Business

Three Groups Pledge Money for Community Path Extension

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The extension of Watertown’s Community Path could soon become a reality thanks to a pledge from three local businesses. The owners of the Arsenal Project (formerly the Arsenal Mall), athenahealth and Tufts Health Plan have teamed up to offer $25,000 to go toward designing the new section of path from Arlington Street in Watertown to Fresh Pond in Cambridge, said Bill McQuillan, principal with Boylston Properties – which bought the Arsenal Mall last year. The money will cover half the cost, with the Department of Conservation and Recreation covering the rest. “If there are funds for projects like the Community Path they need to be shovel ready – they need to have plans drawn up,” McQuillan said Thursday night. “The DCR doesn’t have the money, so we co-funded the project.”

Entertainment

Watertown Man Seeks Help Publishing Graphic Novel on Machiavelli

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For years, Watertown’s Don MacDonald has worked on pages for a graphic novel on Niccolo Machiavelli, and now his wants to get help paying to print his work. MacDonald works on his project in his spare time, and has posted his drawings and story on his online blog, http://donmacdonald.com/. He recently started a campaign on Kickstarter.com to pay for the printing and to create a website for the project. (Click here to go to the Kickstarter page). His goal is raising $7,500 by May 15, 2014. Machiavelli has interested MacDonald for years, because of his link to art, politics and Italy.

Around Town

Funding for Watertown Dog Park Approved

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Dogs will soon have a place to run off leash in Watertown after the Town Council approved funding to build a dog park. The dog park will be located at How Park, on Pleasant Street, and will include a 200-foot x 100-foot fenced in area. The cost of installing the fencing will be $5,600, and the Council also approved $400 for any cost overruns. The vendor, Ideal Fence Inc., told Community Development and Planning Director Steve Magoon that the fence could be installed as soon as two weeks after the funding is approved. Town Councilor Aaron Dushku noted that the fence on the schematic drawings has only one gate.

Around Town

Midwives at Mount Auburn Hospital Reach Milestone

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The midwives at Mount Auburn Hospital hit a milestone recently – they delivered their 11,000th baby. The baby was Angelia Piantadosi, who is the daughter of Danielle and Paul Piantedosi and sister of Adrianna of Watertown. She was delivered by midwife Arianna Stein of Medford. “I delivered both of Danielle’s babies. This milestone is even more special because I delivered their first baby as well,” Stein said.

Police/Fire

Suit Filed Against Welders for Fire That Killed 2 Boston Firefighters

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Owners of the building where the fire that killed two Boston Firefighters – including a Watertown native – are suing the company that was doing welding on the site. The nine-alarm fire in the Back Bay killed two firefighters – Lt. Edward Walsh, who grew up in Watertown, and Firefighter Michael Kennedy – and injured many more. The suit was filed by an attorney for the estate of Michael J. Callahan which owns 298 Beacon St., targets the owners of 296 Beacon St., Oliver Realty LP; welding company D & J Iron Works of Malden; and company owner Guiseppe Falcone. The suit claims that the welders did not take proper precautions to prevent a fire and did not get a permit to do the work, according to a story on WCVB’s website (click here to see more). A witness said in an affidavit that he went to the area when he got report of the fire and that he saw welders packing up their truck and leaving the scene, according to a report in the Boston Herald.

Letters

Education Foundation Opposes Creation of New Fundraising Group

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A Town Council subcommittee has floated the idea of creating a new non-profit group to raise money for the Watertown Schools, but members of the Watertown Education Foundation say they fill that role. Education Foundation President Amy Donohue made an appeal at Tuesday’s Town Council meeting to let her group continue what it has been doing, and asked for the help of the Council, the School Committee and other officials in town. After she spoke, Councilor Tony Palomba, who brought up the idea of creating a new group at the Education and School System Matters subcommittee meeting, said the proposal was just a draft designed to start discussions aimed at finding new ways to add funding to the Watertown Public Schools. (Click here to see more on the proposal for the new group and other strategies to get more school funding). He suggested inviting the Education Foundation and other groups that raise money for the school (including the Watertown Community Foundation and the Friends of Watertown Music) to discuss fundraising strategies.

Police/Fire

Timing Equipment Stolen from Watertown Police 5K Race

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Race organizers put down electronic timing equipment for the Finish Strong 5K Road Race on the anniversary of the Watertown Manhunt, but when they went  to retrieve it, the equipment was gone. The race raised money for charities that helped the Boston Marathon Bombing victims and local school and community groups. (Click here to find out more about the race). RaceWire, which ran the timing of the race organized by the Watertown Police Supervisor’s Association, had left a generator and red mats with bib timing devices in it on Arlington Street near Merrifield Avenue for the start of the road race, said Watertown Police Lt. Michael Lawn. “They went to set up the finish line, and when they went back it was gone,” Lawn said.

Around Town

Peace Pole to be Erected at Watertown Library

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A pole will be “planted” Saturday outside the Watertown Free Public Library to promote harmony and collaboration. The eight sided pole will have the word Peace written on it in the eight most common languages in Watertown, said Town Councilor Tony Palomba. There are 50 languages spoken in Watertown and others will be recognized on the base of the pole. Along with the pole, a planter will be installed. The flowers were donated, Palomba said, and the area will be taken care of by the library staff.