Letters

LETTER: Getting Your Children Offline in a Digital World

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{This is the third in a series of three letters about the Watertown Speaker Series focusing on technology and children.}

In 2015, children and adults socialize, learn, work, and play in the digital sphere. Given this new digital frontier, with rapidly available and widely accessible technological innovations, Watertown parents and community members came together to learn about healthy technology use and parenting in the digital age. The research is clear: Media use and digital devices can have negative impacts on health. A study on technology use among 8-18 year olds found that light users were more likely to report earning better grades than heavy users, got along well with parents, and were happy at school. Heavy users were more likely to report getting into trouble and being sad or unhappy.

Sports

See Which Watertown Residents are Running the 2015 Boston Marathon

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Thirty-Three Watertown residents will race the 26.2 miles of the Boston Marathon on Monday, April 20, 2015. The town’s runners include 23 women and 10 men, including one elite athlete – 29-year old Nicole Casey. Four more are in the first wave and three are in the second wave. While that is a healthy number, Watertown saw a huge bump in marathoners in 2014. There were 76 local runners a year after the Marathon Bombing and the shootout and manhunt in Watertown.

Police/Fire

Police Log: Woman Finds Man in Her Apartment, Snowblower Stolen and More

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The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department. 
Arrests
April 7, 11:39 a.m.: Police stopped a man on North Beacon Street and found the man had a warrant. The 35-year-old Newton man was arrested on a warrant from Attleboro District Court. April 7, 6:45 p.m.: An officer driving on North Beacon Street spotted a blue Chevy in the left turn lane go straight from Galen Street onto Mt. Auburn Street. The vehicle was stopped and the officer smelled an odor of alcohol on the breath of the driver.

Around Town

Watertown Residents Invited to Join Mother’s Day Walk for Peace

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On Sunday, May 10, Watertown citizens are invited to walk with others from across greater Boston in support of the Mothers’ Day Walk for Peace in Dorchester. Now in its 19th year, the walk was founded by Tina Chery, whose son, Louis, was killed in 1993 on his way to an after-school Christmas party for Teens Against Gang Violence. Proceeds from the walk will benefit the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute (www.ldbpeaceinstitute.org), which provides support to bereaved families, and serves as a model for peace education in Boston. Watertown neighbors and community organizations are invited to join in this 3.6 mile walk. A bus will be leaving from the First Parish of Watertown, 35 Church St., at 7:15 a.m. on Sunday, May 10.

Boston Marathon Bombing

Councilor Wants a Community Forum on Watertown Shootout, Manhunt

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With the recent release of a comprehensive study of the response to the Boston Marathon Bombing and events that followed in Watertown that was critical of some of the actions of law enforcement, a Watertown Town Councilor wants to have a review of the shootout and manhunt. Councilor Susan Falkoff said she read the Boston Globe’s recent editorial called “What went wrong in Watertown.” The story detailed some of the shortcomings of the response by law enforcement, and said, “despite good intentions, the presence of hundreds of officers in Watertown put lives at risk and did nothing to assist the search.” At Tuesday’s Town Coucnil meeting, Falkoff said she wants to get some answers about what happened in Watertown on April 18 and 19, 2013. “The citizens of Watertown remain grateful for the work of the police, but the report states that the best practices were not followed,” Falkoff said.

Around Town

Watertown Senior Center Needs Items for Giant Indoor Yard Sale

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The Watertown Senior Center’s Giant Indoor Yard Sale is back and they seek items to be donated. 

The yard sale is Saturday, May 2 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Watertown Senior Center, 31 Marshall St. Admission is only 25 cents and all proceeds will benefit the Senior Center. The Senior Center needs your donations of toys, books, costume jewelry, kitchen items, etc. (please, no clothes, shoes, tools or electronics). Bring donations to the Senior Center starting Monday, April 28, between 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Volunteers are also needed to sort, set up, and sell. Call 617-972-6490 for more information.

Real Estate

Flurry of Activity in Watertown Real Estate Market – See the Open Houses

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Watertown has more than a dozen open houses to choose from this weekend. $339,900 – 4 Repton Cir. Unit 4409, 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom garden condo, Handicap Access/Equipped, Open House: Sunday 12-2 p.m.

$525,000 – 669 Main St. Watertown, 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom colonial, Open House: Sunday 1-3 p.m.

$599,900 – 125 Coolidge Ave. Unit 204, 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom mid-rise condo, Open House: Sunday 12-2 p.m.

$839,000 – 11-13 Lyons Court, 2 unit, 10 total room, 4 total bedroom, Open House: Sunday 12-2 p.m.

Sponsored by:

$324,900 – 28 Ladd St.