Government

City May Change Rules for Demolishing Historic Buildings

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A City Council Committee has started looking at doubling the maximum delay for demolition of a historic home or building, but also to remove many properties from consideration for the demo delays. The Historical Commission can put a delay on demolishing homes and buildings that have historic significance in an effort to find a way to preserve them, including finding a person or group to buy it and save it. The Commission can prevent a structure from being demolished. The current maximum delay is 12 months. Currently, projects that must be heard by the Historical Commission include any building 50 years old or older.

Around Town

Apple Pie Contest Winner Used Family Recipe, See the Top Bakers

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City of WatertownThe winner of the 2022 Faire on the Square Apple Pie Contest, Carolyn Gritter, and City Manager George Proakis. The Apple Pie Contest returned to the Faire on the Square for the first time since 2016, and the winner tapped into an old family recipe. City Manager George Proakis invited first place winner Carolyn Gritter to City Hall to congratulate her. “She used a recipe that was mother’s — she learned it when she was a child — an old fashioned, all-butter crust apple pie,” Proakis said. “I really wish I had gotten a chance to taste that.”

Entertainment

Performers Wanted This Fall for Watertown’s Got Talent

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Arsenal Yards and the Watertown Community Foundation want to find Watertown’s top talent. Performers can try out to be part of Watertown’s Got Talent, which will take place on at Arsenal Yards’ Fall Falladays on Wednesday, Oct. 26 5:30-7:30 p.m.

If you think you have what it takes to be crowned Watertown’s Top Talent apply by Wednesday, Oct. 5. A preliminary panel of judges will review the applications and select those who will compete on Oct.

Government

Council Approves Funds for Highland Ave. Repaving, Numbers Higher Than Planned

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The City Council approved funds to repave and install new sidewalks on Highland Avenue, but the project will cost more than originally anticipated. The total cost of the project will be $2.96 million for the project that also includes Chapman Street, said City Manager George Proakis, and $2 million will come from the loan order approved by the Council Tuesday night. The remaining funds will come from other Department of Public Works accounts. The loan is more than previous years for similar projects on longer roads in Watertown. “I recommend putting $2 million toward that this year, where we originally talked about $1.5 million,” Proakis said.

Homepage Featured

Watertown School to be Featured on PBS’s Ask This Old House

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Charlie BreitroseHosmer Elementary School. Watertown’s Hosmer Elementary School will be featured in the season premiere episode of PBS’s “Ask This Old House.” The school sent out the following information:

“Some of you may remember that “Ask This Old House” visited Hosmer last June. During this time they filmed an episode on composting with students and helped us by building a compost bin in our new garden. The episode is scheduled to air on WGBH this Thursday evening at 8:30!

Around Town

Group Ends 3 Decades of Helping Watertown Families of Children with Special Needs

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Donald MacDonaldMembers of the Friends of Matt Galligan Board gathered to mark the end of the Watertown-based non-profit. Pictured, Front L-R: Raymond Forte, Kelley MacDonald, Gussie Forte, Susan Calden, Cindi Galligan, Lynda Messina. Back L-R:
Edmund Griffin, Allen Gallagher, Frank Galligan, Stephen Messina, Kevin Calden. Missing Board Members: John Madden, John Bartley, Deborah Kelley. A local non-profit called The Friends of Matt Galligan recently disbanded, but not until providing financial assistance to Watertown families that have children with disabilities for more than three decades.

Football

Watertown Football Team Gets Extra Home Game

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Charlie BreitroseWatertown will host Burlington on Friday. The game was originally going to be a road game. Pictured, quarterback Johnny Cacace rolls out to pass against Belmont in 2021. Watertown High School’s varsity football team was scheduled to hit the road for its first Middlesex League game, but instead the Raiders get a bonus home game. WHS Athletic Director Ryan Murphy announced that Burlington would not be able to host this week’s game, so it was moved to Watertown.

Arrests

Police Log: Loud Music Call Leads to Arrest, Shoplifter Caught Near Store

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The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department. Arrests

Sept. 14, 1:45 a.m.: Police received a call about a vehicle playing loud music and disturbing residents on Repton Circle. When officers arrived they found a vehicle in the middle of the driveway, blocking it, with a man sitting in the driver’s seat and the motor running. An open can of Corona beer was found in the cup holder of the center console, and six empty beer cans were found.