Capital Improvement Plan

Town Council Approves Nearly $10 Million in Building Projects, Equipment

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Watertown will spend nearly $10 million on projects to improve parks, streets, schools and vehicles in the Capital Improvement Plan approved by the Town Council last week. The council approved $9.9 million in capital projects and purchases for Fiscal year 2017 (which begins July 1, 2016) which will be paid for using a variety of sources including $4.7 million in borrowing. The capital improvement plan will make up about 7.9 percent of the total town budget, which fits within the Town Council’s goal of spending 7.5 to 8 percent each year on capital projects. Before the recommendations came to the Council on March 22, the Budget and Fiscal Oversight subcommittee met four times for about nine hours to go over the proposals, said Councilor Vincent Piccirilli, chair of that subcommittee. The approved projects include 33 recommendations (see the full report here).

Arrests

Police Log: Handyman Rips Off Customer, Shoplifter Tries to Climb Fence to Escape

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The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department. Arrests
March 19, 5 p.m.: Police had a warrant for a Watertown man and had information that he might be staying in the area of Cypress Street. When they were in the area, officers spotted the man coming out of a home on Spruce Street. The 29-year-old Watertown man was arrested on the warrant from Framingham District Court for driving with a suspended license, speeding and a passing violation. March 20, 2:20 p.m: Target security spotted a man cutting the security tag off a Beats Pill portable speaker.

Boston Marathon Bombing

See Who Will Play Boston Mayor Menino in ‘Patriots Day’

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The makers of the movie chronicling the events around the Boston Marathon Bombings announced the latest casting choice, Vincent Curatola who will portray Boston Mayor Tom Menino. Curatola, who is known for his work on The Sopranos and The Good Wife, joins Boston-native and Academy Award-nominee Mark Wahlberg (The Departed, Lone Survivor), Golden Globe-winner John Goodman (10 Cloverfield Lane, Inside Llewyn Davis, Argo), Academy Award-Winner J.K. Simmons (Whiplash, Zootopia) and Jimmy O. Yang (Silicon Valley, Criminal Minds) in Patriots Day. The film will be directed by Peter Berg (Deepwater Horizon, Lone Survivor) and produced by Scott Stuber, Mark Wahlberg, Hutch Parker, Dylan Clark, Stephen Levinson, Dorothy Aufiero and Michael Radutzky. Patriots Day will be co-financed by CBS Films and Lionsgate with the former handling production and marketing and the latter handling distribution.

Around Town

Learn About Living With Coyotes from a Local Expert

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The Watertown Health Department presents “Living With Eastern Coyotes” on Thursday March 31 at 7 p.m.

The event features John Maguranis, Belmont’s Animal Control Officer, who will talk about several topics about coyotes:

Natural behavior
Myths and facts
Habitats
Diet
Identification
Pet and Human Safety
Origins and History

It will also feature photos of coyotes. The event will be held at the Community Room Watertown Police Department, 552 Main St. in Watertown.

Police/Fire

67-Year-Old Woman Has Purse Stolen While Walking Along Charles River

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State Police called out a search dog to look for a suspect who stole a woman’s purse as she strolled along the Charles River. On March 15 at 4:30 p.m., a 67-year-old woman was walking on the Charles River path on the south side of the river near California Street. Suddenly, a man came from behind, grabbed her purse and she was pushed to the ground, said Watertown Police Lt. James O’Connor. The woman was not injured in the robbery. The unidentified man then ran across the pedestrian bridge to the side near Pleasant Street. The woman described the suspect as a white male, wearing a grey sweatshirt.

Development

Man Who Was a Watchdog on Arsenal Mall Project is Up for Spot on Planning Board

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A man who gazed a critical eye on the proposed renovation of the Arsenal Mall has been nominated to fill an opening on the Watertown Planning Board – the group that will make decisions on that and other projects in the new Regional Mixed Use District (RMUD). Gary Shaw has been recommended as the new member of the Planning Board by Town Manager Michael Driscoll. Shaw is an architect who has worked on some major projects around New England who lives in Watertown, and he would replace Neal Corbett who stepped down from the board. Shaw, along with the other four members of the Planning Board – John Hawes, Jeffrey Brown, Linda Tuttle-Barletta and Fergal Brennock – will be interviewed by the Town Council’s Committee on Economic Development and Planning. A recommendation will then the sent to the full Council on whether to approve these appointments.

Around Town

Arsenal Project Hosting a Puppet Workshop and a Blood Drive

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The Innovation Space at the Arsenal Project will be busy in the beginning of April with an events hosted by the New Repertory Theatre and the Red Cross. The Watertown Community Blood Drive will be held on Friday, April 1 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. As a blood donor, you help make some of life’s most precious moments possible from family vacations to first day of school to walks on the beach. You help save lives. For an appointment please call 1-800 RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or visit redcrossblood.org

The New Repertory Theatre will host a free, fun-filled event for kids and their families on Saturday, April 2 from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Kids will work alongside teaching artists to make their own puppets and learn how to use their puppets to craft imaginative stories. The event is good for children age 3 and above.