Break-Ins

Police Warn Residents to Lock Windows After Pair of Break-ins

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Two Watertown homes were broken into recently, both while residents were home. The first break-in took place on July 15 at 9:49 p.m. on Garfield Street. About two hours later, at 11:48 p.m., a home on Barnard Avenue was broken into. Watertown Police seek information and surveillance footage from residents of those areas. Police also warn that residents should be sure to secure their homes, saying “Please be reminded to lock your doors & windows (even second floor).”

Around Town

Tom Nutile Big Band Performing at Watertown Summer Concert

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Tom Nutile Big BandTom Nutile Big Band plays in Watertown on July 20. Hear classic swing music and some favorites from today performed by a big band at this week’s Saltonstall Park Concert. Tom Nutile Big Band will perform from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the park next to City Hall (149 Main St.). Bring a lawn chair or a blanket and enjoy the music. The City of Watertown provided the following information about the band:

The 17-piece Tom Nutile Big Band has its roots in the swing music of Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, Count Basie and Glenn Miller, but in recent years we have broadened our offerings to include more contemporary sounds, from the songs of Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald and Bobby Darin, to the pop and soul of the 1950s and 1960s (the Drifters, the Temptations, Wilson Pickett and Van Morrison) up through the work of present-day performers (Michael Bublé, Diana Krall, Pharrell).

Arrests

Police Log: Deliver Man Caught Stealing Package, Home Ransacked

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

July 7, 1:36 a.m.: Police received a report of a person sleeping behind a shed at an apartment complex on Mt. Auburn Street. Officers encountered the man who said he had missed the bus to get home to Belmont. Police found he had two warrants: one from Malden District Court for driving under the influence of alcohol, and one from Salem District Court for defrauding a restaurant.

Around Town

Council Approves $4 Million to Help Cover Rising Cost of High School Project

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Ai3 ArchitectsAn illustration of what the outside of the new Watertown High School will look like. The cost of constructing the new Watertown High School has risen since the budget was sent to state officials, and one of the steps to cover the gap of $14.47 million was taken Tuesday when the City Council approved transferring $4.175 million

City Council President Mark Sideris, who chairs the School Building Committee, said that the rising cost of construction was a major part of the increase in the project budget over the $138.6 million budget approved by the Massachusetts School Building Authority. “We on the School Building Committee have been working since 2018 on school projects. Our first set of projects went very well, and are still on, or slightly under, budget and came in earlier than expected,” Sideris said. “When we got to the high school COVID happened.

Homepage Featured

Two Alarm Fire Starts on Grill, Damages Back of Watertown Home

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A fire charred the back of a home on Waverley Avenue Wednesday afternoon and displaced three residents. A fire alarm was struck Wednesday afternoon for a home on Waverley Avenue. When firefighters arrived Deputy Fire Chief Tom McManus, the incident commander, ordered a second alarm. The fire reportedly started on a grill and extended to the house and spread rapidly up the rear of the home. Engine 3 arrived and was alerted to the blaze by one of the residents, said Acting Fire Chief Ryan Nicholson.

Government

New Water Rate Tiers Will Reduce Increases for Most Residents

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The bad news is that water and sewer rates will be rising for Watertown residents, the good news is that the rate hike will not be as big as it could have been due to a new rate system approved by the City Council Tuesday night. The new water and sewer rate structure has four tiers, instead of three used by the City in past years. The new system keeps most residents in the lowest tier, while creating a tier in between the second tier and the highest one. The new tiers moves the cost of the water and sewer enterprise funds from smaller consumers of water, about 75 percent of residents — to bigger users, including large businesses, which results in lower increases for most residents, said Council Vice President Vincent Piccirilli said. “By creating a fourth tier we will be able to get about 70 percent of people to be in the low area, where their rates only going to go up 2.6 percent.