Lt. Ed Walsh

Federal Report Blames Lack of Training, Staffing for Death of Lt. Ed Walsh in 2014

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A federal investigation of the 2014 Back Bay fire that killed Lt. Ed Walsh of Watertown and firefighter Michael Kennedy placed part of the blame on lack of training and also insufficient staffing. 

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health report also found that there was a delay in alerting the Boston Fire Department of the fire, ventilation of the fire by civilians and a lack of sprinklers and lack of fire hydrant on the rear of the building near the fire. See a the detailed report here from the WCVB Channel 5 website. Among the 15 recommendations are:

Fire command do an assessment of the risk before fully deploying firefighters
Train for dealing with wind-driven fires
Ensure for proper staffing for fighting a fire in a congested urban area
Have checklist to follow in the event of a mayday event
Integrate the latest firefighting research into the tactics used by the fire department
Personnel should all wear a fire-fighting protective hood at all structure fires
Consider requiring sprinkler systems in residential buildings

The report also has a detailed timeline of the fire that killed the two Boston firefighters. Watertown honored Walsh with a funeral, which drew thousands of firefighters from around the country, and shutdown Main Street for a few days.

Government

Warm Weather Brings Early End to Watertown’s Winter Parking Ban

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Watertown Police Chief Michael Lawn announced a suspension of the overnight parking ban in Watertown on Wednesday. 

With unseasonable warm weather and no snow in the long term forecast, Town Council President asked Lawn and Department of Public Works Superintendent Gerald Mee to end the parking ban early, Sideris said Tuesday night. The end of the ban is effective on Wednesday night, but the Police Department asked residents to continue to park off the street to allow emergency vehicles to pass more easily.

Police/Fire

Two Men Busted for Drug Possession After Driver Found Slumped at Wheel

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Two men face drug charges after police found them in a car stopped in the middle of a street near Watertown Square, with the driver asleep at the wheel. On March 3, at 11 p.m., Watertown Police received a report of a car blocking the intersection of Spring and Summer streets. When police arrived they found the vehicle had moved a few blocks to Spring and Palfrey streets, but the driver was slumped behind the wheel, said Watertown Police Lt. James O’Connor. “Officer were able to wake the operator. A witness said he had been like that for about 8 minutes,” O’Connor said.

Government

Senior Center Bids Farewell to Director After Nearly 3 Decades

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Caryl Fox treated Friday, March 6 as just another day at work, but it was her last as director of the Watertown Senior Center and her friends would not let it go without a small celebration. 

About 20 seniors who had been involved at the Senior Center and worked with Fox were joined by former Watertown Town Councilor and Governor’s Councilor Marilyn Petitto Devaney. She brought with her a proclamation from the Governor’s Council declaring March 6, 2016 as Caryl Fox Day in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Fox refused any interview, saying, “I just do my work.” She thanked those who had turned out to wish her a happy retirement. “Thank you for the proclamation,” Fox said.

Letters

LETTER: Citizens Group Opposes Regulations on Watertown Homes

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To the Editor,

“I don’t want anyone telling me where to plant my roses”. That was the parting message John Labadini, President of the newly-established Concerned Watertown Homeowners Association at the end of a public meeting at the Library last Thursday evening. That meeting was arranged to acquaint Watertown residents of a new initiative being pursued by the Town’s Planning and Development office. The Department is drafting proposed Residential Guideline regulations setting design standards for the appearance of our homes and for owners who want to, or need to, tear down and replace an existing structure. The Association feels that property designs are ownership property rights, not the Town’s.

Letters

LETTER: Parent Says Autism Event at Library is ‘Dangerous Misinformation’

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To the Editor: 
I am writing in regards to the decision by the Watertown Free Public Library to host an event sharing and elevating dangerous misinformation about autism while promoting snake-oil “cures.”
On March 12, an organization called TACA (Talk About Curing Autism) has reserved a room in our library presenting Dr. Theoharis Theoharides so he can share his views on an unsubstantiated and unproven link between autism and “brain inflammation.” To be clear, TACA is an organization that preys upon families of autistic children by promising them a cure through the use of intensive therapies, including a number of highly controversial and dangerous treatments such as chelation therapy. These therapies have never been shown to have any effect on “curing” autism, a neurological condition that cannot be changed, and groups like TACA ensnare desperate parents and mislead them into spending significant amounts of money and potentially harming their children. Among the things TACA encourages, according to their website:

No vaccines or a delayed/selective vaccine schedule, despite overwhelming evidence that vaccines do not cause autism and that vaccines given as recommended are a necessary and critical component of overall public health. Chelation therapy, which is indicated only for removing heavy metals from the body (anti-vaccine proponents believe vaccines impart mercury and other metals into the bloodstream, which is untrue).

Accreditation

Watertown High School Preparing for NEASC Accreditation Visit

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Every 10 years, Watertown High School goes through the accreditation process, and the staff has been busy preparing for a four-day visit by a team which begins on Sunday. A team from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) will be at Watertown High School starting March 13, said Maureen Regan, Grades 6-12 English Language Arts Coordinator, who co-chaired the accreditation preparation with guidance councilor Adrienne Eaton. Preparation
The preparation began three years ago when the school staff did a self study, Regan told the School Committee Monday night. The first step was to create school-wide learning expectations, which had two main focuses: effective oral and written communication, and college, career and life skills readiness. In the fall of 2014, the Endicott College Opinion Survey was given to students, parents and faculty.

Sports

Watertown Boys Hockey Routs Weston to Earn Spot in Section Semifinal

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The Watertown boys hockey team got its offense in gear in the second period of the MIAA Div. 3 North Section quarterfinal and swept past Weston 8-1 Monday night. 

The Raiders (11-11) wore the road uniforms, but looked at home on the familiar ice of John A. Ryan Arena in Watertown. The teams skated to a scoreless first period, but Watertown head coach Mike Hayes said he made some adjustments. “We were beating their D about halfway and taking shots instead of driving to the net,” Hayes said. “We wanted to come out in the second and take them wide and take it to the net.