Watertown News (https://www.watertownmanews.com/author/cbreitro/page/1013/)
The Raiders continued a successful track season at the All State Meet at Bridgewater State on Saturday. Junior Brian DallaCosta followed up his win in the pentathlon at the Div. 4 Meet with a fifth place at the All State Meet. He scored 2,634 points
Senior James Garbier finished seventh in the 800 meter run with a time of 1:55.13. Sophomore Austin Lin got 14th in the 400 meter run and the boys 4 x 400 relay finished 18th.
The Town Council passed a budget Tuesday night that includes a $290,000 boost for special education costs, but not the $1 million requested last week by the School Committee or the amount requested by the Superintendent in April. The money from the amendment brings the total education budget to $39.232 million, an increase of $2.557 million. Also approved were two one-time curriculum fundings of $210,000 in Fiscal 2014 and $750,000 in Fiscal 2015. The total increase is a 9.59 percent increase over Fiscal 2014, said Town Manager Michael Driscoll. The amendment fell short of the $1 million requested by the School Committee last week ($640,000 for special education and $360,000 to reduce class sizes).
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled that the death of two Boston Firefighters – including Watertown-native Edward Walsh – was accidental. The deaths of Walsh and Firefighter Michael Kennedy in the 9-alarm Back Bay fire were caused by smoke inhalation and thermal injuries. The cause of the fire was sparks from welders that ignited the building next door. No criminal charges have been filed, but the Suffolk District Attorney’s Office continues to investigate the incident, according to WBZ-TV. Walsh was honored with a wake and funeral Mass in Watertown.
A Mattapan man faces drunken driving charges after police spotted him speeding and trying to go to a liquor store after 2 a.m.
At 2:41 a.m. on June 7, an officer was helping another officer on a traffic stop when he spotted a car speeding on Arsenal Street, said Watertown Police Lt. Michael Lawn. The driver also did not show any attempts at being cautious when going past the police cruisers. The vehicle then made a sharp turn into the parking lot of Arsenal Wine & Spirits. which was closed at the time. “The officer observed the individual banging on the door of the liquor store,” Lawn said.
Watertown’s state representatives have been working to add more money to help the Watertown Public Schools deal with spiking special education costs, and State Rep. Jonathan Hecht said he is hopeful of getting some additional money. The cost came in more than $650,000 above the budgeted level, and funds had to be diverted from those intended for the regular education budget. The School Committee has requested extra funds from the town for Fiscal 2015 to bring the base up to the level of the current year (Fiscal 2014). The House budget includes a bill that would create a fund of $250,000 for school districts that have higher than average high-cost, out-of-district special education costs. Those programs are for students who have special needs that cannot be served in the Watertown schools, and in some cases cost $100,000, $200,000 or more, according to Superintendent Jean Fitzgerald.
The School Committee has asked for $1 million to be added to the $2.26 million increase proposed by Town Manager Michael Driscoll, but if that is not approved Superintendent Jean Fitzgerald said savings will have to be found. No decisions for how to cut the budget have been finalized, but when asked during a recent School Committee meeting, Fitzgerald said some non-teaching open positions would likely have to remain open, other items would have to be done without, and savings in salary would have to be made. One possibility, she said, is doing away with evening parent-teacher conferences. That would save $20,000 because is paid to teachers for having to work at night. “We would still have conferences,” Fitzgerald said.
Some Watertown Police officers will be hitting the streets in cars with a new look.
In an effort to reduce distracted and aggressive driving the Watertown Police Department’s traffic Division will use lower profile cars. Most cars have black and white paint and large, easily spotted “Police” decals. The new cars have solid black paint and subdued decals. While the decals are not easily spotted during the day, they illuminate at night when lights shine on them, according to the Watertown Police Sgt. David Sampson.
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With Watertown facing higher than expected special education costs during the 2013-14 school year, the town’s State House delegation is asking for extra dollars from the state. State Rep. John Lawn said he is trying to get more money from the state budget, and have asked for $250,000 on the House side. “Jon Hecht and I are working on special education. Our costs are higher than other communities,” Lawn said. Meanwhile, State Sen. Will Brownsberger has requested an additional $100,000 in the Senate budget for a total of $350,000.