Sports

Successful Weekend for Watertown High School Teams

By |

By Charlie Breitrose

The Raiders basketball and ice hockey teams all enjoyed wins in their first games in the MIAA state tournament over the weekend. Basketball

The boy’s basketball team rolled over Saugus, and almost doubled their opponents score in the 79-45 win at Watertown High School. The second seeded Raiders next face Bedford in the Div. 3 North Section semifinals. The game will be played Wednesday, March 5 at 7:30 p.m. in Woburn.

Around Town

Town Council Turns Down Request from Watertown Small Business Group

By |

A group representing local, independent groups spoke to the Town Council on Tuesday and asked them to consider adopting measures to support local businesses, but their request was denied. Members of Watertown-Belmont Local First include locally-owned businesses and while the group is modeled on other similar groups, spokeswoman Rena Baskin said the group is independent. Members must be located in town, owned locally (headquartered in Massachusetts), must not be publicly traded and must be independent – not franchised, Baskin said. Supporting locally-owned businesses can have benefits, Baskin said. “They are the largest employer and provide the most employment to town residents,” Baskin said.

Around Town

Watertown Firefighters Now Armed with Antidote for Heroin Overdoses

By |

Deaths from overdoses caused by heroin and other opioids has risen in Massachusetts, and has even impacted Watertown. The Watertown Fire Department is one of the first departments to have access to an antidote for overdoses. Starting on Feb. 20, all Watertown fire vehicles began carrying Nalaxone, a drug that can be given as an antidote to a person suspected of suffering from an opioid overdose, said Watertown Fire Chief Mario Orangio. Opioids also include prescription painkiller medicines codeine and oxycontin.

Sports

Watertown Ice Hockey Teams Skate into State Tournament

By |

Watertown High School’s boys’ and girls’ hockey teams both earned high seeds in the MIAA state tournament, and one will skate at home. The Raiders boys’ team took the top seed in the North Section Div. 3 tournament. Watertown, which finished with a record of 13-2-5, will play a quarterfinal game against the winner of the Bedford-Shawsheen matchup. The game will be on Sunday, March 2 at 6:30 p.m. in Chelmsford.

Around Town

Lawyers Group Holds Meeting Looking at Watertown Lockdown Last April

By |

The Massachusetts Chapter of the National Lawyers Guild will hold the fourth in a series of meetings looking at the lockdown in Watertown during the hunt for the Boston Marathon Bombing suspects last April. On March 5 at 7 p.m., the group will hold a meeting to provide a safe space for people to address concerns over how the lockdown was conducted, according to the announcement from the group. Some issues brought up include whether the lockdown was necessary, the effect on people who were searched and whether the U.S. Constitution was followed. It will also look at how the lockdown impacted the Fourth Amendment – The Right To Be Secure In One’s Home And Person From Unreasonable Searches and Seizures. The meeting will be at the First Parish Church of Watertown, 35 Church St., from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Parking is available at lots on Summer Street and in the Watertown Square municipal lot.

Sports

Watertown Grabs High Seeds in Basketball Tourney

By |

The Watertown girl’s and boy’s basketball teams earned high seeds in the MIAA North Section basketball tournament. The Raiders earned top seed in the Div. 2 girl’s pairings announced on Friday. Watertown (19-1) hosts a quarterfinal game against the winner of the Marblehead-Newburyport game on March 1 at 7 p.m. according to the MIAA tourney site. This is a step up in divisions for Watertown from previous years.

Around Town

Council Opens Way for Multi-Story Hotel in Watertown’s East End

By |

The Town Council opened the way for a multi-story hotel to be built in town, but only in a small area on the east side of town on Arsenal Street by unanimously voting to change a town zoning ordinance. The change of the zoning ordinance allows a hotel of up to 79 feet and seven stories tall, and it will be limited to the Industrial 1 (I-1) Zone. The Council also considered extending the changes in the zoning to I-2 and I-3 zones. One such hotel  has been proposed at the former Charles River Saab site which is in the I-1 zone. Other changes to the zoning include a reduction of parking requirements to .75 cars per room and one for each employee at peak times, and allowing employees to park one behind another blocking them in.

Around Town

Watertown’s Commander’s Mansion Hosts Wedding Faire

By |

Brides and grooms-to-be can find caterers, photographers, entertainers and more for their big day at the ninth annual Wedding Faire at the Commander’s Mansion in Watertown. Meet the top wedding professionals from the Boston area and see the latest bridal fashions at the event on March 1 and 2 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sample food and prizes will also be given out during the event. Vendors include caterers, florists, photographers, bakeries, entertainment, transportation and more. Different vendors will be featured each day. Tickets cost $5 and is good for the whole weekend.