Field Hockey

Watertown Clinches Berth in Eighth Straight State Final by Beating Foxborough

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READING – Watertown’s field hockey exploded for four first half goal and cruised to a 5-1 victory over Foxborough in the Eastern Mass final and booked their eighth straight state final. The South Section champions stayed with the Raiders for most of the first half of the game. Junior Maddie Leiter broke the deadlock with a goal from in close after getting a pass from senior Gabby Venezia with 13 minutes left in the half. Less than three minutes later, Sydney Poulin makes it 2-0 Watertown. This time Leitner had the assist. Leitner then got her second goal when she tipped in a ball hit by senior Kourtney Kennedy with seven minutes left in the first half.

Elections

Election 2016: Issues with Early Voting, How Question 5 Appeared on Ballot

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The Nov. 8 election drew a huge number of Watertown voters, but there were issues with the presidential election that also featured the Community Preservation Act ballot question. Early voting proved popular with residents, and about 7,000 voters casted their ballots before election day. After filling out their voters would fold their ballots and put them in an envelope and handed it back to the staff at the Town Clerk’s office. The envelopes went to the precinct where the voter lives, and were put through the machine.

Schools

School Committee Chooses Same Search Firm That Found Last Superintendent

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The Watertown School Committee decided to use the same search firm that they used the last time the town sought a new superintendent. 

After interviewing three firms, the School Committee members agreed on using the Massachusetts Association of School Committees as the consultant in the superintendent search. This was also the firm Watertown used when they promoted Jean Fitzgerald from interim superintendent to permanent superintendent in 2012. She retired in October after 4.5 years as superintendent, and following a tumultuous summer when a group of parents called for a vote of no confidence in her by the School Committee. Along with MASC, the School Committee also heard from representatives from the New England School Development Council and Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates. Town Council President and School Committee member Mark Sideris said he knows MASC Executive Director Glenn Koocher, who will lead the search, because he deals with him frequently as the head of the group that assists School Committees.

Business

Golfsmith Closing its Watertown Store, Holding Big Sale

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Watertown’s Golfsmith store will be closing its doors and currently has a big sale going on. According to the Golfsmith website merchandise is being discounted up to 30 percent. The Watertown store is located in the Arsenal Project, 615 Arsenal St. Fifty-nine of the Golfsmith locations across the country will be closing. One Massachusetts location, in Reading, will be among the 30 to remain open.

Government

How to Get Exemptions on Property Taxes or Defer Property Tax Payments

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Property taxes are on the rise, but there are ways for certain groups to cut their tax bills or for seniors to defer payment in an effort to keep them in their homes. Last week, the same night that the Town Council approved the Property Tax rates for Fiscal 2017, which will be rising, they approved programs to match the state’s property tax exemptions and to allow seniors to defer part or all of their property tax bills. Town Treasurer/Collector Joseph DiVito said he has heard from residents struggling to pay for the tax hikes. “After meeting with several constituents, elders, who want to stay in their homes, one of their responses is that they are being taxed out of their homes,” DiVito said. The Council voted to increase the maximum gross receipts residents are allowed to have and still qualify for the tax deferment program, from $40,000 to $57,000 for a single person over 65 years of age living in their own home.