Government

Split Town Council Won’t Stand in Way of Medical Marijuana Dispensary

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A proposed medical marijuana dispensary in East Watertown cleared a major hurdle Tuesday night when the Town Council voted 6-3 to approve a “Letter of Non-Opposition” for the application. The applicants, Natural Selections (or NS AJO), still must get approval of a special permit from the Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals before they can open the dispensary at 23 Elm Street. The decision came after about two-and-a-half hours of debate, discussion and public input. Members of the public were split for and against the proposed dispensary. Those in favor said that people with illnesses and diseases such as cancer, epilepsy, glaucoma and multiple sclerosis (MS) benefit from using medical marijuana, and they must get an ID issued by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

Break ins

Watertown Police Investigating a String of Break-ins of Local Businesses

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Watertown Police are investigating a string of break-ins of businesses that took place last week. Eight businesses on Mount Auburn Street and Spring Street were broken into between 11 p.m. on March 21 and 6 a.m. on March 22, according to Watertown Police Lt. James O’Connor. An undisclosed amount of cash and a laptop were taken from these locations. The break-ins occurred in three clumps, with two in the 200 block of Mt. Auburn Street, three in the 500 and 600 block of Mt.

Arsenal Street Corridor

Town Council Supports Projects in MassDOT’s Plan, Asks for Additions

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The Massachusetts Department of Transportation included a couple of projects in Watertown in its draft 2018-22 Capital Improvement Plan, which the Town Council supported in a letter to state officials. They also asked for a few more. 

During the report about the Council’s Ad Hoc Committee on Transportation during the March 14 Town Council meeting, Councilor Aaron Dushku said the MassDOT plan includes improvements to the Watertown Square Transportation hub and creating a multi-use path through the center of Watertown. He noted that these projects made the proposed funded list, but were not actually requested by the Town or local legislators. The Watertown Square improvements include redesigning the Watertown Delta and improving signage on Galen Street. “While it was unclear how this project (Project ID 1972) got on the list, it was agreed by most in attendance that the combination of new developments on Arsenal and Pleasant Streets plus the cut-through traffic from I-90 all warranted more investment in this bottleneck area and our letter should mention it,” Dushku said.

Charity

Watertown Man, Fiance Running to Help Low-Income People Find Housing

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Watertown-native Steve Farrell will take on the Boston Marathon for the second time, this time with his fiance Todd Robinson, and they will raise money to help connect low income families and individuals with housing that they can afford. Farrell, who is the Director of Communications, Development and Policy for the Metropolitan Boston Housing Partnership (MBHP), has been running for a few years, and growing up near the Marathon course he dreamed as a child of running the fabled race. When he was young Farrell would run a race from Waltham City Hall to the then Watertown Police Station in Watertown Square and then would either go home to watch the Marathon called by Chet Curtis and Natalie Jacobson or go with an older sibling to watch the race live. Farrell ran his first marathon in 2012, and this year he will be joined by his fiance, who is newer to the sport. “Our first race together was the Dorchester Firefighter 10k Memorial that fall.

Girls Basketball

Watertown Girls Basketball Builds a Legacy by Coaching Youth League

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While Friday nights were game time for the Watertown High School girls basketball team, Saturday mornings were reserved for helping out the Watertown Youth Basketball. That has helped form a strong bond between the players, young and old. WHS head coach Patrick Ferdinand’s players spend the morning working with the fourth and fifth grade girls, who are playing organized basketball for the first time. “It’s an honor to teach the kids to plan and getting them them know what we do in high school,” said WHS senior Jenna McMahon. “It’s important, at the same time, to have fun.”

Government

Town Council to Consider First Medical Marijuana Dispensary Application Tuesday

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The first applicant seeking to open a medical marijuana dispensary in Watertown will appear before the Town Council Tuesday night, and the public will have a chance to weigh in. 

The public hearing is on the Council’s agenda for the Tuesday, March 28 meeting, to be held in the Council Chambers on the second floor of Town Hall, 149 Main St., Watertown. Meeting begins at 7:15 p.m.

The applicants, Natural Selections, seeks to open the facility at 23 Elm Street, in a building behind the one occupied by A-Affordable Auto Insurance. The proponents appeared before the Council’s Economic Development and Planning Committee, which voted to allow the proposal be heard by the full Council in February. In order to move forward and be considered for a special permit by the Planning Board and Zoning Board, applicants first need to get a Letter of Support or Non-Opposition from the Town Council. That is what will be considered Tuesday.

Entertainment

Watertown’s Eliza Dushku to Appear in CBS Legal Drama ‘Bull’

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Watertown native Eliza Dushku has been signed to appear as a recurring character in the CBS show Bull, the legal drama staring NCIS alum Michael Weatherly. Dushku (known for Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Banshee) will play J.P. Nunnelly, “the savvy head of the best criminal defense firm in New York, who is hired by Michael Weatherly’s titular character when a member of his Trial Analysis Corporation team faces prison time,” according to TVLine.com. IMDB describes Dr. Bull as “the ultimate puppet master as he combines psychology, human intuition and high-tech data to learn what makes jurors, attorneys, witnesses and the accused tick.” CBS recently announced that Bull would be picked up for a second season. Dushku’s three-episode arc begins Tuesday, May 9, and TVLine reported that she may return in season 2.

Real Estate

See the Trio of Properties that Sold this Week in Watertown

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A single-family home and two townhouses sold in Watertown this week. $699,000 – 134-1 Edenfield Ave. Unit 1, 7 room, 3 bedroom, 2 full & 1 half bathroom, Townhouse condo/townhouse

$565,000 – 71 Nyack St., 8 room, 5 bedroom, 2 full bathroom, single-family home

$699,000 – 59 Wilson Ave. Unit 1, 6 room, 3 bedroom, 2 full & 1 half bathroom, Townhouse condo/townhouse

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