Around Town

Good Samaritan Law Allows Reporting of Heroin Overdoses Without Being Arrested

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The number of overdoses from Heroin and other opiates has risen sharply in the last few years in Watertown, and a local group wants to spread the word that reporting an overdose is important and those doing so won’t be prosecuted. The exact number is not known, but people tracking overdoses get an idea from the number of deaths. From 2010-13, 19 people in Watertown died from drug related causes and there are 11 more deaths where the cause may be related to drug, said Stephanie Sunderland-Ramsey, a program coordinator with Wayside Youth and Family Support Network in Watertown. Watertown has teamed with Cambridge, Somerville and Everett to work on opiate abuse. They helped the Watertown Fire Department get anti-overdose medication – Narcan – which is now carried on all fire vehicles.

Schools

Watertown High School Honors Athletes Who Played Sports Every “Season”

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When Watertown Athletic Director Michael Lahiff took over he saw that some WHS teams lacked numbers so he created an award for people who played sports in all three seasons in each of their four years at the high school. 

The numbers have fluctuated through the years. Two years ago there were 17, last year 12 got the award and this year 11 seniors were honored at a recent School Committee meeting. The Athletic Director’s Award winners this year are:

Matt Donnell

Greg Dorian

James Garbier

TJ Hairston

Casey Halle

Joe Kelland

Jessica Lamposano

Eliza Portz

Jessica Rodriguez

Marrisa Russo

Daniel Shin

Obituaries

OBIT: Gerald Raymond Boudreau, Master Pipefitter, St. Pat’s Graduate

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A Funeral Mass for Gerald Raymond Boudreau, 69, will be celebrated on Tuesday, June 24, 2014 in the Church of Saint Patrick, Watertown. Mr. Boudreau, a son of the late Joseph R. and Gertrude M. (Poitras) Boudreau, was born in Waltham. He was a lifelong Watertown resident and a graduate of Saint Patrick High School, Watertown. Afterwards he graduated from Northeast Institute of Technology with a concentration in Heating and Refrigeration. In addition Mr. Boudreau studied for 5 years at the Pipefitters Union trade school.

Government

See How Much Watertown Water, Sewer Rates Could Rise Next Year

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The Town Council will decide the water and sewer rates for next year at its June 24 meeting, and they are proposed to rise. The proposed water rates would raise rates by 3.7 to 3.8 percent, depending on how much water is used. Service charges for meters will also rise 3.7 to 3.8 percent. Sewer rates will also rise, but not as steeply – between 2.8 and 2.9 percent. The one thing that will not be rising will be the fire charge.

Police/Fire

Police Log: Man Stole Cash from Co-Worker; Man Pulled off Bus, Arrested

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The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department. Arrests

June 9, 1:16 p.m.: Detectives spotted a man they knew to have a warrant out for his arrest getting on a bus on Arsenal Street. They stopped the bus and removed the man. The 31-year-old man from Watertown was arrested on a warrant from Charlestown District Court for a drug violation. June 9, 1:20 p.m.: Police arrested a 26-year-old Watertown man was arrested on domestic assault and battery charges.

Government

House Approves Rep. Lawn’s Bill to Extend Time to File Suits for Child Sex Abuse

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The Massachusetts House of Representatives voted to approve a bill sponsored by Watertown State Rep. John Lawn that will extend the statute of limitations for victims of child sexual assault to bring civil suits against abusers. The House vote was unanimous on Wednesday. Victims of child sex abuse now have an additional 35 years to file a civil claims against their abusers. They will now be able to do so until the age of 53. The statute of limitations has been three years.

Development

Residents Start Movement to Have a Moratorium on Development on Arsenal Street

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In the wake of the Planning Board’s decision to allow a seven-story garage to be built at the Arsenal on the Charles, a effort has started to put in a moratorium to halt large buildings going up, such as the garage. The Arsenal Street Corridor effort is lead by resident Marcia Ciro, who lives on a small side street of North Beacon Street, very close to the Arsenal complex. She said the town has already had large developments along Pleasant Street that have been unpopular with neighbors. In the flyer she handed out at the Watertown Comprehensive Plan meeting she wrote:
“The Chair of the Planning Board [John Hawes Jr.] state that the 79 ft. for the Arsenal seemed reasonable given they already approved 79 ft.

Around Town

Watertown Youth Coalition Hands Out Community Spirit Awards

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The Watertown Youth Coalition celebrated work done by a number of people this year by presenting them with “Community Spirit Awards.” On June 16, the awards were handed out to recognize people for going above and beyond to support youth and families in Watertown. Each year, the Watertown Youth Coalition (WYC), part of Wayside Multi-Service Center, asks the community to nominate people who:

Serve as a positive influence or mentor to a Coalition member or to others in the community
Have the courage to address challenging issues that affect youth and the community
Actively take steps to improve the Watertown community (in big and small ways)

This year, awards were presented to:

Dean Celesia, Kate Coyne, Patrick Dawson, Danielle DeMoss, Alice Elbakian, Judy Fallows, Mana Farhani, Pedro Figueroa, Michelle Foun, Raymond Fox, Friends of Watertown Music, Adrine Harutyunyan, Kelly Horan, Diane Murphy, Sabrina Nebiye, Meghan O’Connell, Tony Palomba, Elisa Portz, Watertown Education Foundation, Ashlee Wisniewsk and Elizabeth Wissler. The Watertown Youth Coalition thanked these awardees and the people that nominated them. “Watertown is a wonderful community with so many caring adults looking out for the interest of the youth living here!”