Government

Residents Can Take Survey on Town’s Priorities for Spending & Preparedness

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The Town of Watertown put out a survey called Resilient Watertown, in which people can rank their priorities for how the town should be addressing issues such as the infrastructure, transportation and preparation for extreme weather. The online survey asks people to rank their priorities, where they would like to have the town spend money and how well they think various services are being handled in Watertown (such as transportation, bike and pedestrian safety and public infrastructure). The survey also has information about how to sign up for programs to alert residents in emergencies, or for information put out by the town. These include the WatertownAlert App and the Notify Me program on the Town’s Website. Click here to take the survey: https://resilientwatertown.metroquest.com/

Around Town

Proposal for Filippello Park Lights to be Heard at Town Council Meeting

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Filippello Park’s two athletic fields, picnic area, playground and more draw lots of visitors. The proposal to put lights on both playing fields at Filippello Park will be presented to the Town Council on Tuesday night. The presentation will be made at the Council meeting, which begins at 7:15 p.m. on Tuesday, March 10. The vote on approving the funding for the project will be made at a future meeting, said Town Council President Mark Sideris. The proposal calls for replacing the existing lights on the Grove Street Field with LED lights on seven poles, and installing LED lights on four poles on the Arlington Street Field.

29th Middlesex

Watertown Democrat Jumps into Race for State Representative

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Democratic activist and Democratic State Committee member Steve Owens is running for the State Representative seat that Jon Hecht will be leaving. Longtime Democratic activist and Democratic State Committee member Steve Owens announced his candidacy for the 29th Middlesex State House seat representing parts of Cambridge and Watertown.  The primary election will be held on September 1, 2020.   

Owens combines deep experience in his core issues of transportation, climate, and housing with years of dedication to community activism. “I have spent the past 15 years bringing people together to create positive change,” says Owens. “As State Representative, I will work to make Massachusetts a place where we can afford our homes, commute sustainably, reduce our carbon footprint, and raise healthy families.”

With nearly two decades of professional experience as a transportation management consultant, Owens is committed to tackling Massachusetts’ transportation breakdown.  “Our roads are choked,” says Owens. “The MBTA and the commuter rail are not stepping up to the challenge.

Government

Two Opportunities to Meet With State Rep. Hecht in March

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State Rep. Jonathan Hecht

Representative Jonathan Hecht announced he will hold office hours twice in Watertown in March. Constituents are invited to meet with Representative Hecht at the following times and locations:

Tuesday, March 10

8:30-9:30 a.m.Watertown Town Hall149 Main St, 3rd Floor hallway

Monday, March 235:00-6:00 p.m.Watertown Free Public Library123 Main St, 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.

Election 2020

Warren Wins Vote in Watertown, Biden Declared Victor in Mass.

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Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren led the vote count for Democrats in Watertown, nearly 600 votes ahead of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, but former Vice President Joe Biden was declared the victor in the statewide vote. A steady stream of voters hit the polls in Watertown for Tuesday’s presidential primary, resulting in a big turnout, but also delaying the release of results. With all 12 precincts reporting Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren had the most votes for Democratic presidential hopefuls, with 3,569 (33.3 percent), Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders had 3,030 (28.3 percent), former Vice President Joe Biden had 2,871 (26.8 percent) and former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg received 802 votes (7.48 percent). The numbers followed a similar pattern from partial results from Watertown, as of 10:15 p.m.

Across Massachusetts, with 74 percent of precincts reporting, Biden led with 33.5 percent, followed by Sanders’ 27.3 percent, Warren at 20.8 percent and Bloomberg got 11.6 percent. On the Republican side in Watertown, President Donald Trump got 682 votes (83.48 percent) and former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld had 113 (13.83 percent).

Election 2020

Super Tuesday: Information About Voting in the Presidential Primary

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Massachusetts will be voting in the Super Tuesday, Presidential Primary on March 3, 2020, and polls will be open in Watertown from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Watertown voters can cast ballots in not just for the two major parties, but also the Green Rainbow Party and the Libertarian Party. See more information below. There are 12 precincts in Watertown, which vote in the following locations:

Precinct 1 – Hellenic Cultural Center, 29 Bigelow Ave.Precinct 2 – Hosmer School – 1 Concord RoadPrecinct 3 – Hellenic Cultural Center, 29 Bigelow Ave.Precinct 4 – Phillips School, 30 Common St.Precinct 5 – Phillips School, 30 Common St.Precinct 6 – Hibernian Hall, 151 Watertown St.Precinct 7 – Lowell School, 175 Orchard St.Precinct 8 – Watertown Middle School, 68 Waverley Ave.Precinct 9 – Watertown Middle School, 68 Waverley Ave.Precinct 10 – Watertown Police Station, 552 Main St.Precinct 11 – Cunniff School, 246 Warren St.Precinct 12 – Cunniff School, 246 Warren St. A map of Watertown’s Districts: Peach is A, Red is B, Lime Green is C, Green is D.

Find out where you vote by clicking here and filling out the form. The Ballots

The Democratic ballot has 15 names on it, including the five people officially still in the race for the Democratic nomination.

Election 2020

CANCELLED: Learn About Rank by Choice Voting at Forum in Watertown

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The organizers of this event announced on March 13 that they have cancelled it due to the Coronavirus outbreak. The following information was provided by Progressive Watertown:

In 2020, Massachusetts voters will be voting on a ballot measure to decide whether the state should use rank-by-choice voting. A group supporting the passage of the ballot measure will host a meeting on Sunday, March 15 from 3-5 p.m. in Watertown. Learn about what rank-by-choice voting is and how it works at the forum. The event is hosted by Progressive Watertown.

Around Town

No Coronavirus in Watertown, Local & State Health Officials Monitoring Situation

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The Watertown Health Department announced that no cases of the deadly Coronavirus have been reported in town, but like officials from the Federal government down to the local level, they are monitoring the situation. The Watertown Health Department is providing updates, information and tips on its webpage: https://www.watertown-ma.gov/186/Health. The spread of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus in Asia and Europe has made headlines. On Wednesday, President Trump announced the appointment of Vice President Mike Pence to lead the Coronavirus effort in the U.S. The same day, the first case of the virus being transmitted to someone who had not traveled overseas was reported in California. Countries that have had major outbreaks have taken steps to try to stop the spread.