Government

Tax Outlook Better for 2-Family Homes Next Year, Single Families Likely to Rise

By |

Owners of two-family homes in Watertown got a nasty surprise in their tax bills this year, with the rate jumping nearly 8.5 percent, but the Chairman of the Board of Assessors said they won’t see that same increase next year. Francis Golden appeared before the Town Council for his budget hearing Thursday night and said because prices have leveled, the tax rates will remain much more stable for owners of two-families. “Two-families went through the roof in calendar 2014 but they are flat in 2015,” Golden said, meaning the tax rate should remain stable when the rates are set in the fall. Other types of residential property will have different rates, Golden said. Two-family homes that have been converted into condominiums are classified as condos, not two-families, Golden said.

Fire

Two Alarm Fire Badly Damages Home on Howard Street

By |

Watertown Fire fighters put out a two-alarm fire that badly damaged one of three units of a house on Howard Street, and displaced five people. 

The fire was reported at 5:56 p.m. When Watertown firefighters and police arrived at 15 Howard St., it appeared the fire was just on the exterior of the building, but the flames had spread, said Watertown Fire Capt. Ryan Nicholson. “A gentleman was using a propane torch to weed his driveway and it caught some of the siding (on fire),” Nicholson said. “It extended into the interior.” The second alarm was called because the fire was in an area with other homes close by. The first police and firefighters on the scene were able to evacuate an older woman in a wheelchair before she suffered any injuries.

Around Town

See What Launch Watertown is Doing for Red Nose Day

By |

Red Nose Day 2016 is May 26, and locally, Launch trampoline park will participated with a fund raising event. Red Nose Day is an initiative that uses humor and fun to help underprivileged kids all over the world. According to a study from last year by the Urban Institute, 22 percent of children in America live in families with incomes below the federal poverty level. Launch sent out this announcement:

Here at Launch Trampoline Park we are happy to announce we will be joining the Red Nose

Day 2016 action! On Thursday, May 26th, 25 percent of all jump ticket sales will be donated to the Red Nose Day cause. To add to that we will also be selling red noses to our jumpers for $1 and 100 percent of those sales will also be going toward the cause.

Jean Fitzgerald

See the First Issue of the Watertown Public Schools Bulletin

By |

The first ever Watertown Public Schools Bulletin was released by Superintendent Jean Fitzgerald this week, with news, information and updates about the schools. 

Here is the “The Superintendent’s Word,” by Fitzgerald, which is part of the WPS Bulletin. You can see more stories and view the complete WPS Bulletin by clicking here. The Superintendent’s Word
Thank you for taking a few minutes to read the first issue of the WPS Bulletin. My address in this Bulletin will focus on the learning environment in our schools. We are in a new world that requires diverse, flexible, and highly technological environments that can be customized for the different ways in which students learn.

Real Estate

See the Four Watertown Homes that Sold This Week

By |

These townhouses sold this week in Watertown. $555,000 – 39 Harrington St. Unit 39, 7 room, 3 bedroom, 2 full & 1 half bathroom, Townhouse condo/townhouse

$361,000 – 62 Pierce Road Unit 62, 5 room, 2 bedroom, 1 full bathroom, Townhouse condo/townhouse

Sponsored by:

$620,000 – 26 Hersom St., 6 room, 3 bedroom, 1 full & 1 half bathroom, single-family home

$539,900 – 24-26 Morse St. Unit 2, 8 room, 3 bedroom, 1 full & 1 half bathroom, 2/3 Family condo/townhouse

Arrests

Police Log: Men Busted After Seen Jumping Between Buildings, Watch & Cash Stolen

By |

The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department. Arrests
May 14, 8:40 p.m.: Police received a report that a group of men were on the roof of Subway in Watertown Square, and they were given a license plate. When they arrived, two men were in the car that matched the plate they were given. When officers spoke to the men, they explained that they were on top of Subway doing Parkour – where they jumped between roofs. While the spoke to the men, one man in the back seat appeared to be fidgeting with something.

Schools

School Committee Looking at Changing School Start Times in Fall 2017

By |

Watertown Public Schools officials will investigate starting the day for the high school and middle school later each day in the fall of 2017, however a change could be coming for middle schoolers in the fall of 2016. The School Committee’s Policy Subcommittee took up the issue Thursday morning and gave their OK for Superintendent Jean Fitzgerald to look at moving the school day later. The move has been looked at because research has shown that teenagers’ body clock has them staying up later and they need more than eight hours sleep. The current start time for high school (7:55 a.m.) and middle school (7:40 a.m.) are earlier than the research recommends. A survey of Watertown parents found them more supportive moving school start time back 15 minutes than 30 minutes, or more, to get to the 8:30 a.m. start time school officials are looking at.

Around Town

Children Put on a Show and Honored a Man Who Dedicated His Life to Youth

By |

More than 50 children from Watertown put on quite a performance during “The Show Must Go On,” a program run by the Watertown Recreation Department, and they remembered longtime Recreation and Lowell School employee Bob Galante. 

Saturday’s show featured songs from the 90s, said Stacy Vachon, the director, who has been putting on similar shows with the children of Watertown since she was a teenager. “We sampled techno, grunge, popular and alternative music,” Vachon said. “The kids were either backed by the teacher band or sang along with karaoke tracks.” The first two songs were dedicated to Bob Galante, who died recently. He ran the Pequossette Summer Program, and ran the Lowell School after school program.