101 North Beacon St.

Town Council Delays Vote on Electrical Service to New Building, Wants to Avoid New Pole

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Embarc StudioThe new building at 101 North Beacon St. has 28 condos in three-stories. Developers have not been able to get electricity to the building, an await a decision from the Town Council which has said it prefers not to have a new utility pole installed as part of the project. For the second time, the Town Council voted to table the vote on a proposed petition to put in a new utility pole on Irving Street to supply power to a new residential building on North Beacon Street. The petition submitted by Eversource is asking to install a new pole about 18 feet north of another pole on Irving Street, just south of North Beacon Street.

Government

Town Council Will Hear About Department Budgets at 4 Budget Hearings

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Watertown Town Hall

The Town Council will hear about the budget for each municipal department as well as the Watertown Public Schools during the Fiscal Year 2022 budget hearings, which begin May 17. Four budget meetings are planned, and the Council will hold a public hearing and vote on the FY22 budget on June 8. Unlike most years, the department heads will not be presenting PowerPoint slideshows about their department in 2021, said Council President Mark Sideris. The Department heads will be available during the hearings to answer the Council’s questions. The Town of Watertown provided the following information:

The Fiscal Year 2022 General Fund Budget, as proposed, totals $164,430,000.

Police/Fire

Fire Damages Apartment in Large Complex South of the Charles River

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A fire started in an apartment in an apartment complex on Watertown Street on Wednesday, but was doused before it spread within the unit or to other apartments. The Watertown Fire Department received the fire alarm at 1:31 p.m. on Wednesday. The fire began in the kitchen area of a unit in the Watertown Square Apartments, located at 20 Watertown Street. No one was home when the fire began, but it was discovered by an alert employee, said Watertown Fire Capt. Eric Allen, the WFD’s Fire Investigator. “There was a maintenance worker that was on the roof of the building that saw smoke coming out of one of the vents,” Allen said.

Government

OBIT: John Flynn, 63, Served as Watertown Town Clerk for 26 Years

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Long-time Watertown Town Clerk John Flynn. John “Jack” Flynn, who served as the Town Clerk of Watertown for more than a quarter century, died on Friday, May 7, 2021 after a brief illness. He was 63 years old. Born in Cambridge, he served as Deputy City Clerk and Principal Budget Analyst for the City of Cambridge before becoming Watertown’s Town Clerk in 1995. He retired in 2021.

District D

Candidate Announces Run for District D Town Council Seat Representing Westside

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Connie HenryConnie Henry, right, filed to run for the District D Town Council seat. She is with her grand daughter Eva Henry. The following announcement was provided by Connie Henry:

After thoughtful consideration, I’ve decided to run for Town Council in District D. On Monday, May 3rd, I went to Town Hall to pull nomination papers and was thrilled to be joined by my granddaughter Eva, who turned 18 on Earth Day and registered to vote! I love Watertown and appreciate being a lifelong resident of the community. As the town grows, my goal is to help ensure a vibrant, respectful, inclusive community and to support the particular needs of District D. I am dedicated to listening to our constituents and will actively advocate for their interests, including issues of development, traffic, and transportation.

Around Town

Watertown Library Seeks Donors to Help Cover Cost of Book Mobile

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Watertown Free Public LibraryThe Watertown Free Public Library. The Watertown Library is looking to bring books and other items closer to residents by starting a book mobile. The effort got a big boost from a donor, but the library still needs to raise about $70,000 to cover the cost of the custom vehicle, said Daniel Pritchard, a member of the Watertown Board of Library Trustees. “It is a great opportunity to reach the parts of the Watertown community that are not able to get to the Library, and maybe aren’t as mobile and can’t get down there as easily,” Pritchard said. “The Library is also just such an important resource for the Town, and to be able to go out to every nook and cranny in the community and make resources available is a really exciting opportunity.”

Charity

Donation Drive & Free Store Hosted by Watertown Mutual Aid on May 16

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Donations of clothes, diapers, toiletries and other times will be accepted during a donation drive on Sunday, May 16. Wayside Youth and Family Support Network and the Watertown Community Foundation will host a donation drive on May 16 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Ballroom in Boston, 100 Parker St. in Watertown. Items being collected include: new and like-new children’s warm-weather clothes (newborn to young adult), new youth goggles, summer activities and games, seed packets, working fans, diapers and baby wipes, feminine products, and personal care items (shampoo, toothpaste, etc.). Following the drive, there will be a free store from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., open to all.