Government

Watertown School Budget, High School Renovation on Tap Monday

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The Watertown school budget will be on tap Monday night for the School Committee, and y0u can have your voice heard. The public hearing on the Fiscal 2015 school budget will be held Monday night at 7:15 p.m. in Town Hall. The School Committee must decide how much to request from the Town Council and Town Manager Michael Driscoll. Last week, Superintendent Jean Fitzgerald said she believes the district needs to add $6 million to this year’s budget to “move the district forward the way we would like it to go.” That would be an increase of more than 16 percent.

Police/Fire

Watertown Police Chief Recounts Shootout with Bombing Suspect

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The anniversary of one of the most memorable days in Watertown history is coming up, and Police Chief Edward Deveau recently recounted the events of April 19, 2013. Deveau shared his memories with Foxsports.com, and recalled receiving a phone call from one of his officer who said “Chief, they’re shooting at us.” They, of course, are the Tsarnaev brothers who are the suspects in the Boston Marathon Bombing and in the killing of MIT Police Officer Sean Collier. He also talks about plans to run this year’s Boston Marathon. Read the entire article by clicking here.

Police/Fire

Boston Officials Announce Cause of Fire that Killed Fire Lt. Walsh

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The fire in the Back Bay that killed Boston Fire Lt. and Watertown native Edward Walsh and firefighter Michael Kennedy was sparked by welders doing work on the building, Boston officials said. The fire on March 26 started in 296 Beacon St., the building behind the home in which Walsh and Kennedy died in an explosion while fighting the blaze in the basement. During a press conference Friday morning Boston Fire Commissioner John Hasson said welders had been working on the building. “Sparks from the welding got under the clapboards, the fire ignited and got rolling,” Hasson said. “It was set off by wind off the Charles River and ultimately consumed the building.”

Letters

Letter: Why We Decided to Go Solar

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If you’ve been reading the Tab these days, you may have heard about Solarize Watertown

– a state program that helps residents and businesses in Watertown go solar using a bulk-purchase model. In other words, the more if us who opt to install solar panels on our roofs, the lower the cost will be for all of us. We made the choice to use solar panels to produce our electricity for a lot of reasons. The Big Picture reasons are compelling enough: the supply of fossil fuel is limited, and getting it from under the ground thousands of miles away to our house is tremendously costly, both financially and in its environmental impact. In recognition of these facts, Massachusetts has mandated that our utility companies produce a percentage of electricity from renewable sources.

Around Town

Watertown Youth Leaders Head to State House to ‘Kick’ Teen Smoking

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Members of the Watertown Youth Coalition visited the Massachusetts State House recently in an effort to stop teen smoking. The peer leaders joined more than 250 other young adults from across the commonwealth for national Kick Butts Day. During the event the peer leaders learned about new challenges in curbing smoking from Department of Public Health Commissioner Cheryl Bartlett. “Tobacco companies have been using cheap prices, glitzy packaging, and widespread availability to market their new, flavored products to young people,” Bartlett said. “Now they’re using those same strategies to market e-hookahs and other types of flavored e-cigarettes at young people.

Government

Watertown Fields will be Open, but Not Likely Ready for Gametime

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After being closed due to wet conditions, Watertown’s recreation facilities will be open for use on Saturday, but perhaps not ready for primetime. Recreation Director Peter Centola, announced the fields would be open on April 5, but added “Please be advised that although the facilities will be open for use, they will most likely not ready for game play this weekend.” The game preparation by the Department of Public Works staff was hindered both by the recent rains and the preparation for the wake and funeral of fallen Boston Fire Lt. and Watertown native Edward Walsh, Centola said. “Although the fields are open, I would ask that all residents and groups who use the field, to only utilize areas that are dry and safe to participate on,” Centola said. To use of the facilities for games, groups must reserve them and get a permit, Centola said.

Around Town

Scenes from Fallen Firefighter Edward Walsh’s Final Farewell

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Watertown-native and Boston Fire Lt. Edward Walsh was remembered Wednesday as a kind, caring man who was devoted to both of his families – his wife, kids and mother, as well as the Boston Fire Department. Walsh died in a fire in the Back Bay on March 26 along with firefighter Michael Kennedy, and on Wednesday his funeral was held in the church in which he was baptized 43 years ago – St. Patrick’s Church. Firefighting runs in the Walsh family, said Watertown Fire Chief Mario Orangio. His father, Ed Sr., was on the Watertown Fire Department, along with two of Walsh’s uncles.

Police/Fire

See Photos from the Wake for Fallen Boston Fire Lt. Edward Walsh

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Firefighters from around the country pay respects to fallen Boston Fire Lt. Edward Walsh, a Watertown Native. Photo by Charlie Breitrose
Firefighters from far and wide filed into St. Patrick’s Church in Watertown Square Tuesday to pay their respects to fallen Boston Fire Lt. Edward Walsh. 

The 43-year-old Watertown native died fighting a fire in the Back Bay last week. On Tuesday, the downtown streets of his hometown were devoid of cars, but filled with firefighters and police officers in dress uniforms.

They showed up by the bus full and marched to the church on Main Street, just down the street from Town Hall and Watertown Fire Headquarters. They came from Walsh’s department in Boston, and from Watertown – where his father and uncles worked and where his cousin and brother-in-law now work.They were joined by firefighters from around Massachusetts, the east coast and and across the country.