H&K Insurance Agency is excited to announce another great Toys for Tots drive with more donations from the public than ever before! H&K Insurance has been participating in Toys for Tots for the last ten years and continues to grow with each passing season. This year, through the support of their customers, partners, staff, and the local community, they were able to collect an astounding amount of 65 toys. A big contributor this year were individual donations from the public, more than any time in the past. “We are thrilled to see our staff and the Watertown community unite as one to be a part of such an amazing program,” said Paul Perry, the Treasurer and General Manager of H&K.

Boston Marathon Bombing

Patriots Day Filmmakers Wanted to ‘Get it Right’ for Survivors, First Responders

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Getting it right was so important to the team behind the Boston Marathon Bombing movie, “Patriots Day,” that it became their motto. Producer and star Mark Wahlberg said he initially was hesitant to take on the task of telling the story of the attacks on his hometown, but knew there were other efforts to capture the story of the Marathon Bombings. He wanted to capture the “strength our community showed and how well we came together,” he said at Thursday’s press conference for the movie. “I’m so damn proud of how my city responded,” he said. He was concerned how the film would be received in Boston but finally got confirmation after Wednesday’s premiere.

Schools

Watertown Education Foundation Hosting 7th Annual Spelling Bee

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On January 29, The Watertown Education Foundation in conjunction with our three Elementary Schools will host its 7th annual Spelling Bee for all Watertown children in grades one through five, the WEF announced. The goal is to provide a public forum for our children to demonstrate and apply their spelling “know how” in an academically challenging arena. More importantly, historically, the Town Wide Spelling Bee has raised over $60,000 for our Elementary Schools. Corporate sponsorship’s for the Spelling Bee will allow the WEF, along side our Elementary School PTO’s, to funnel 100% of Spelling Bee registration fees directly back to our schools. In that vein, we are asking local businesses to consider sponsoring the 7th Annual Town-Wide Spelling Bee in order to make this event a success.

Real Estate

A Small Selection of Open Houses This Week in Watertown

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Watertown has a handful of open houses this weekend. $677,000 – 29 Ladd St. Unit 2, 7 room, 4 bed, 3 bath townhouse, Open House: Sunday 1-2:30

$657,000 – 31 Ladd St. Unit 31, 7 room, 4 bed, 3 bath townhouse, Open House: Sunday 1-2:30

Sponsored by:

$589,000 – 87 Watertown St. Unit 87, 7 room, 3 bed, 3 bath 2/3 family, Open House: Sunday 11-12:30

$649,900 – 199 Coolidge Ave.

Development

Approval of Arsenal Mall Renovation Delayed, Planning Board Wants More Info on Traffic

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The redesign of the Arsenal Mall will have to wait until next month for approval after the Planning Board told developers they wanted results of the traffic study to be approved by the town’s consultants. Representatives for Boylston Properties and The Wilder Cos. appeared before the Planning Board for the second time Wednesday night, focusing on the traffic impact of the project. The proposal includes removing some portions of the current mall, leaving the historic buildings and adding new buildings. The project calls for 503 units of housing, some of which would be in a 12-story residential building.

Boston Marathon Bombing

Watertown Police Officer Gets the Hollywood Treatment for ‘Patriots Day’ Movie

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The past several months have been a whirlwind Hollywood experience for Watertown Police Sgt. Jeff Pugliese. As one of the Watertown Police officers who faced off in a firefight with the Boston Marathon Bombers, Pugliese is portrayed in the movie “Patriots Day,” by veteran actor J.K. Simmons. Wednesday night, Pugliese and his wife attended the first Boston premiere of the movie (which stars Mark Wahlberg) at the Wang Theater, and before Thanksgiving the couple was whisked off to Los Angeles for the premiere. “We got the red carpet treatment in L.A. It was an experience,” Pugliese said.

Cold Snap

Tips to Prepare for the Cold Snap Hitting the Area Tonight, Friday Morning

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The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency warns residents to be prepared for the cold snap overnight from Thursday into Friday. MEMA officials released the following information:

Bitter cold temperatures and dangerously cold wind chills are forecast for later this week. Forecasts from the National Weather Service for late Thursday night and early Friday morning include low temperatures between 10° and -5° and wind chill values expected to be cold as -15° to -25° across the interior and -5° to -15° near the coast. While temperatures are expected to warm up by the weekend, extremely cold temperatures and wind chills can be dangerous. “MEMA urges residents to take precautions during the upcoming extreme cold weather.

Weather

Windy Weather in Watertown Today, Frigid Temperatures Friday

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Watertown will be hit by windy weather Thursday, followed by bitter cold temperatures on Friday. 

The National Weather Service has issued a High Wind Warning from 5 p.m. on Thursday until 4 a.m. on Friday. Sustained winds will be between 15 and 25 mph, with gusts up to 60 mph. The strongest winds are expected after 8 p.m.

The winds could bring down branches and trees, which could lead to power outages. Be prepared with heating alternatives that do not rely on electricity. The winds, combined with low temperatures will create the possibility of wind chills below zero.