Around Town

District Attorney Ryan Shares Tips for Seniors to Avoid Scams

By |

Seniors should be wary of people targeting them for “crimes of opportunity, Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan said when she visited the Watertown Senior Center last week to talk about scams.

She warned seniors that scams come in all shapes and sizes, and the criminals can be quite clever and they target older people. “If you live in Massachusetts and you are a senior you are much less likely to be the victim of a crime. You are not out at 3 a.m. and I assume you do not have a lot of friends in a gang,” Ryan said. “But another thing is also true. You are as liable as anyone to be the victim of a crime of opportunity.”

Around Town

LETTER: Watertown Chapter of Amnesty International is Disbanding

By |

After 28 years of advocacy, the local Watertown / Belmont Group of Amnesty International is disbanding. The group, AI Group #365, held its Chartering Ceremony on April 26, 1988 with a small but dedicated core group that grew over the early years. Their first prisoner of conscience case was Naser al-‘Ali, a 28 year-old engineering student at Damascus University, who was jailed for being a member of the Party for Communist Action, a group that was prohibited in Syria. He was released in 1995, after 13 years of imprisonment and 7 years of the local group’s steadfast efforts on his behalf. AI #365 has had a long run with consistent leadership and a growing newsletter mailing list of concerned citizens who regularly send out action letters on behalf of men and women around the world who follow their conscience in the face of adversity.

Development

2 Meetings on 2 Big Projects on Arsenal Street This Week

By |

Find out the latest on two big project that will reshape Arsenal Street this week during separate community meetings. On Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2016, a meeting will be held to discuss Phase One of the AODD Campus Master Plan – the renovation of the Arsenal on the Charles. The meeting takes place from 6:30-8 p.m. at 311 Arsenal Street, Watertown, in Building 311 in the complex (Athenahealth). The first phase includes a large new parking garage on the west side of the project, as well as a new building on Arsenal Street with retail and commercial spots, and community space. See more details here.

Real Estate

Five Homes Sold Around Watertown This Week

By |

Here are the five homes that sold in Watertown this week. $599,000 – 97 Galen St. Unit 97, 8 room, 4 bedroom, 2 full & 1 half bathroom, Townhouse condo/townhouse

$365,000 – 38 Duff St. Unit 38, 6 room, 2 bedroom, 1 full bathroom, condo/townhouse

$500,000 – 18 Lyons Ct.,= 2 unit, 10 total room, 4 total bedroom, 2 Family multi-family home

Sponsored by:

$770,000 – 111 Rutland, 9 room, 5 bedroom, 2 full & 1 half bathroom, Colonial single-family home

$350,000 – 2 Townly Unit 6, 4 room, 1 bedroom, 1 full bathroom, Attached condo/townhouse

Police/Fire

Police Log: Vehicles Broken Into, Pricy Mountain Bike Stolen and More

By |

The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department. Arrests
Aug. 15, 9:06 a.m.: An officer patrolling in Coolidge Square spotted a driver make an illegal maneuver and police pulled the car over. While speaking with the driver, the woman gave officers what turned out to be her sister’s drivers license. When police said the owner of the license had two arrest warrants, the driver admitted it was not hers.

Elections

Group of Voters Consider Pros and Cons of Ballot Measure to Legalize Marijuana

By |

The ballot measure that has drawn the most attention and heated debate is being hashed out by a group of voters who gathered in Watertown this week, and in the end, they will come up with a statement about Question 4, the proposal to legalize the sale of marijuana. On the first day of the four day process, the group of 20 voters chosen from around the state heard presentations about the current law, and from the Yes and No campaigns for Question 4. The group gathered at the Atrium School in Watertown, and the process, called the Citizens’ Initiative Review, is a pilot of a program that is supported by Watertown State Rep. Jonathan Hecht. Current laws regarding marijuana are confusing. In Massachusetts it was decriminalized in 2008 and medical marijuana was legalized in 2012, however, in federal law it remains illegal, but is in Schedule 1, the lowest, least serious of the five federal categories.

Arrests

Police Nab Three Men for Breaking Into Watertown Gas Station

By |

The Watertown Police identified and arrested three men in connection of a recent nighttime break in of a gas station in town. On July 25, 2016 it was reported to the Watertown Police Department that a breaking and entering had occurred during the overnight hours at 600 Main Street, AAA Auto Clinic, the WPD announced. During this break, suspects had chiseled through an exterior concrete wall, into the office, where the suspects stole an undisclosed amount of cash. As a result of an investigation by the Watertown Police Detective Division, arrests warrants were obtained and executed on Joseph Elwell of 26 Briarwood Lane, Marlborough, and Sabino Aviles of 81 Nichols Road Framingham, for charges related to Breaking and Entering at Nighttime, Larceny over $250, and Breaking into a Depository, according to the Watertown Police. Kevin Szydlowski of 16 Essex St., Watertown, was criminally charged and summoned to court for his role in the crime, police announced.