Police/Fire

New Watertown Strong Flag Flying Over Watertown High School

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A new bright red flag with the words “Watertown Strong” now flies on the flag pole at Watertown High School in honor of the work of the first responders on April 19, 2013.Thursday morning, the high school held a ceremony to honor the first responders and to celebrate the new flag. The idea for the new banner came from students in the Transitions to Success class at WHS. The students wanted to thank the Watertown Police and Watertown Fire departments for their work last April when they helped stop and capture the Boston Marathon Bombing suspects, said Superintendent Jean Fitzgerald. The class raised money for the flag, made by Lubin’s Trophy of Newton, by selling wrist bands. They also received a donation from the Watertown Fire and Police Memorial Golf Tournament.

Police/Fire

Watertown Police Log: Expensive Sneakers Swiped, Driver Busted on OUI has Beer Cup in Car

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The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department. An arrest does not indicate a conviction. Arrests

April 3, 10:31 p.m.: A driver spotted a car driving erratically on Walnut Street and noticed one of the tail lights was not working. The driver followed the car as it got onto Arsenal Street, drove into Boston, came back down Nonantum Road and drove onto California Street. Police pulled the erratic driver over and noticed that she had an empty plastic Bud Light cup on her seat.

Arsenal Complex

Athenahealth Seeks Zoning Changes for Arsenal Complex

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The company that bought the Arsenal on the Charles hopes to get some zoning changes to assist redeveloping the complex in Watertown. Tuesday night, the Town Council heard about a proposed zoning overlay for the complex, from Steve Magoon, Watertown’s director of Economic Development and Planning. The overlay would include several changes to the towns zoning rules just for that property that lies between Arsenal and North Beacon streets. One change would provide more flexibility to add more retail space. “It will not be come a third mall or anything,” Magoon added.

Around Town

Perkins School Appoints New President

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Perkins School for the Blind has a new president and chief executive officer. The school’s Board of Trustees chose Dave Power of Newton to be the school’s new leader. He comes to the school from Power Strategy Inc., a company he founded and where he served as president, according to the announcement from Frederic M. Clifford, chairman of the Board of Trustees. “This is a period of growth for Perkins, and Dave’s business acumen, strategic leadership abilities, and experience with the blindness community are precisely what the organization needs as we continue to diversify and extend our reach here and around the globe,” Clifford wrote in the letter announcing Power’s appointment. Power’s experience in the world of technology will help Perkins.

Police/Fire

See Why Dunkin Donuts was Closed Off

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A man stopped to get some coffee at Dunkin Donuts on Mt. Auburn Street, but he the stop ended up being longer than he anticipated. Richard Corbett told WHDH Channel 7 that a woman rear ended his car, sending it into the Dunkin Donuts store on Thursday morning. The car and store suffered damages, but no body was injured. See more details and video from WHDH by clicking here.

Business

Watertown Company Helps Keep the Lights On

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The electricity keeps running smoothly through your power lines, and more than 90 percent of power lines in the United States, thanks to the help of Watertown’s Doble Engineering. The Boston Globe featured the company, located on Walnut Street, in Thursday’s edition. The company was founded nearly a century ago and now provides technology, analysis and expertise to power providers, including NStar and National Grid, according to the Globe article. The report also includes details about the company’s history and some of it’s major inventions. Click here to read the Globe article.

Government

Watertown Police Chief Testified Before Congress

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Congress wanted to hear from someone with first hand experience dealing with a terrorist attack, so Watertown Police Chief Edward Deveau went to Washington Wednesday. Deveau shared the lessons he and his department learned from the events of April 19, when officers faced off with the Boston Marathon Bombing suspects and ultimately caught the second suspect after a multi-hour manhunt. When an event like the one faced in Watertown last year, Deveau told the House Homeland Security Committee, the local law enforcement needs to “have access to the table” with the terrorism task force and right away, according to an Associated Press. See the report on Houston Chronicle site by clicking here. Deveau was joined by Watertown Police Sgt.

Business

Plans for New Hotel in Watertown Coming into Focus

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Details about the proposal to build a hotel on the former Charles River Saab site are emerging and residents will have the chance to sound off on the project. The new owners of the Arsenal Mall (now known as the Arsenal Project), Boyslton Properties, also purchased the former car dealership, across Arsenal Street from the mall. The new hotel will be a Marriott, according to a report in the Watertown Tab, and will be designed by the same architecture firm behind the Marriott in the Fenway neighborhood of Boston. (Read more details by clicking here). A proposal to change the zoning for the areas including the property where the hotel is planned, would allow a building as high as 79 feet tall or six stories.