Around Town

Watertown Purchasing Dog to Chase Geese From Parks and Fields

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City of WatertownVee, a border collie, will soon be arriving in Watertown where she will chase geese away from City-owned fields and parks. Watertown’s newest employee will get plenty of exercise, time outdoors, and her reward for doing a good job will be treats — doggie treats. Vee, Watertown’s goose control dog, will soon be patrolling the parks and fields around the City to make sure the flocks of birds don’t get too comfortable or leave their marks. She will live with and accompany Department of Public Works Parks and Cemetery Supervisor Bob DiRico to work, said Watertown City Manager George Proakis. “In a few days Mr. DiRico will go to Leesburg, Virginia, to pick up Vee,” Proakis told the City Council on Tuesday.

Around Town

OP-ED: MBTA Communities Law Part 3 – Our Current Watertown Square Housing Situation

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Watertown Square

By Linda ScottWatertown Resident

First, Let’s Nerd Out a Bit:

A study was commissioned by Watertown to set a dollar amount to charge non-residential projects in the City. This was to off-set some of the costs of these projects to Watertown, and the aim was to put this money towards affordable housing in the City. This money is called a “linkage fee.” Part of this 2022 study was to project housing needs for Watertown. Here’s what that report (called the “Watertown Commercial Development and Housing Nexus Study”) says:

“Since new employees will live in a variety of communities, it is necessary to determine the share that will demand housing in Watertown. To estimate the percent of new employees who will demand housing within the city, the results from a survey of employees in office, laboratory, hotel and retail buildings conducted in February and March 2022 were used.

Entertainment

Budding Artist: 87-Year Old Painter’s First Exhibition Hosted by Watertown Library

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Seda MavetosianMargarita Avetian stands in front of some of the paintings in her exhibition at the Watertown Library. During the month of March, the paintings of an emerging Watertown artist have been displayed in the Library’s art gallery. Margarita Avetian has only been painting for two years, but her work has received rave reviews from other artists. Not bad for someone who never had any artistic training during any of her 87 years. Avetian’s daughter, Seda Matevosian said her mother got started by chance when she was putting on a fun artistic activity for some of her family and friends.

Around Town

UPDATED: Committee Will Consider Which Community Preservation Projects to Support in 2023

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The Community Preservation Committee will deliberate over the proposed projects for 2023, and vote on which ones to recommend to the City Council for final approval. The Community Preservation Committee (CPC) makes recommendations on how to spend the funds raised after Watertown passed the Community Preservation Act (CPA) in 2016. The money can fund projects in multiple areas: historic preservation, affordable housing, and open space and recreation. In February, the CPC heard six proposal for projects to be funded. On Thursday, March 30, at 7 p.m. the Committee will discuss the proposals and vote on recommendations.

Police/Fire

Police Log: Man Busted in Drug Investigation, Crypto Currency Stolen

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The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department. Arrests

March 16, 3:52 p.m.: Security at Best Buy reported a man who had taken several video games and left the store without paying. Police located a man fitting the description near Nike at Arsenal Yards and he was unwrapping a Nintendo DS game. Officers spoke to the man who said he was at Best Buy and when he was leaving he realized he had not paid for the games, but he continued to exit the store. Police looked inside the man’s backpack and found 10 Nintendo games, plus a Nintendo DS game that had been reported stolen from a vehicle parked in the parking lot near Best Buy.

Schools

Watertown High Students Bring the Musical ‘Anastasia’ to the Stage

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Karen CentolaWatertown High School students staged Anastasia as the spring musical in March. Watertown’s young performers took the stage at the high school to present this year’s spring musical, Anastasia. Karen CentolaThe cast of Watertown High School’s Anastasia. The cast and crew put on three performances of the musical adaptation of the 1997 film on March 10, 11 and 12. Karen CentolaA ballet dancer in the WHS production of Anastasia.

Government

Meetings to Check Out: Voc Ed Report, Discussion of Neighbor Notifications of Projects

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The School Committee will hear the report on Career and Vocations Education Monday, a Council Committee will discuss notification of proposed projects, and the implementation of the City’s Climate and Energy Plan will be discussed. Also the Council will vote on the replacement of the Filippello Park spray pad. Upcoming meetings:

The Council’s Committee on Climate and Energy will discuss implementation of the City’s Climate & Energy Plan on Monday, March 27 at 5:30 p.m. in City Hall and remote. See more info here. The School Committee will get the final report from the Career, Vocational Technical Eduction Committee and will hear about the State’s Comprehensive Audit. Monday, March 27 at 7 p.m. at Cunniff Elementary School, 246 Warren St. See more here. The Council’s Committee on Economic Development and Planning will discuss enhanced public notification of to neighbors about projects.