Elections

Republican State Committeeman from Watertown Endorses Senate Candidate

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The following information was provided by the Geoff Diehl for Senate campaign:

Today Representative Geoff Diehl, the endorsed Republican candidate for U.S.
Senate, announced that he has received the endorsement of Republican State Committeeman Steve Aylward, of Watertown. “I am proud to endorse Geoff Diehl for U.S. Senate. He has been a great leader on fighting for taxpayers, standing up for victims, and demanding accountability at the State House,” said Aylward. “I am honored to have received Steve’s endorsement. His strong support will help us win Watertown,” said Diehl.

Police/Fire

Watertown Man Pleads Guilty to Running Interstate Prostitution Ring

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A Watertown man and Georgia woman have agreed to plead guilty in connection with their roles in a long-running interstate prostitution ring. 

The following information was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office District of Massachusetts:

Jineok Kim, 38, of Watertown, and Susan Bashir, a/k/a “Susan Redmon,” a/k/a “Susan Redmond,” 41, of Stone Mountain, Ga., agreed to plead guilty today to one count of conspiracy to persuade, induce, entice, or coerce individuals to travel in interstate commerce to engage in prostitution and one count of conspiracy to engage in money laundering. On March 15, Kim and Bashir were charged and arrested along with Yoon I. Kim, 36, of Haymarket, Va.; Taehee Kim, a/k/a “Hyunsook Kim,” 46, of Haymarket, Va.; and Kyung Song, 52, of Lexington, Mass. According to the charging documents filed today, Kim participated in an interstate prostitution network from spring 2016 to December 2017, and Bashir worked for the prostitution network from at least 2013 until March 2018. The prostitution network had multiple brothels in high-end apartments in Cambridge, Mass.; Atlanta, Ga.; and eastern Virginia. They advertised appointments with Asian women primarily on three websites: www.bostonasiandolls.com, www.exoticasiansatlanta.com, and www.redhotflowers69.com.

Police/Fire

Watertown Firefighter Graduates from Massachusetts Fire Academy

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Watertown Firefighter Matthew Callahan graduated from the Massachusetts Fire Academy Training 10 week training program. He was one of 35 graduates in the 264th class of the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy in Stow. Fire Chief Bob Quinn announced the graduation of Watertown’s latest firefighter, who attended the 10-week course. “Firefighter Callahan will return to work next week to serve the citizens of Watertown,” Quinn said. “We are very excited to have him back.”

Elections

Watertown Resident Interning for Senate Candidate Geoff Diehl

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Today Representative Geoff Diehl, the endorsed Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, announced that Watertown resident Samuel Ford will be interning for his
campaign. “I am happy to have Sam as an intern and I believe he will be a great asset to the campaign. Sam is one of the many young interns on the team and I believe their energy and passion will help contribute to an election day victory,” said Diehl. Regarding his new internship with the campaign Ford said, “I am honored to be a part of the Diehl campaign team and I look forward to helping him succeed. This will be a great learning opportunity and I hope to gain valuable experience.”

Ford is currently a history major completing his junior year at UMass Amherst.

Around Town

Mosquito Control Efforts Underway in Watertown, Ways You Can Stop Them

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The Watertown Health Department announced that treatments have started to try to limit the number of mosquitos in the area, but there are other steps that you can take. The following information was provided by the Watertown Health Department:

Catchbasin Treatment

The Watertown Health Department announces that the East Middlesex Mosquito Control Program (EMMCP) has begun treating catchbasins throughout Watertown with a relatively non-toxic pesticide, Altosid, that kills mosquito larvae. Some species of mosquitoes will breed in catchbasins, and in other containers of water that may be found on private property. Eliminating mosquitoes in the larval stage will prevent hatching of mosquitoes that could become carriers of vector borne diseases such as West Nile Virus, which have been found to be detrimental to humans. Catchbasins that have been treated by the EMMCP will be marked with pink paint. For more information on this pesticide and the Mosquito Control Program, please visit their website at https://sudbury.ma.us/emmcp/larmosqctrlpes/

Property Pesticide Exclusion

The Town does not conduct aerial spraying, however should a public health threat be determined, aerial spraying could be conducted with prior notification communicated to residents.

Around Town

Public Works Encourages Residents to Report Spills in the Charles River

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{The following piece was provided by Town Engineer Matthew Shuman from the Watertown Department of Public Works}
We appreciate our citizens on the look-out for potential sources of pollution in the Charles River, and it’s unfortunate that this resident had a difficult time contacting someone after hours. I’m not sure about the particulars in this instance, but we do receive calls after hours using an answering service. Furthermore, we are staffed 24-7 for emergencies. Also, all our storm drains that enter the Charles River (“outfalls”) have signs and a number attached to them (see the photo). It’s helpful when reporting potential pollution to include the outfall number as well, as this can help us with follow-up investigations.

Government

State Rep. Jonathan Hecht Hosting Office Hours in Watertown in June

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Representative Jonathan Hecht will hold office hours twice in Watertown this June. Constituents are invited to meet with Representative Hecht at the following times and locations:
Thursday, June 21st, 8:30-9:30 a.m., Watertown Town Hall, 149 Main St, Watertown, 3rd Floor hallway
Thursday, June 28th, 6:00-7:00 p.m., Watertown Free Public Library, 123 Main St, Watertown, Raya Stern Trustees Room
Anyone unable to attend these office hours can call Representative Hecht at 617-722-2140 to schedule an appointment at another time.

Business

Arsenal Mall Project Receives Major Investment from JP Morgan

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The owners of Arsenal Yards sent out the following information:
Boylston Properties and J.P. Morgan today announced a $109 million strategic investment from institutional investors advised by J.P. Morgan in Boylston Properties’ Arsenal Yards development, a mixed-use destination of the former Arsenal Mall in East End Watertown. With sitework currently underway and upon the first phase opening in 2019, the vibrant urban neighborhood will be more than one million square feet, including 250,000 square feet of shops and eateries, anchored by Roche Bros. and The Majestic Cinema, YardWorks (200,000 sq. ft. of new and existing office and lab space), Blvd & Bond (425 contemporary residences), a 150-room Hampton by Hilton, The Fitness Collection, and a revitalized Arsenal Park with expanded access to the Charles River.