Real Estate

Watertown is Full of Open Houses This Weekend

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More than a dozen open houses will be held around town this week. $749,900 — 57 Forest St. Unit 57, 6 room, 3 bed, 4 bath 2/3 family, Open House: Sunday 12-1:30

$799,000 — 362-364 Arlington St., 2 unit, 13 total room, 5 total bedroom 2 family, Open House: Sunday 12-2

$589,900 — 31 Hardy Ave. Unit 2, 7 room, 4 bed, 2 bath 2/3 family, Open Houses: Saturday 12-1:30 Sunday 12-1:30

$985,000 — 444 Mount Auburn St. Unit 6, 6 room, 2 bed, 2 full 2 half bath townhouse, Open House: Friday 11:30-12:30 Saturday 12-1:30 Sunday 12-1:30

$938,000 — 39 Upland Road, 9 room, 4 bed, 2.5 bath bungalow, Open Houses: Friday 11:30-1:30 Saturday 11:30-1:30 Sunday 11:30-1:30

$309,000 — 100 Summer St.

Around Town

School Building Committee Looks at How to Control Construction Costs for 3 Elementary Schools

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Given a 50 percent increase in the cost estimates to rebuild the Town’s three elementary schools, members of Watertown’s School Building Committee debated, on Wednesday, what should be the priority in the project: the education program or keeping costs down for taxpayers. At its last meeting, the School Building Committee heard the latest cost estimates from architects from Ai3, which put the price tag at $170 million to $180 million. The figures came in significantly higher than the projected costs from the master plan created by SMMA in 2016, which said the project could be done for $80 million to $120 million, depending on the level of work. The work on the elementary schools is part of the Building for the Future project, which also includes renovating or rebuilding Watertown High School. The Town will try to get funding from the state’s Massachusetts School Building Authority for the WHS project, but will try to pay for the work on the elementary schools solely with town funds.

Fiscal Year 2019 Budget

Town Adding Several New Positions in Proposed Fiscal Year 2019 Budget

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Next year’s proposed Watertown Town Budget includes funding for a few new positions, including an environmental planner, a forestry supervisor, positions at the Senior Center, and an additional police officer. A new department, shared by the Town and Schools, will be formed, and money has been set aside to start the reconstruction of four Watertown Schools. Town Manager Michael Driscoll presented the budget, his 26th in Watertown, to the Town Council on Tuesday night. The Fiscal Year 2019 budget will be $139.55 million, a $6.997 million increase over the current Fiscal year, or 5.28 percent. It includes a 5 percent increase in the education budget, 2.5 percent more for Municipal Departments, and adds more than $1 million to the budget for Public Safety — Police and Fire.

Business

La Bodega Brings Tapas, South American Cuisine to Watertown

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The owners of one of the Watertown’s latest culinary additions seeks to combine the food of two far off locations to town, featuring high-quality ingredients in a laid back setting. Chef Gabriel Bremer and his wife Analia Verolo opened La Bodega by Salts in Watertown quietly earlier this year, and serve dishes from the South American nation of Uruguay and Basque country. Though currently in a soft opening, the restaurant welcomes diners four nights a week. Bremer and Verolo met in Portland, Maine, where they were part of the founding team of Fore Street. For a decade, the couple ran Salts in Cambridge, a fine-dining restaurant featuring modern French and Spanish food with only a handful of tables.

Entertainment

Celebrate the 100th Anniversary of Armenian Republic with Film, Dance in Watertown

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The Boston-area Armenian community will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Republic with a weekend of film, music and dance, including two event in Watertown. The schedule of events:

Friday, May 4 — Screening of the film, “State on the Last Piece of Land,” at the Armenian Cultural and Educational Center (ACEC – 47 Nichols Ave. Watertown, MA). Doors open at 7:30 p.m. and the program starts at 8 p.m. Admission is free and open to the public. Saturday, May 5, Dance with entertainment from Armenia, starring Ruben Sasunci and Gohar Hovhannisyan, who will be in Boston together for the first time!

Police/Fire

Police Log: Woman Arrested for Driving Stolen Car, Hose Stuffed up Car’s Tailpipe

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The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department. Arrests
April 16, 7:26 p.m.: Police arrived at the Target parking lot and found a security guard with a suspect who had a brown piece luggage with five bottles of champagne inside. When the man saw the police officers, he dropped the bag and ran. Officers caught him after a brief chase The champagne was worth $297.44. Security told police the man had been spotted taking items from the store on two previous occasions.

Police/Fire

Several Hundred Join the 2018 Watertown Finish Strong 5K Run and Walk

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Nearly 600 runners came out on a rainy Sunday morning to celebrate the Watertown Strong spirit inspired by the aftermath of the Boston Marathon Bombings and the capture of the bombing suspects in Watertown five years ago. The fourth annual Watertown Police Finish Strong 5K Run and Walk started and ended at Tufts Health Plan. Despite the poor conditions hundreds participated. Among those at the race this were Boston Marathon Bombing survivor Jeff Bauman and one of the people who helped injured people after the bombing, Carlos Arredondo. The race is run by the Watertown Police Relief Association, Watertown Supervisors Association and Watertown Patrol Officers Association.

Charles River

Watertown Group Removes Trash, Debris During Charles River Cleanup

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A group from the Watertown Citizens for Peace, Justice made the Charles River a nicer place by removing all sorts of items from the waterway during the Charles River Cleanup on Saturday, April 28. The group removed garbage, debris and much more from the shore of the Charles River in Watertown near the Stop & Shop on Pleasant Street. “We had a great turnout,” said Sue Ellen Hershman-Tcherepin, president of Watertown Citizens. She added, “It is both one of the most depressing and one of the most exhilarating activities that brings our community together!” The group was one of dozens participating in the Charles River Cleanup on Saturday.