Around Town

Helicopters Flying Over Watertown for Marathon & on Friday for Search for Kayaker

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(UPDATED on April 16 at 8:10 a.m.)

Helicopters have been flying over the Watertown area this weekend, both in preparation for the Boston Marthon and in the search for a kayaker reported missing . Friday night a State Police helicopter patrolled over Watertown after a kayaker was reported missing. The man was later found safe at his home,.according tonl Watertown Police, who assisted with the search. The City of Watertown announced that helicopters will be flying over Watertown from in the days leading up to the Boston Marathon as well as Marathon Monday. The City sent out the following announcement:

Even though the Boston Marathon does not go through Watertown, if you see low flying helicopters in the sky, please be aware that they are conducting surveillance/safety checks along the Marathon route.

Around Town

Watertown Man Running First Marathon in Honor of Friend Lost to Gun Violence

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Shane Garey, left, will be running the Boston Marathon for the first time. He is on the West End House Dawnn for Peace Team. On Monday, Watertown’s Shane Garey will run his first Boston Marathon, and will do so to raise money for a youth center named for a friend of his who died from gun violence. Garey grew up in Brighton, and said the Marathon has always been one of his favorite occasions. “I’ve always wanted to run it, growing up in Boston.

Around Town

Planning Board Wants Some Changes to Main St. Project, Developers Trying to Work with Post Office

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An illustration of the project at 104-126 Main St. submitted to the City. Designed by Icon Architecture. The Planning Board saw the plans for the major project on Main Street for the first time Wednesday night, and asked designers to tinker with the design after they had questions about the retail space and the pedestrian passage between Main and Pleasant Street, as well as the height of the building. The 104-126 Main Street project proposed by O’Connor Capital Partners is six stories tall and includes 143 apartments in five stories and 6,201 sq.

Government

Linkage Fee Approved by City Council, Developers Have Longer to Make Payment

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Charlie BreitroseWatertown City Hall

The City Council approved a linkage fee on large developments that would be used to create affordable housing in Watertown. The ordinance also spreads the fees into two payments and the City can consider offers of housing units or land in lieu of the fee. Before they deliberated and voted, the Council heard from people advocating for changes to the proposed ordinance. Charles River Regional Chamber President Greg Reibman, who represented multiple developers who do business in Watertown, asked to delay the start of the fees until 2024, and phase in the amount starting with $5.56 per sq. ft.

Around Town

Local Daisy Troop Hosting School Supply Drive With Watertown Savings Bank

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Watertown Girl Scout Daisy Troop 77117, is hosting a School Supply Drive from April 17-27 to earn their Make the World a Better Place badge. 

The Troop, comprised of nine kindergarten girls across all three Watertown elementary schools, is are partnering with Watertown Savings Bank which will host the collection sites. All supplies will be donated to School on Wheels Massachusetts. See the list of items below. The mission of School on Wheels of Massachusetts is to support the academic, social and emotional growth of students impacted by homelessness. The drop-off locations at the following Watertown Savings Bank locations:

Headquarters: 60 Main St.East Watertown: 10 Bigelow Ave.Nonantum: 175 Watertown St.Church Street: 45 Church St.Warrendale: 739 Main St. For more information contact Amy at amyjlboston@gmail.com

Items Needed (Most needed in bold)

CrayonsPens (blue or black)Sketch Pads and Colored MarkersFlexible Plastic RulersSingle-Subject Notebooks (wide ruled)New books for all grade levels (pre-k through grade 12).

Around Town

Third Annual Life Science Panel Hosted by Watertown Business Coalition

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The Watertown Business Coalition will host the third annual Life Science Panel on April 25 featuring representatives from four local life science companies. The first WBC life science event was held in April 2021 during the virtual days of the pandemic. Last year, the group held an in-person event at Hosmer Elementary School. This year’s event, “Biotech in Our Back Yard,” will be on Tuesday, April 25 at the Mosesian Center for the Arts. The event begins at 5:30, and the panel will run from 6:00-7:00, followed by networking and food provided by Branch Line. 

The moderator will be Merle Kummer, the founder of CoLab which partners life science companies in the City with Watertown High School students to coordinate class visits, field trips and internships.

Schools

Schools Using COVID Grant to Help Make Up $1.3M Deficit

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The Watertown Public Schools face a shortfall of $1.38 million for the next school year, but the gap will be narrowed by using some grant funds Watertown received for COVID relief. On Monday night, Superintendent Dede Galdston presented the district’s budget for Fiscal Year 2024. The Watertown Schools will have an operating budget of $57,583,829, which is an increase of $1.947,279 over FY 23, or 3.5 percent. To provide a “level services budget,” where the same educational experience and programs are provided, Galdston said there was a deficit of $1.38 million. Salaries account for about 80 percent of the budget, Galdston said, and the level services budget includes the raises for teachers in the recently approved contract, along with the step and lane change increases given for years working in the district and earning work-related college credits.