Boys Basketball

Cool Heads, Clutch Shooting Lead to Watertown to North Basketball Final

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WILMINGTON – Watertown High School’s basketball team kept its cool in the frenzied atmosphere of the MIAA Div. 3 North Section Semifinal, played tough defense and hit key shots down the stretch to defeat Lynnfield 58-46 Wednesday night. 

The gym at Wilmington High School was packed with rabid fans for both squads, and after overcoming an early deficit, the top-seeded Raiders (20-2) built off a narrow first quarter lead to hold off the fourth-seeded Pioneers (18-5). “It was just an incredible defensive effort, it was exhausting,” Watertown head coach Steve Harrington said. “The game was a grind, which is how we have to make the game at times.” Down 10-4 in the middle of the first quarter Watertown ran off eight points, with three pointers from sophomore guard Vondre Chase and junior point guard Julio Fulcar, and another hoop from senior forward Jayden Hairston.

Ease Connect

Financial Commitments Made to Start Watertown TMA, More Needed for Shuttle

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The cost of getting the Watertown TMA (Transportation Management Association) up and running will be more than $150,000, but the shuttle would be an additional cost. Allison Simmons of Ease Connect, showed the members of the Ad Hoc Committee on Transportation the cost estimates Tuesday night, which include about $26,000 in upfront costs (incorporation, legal fees, creating a website and marketing), $100,000 in salary for the program manager, benefits, and the cost of running the office, and another $5,000 for ongoing marketing – a total of $158,000. All those costs, and the assessments, would go toward the creation and running of a TMA, but not for the cost of setting up and running a shuttle. The developments required to contribute to the TMA will also be required to help support the shuttle, however, Simmons added that the members of the TMA would only have to pay for the shuttle if it serves their development or complex. While it is agreed that Watertown residents will be able to ride the shuttles, what remains up in the air is whether they will have to pay to ride.

Schools

Superintendent Finalist said She Believes Watertown is a Good Fit for Her

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Dede Galdston, one of two finalists in the search for the town’s next superintendent, said she is looking for a particular kind of district, and Watertown fits well. She discussed her priorities, style of leadership and values Monday night during a public forum and interview with the School Committee. For the past six years, Galdston has been assistant superintendent in Billerica, and she has worked in that district for more then 20 years, starting as a Spanish teacher before becoming foreign language coordinator, assistant principal at Billerica High School and then humanities coordinator. Her current district is nearly twice the size of Watertown’s, at 5,000 students, and has a more homogenous population. Before coming to Massachusetts, however, she worked in very diverse communities – first in San Jose, Calif., and then in the Bronx.

Schools

Watertown Cheerleaders Head to States After Winning Division Championship

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The Watertown High School cheerleading squad has enjoyed a successful winter, and will look to keep it going at States this weekend. 

In February, the team went to the Middlesex League competition in Lowell, where the Raiders qualified for Regionals. The team also won the Wildcat Invitational. On March 5, the team headed to Wilmington High School and had a great day, said Jennifer Ryan, one of the teams’s coaches. “We actually qualified to move onto States,” Ryan said. “Also, we were the North Small Co-ed Division Champions!”

Arsenal Street

Find Out Where the New Dunkin’ Donuts Will Open in Watertown

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Watertown’s newest Dunkin’ Donuts store will be opening on Arsenal Street this month. 

The store will be located at 640 Arsenal St., at the corner of Coolidge Avenue, in the space formerly occupied by the Aegean Restaurant. David Carvalho, CFO and Principal of Riverside Management Group, the owners of the store (and 19 others), said the opening day will be sometime in mid-March, and customers will enjoy a modern store. “The new location will be a state of the art Dunkin’ Donuts location, with all of the newest and greatest customer features, ranging from flat screen TV’s to a designated ‘on-the-go’ parking spot for any customers ordering through the On-the-Go mobile app,” Carvalho said. “The store will also feature a large seating area with a wide variety of seating options from comfortable soft seats to relax and enjoy breakfast to a larger meeting area spaces to ‘plug in’ and do some work.” The location will not have a drive-through window.

Schools

Schools Need $1.75 Million to Maintain Programs, Special Ed Costs Rising

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The Watertown Schools will need $1.75 million more next year to maintain the current staffing and programs, according to school officials, and special education costs are expected to grow in FY 2018 and beyond. The total FY18 Level Service Budget is $45,332,330 representing a 4 percent increase over FY17 (the current school year), or $1,755,330 more, said Mary C. DeLai, interim Director of Business Services. The amount includes cost of living adjustments and step increases provided in union contracts. In October, Town Manager Michael Driscoll included a 5 percent increase for the schools in his preliminary FY18 Town Budget. One area that DeLai anticipates where costs will increase is special education.

Girls Basketball

Watertown Comeback Falls Short, Shannon Murphy’s WHS Career Ends

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After fouling out with just 10 seconds left and her team down seven on Saturday night, Watertown High School’s star senior center Shannon Murphy still had a smile on her face as she was greeted by her coaches and teammates as she left the floor for the last time as a Raider. First half foul trouble put Watertown into a deep hole against Hamilton-Wenham in the Div. 2 North Section Quarterfinal. In the first half, the Generals had 15 free throw opportunities to just two for the Raiders. “It is what it is.

Boys Basketball

Raiders Rock the Gym – and the Rim – in Tourney Win Over North Reading

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Watertown High School’s boys basketball team got a dose of revenge against North Reading Friday night, with a rim-rocking dunk to put an exclamation point on the 64-39 North Section quarterfinal win. 

Last year, the Raiders traveled to North Reading and were eliminated from the tournament by the Hornets. In 2017, Watertown (19-2) earned the top seed and got them in their own gym in front of a raucous crowd. “We went undefeated here this year, I believe we were 12-0 here,” said Watertown Coach Steve Harrington. “Playing at home is huge. We played over there last year and we struggled.