Government

Town Council Approves Major Raise for Watertown’s Town Manager

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Watertown Town Manager Michael Driscoll received a raise of more than $20,000 Tuesday night after the Town Council approved giving him raises in two previous years. Changes to the Town Manager’s salary must be made by an ordinance approved by the Town Council. The Council unanimously approved the ordinance Tuesday night that increased his annual salary by $23,000. The ordinance passed on Tuesday listed some of Driscoll’s accomplishments during his time as manager, including raising the town’s bond rating to AAA by Standard & Poor’s, paying off the town’s unfunded retirement system by July 1, 2019 (years before other communities), saving money for the town by entering town employees into the Government Insurance Commission’s group health insurance, and high marks from the state’s Division of Local Services after a full financial management review. Driscoll’s previous salary was $172,500, and the ordinance passed Tuesday included a raise to $184,000 in Fiscal Year 2017 and to $195,500 in Fiscal Year 2018, the fiscal year ending June 30, 2018.

Around Town

Playground to be Dedicated to Lt. Paul Sullivan, Who Died in Vietnam 50 Years Ago

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Watertown will honor Lt. Paul J. Sullivan, who died in Vietnam 50 years ago this year. A plaque will be unveiled during the ceremony at the Sullivan Playground on June 24. The year after his death, the Town named the playground at the corner of Mt. Auburn Street and Arlington Street for Sullivan. This year, it will be rededicated and a new plaque has been installed with a portrait.

Schools

Watertown Students Graduate from College, Earn Academic Honors

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Graduation season is in full swing, and here are more college graduates from Watertown, along with an athlete who earned academic honors. Southern New Hampshire Grad

Watertown’s Adam Albano received a Bachelor of Science degree in Game Programming and Development from Southern New Hampshire University. The graduation ceremony was held in Manchester, N.H., on May 12. Colby College Grad

Craig Strand of Watertown was one of 482 seniors who graduated from Colby College in Waterville, Maine, May 27, receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree at the College’s 197th Commencement. U.S. Senator Susan Collins was the guest speaker.

65 Grove Street

An Inside Look at Bosch’s Watertown Office Where it Will Develop New A/C, Heating Technology

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Bosch welcomed local officials and the media during the official unveiling of its new research and development facility on Grove Street in Watertown where it will work on air conditioning, heating, and ways to control its products with smartphones or other technology. 

The Bosch Thermotechnology Corp. facility was the first tenant of the renovated 65 Grove Street building. The company occupies the second floor of one half of the building, where it has 45 employees, who work in product development, human resources, sales and marketing, and business development. “Our associates are excited to be here and be here for a long time,” said Vitor Gregorio, regional president of Bosch Thermotechnology. The visual centerpiece of the facility is the Bosch Experience Center, where the company displays air conditioning units and water heaters and furnaces for both residential and commercial use.

Development

Watertown’s I-Cubed Application Still Being Analyzed by State

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The application for $25 million in infrastructure projects in Watertown, and on state lands in town, in return for more jobs and growth by Athenahealth, remains in the hands of State officials. 

The I-Cubed project, which is a partnership between Athenhealth, the Town of Watertown and the Department of Conservation and Recreation (which controls the areas around the Charles River), is being examined by the Department of Revenue (DOR), according to a memo sent to Town Manager Michael Driscoll. The memo sent in an email from attorney Stephen W. DeCourcey of Lynch, DeSimone & Nylen, who represents the Town in the I-Cubed project, reads:
“The Department of Revenue has not completed its financial analysis of the new tax revenues that are expected to be received as a result of Athena’s economic development project on the Arsenal site. This analysis is a prerequisite to the Commonwealth’s approval of the joint application. The DOR is expected to complete its analysis in the next few weeks.” The I-Cubed program is run by the Executive Office of Administration & Finance (A&F).

Schools

Students Have Fun in the Sun During Lowell School’s Field Day

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Last Thursday, the entire student body at Lowell Elementary School marched down the hill and into the Victory Field complex for a day of games and athletic competition. 

The Lowell Field Day is a long tradition at the school, but four years ago the fun moved across Orchard Street to Watertown’s track and stadium complex. When the students arrived, they entered in a procession not unlike the Olympics opening ceremony, complete with the Olympic theme song. The older kids, grades 3-5, took to the track and ran races around the oval, tossed beanbags through holes, tried to kick huge beachballs through hula hoops and more. Meanwhile, over on the stadium side, the younger children (in K-2) had relays around the bases of the baseball diamond, played a parachute, attempted to transport water in cups several yards without spilling and tossed rubber chickens. Lowell Principal Stacy Phelan looked over the hundreds of kids at play around her, enjoyed the nice weather.

Police/Fire

Police Log: Woman Caught Breaking into Homes, Drug Dealer Caught in CVS Parking Lot

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The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department. Arrests
June 1, 1:35 a.m.: An officer checking speeds by radar on Pleasant Street spotted a vehicle heading westbound going over 50 mph. When the officer pulled out to follow the vehicle the driver went through a red light near Repton Circle. The officer put on the emergency lights and the other driver turned of his taillights and accelerated away toward Waltham. The driver attempted to turn right onto Seyon Street in Waltham and two wheels went up on the curb and then came to a stop.

Around Town

Watertown Community Foundation, Historical Society Featured on Inside Watertown

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Catch the latest episode of Inside Watertown, the Watertown Cable Access TV show hosted by Watertown News Editor Charlie Breitrose and longtime local business and community leader Paul Airasian. This month, the guests were from the Watertown Community Foundation and the Historical Society of Watertown. First, the Historical Society’s Marilynne Roach talked about the upcoming Treaty Day, which celebrates both America’s first treaty with a foreign government and the first reading of the Declaration of Independence in Massachusetts. Both events took place right here in Watertown! The event will be on July 14, 2018, at the Edmund Fowle House.