Around Town

Face Coverings Will be Required in Public in Watertown, Violators Will Face a Fine

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The Watertown Board of Health voted to require that people wear face coverings when out in public, indoors and out, or face a fine. The order is a measure to prevent the spread of COVID-19, said Town Health Director Larry Ramdin. The board voted to approve the order, which will take effect Monday, May 4 and requires anyone age 5 or older to wear something that covers their nose and mouth while in public places, but not necessarily a face mask. Other options include bandanas or scarfs that cover the nose and mouth. Exceptions will be made for children under age 5, as well as people who have health conditions or disabilities that prevent them from wearing a face covering.

Around Town

Watertown Savings Awards More Than $20 Million in PPP Loans

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A lot of money was raised and spent on the 2015 Watertown Election. One of the key parts of the Federal CARES Act, passed by Congress in response to the economic hardships caused by the COVID-19 outbreak, was the program to prevent layoffs, called the Payroll Protection Program or PPP. Loans were granted to businesses who applied through their banks. Locally, one of the institutions used by many in town is Watertown Savings Bank, which announced it handed out more than $20 million in PPP loans. The program allows for forgivable loans of up to $10 million, but the average amount of the PPP loans approved by Watertown Savings was close to $35,000.

Government

Town Council Approves Lights for Fields at Filippello Park

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Filippello Park’s two athletic fields, picnic area, playground and more draw lots of visitors. The biggest park on the Eastside of Watertown will receive new lighting at its two athletic fields after the Town Council approved funding for a project that has been in the works for more than a year. The $1.3 million project at Filippello Park replaces the lights on seven poles at the Grove Street Field with LED lights, and adds four poles with LED lighting at the Arlington Street Field, mostly used for soccer. The project also replaces the scoreboard at the Grove Street Field, which is used for softball and soccer, and replaces the backstop and infield fencing at that field. One of the impetuses for the project was the lack of lit field space in Town.

Government

Board of Health Considering Requiring COVID-19 Face Masks in Watertown

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Watertown’s Board of Health will meet Thursday afternoon to discuss whether to require that people wear face masks in public places in town. The meeting will meet on April 30 at 3 p.m. via Zoom meeting, which the public can join. The lone agenda item reads: Consider and affirm order requiring wearing of face masks in public to contain spread ofCOVID 19 Virus. Watertown would join other communities requiring people to wear face coverings while out in public. Somerville and Cambridge passed orders requiring people to wear a face mask in public places.

COVID-19

Gov. Baker Extends Business Closings, Stay-at-Home Advisory to Mid-May

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Gov. Charlie Baker, with Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito. Massachusetts residents will be in staying in their homes due to COVID-19 for at least a couple more weeks, Gov. Charlie Baker announced Tuesday. The governor’s order requiring non-essential businesses to close their physical locations and the stay-at-home advisory will be extended until May 18, two weeks longer than his last announcement. He added that an advisory board will set “rules of the road” for a “phased reopening” of the state, according to a WBUR report. “I know pushing these dates back a couple weeks is probably not what people want to hear,” Baker said.

Around Town

Town Council Discussing Filippello Park Lighting Tuesday, See How to Watch & Participate

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The Town Council will likely vote Tuesday on the proposed lighting project at Filippello Park. The plan calls for installing new lights at the field near Arlington Street (on the left), and replacing the lights on the Grove Street Field (in the middle of the map, marked “Softball” and “Soccer”). The Town Council will meet virtually Tuesday night at 7 p.m. and are scheduled to have a public hearing and vote on the lighting project at Filippello Park. The Recreation Department has proposed putting up new lights at the Arlington Street Field at the park on the Eastside of town, and replace the lights at the softball field closer to the Grove Street side of the park. A new scoreboard will also be installed.

Arrest

Police Log: Car Stolen, Men Get in Fight Over COVID-19 Concerns

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

April 16, 12:46 a.m.: A caller reported seeing a vehicle being driven erratically on the 200 block of Arsenal Street at about 12:27 a.m. Police responded and located a vehicle matching the caller’s description a few minutes later on the 500 block of Main Street, but when they attempted to pull him over, the driver sped away. He was located a short time later pulled over on Grove Street in Waltham. The driver admitted to consuming alcohol before driving, and he showed signs of intoxication, including emitting a strong odor of alcohol. Police discovered he had a license suspended for an OUI and already had two prior OUI charges.

Business

Recently Formed Business Group Highlighted on Watertown Cable Show

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The Watertown Business Coalition recently came on the scene to take over some of the roles of the former Chamber of Commerce, and the group has already made a mark. The group was the focus of the most recent episode of the Inside Watertown show on Watertown Cable. The subject was a familiar one for co-hosts Charlie Breitrose and Bob Airasian, who have been involved in the Business Coalition’s leadership group. The group has hosted three in-person events, and recently held a virtual coffee connect. The guests on the episode (recorded remotely) were WBC co-founder Doug Orifice and Watertown Assistant Town Manager Steve Magoon, who talked about a project the Business Coalition worked on with Town of Watertown officials on a project to inform people about which restaurants are open during the COVID-19 outbreak.