Around Town

Watertown News Poll: People Most Concerned About Traffic, Development

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Residents are most concerned about traffic/transportation and development, a poll conducted by Watertown News at Saturdays Faire on the Square found. 

People were asked “What concerns you most in Watertown Today,” and participants could check one or more of these five issues, and could write in their own issue:

Schools
Development
Traffic/transportation
Heroin/opioids
Property Taxes
Or, add their own write-in issue

A total of 28 ballots were cast at Saturday’s Faire on the Square, and the top issue, with 19 votes, was Traffic/Transportation. A close second was Development, which received 16 tallies. Next was Schools, with 11 votes. Heroin/Opioid use in Watertown received 9 votes, and Property taxes got 8 votes. Four people wrote in their own issues: Open Space/Recreation, Public Events, Gentrification and the Elderly.

Business

Some Stores Staying Open During Arsenal Yards Construction, Others Closing

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Workers have been doing work to prepare for the beginning of construction of Arsenal Yards – the project that will transform the Arsenal Mall into a development with shopping, entertainment, dining, apartments and a hotel. During construction some stores will remain open, while others will shut their doors. During the construction of Arsenal Yards several stores will remain open, all in the section near Marshall’s. The stores are Marshall’s, Gap Outlet, Ann Taylor Factory, T-Mobile, Piercing Pagoda, and Chipotle, according to Boylston Properties, the developer of the mall. In addition, the food court, including Burger King and Subway, will remain open until early 2018.

Ballot

Lottery Decides Order of Names on Ballot for Watertown’s Town Election

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Candidates for elected office in Watertown pulled pingpong balls out of a small wooden barrel on Monday afternoon to decide where their names would appear on the ballot for November’s Town Election. The candidates for Councilor-at-Large, School Committee and Library Board of Trustees selected one of the 30 yellow balls and those with the lowest numbers appear higher on the ballot. If a candidate was not at the Town Clerk’s office for the drawing, a member of the Board of Election Commissioners picked the ball for them. The candidates’ names will appear on the ballot as follows:

Town Councilor At-Large

Anthony Donato

David Stokes

Michelle Cokonougher

Michael Dattoli

Anthony Palomba

Caroline Bays

School Committee

Amy Donohue

Guido Guidotti

John Portz

Lily Rayman-Read

Michael Shepard

Elizabeth Yusem

Board of Library Trustees

Leanne Hammonds

Daniel Pritchard

Michael Hanlon

David Breakstone

No drawing was made for candidates running unopposed:

Town Council President

Mark Sideris

District A Councilor

Angeline Kounelis

District B Councilor

Lisa Feltner

District C Councilor

Vincent Piccirilli

District D Councilor

Kenneth Woodland

School Committee, 2-Year Term

Lindsay Mosca
Election Info
The election will take place Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2017.

Around Town

Hatch Makerspace Settling Into New Home in Watertown Square

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Watertown Free Public Library officials hope to transform a small storefront in Watertown Square into a place where residents can be creative and learn some new skills. 

The spot on Summer Street, just off Mt. Auburn Street, is the new home of the Hatch Makerspace. For the first couple years of its existence it was located in the Arsenal Mall, but now it is right on the street in the heart of the town. Assistant Library Director Caitlin Browne said in the old location Hatch would get people from all over – Cambridge, Boston as well as Watertown – but the new spot should draw a lot of town residents or those working in town. “We love it.

Entertainment

See Photos from the 2017 Watertown Faire on the Square

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Hundreds came out to Saltonstall Park to check out the 2017 Faire on the Square on Saturday. Visitors enjoyed music and performances on two stages, games, food, and activities for children. The Faire also featured local businesses and organizations, and residents could meet the candidates in the upcoming local election. See some of the action from the 18th annual Faire on the Square.

Sports

Watertown Runs Into Tough Melrose Team in League Football Opener

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After scoring 50 and 48 points in their first two games, the Watertown High School football team held to two touchdowns in the 28-14 loss at Melrose Friday night. Watertown trailed 21-7 at halftime, with quarterback Nick McDermott throwing to John Korte for a second quarter touchdown. In the fourth quarter the Raiders pulled within one score when McDermott hit Mange Camara for a touchdown. Melrose’s Rey Guity ran for a 78 yard touchdown to reestablish the 14 point gap, according to the Boston Herald’s report. The Raiders fall to 2-1 and 0-1 in the Middlesex League.