Schools

Lowell School Site Will Not Be Used for High School, Future Enrollments Discussed

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The Lowell Elementary School site will be removed from the table as a possible location for a new high school with a vote taken by the School Committee on Monday during a special meeting to discuss issues impacting upcoming school building projects. The School Committee also looked at the enrollment which the new schools will be able to accommodate after the three elementary schools are rebuilt or renovated. Examining the Lowell site was necessary as the Watertown Public Schools officials start a parallel construction project to rebuild or renovate Watertown High School with the help of the state’s Massachusetts School Building Authority, said School Committee Chairman John Portz. “The question (Monday) is not whether to site the high school there, but is it a viable site for the high school,” Portz said. School officials will have to present the state with all the potential sites in town for a high school, including the current one.

Police/Fire

Firefighters, Police, Citizens Awarded for Saving Lives; Fire Personnel Sworn In

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Firefighters, police officers and others who acted quickly to save lives received awards for their good work Friday, and the Watertown Fire Department swore in their recently promoted and hired members. The Watertown Library’s Watertown Savings Bank Room was packed with family members and well wishers for the ceremony. Acting Fire Chief Bob Quinn said he was happy to mark something positive after a tough stretch for the Fire Department during which Firefighter Joe Toscano died while fighting a fire and Fire Chief Mario Orangio was diagnosed and died from cancer linked to his fire service. “The last year and a half has been rough for the Watertown Fire Department,” Quinn said. “It is great to be here for a happy occasion.”

Sports

Senior Led Watertown Boys Basketball Faced Belmont Friday Night

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The Raiders’ boys basketball team – led by the senior duo of John Korte and Julio Fulcar – suffered a close loss to rival Belmont Friday  night in the WHS Gym. 

Watertown lost 59-56 to the Marauders in the Middlesex League matchup. The Raiders battled back to make it close after being down 36-22 in at halftime. The team dropped to 8-5 on the season and 5-5 in the Middlesex League. The Raiders were coming off a 10 point win over Boston United earlier in the week, where senior guard Julio Fulcar scored a career high 30 points, according to Wicked Local Watertown. The team has been led this season by senior John Korte, who passed the 1,000 point mark for his career during a 27-point performance at Wilmington last week.

Coolidge Square

UPDATED: See the Concept for Redesigning Mt. Auburn St. in Coolidge Square, Give Input Tuesday

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{Updated Jan. 29, 2018 at 10:45 a.m. The plans previously posted are out of date, and maps will be available to review at the meeting on Jan. 30.} 

The Department of Public Works will host an open house on Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2018 to discuss the plans to change the layout of Mt. Auburn Street in Coolidge Square. 

The project is part of the greater effort to redesign Mt.

Real Estate

Watertown Has Three Open Houses This Weekend

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A trio of open houses in Watertown to visit this weekend. $849,000 – 385 School St. Unit 385, 9 room, 4 bed, 2.5 bath colonial, Open Houses: Friday 11:30-1 Saturday 11:30-1 Sunday 11:30-1:30

$489,000 – 40 Waltham St. Unit 2, 6 room, 3 bed, 1 bath 2/3 family, Open House: Sunday 12-1

$641,000 – 49 Bradford Road Unit 1, 6 room, 2 bed, 2 bath 2/3 family, Open Houses: Saturday 12-2 Sunday 12-2

Sponsored by:

Business

Perkins Partners with Company to Provides High Tech Assistance for the Blind

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Some employees at Perkins School for the Blind have been testing some high tech glasses that give the blind and visually impaired new independence. They don’t let users see better, per se, but instead they have a camera that allows someone to watch a live stream video and give the wearer instant descriptions and directions. The technology was developed by San Diego-based startup Aira, which this week announced a partnership with the school in Watertown – the first of its kind in the country. One of those who piloted Aira was Kim Charlson, executive director of the Perkins Library. Charlson is visually impaired and uses her seeing-eye dog Dolly to help her get around.

Around Town

Postage Rate Hike Hindering Local Effort to Send Care Packages to the Troops

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For more than 15 years, Wendy Rocca has been shipping care packages to United States military personnel overseas with the group she founded – Operation American Soldier. When she went to the Post Office this week to pay for the latest shipment, however, she was shocked by the increase in rates for mailing packages to overseas military addresses. 

The U.S. Post Office raised rates on Jan. 21, 2018, which was not a surprise for Rocca, it was the amount that caught her off guard. “The rate went from $8.01 to $10.65,” Rocca said. “It is still the most cost effective way to ship – I can only ship through the Post Office.