Football

Watertown Seniors Complete Football Careers That Reached New Heights

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Even more than most years, the end of the 2017 season has been a whirlwind for the Watertown High School football team, which capped its season with a victory over Belmont on Thanksgiving. Watertown football coach John Cacace had a chance to reflect on the season after the game, and the career of his senior class which has has reached new heights. This year the team had an extra game, just six days before the Raiders’ rivalry game. “Its just been a grind for us. We haven’t had a chance to sit back and relax and take it all in,” Cacace said.

Around Town

Nearly 1,000 Runners, Walkers Join 12th Annual Donohue’s Turkey Trot

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For a dozen years, runners have turned up early on Thanksgiving morning on Bigelow Avenue in East Watertown for the Donohue’s Bar & Grill Turkey Trot. This year nearly 1,000 runners turned out, along with family and friends to cheer them on. 

Most people come dressed to run, while some come with turkey headgear, or even dressed up as a turkey. Others bring their young kids in strollers or their dogs on a leash. The proceeds from the event go to the Watertown Boys and Girls Club, and Donohue’s owner John Donohue said he expected to raise about $10,000. After the start of the 5K race the kids’ Turkey Trot took place.

Belmont

Watertown Rolls Over Belmont in Thanksgiving Football Game

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The Watertown High School football put an exclamation point on an already successful year by defeating rival Belmont 35-16 in the annual Thanksgiving game at Victory Field on Thursday morning. The game came less than a week after the Raiders’ loss in the Div. 5 Eastern Mass final, but Watertown looked sharp against the Marauders. Watertown football coach John Cacace said his seniors wanted to defeat their rivals. “After the careers they had and after the season they had, you don’t want to go out with a bad taste in your mouth,” Cacace said. “They really wanted this one and they played like they wanted it.”

Belmont

Raiders Beat Belmont in Thanksgiving Football Game

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The 2017 Thanksgiving Day game at Victory Field pits two teams which have had very different fortunes during the season, but the traditional rivalry tends to bring out the best in the underdog and usually makes for a close game. The Raiders look to extend their winning streak over their rivals to six when they play the game at Victory Field on Thursday. Follow live updates here. Kickoff is at at 10:15 a.m.:

Watertown runs out the clock on the 97th meeting with Belmont.  Final Watertown 35, Belmont 16

49 seconds left 4th, Belmont kicks 35 yard field goal.

Development

Developers Show Plans for Condo/Retail Building on Vacant Lot on Mt. Auburn St.

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Developers presented a plan for a new condominium building with space for retail businesses on the bottom that would go on what has been a weed-filled vacant lot near the Watertown Square intersection. The presentation was made Tuesday night at a Community Meeting for the project at 33 Mt. Auburn St., at the corner with Taylor Street. It would have 15 condos and about 1,960 sq. ft.

Around Town

Fallen Watertown Firefighter Receives State’s Highest Honor for Firefighters

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Watertown Firefighter Joseph Toscano, who died while fighting a fire on March 17, 2017, was honored posthumously with the state’s highest honor at the 2017 Firefighter of the Year Awards. 

Toscano collapsed in a Merrifield Avenue home where the Watertown Fire Department was fighting a fire. He was taken to hospital and was pronounced dead from a heart attack. The 54-year-old Randolph resident left behind a wife and five children. The 21-year veteran on Watertown Fire Department was laid to rest after a memorial in Watertown attended by thousands of firefighters. On Nov. 21, Gov. Charlie Baker and state Fire Marshal Peter Ostroskey presented awards to dozens of firefighters from 22 departments.

Around Town

Perkins School’s Inclusion Speaker Delivers TEDx Talk in Boston

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Jaimi Lard, a Perkins School for the Blind Diversity and Inclusion Speaker, delivered a TEDx BeaconStreet talk called “The Courage To Be Inclusive.” Lard, who has been deaf and blind since birth, lives independently and has lead an active life. She has surfed, skied, swung on a trapeze and testified before Congress, according to Perkins School. On Saturday, Nov. 18, Lard was one of the speakers who took the stage at the JFK Library in Boston to deliver a powerful message of importance to both them, their communities and society as a whole.

Government

Concerns Raised About Narrowing Mt. Auburn St. & Making it Safer for Bikes

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The latest proposal for the major overhaul of Mt. Auburn Street was unveiled by traffic engineers at Monday night’s Public Works subcommittee meeting, and they were largely met with skepticism and disappointment. The first detailed draft of what the redesigned Mt. Auburn Street could or would look like was presented in June by the traffic engineers from WorldTech Engineering. It included removal of lanes, called a “road diet” in some areas and added bike lanes along the roadway.