Sports

WHS Girls Basketball Team Works with Youth Players, Comes into Season with New Attitude

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Members of the Watertown High School girls basketball team spent their Sunday morning at a special team building event, one in which they look to improve this year’s squad and hopefully pay off in future years. 

WHS Head Coach Pat Ferdinand dubbed the event Media Day, but for the team, the focus of the clinic was working with youth basketball players who came to the event at the WHS Gym. The morning was filled with much more than shooting, dribbling and passing. The youth players, most of whom are currently at Watertown Middle School, worked with high school players on the drills and plays run by the Raiders, said junior Annabella Beck. “We get the girls here and give them a feel of what we do here,” Beck said. “It is just so great to have the chance to work with them.”

Around Town

Watertown Cable’s ‘Inside Watertown’ Receives Award from Alliance for Community Media

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A local talkshow produced by Watertown Cable Access won an award at the recent Alliance for Community Media Northeast Region Conference. The producers of “Inside Watertown,” Samantha Dudley and Ashley Hardy received the second place award in the Budget II General Talkshow category at the in ACM Northeast Region Conference in Schenectady, New York, in October. Watertown Cable announced the award on Wednesday. The show highlights groups and people who make a difference in Watertown. The show is co-hosted by Charlie Breitrose, editor of Watertown News, and Paul Airasian, a local business and community leader.

Around Town

Filippello Park’s Grove Street Project Adding Green Area, Dog Park & Hard Courts

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Planning for the renovation of the Grove Street entrance to Filippello Park began six years ago, and discussions for what to do with the section of the former Watertown Landfill date back to 1984, so Recreation Department officials are excited to that construction is nearly complete. The area used to be the location of the incinerator at the landfill. While the rest of the land was turned into Filipello Park, the property near Grove Street had largely been paved over and used for parking, basketball courts and, in the winter, the Town’s snow dump. Recently, Recreation Director Peter Centola met with Glenn Howard, project designer from CDM Smith to go over some of the last details in the project. Discussions about how to reinvigorate the area began in 2012, Centola said, and morphed over the years. The Grove Street entrance will have a large dog park, two gazebos, a hard court playing area, and additional parking.

Government

Watertown First Community in State to Adopt Solar Requirements for Projects

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Watertown became the first community in Massachusetts to require developments to have solar panels on their roofs. 

Last week, the Town Council approved changes to the town’s Zoning Ordinance that requires developments of 10,000 sq. ft and more, or 10 or more housing units, to devote at least half the roof to solar energy system. The new regulation applies to new developments and renovations requiring a site plan review. The Town Council unanimously approved the zoning amendment on Tuesday night. The amendment started as a proposal from resident Jocelyn Tager in 2016. Councilor Susan Falkoff said that Tager was persistent.

Real Estate

Five Homes Sold in Watertown This Week

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Multiple homes sold this week in Watertown. $740,000 – 8 Thurston Road, 2 unit, 12 total room, 4 total bedroom, 2 Family – 2 Units Up/Down multi-family home

$450,000 – 120 Westminster Ave., 6 room, 2 bedroom, 1 full bathroom, Bungalow single-family home

$610,000 – 53 Dexter Ave. Unit 53, 8 room, 2 bedroom, 2 full & 1 half bathroom, Townhouse condo/townhouse

Sponsored by:

$750,000 – 6 Derby Road, 2 unit, 10 total room, 4 total bedroom, 2 Family – 2 Units Up/Down multi-family home

$690,000 – 34 Gleason St., 8 room, 3 bedroom, 2 full bathroom, single-family home

Entertainment

Concert Series at Plumbing Museum Kicks Off with Christmas Tunes

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The Plumbing Museum is pleased to announce a new concert series that will showcase Boston’s emerging music performers and composers. Conceived as a community outreach project, Music of the Pipes concert series brings together a wide variety of musical genres to provide family-friendly, educational, traditional and experimental music programming in an open and fun venue space of the Plumbing Museum. Curated by Antonina Styczen, an internationally award-winning flute player, the first series will feature the flute as a solo instrument in chamber music and in a big ensemble. The program will include music of different genres from the famous Christmas tune “The Nutcracker Suite” by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky – in a special arrangement for flute orchestra, to beautiful melodies of Philip Glass “Facades” for two flutes and string quartet, and Jane Rigler’s “Two Seaming” exploring unusual pairing of flute and voice. The program will also feature the premiere of a commissioned piece by a young, Spanish composer, Pedro Osuna, for flute and string quartet.

Arrests

Man Who Stole Wallets from Watertown Gym Caught, was Also Wanted on Several Warrants

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A man wanted for stealing items out of vehicles and lockers from a Watertown gym was caught after he used a credit card in Boston. Police found he was wanted on numerous warrants from multiple communities. 

Watertown Police discovered that one of the credit cards stolen during a theft spree at Central Rock Gym in Watertown on Nov. 8, 2018, was used at the Roxbury Community College book store on Nov. 9, said Watertown Police Lt. James O’Connor. Officers went to the bookstore and got security footage.