Schools

Start Time for Watertown High School Moving Later Starting Fall of 2018

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Watertown High School will start 35 minutes later starting in the fall of 2018 after the School Committee voted to approve the school start time change on Monday night. 
Both the high school and Watertown Middle School will start at 8:30 a.m., while Cunniff, Hosmer and Lowell elementary schools will start at 8:15 a.m.

Research shows benefit of moving the start of school later is that high school students will be more ready to learn because it is more inline with adolescents’ biological clocks, said School Committee Chairman John Portz. “In the education world often times with research you have conflicting opinions. This is an issue where there is very little conflict,” Portz said. The change was made after more than two years of discussion and research by Watertown School officials. After an initial study by the School Start Time Task Force, the same group was asked to come up with recommendations for how to implement a time change and how it would impact other schools in town.

Schools

Asbestos Found in Walls of Watertown High School, Effort to Remove it Underway

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An inspection of Watertown High School discovered that the plaster on the walls contain asbestos, Superintendent Dede Galdston announced Monday, and the district has started determining the best way to deal with the hazardous material. 

The inspection was conducted by a firm hired by the Watertown Public Schools as part of complying with the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA). Galdston sent a letter about the asbestos to Watertown High School parents, and read it at Monday’s School Committee meeting. “During these inspections it was determined that the skim coat plaster at the high school contains some amount of asbestos,” Galdston said. “While previous reports did not identify asbestos in the plaster, more recent sampling and analytical methods have improved such that the levels of asbestos in plaster can now be detected.” All the plaster in the school is being examined to determine the extent of the asbestos, Galdston told the School Committee.

Development

Phase 3 of Arsenal Yards, with 7 Story Building, Approved by Planning Board

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The third phase of the Arsenal Yards project got the go ahead from members of the Planning Board on Thursday night. 

The latest portion of the former Arsenal Mall to be approved is Building F (see plans here), a seven story structure with ground floor retail, multiple levels of parking and topped by three stories of apartments. This is the building where a grocery store may be built, according to the design team, and will be located in the space where the bridge goes over the underpass in the Arsenal Mall parking lot. The size of the building was increased from what was proposed in the Master Plan, which required the Planning Board to approve an amendment to the Master Plan along with approving the site plan. The Board approved both unanimously. Originally the building was planned to have six stories, and be 83-feet, 6-inches tall, but the new height is 89 feet, 4 inches.

Police/Fire

Watertown & Belmont Fire Departments Place Wager on Thanksgiving Game

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When Belmont High School’s football team travels to Watertown this Thanksgiving for a football game, more will be on the line than just the game. Captain Ken Gardiner, Fire Inspector with the Belmont Fire Department, and Captain Ryan Nicholson, Fire Inspector with the Watertown Fire Department, agreed on a wager after being approached by Kidde, a manufacturer of smoke alarms based in Mebane, NC, the fire inspectors announced. The wager is simple: The winning fire department will receive 50 smoke alarms
and the losing department will receive 25 alarms. The inspector of the losing town will install smoke alarms in their community wearing the football jersey of the winning team’s school. Both inspectors also agreed that the alarms will be installed in high-risk homes (elderly and low-income). The Kidde smoke alarms being donated feature a sealed 10-year battery which eliminates the need to replace batteries for the life of the alarm.

Football

Watertown Football Team Makes the State Tourney, See Who They Will Face

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Watertown High School’s football team made the MIAA State Tournament for the fifth straight season, despite a losing record. 

The Raiders (3-4) are the sixth seed in the Div. 5 North Section, and will travel to face third-seeded Swampscott (6-1) for the section quarterfinal. The game will be played on Saturday, Oct. 28 at noon. In the past, Watertown has found success starting on the road in the playoffs.

Police/Fire

Police Log: Contractor Scams Resident for $68K, Employee Caught Keying Car

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The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department. Arrests
Oct. 11, 8:45 a.m.: Maynard Police contacted Watertown Police to say a woman wanted on a charges of violating a harassment order in Maynard was in Watertown. Police located the woman at Main Street and Myrtle Street and arrested her. The 28-year-old Watertown woman was brought to the Watertown Police Station where Maynard Police took her into custody.

Real Estate

Home Sales: Five Watertown Properties Sold, Including 2 Single Families

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These five properties in Watertown sold this week. $480,000 – 55 Webster St., 6 room, 3 bedroom, 1 full bathroom, Ranch single-family home

$467,000 – 31 Pequossette St., 6 room, 3 bedroom, 1 full bathroom, Bungalow single-family home

$162,000 – 290 Pleasant St. Unit 109, 1 room, 1 bedroom, 1 full bathroom, condo/townhouse

Sponsored by:

$500,000 – 36 Salisbury Road Unit 36, 6 room, 2 bedroom, 1 full bathroom, 2/3 Family condo/townhouse

$521,000 – 183 Lexington St. Unit 183, 7 room, 2 bedroom, 1 full & 1 half bathroom, Low-Rise condo/townhouse

Field Hockey

WHS Sports: Football Falls in Last Minute, Field Hockey Rolling, Soccer Racking up Wins

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The Watertown football team fought back after being down to Wakefield, but could not hold off the Warriors Friday night. Down in the fourth quarter, the Raiders tied the game at 14 with just over 5 minutes left in the game. Wakefield got the ball late and had first and goal at the 1 with 32 seconds left in the fourth. Watertown’s defense held the Warriors for two downs but Wakefield scored with 14 ticks remaining to win 21-14 in Wakefield. The loss puts the Raiders’ record at 3-4 for the season and 1-4 in the Middlesex League. Watertown should make the MIAA North Section Div.