Fire Contract

Watertown Firefighter Contract Approved by Town Council

By |

The Watertown Firefighters have a contract after more than six years after the Town Council approved the agreement Tuesday night. 

The unanimous vote to approve the agreement negotiated by town officials and the Local 1347 Fire Union comes nearly nine months after the Town Council rejected an arbitration award that would have settled the contract impasse. The agreement covers seven years, from July 1, 2009 to June 30, 2016. The firefighters will receive 19 percent in salary increases, but did not receive an increase for the first two years. That is in line with the agreements other town and school unions made during that time. In all the contract will cost the town $4.675 million, said Town Manager Michael Driscoll.

Around Town

Goats Providing Organic Poison Ivy Removal from Banks of Charles

By |

People running and walking along the Charles River in Watertown this week have gotten quiet a surprise – a herd of goats roaming the trees near the riverbank. Forty goats have been brought in this week by Goats to Go, which was hired by a Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) contractor, said farmer Alan Aulson. They have been attacking the poison ivy in the wooded area near the new Braille Trail, off Charles River Road, east of Watertown Square. “They were going to get the poison ivy done anyway, and this is a safe, environmentally quiet way to do it,” Aulson said. The goats love to munch on the weeds that are so bothersome to humans.

Around Town

Celebration Held for New Mural Inspired by Coolidge Square

By |

A brightly colored mural now adorns a wall on Mt. Auburn Street. Called “Seeds of Change,” it features fruit, vegetables, flowers and other items that can be found in markets and stores around Coolidge Square. On Saturday, members of the Watertown Public Arts and Culture Committee hosted a celebration for the mural, which was painted on a wall next to Uncommon Grounds, at the corner of Melendy Avenue and Mt. Auburn Street. Artist Gregg Bernstein, who designed the mural and mentored the students’ work on the project, said the artists faced tough conditions, with temperatures in the 90s many days.

Around Town

Watertown’s John Airasian’s ‘Love Letter’ to Coolidge Square

By |

East Watertown native John Airasian was asked to give a history of Coolidge Square during the celebration of the new mural in the area. He provided a wealth of memories along with the history of the square in his speech – or love letter, if you will. Here are his remarks, which he supplemented with some stories during the celebration on Sept. 19, 2015.:

Coolidge Square is the heart of East Watertown and that heart has always beat strong and it keeps getting stronger. Let me take you back to the late ’40s and the ’50s in Coolidge Square.

Around Town

Wayside Receives Grant to Prevent Under Age Drinking, Drug Use

By |

Watertown’s Wayside Youth & Family Support Network Multi-Service Center received grant tow work  with other communities to prevent underage drinking and drug use. 

Wayside will work with the Watertown Health Department, and join with similar efforts in Belmont, Waltham and Brookline, said Wayside Community Organizer Melanie St. Pierre. The group of communities, or cluster, will form the Substance Abuse Prevention Collaborative (SAPC) and will receive $100,000 for five years from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s (MADPH) Bureau of Substance Abuse Services (BSAS). Underage drinking is an important thing to target, she said, because it can leads to other substances. “People question with the opioid crisis why we are focusing on drinking,” St.

Around Town

Watertown Church Hosting ‘The Greatest Yard Sale’

By |

A Watertown Church will hold what they have dubbed “The Greatest Yard Sale.” Church of the Good Shepherd will hold the sale on Saturday, Oct. 3 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The church is located at 9 Russell Ave., at the corner of Mt. Auburn Street, and the sale will be held in the Parish Hall. Along with the sale there will be good food to enjoy and activities for kids.

Around Town

See the Watertown Police Take the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

By |

The Watertown Police ended the summer with a chilly bath to help fight ALS. On Friday, dozens of members of the Watertown Police, and their family members, took the ice bucket challenge. The icy water chilled some, but one said it felt nice after being out directing traffic on Galen Street all day. The Watertown Police have one of their own to thank for taking the challenge. Officer Patricia Grady presented the idea to interim Police Chief Raymond DuPuis.