Police/Fire

Man Faces Charges After Punching Officer, Restaurant Owner

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A man who was asked to leave a Watertown restaurant allegedly punched the owner and when confronted by police he allegedly punched an officer. On Oct. 4 at 9:32 p.m., Avedis Vartanian, 61, of Somerville, had been sitting at the bar at Stellina Restaurant in Watertown Square when be began going into another room and bothering other customers, said Watertown Police Lt. Michael Lawn. “The owner asked him to leave the restaurant and when he was walking him out Vartannian turned and punched the owner in the face a couple of times,” Lawn said. Police officers across the street came over to tell Vartanian to stop.

Sports

Watertown Field Hockey Team Looks to Reach Pinnacle – Again

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Watertown High School’s field hockey team returns to a familiar place on Sunday – Worcester for the MIAA Div. 2 state final. This is the sixth straight final for the Raiders, who have not lost in 137 game. Even for this successful team, however, 2014 has been a particularly successful season. Watertown compiled a 22-0 record and has outscored its opponents by a combined score of 109-0.

Business

Beams from Demolished Watertown Building Have a Bright Future

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When the old Circle Supply building on Bacon Street was torn down, the demolition company found some diamonds among the rubble – old pine wood beams. 

While the wood looked in rough shape, it was just what Cambridge-based Longleaf Lumber wants. The beam are made from heart pine that came from the southern longleaf pine forest and was brought up to construct the building, said Marc Poirier, co-owner of Longleaf. “The building seems to go back to the 1920s, but the wood looks older,” Poirier said. “It is beautiful, dense beams. They have a lot of damage but we will saw off the waste and end up with the pearls inside.” The heart pine is prized because it is rot and insect resistance, but it has been harvested out of existence, except for some groves that have been preserved.

Development

Residents Air Concerns with Coolidge Square CVS to Planning Board

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The Planning Board heard from plenty of concerned residents about plans to transform the corner of Mt. Auburn and Arlington streets into a CVS/Pharmacy. The proposed store and parking lot would replace the gas station at the corner, the Elk’s Club and a small office building in Coolidge Square. The project would include a 13,000 square foot store – slightly larger than the one in Watertown Square – and would have an entrance on the corner and another in the back parking lot. It would add landscaping along Arlington Street and in the parking lot.

Around Town

See How the New Park Along the Charles River is Shaping Up

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The area along the Charles River, east of Watertown Square has a snazzy new look featuring places to sit, look over the river and to appreciated the natural surroundings. Travis Mazerall, the project designer from Sasaki Associates, recently led a tour of the park near the intersection of Charles River Road and Irving Street has been turned into place that can be enjoyed by everyone, including the blind and visually impaired. The path includes wires hung across posts every 20 feet, or so. “Some have indicator beads about the size of a fist, that tell the user what is around, such as if there is a bench across from it,” Mazerall said. The project is being built by the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), but is funded by a mix of local non-profits, foundations and some money from the town.

Sports

Watertown Field Hockey Heading to Sixth Straight State Final

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Watertown has a spot in the state final – a familiar place for the Raiders who are on their way to their sixth straight MIAA Div. 2 field hockey state title bout. In Tuesday afternoon’s state semifinal at Reading Memorial High School, Watertown (22-0) faced a field hockey foe which could move the ball upfield and create offensive pressure, but the result was the same as all the games this year – a shutout win for the Raiders. “I’m extremely proud of them. They worked so hard out there and they stayed strong and stayed together,” said Watertown coach Eileen Donahue.

Environment

LETTER: Watertown Can Participate in Local, State Solar Programs

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Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Neighborhood Solar is very happy to pass along the following information:

The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) would like to provide an important update regarding the Commonwealth Solar II rebate program. As MassCEC has previously indicated, the Commonwealth Solar II rebate program is scheduled to sunset permanently at the end of funding Block 20.  Launched in January 2010, the program has helped to jump-start the small-scale solar market in Massachusetts, and has grown along with this segment of the industry.  To date, the CSII Program has awarded over 10,000 rebate applications for over 62 MW of solar capacity, facilitating the investment in solar of over $314 million by home owners and business owners across Massachusetts. As a result of higher-than-anticipated demand associated with the end of this program, the $3 million that was initially allocated for Block 20 is fully subscribed as of today (October 30, 2014). Given the funding depletion has happened earlier than expected, MassCEC has today obtained approval from its Board of Directors for an additional $3 million in funding to ensure the orderly close-out of the program. 

This is the final funding allocation for the Commonwealth Solar II Rebate Program, which will sunset at the end of the fourth quarter 2014, or when the additional funds are fully reserved, whichever occurs earlier. So, in addition to the 20% discount that Neighborhood Solar is offering (through December 31, 2014), the 30% federal tax credit (through 2016), the 30% state tax credit capped at $1,000 (through June 2015), and the SRECS that are still in place although vulnerable, there is the above additional rebate program available on a first-come, first-serve basis (through December 31, 2014).  If there was ever a time to install solar, this is it.