Government

Are Shuttles Part of Watertown’s Transportation Future?

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With the MBTA service in Watertown not meeting residents’ and workers’ needs, and a growth boom underway people are looking for ways to improve transportation in town. 

One option often brought up is a local transportation management association (TMA), which could run shuttles and provide other transportation assistance. A forum about TMAs  held at the Watertown Free Public Library drew around 100 people. The event an initiative of the Watertown Public Transit Task Force which co-sponsored the event along with the Watertown Belmont Chamber of Commerce. In recent years large developments have been built on and near Pleasant Street, and more recently along Arsenal Street. To deal with the new homes and businesses, the town has explored creating a TMA to provide transit along these two corridors, said Assistant Town Manager and Director of Community Development and Planning Steve Magoon.

Charity

Watertown Woman Raising Money for Alzheimer’s Awareness

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Judy Johanson, of Watertown is rallying her team, This is Our Life, to raise funds and awareness for an Alzheimer’s Association event called The Longest Day on June 21, 2015. The Longest Day, focused on the summer solstice was created in recognition of the long days that are part of living with Alzheimer’s disease, according to the announcement from the Alzheimer’s Association. Johanson’s husband Steve was diagnosed with younger-onset Alzheimer’s just prior to his 59th birthday. Judy and Steve had previously reached out to the Alzheimer’s Association, Massachusetts/New Hampshire Chapter when his mother was diagnosed in her late 70s. The family used many of the free support services offered to families such as care consultation to help manage care for Steve’s mother.

Police/Fire

Police Log: Man Busted for 3rd OUI Drugs, Man Allegedly Punched 64-Year-Old

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The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department. Arrests
June 2, 11:44 a.m.: Police were called to a civil matter on Waverley Avenue and found that a woman had a warrant out for her. The 34-year-old Winchester woman was arrested on the warrant from Cambridge District Court for failure to pay a fine. June 3, 8:55 p.m.: Security at Target watched a woman who had been in the store for two hours, and then was seen near the doors looking around. She was spotted putting items under her shirt.

Real Estate

Check Out the Four Homes Sold This Week in Watertown

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A home on the Eastside of town sold this week, see details below. $852,225 – 62-64 Prentiss St., 3 unit, 14 total room, 6 total bedroom, 3 Family multi-family home

$625,000 – 7 Purvis St., 8 room, 3 bedroom, 1 full & 1 half bathroom, Colonial single-family home

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$365,000 – 76 Edenfield Ave. Unit 76, 6 room, 3 bedroom, 1 full bathroom, 2/3 Family condo/townhouse

$597,500 – 25 Palmer St. 8 room, 4 bedroom, 1 full bathroom, Colonial single-family home

Schools

WHS Athletic Hall of Fame Announces Inductees for 2015!

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The Watertown High School Athletic Hall of Fame’s class of 2015 includes a pair of teams and half a dozen athletes – including four sisters! Inductees for this year’s celebration to be held at the Hellenic Cultural Center on Saturday Oct. 17, include six athletes and two teams.

For the first time in its distinguished history, the HOF will induct four talented sisters from the same family, including Bethany Rogers, ’95, Jane Rogers, ’98, Catherine Rogers, ’00, and Mary Rogers, ’03. As players and coaches, the fantastic foursome in field hockey contributed multiple All-Scholastic and MVP awards, 25 Middlesex League titles, 21 Div. II North Section titles, and 12 State Championships.

Government

See Details of the Watertown Police Supervisors Union’s New Contract

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Watertown’s police supervisors will be required to wear body armor, submit to drug tests and carry antidotes to overdoses and allergic reactions as part of their new contract. 

On Tuesday, the Town Council voted to transfer $197,625 to cover a new contract agreement with the Watertown Police Supervisors Association, which covers sergeants, lieutenants and captains. The contract calls for members to submit to mandatory, random drug testing, according to the details of the contract. Police supervisors will now carry and be able to administer two potentially life-saving items: Narcan – which can reverse heroin and opiate overdoses – and epi-pens – which help with many allergic reactions. Also, they must wear body armor when they are working field activities, including working a patrol shift. In addition, they must wear protective vests for high risk and tactical situations, such as serving search warrants, drug raids and initial crime scene response.

Arsenal on the Charles

Athenahealth Gets OK to Start Master Plan, With Some Alterations

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Many neighbors and other residents  are worried about what the new Arsenal on the Charles complex will look like, and the owners – athenahealth – will now be able to make give a more detailed presentation after the Town Council approved a master plan process. Athenahealth purchased the former U.S. Army complex from Harvard University, and plans to make a corporate headquarters with a retail section. The company wants to know they will be able to do the whole project, and seeks to get a master plan approved to layout the changes. Monday night the Town Council approved changing in the town zoning that will allow for a master plan to be proposed, and added some limits to what can be built at the Arsenal. New buildings, a parking garage and glassing in the space between the set of long buildings on the eastside of the Arsenal are proposed.

Police/Fire

Police Bust Watertown Man After Joint Drug Investigation

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Police busted a Watertown man for allegedly dealing drugs on the Westside of town. 

Watertown Police teamed with the Suburban Middlesex County Drug Task Force to investigate drug dealing activity in town. Police followed a suspect and pulled the suspect over on Prentiss Street and identified him as Shah Faisal, 25, of Watertown. When officers searched him, they found Percocet pills, said Watertown Police Lt. Michael Lawn. Faisal was arrested on a charge of possession to distribute a Class B drug, Lawn said.