Government

Fire Chief: Contract is Biggest Obstacle to Advanced Ambulance Service

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One of the goals of the Watertown Fire Department is to upgrade to advanced life support (ALS) ambulance service, but to do so Fire Chief Mario Orangio said the town will have to settle the contract with the firefighters union. Orangio presented his budget to the Town Council Wednesday night. Watertown has eight certified paramedics in the department. The Fire Department’s budget of $8.8 million includes $95,000 for equipment required to start-up an ALS service ambulance. Currently Watertown uses an outside ambulance service for ALS service, and the Fire Department provides basic life support (BLS) services.

Elections

Tons of Potential Candidates for Watertown’s Town Council, School Races

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This fall’s Watertown Town Election could feature contested race for almost every position on the Town Council and School Committee, and possibly a preliminary election in September. With several hot-button issues in town these days – development, the firefighters contract, and the schools (among others) – dozens of potential candidates have taken out papers to run for town office in the Nov. 3 election. Town Clerk John Flynn said this is the most people he has seen interested in running for office in Watertown for several years. “It’s been a while.

Government

Forum Will Explore Ways to Improve Transportation in Watertown

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Join fellow residents, business owners, developers and civic officials to hear and question a panel of experts on the operations of Transit Management Associations (TMAs)

and learn about the opportunities and challenges for creating Watertown shuttle bus services to supplement the MBTA, according to the announcement from the Watertown Belmont Chamber of Commerce. The meeting will be held on June 4 at 6:30 p.m. at the Watertown Free Public Library. Speakers include experienced TMA operators from Charles River TMA, the 128 Business Council TMA, MassCommutes, and the Metropolitan Area Planning Council. An initiative of the Watertown Public Transit Task Force, co-sponsored by the Watertown Belmont Chamber of Commerce. For more information go to facebook.com/WPTTF or contact Jon Bockian at jbockian@rcn.com or Megan O’Halloran at megan@wbcc.org.

Letters

LETTER: More than 80 Watertown Residents Participate in Peace Walk

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A broad coalition of community members from Watertown participated in the 2015 Mother’s Day Walk for Peace in Dorchester. According to the Rev. Amy McCreath of Good Shepherd Church and the Rev. Mark Harris of First Parish Church, 85 people, including a large number of middle school and high school students, filled two school buses that departed Watertown Square at 7:30 a.m. on Sunday, May 11th. We marched as a group we called “Watertown Walks for Peace” in the hopes of building bridges across difference here in Watertown and supporting the wise work for justice led by others in the Boston area. We also walked to speak out about the needless and senseless violence in our schools, on our streets, and in our neighborhoods. The group raised over $2,675 to support the vital work of the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute, which helps families who have lost loved
ones to violence.

Boston Marathon Bombing

With Marthon Bombing Trial Over, Police Can Talk About Shootout

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Watertown Police Chief Edward Deveau said he can finally talk publicly about the shootout with the Boston Marathon Bombing suspects, and he gave the Town Council some details. 

Monday night, Deveau talked about the shootout during the Police Department’s budget hearing in front of the Council. When asked by Councilor Aaron Dushku about the lessons learned from the incident in April 2013, Deveau said his officers have changed some of their training in reaction to the incident. As an example, the Watertown Police officers now train more with the rifles in their patrol cruisers. “One example, one of the things – I’d say this was was my responsibility, it was  my fault – we have patrol rifles in vehicle. When we got those I told the officers, ‘we’re putting them in but don’t touch them unless you need them.

Environment

Residents, Town Officials Outraged by Hacking of Trees in Watertown

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Trees along Greenough Boulevard in Watertown got a severe pruning or in some cases were cut down completely, a move that has upset residents and town officials alike. 

Last week, residents noticed that the trees on the street that runs along the Charles River had been cut by crews. The trees stand on land owned by the state and overseen by the Department of Conservation and Recreation. Residents began contacting DCR officials, state representatives and Town Councilors to ask for the tree trimming to be halted. While they are state owned, the DCR was supposed to alert the Watertown Conservation Commission and the town Tree Warden, Chris Hayward, to let them know about the plan, said Assistant Town Manager Steve Magoon. “They are supposed to do that.

Development

LETTER: Developer Makes Case for a Hotel on Elm Street in Watertown

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There will be a Special Meeting of the Watertown Planning Board on Thursday, May 21, 2015, in the Town Council Chamber of Town Hall, 149 Main Street, Watertown, to hear a proposal to build a new business class five story hotel on the site formerly occupied by Atlantic Battery. The developer, Cherag Patel, from the Chicago area has owned and developed hotels for the past sixteen years. Mr. Patel said “We are excited about the opportunity to bring another marquis hotel to Watertown. We feel that Watertown’s location is superior to Cambridge and Waltham because Watertown has the unique ability to offer guests both an urban experience like Cambridge, and a suburban experience, like Waltham. Our market research firmly establishes that there is so much demand for hotel rooms from Watertown businesses such as Athena Health, Tufts Health, the Perkins School for the Blind, and the many other thriving businesses in Watertown, that a second hotel in Watertown will flourish.

Obituaries

OBIT: Gerardo Magnarelli, 89, Immigrated from Italy, Worked as Bricklayer

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A Funeral Mass will be celebrated in the Church of Saint Patrick, Watertown on Friday May 22, 2015 at 9 a.m. for Gerardo Magnarelli. Mr. Magnarelli passed away in his home surrounded by family on Sunday afternoon, May 17, 2015 after a period of declining health, he was 89. A son of the late Dominco and Donata (Quintiliani) Magnarelli, born in San Donato, ValC, Italy. He came into a world that had just ended the First World War. He became a man with scruples and morals even with the absence of a guiding father and a loving mother.