Bus Priority Pilot

Officials Hopeful Bus Priority Program Will Improve Commute on Mt. Auburn Street

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It takes something special to get state and local officials to gather next to a bus stop at 8 a.m. a chilly morning, but celebrating the start of a program to speed up buses along Mt. Auburn Street rose to that occasion Friday morning. The group in front of Star Market showed up for the launch of the Cambridge-Watertown Mt. Auburn Street Bus Priority Pilot, also referred to as bus rapid transit or BRT. Users of the roadway may have noticed the red lanes, and new traffic patterns, which are designed to move buses, and — they hope — other vehicles, toward Harvard Square at a brisker pace.

Election 2018

Several Hundred Watertown Voters Cast Ballots Early, Still Time Left to Do So

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The Watertown Town Clerk’s office has seen brisk business this week, mostly from people coming to vote early in the State Election. 

As of 9:45 a.m. Friday, 646 people had filled out their ballots at Town Hall, said Town Clerk John Flynn. He estimates there could be 2,000 votes by the end of the early voting on Friday, Nov. 2, 2018. Quite a few, but not compared to the last early voting period. “We had 6,449 total early votes in 2016,” Flynn said.

Real Estate

Check Out All the Open Houses Around Watertown

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Watertown has dozens of open houses around town this week. $859,000 – 626 Belmont St., 10 room, 3 bed, 2.5 bath colonial, Open Houses: Saturday 12-1:30 Sunday 12-1:30

$679,000 – 20 Chester St. Unit 2, 8 room, 4 bed, 2 bath 2/3 family, Open House: Saturday 10:30-1

$1,149,900 – 17-19 Avon Road, 2 unit, 17 total room, 7 total bedroom 2 family, Open House: Sunday 12-2

$1,269,900 – 37-39 Hillcrest Cir., 2 unit, 10 total room, 5 total bedroom, Open House: Saturday 12-2

$1,300,000 – 44 Adams Ave., 9 room, 4 bed, 3 full 2 half bath colonial, Open Houses: Saturday 2-3:30 Sunday 1:30-3

$565,000 – 151 Coolidge Ave. Unit 510, 5 room, 2 bed, 2 bath high-rise, Open House: Sunday 12:30-2

$649,900 – 125 Coolidge Ave. Unit 111, 5 room, 2 bed, 2 bath mid-rise, Open House: Sunday 12-1:30

$1,195,000 – 20 Chester St., 2 unit, 14 total room, 6 total bedroom 2 family, Open House: Saturday 11:30-1

Sponsored by:

$785,000 – 199 Coolidge Ave.

Business

See Which Burger Chain is Coming to Watertown’s Arsenal Yards

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National burger chain Shake Shack will be opening a location in the new Arsenal Yards. 

The restaurant will be part of the renovated Arsenal Mall, which is well underway. It will be Shake Shack’s sixth location in the Boston area, including one in Harvard Yard and the newest one in Boston’s Seaport. The eatery will fit in with the newly renovated mixed-use development, said Tom Wilder, principal of the Wilder Companies. “Shake Shack’s investment in everything they do from sourcing high-quality ingredients, often from local artisan purveyors, to the investments they make in developing deep ties to their communities is truly unique,” Wilder said. “Their commitment to community, quality food and welcoming atmosphere all contribute to the overall experience that we’re building at Arsenal Yards and we’re proud to welcome them to the neighborhood.”

Shake Shack will be part of the new development, which includes a cinema, retailers, a h0tel, office space and other restaurants.

Around Town

Dress Up for Halloween Comicfest at Watertown Comic Store

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Watertown’s Comic Stop will host Halloween Comicfest 2018 on Saturday, Oct. 27, 2018. Guests are invited to dress up and come down to the store, located at 134A Main St. from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

“It’s just like Free Comic Book Day but with an awesome Halloween theme,” according to the event announcement on Facebook. Graphic artist Dave Hudon will be drawing at the event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will raise money for Buddy Dog Humane Society.

Schools

Watertown Students Get a Taste of Science, Technology & More During STEM Week

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In an effort to boost interest by students in STEM education — science, technology, engineering and math — the Baker-Polito Administration declared Oct. 22-26, 2018 STEM Week. The Watertown Public Schools organized a range of events for students in elementary, middle and high school, including field trips to local companies, panels of professionals, and design challenges. Some of the students and classes attending the events are from STEM subjects, but there are others from classes like civics and economics. Laura Alderson Rotondo, the district’s Career Technical Education (CTE) coordinator, said she would have liked to have gotten every student in the district involved in the STEM Week activities, but having started planning in September it was not possible.

Cunniff School

School Committee Excited by Improvement on MCAS Shown by Watertown Elementary Students

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The elementary school results on the 2018 MCAS test pleased the School Committee, particularly the improvement by students over the last year. Watertown’s principals and administrators presented the results at Monday night’s School Committee meeting. Efforts were made after last year’s MCAS results, said Assistant Superintendent of Teaching, Learning and Assessment Theresa McGuinness. “Last year, when we met to discuss the scores we realized we had a curriculum alignment problem,” McGuinness said.  “We met to see how we could make changes.” The growth in the scores particularly stood out, she said.

Charity

Watertown Teen Receives Special Bike That Will Allow Him to Ride With His Dad

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A young man from Watertown recently received a special bike from the ATI Foundation as part of the American Physical Therapy Association’s (APTA) annual continuing education conference in Providence. Toni Calisir is a teen battling an undiagnosed medical genetic condition similar to muscular dystrophy, a disorder that impacts muscle use and significantly impacts mobility, according to the ATI Foundation. His condition leaves him with weakness from head to toe; he uses a wheelchair most of the time, needs maximum assistant with mobility and is non-verbal. The bike was a surprise for Toni, who will be able to ride the adaptive bike with his dad. It will also allow Toni to enjoy simple pleasures and outdoor activities just like other teens his age.