Business

Arsenal Mall Project Receives Major Investment from JP Morgan

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The owners of Arsenal Yards sent out the following information:
Boylston Properties and J.P. Morgan today announced a $109 million strategic investment from institutional investors advised by J.P. Morgan in Boylston Properties’ Arsenal Yards development, a mixed-use destination of the former Arsenal Mall in East End Watertown. With sitework currently underway and upon the first phase opening in 2019, the vibrant urban neighborhood will be more than one million square feet, including 250,000 square feet of shops and eateries, anchored by Roche Bros. and The Majestic Cinema, YardWorks (200,000 sq. ft. of new and existing office and lab space), Blvd & Bond (425 contemporary residences), a 150-room Hampton by Hilton, The Fitness Collection, and a revitalized Arsenal Park with expanded access to the Charles River.

Development

LETTER: Development on Arsenal Street is Changing the East End

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To the editor, and the Watertown community,

I think the thing that bothers me most about this, and many other developments going on around the Boston area, is the fact that none of what I see takes into account the existing residents. There is no thought about who already lives here, and how what they develop will affect the area. There is no thought of including any of the character, the history of the location, buildings, etc., which is very important to the knowledge of how our county was formed. No thought of the people who have made this area what it is … no thought of all of the cultures, especially in East Watertown, that already reside here.

Around Town

Youth Activism Celebrated at Watertown Citizens Annual Meeting

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The following piece was submitted by Deborah Peterson and Sue-Ellen Hershman-Tcherepnin of Watertown Citizens for Peace Justice and the Environment:

Now in its 39th year, Watertown Citizens for Peace Justice and the Environment continues to lead and inspire community activism. On Sunday June 3, nearly 70 members filled Fellowship Hall at Belmont Watertown Methodist Church to enjoy potluck supper and hear a panel of young activists ranging from middle schoolers to post graduates. The fresh voices of Alex Thuene, Shivani Sharma, Kimia Tabatabaei, Yara Akkeh, Brenton Stoddart, Caitlin Forbes and Ari Stern were heard loud and clear as moderator Tod Gross probed deeply into their motivations and accomplishments.  The breadth of the issues on which these young panelists are working includes refugee crises, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, gun violence, racial justice and
environmental protection – mirroring many of the activities in which Watertown Citizens has been active for nearly four decades. Each member of the panel spoke eloquently about their inspiration. Privilege and oppression are not abstract concepts for them; rather, these are real, operational terms. Some told of personal journeys growing up, in which they witnessed brutal conditions encountered by others less fortunate.

Schools

Students Have Fun in the Sun During Lowell School’s Field Day

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Last Thursday, the entire student body at Lowell Elementary School marched down the hill and into the Victory Field complex for a day of games and athletic competition. 

The Lowell Field Day is a long tradition at the school, but four years ago the fun moved across Orchard Street to Watertown’s track and stadium complex. When the students arrived, they entered in a procession not unlike the Olympics opening ceremony, complete with the Olympic theme song. The older kids, grades 3-5, took to the track and ran races around the oval, tossed beanbags through holes, tried to kick huge beachballs through hula hoops and more. Meanwhile, over on the stadium side, the younger children (in K-2) had relays around the bases of the baseball diamond, played a parachute, attempted to transport water in cups several yards without spilling and tossed rubber chickens. Lowell Principal Stacy Phelan looked over the hundreds of kids at play around her, enjoyed the nice weather.

Police/Fire

Police Log: Woman Caught Breaking into Homes, Drug Dealer Caught in CVS Parking Lot

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The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department. Arrests
June 1, 1:35 a.m.: An officer checking speeds by radar on Pleasant Street spotted a vehicle heading westbound going over 50 mph. When the officer pulled out to follow the vehicle the driver went through a red light near Repton Circle. The officer put on the emergency lights and the other driver turned of his taillights and accelerated away toward Waltham. The driver attempted to turn right onto Seyon Street in Waltham and two wheels went up on the curb and then came to a stop.

Around Town

Watertown Community Foundation, Historical Society Featured on Inside Watertown

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Catch the latest episode of Inside Watertown, the Watertown Cable Access TV show hosted by Watertown News Editor Charlie Breitrose and longtime local business and community leader Paul Airasian. This month, the guests were from the Watertown Community Foundation and the Historical Society of Watertown. First, the Historical Society’s Marilynne Roach talked about the upcoming Treaty Day, which celebrates both America’s first treaty with a foreign government and the first reading of the Declaration of Independence in Massachusetts. Both events took place right here in Watertown! The event will be on July 14, 2018, at the Edmund Fowle House.

Food

Boston Magazine Highlights Watertown Restaurant’s Cocktails

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La Bodega, a recent addition to the Watertown restaurant lineup, made Boston Magazine’s list of places to grab a tropical cocktail. At the restaurant founded by Chef Gabriel Bremer and his wife Analia Verolo, some drinks are prepared at the table and finished by dissolving cotton candy into their caipirinha, a Brazilian drink. The restaurant features a Uruguayan and Basque food, and offers other South American libations. Read more by clicking here:  https://www.bostonmagazine.com/restaurants/2018/06/05/south-american-cocktails-boston/

La Bodega Brings Tapas, South American Cuisine to Watertown

Police/Fire

Watertown Police Department will be Assessed for Re-Accreditation

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Chief Michael Lawn is pleased to announce that a team of assessors from the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission is scheduled to arrive on June 26, 2018, to begin examining various aspects of the Watertown Police Department’s policies and procedures, operations and facilities. Verification by the Assessment Team that the Department meets the Commission’s standards is part of a voluntary process to gain state Accreditation — a self-initiated evaluation process by which police departments strive to meet and maintain standards that have been established for the profession, by the profession. The Massachusetts Police Accreditation Program consists of 257 mandatory standards as well as 125 optional standards. In order to achieve accreditation status, the Department must meet all applicable mandatory standards as well as 75 of the optional standards. Achieving Accreditation is a highly prized recognition of law enforcement professional excellence.