Government

Find Out When You Can Meet with Watertown State Rep. Jonathan Hecht

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

 

Monday, September 11, 5:30-6:30 pm

Watertown Free Public Library, 123 Main St, Raya Stern Trustees Room

 

Thursday, September 21, 8:30-9:30am

Watertown Town Hall, 149 Main St, 3rd Floor hallway

 

Anyone unable to attend these office hours can call Representative Hecht at 617-722-2140 to schedule an appointment at another time.

Government

Victory Field Parking Lot Could Become an Area Shared by Pedestrians, Cars

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Picture a European city center where people stroll easily and cars occasionally roll at a crawl … or think of a walk through the paved paths of Mount Auburn Cemetery as cars slowly circular – that is vision that Victory Field Committee may head toward to tame the driveway and parking area in the complex. Tuesday night, the committee looking at Phase 2 of the Victory Field renovations explored parking and the driveway area of the park and athletic complex on Orchard Street. All agreed that the roadway at Victory Field can be a treacherous place for people to walk or bike, with cars sometimes barreling through. However, they also agreed that pedestrians wander around the paved area already.

Government

Bill in Legislature Would Improve Local Cable Quality, Make Listings Easier to Use

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The State Legislature is considering a bill to support community access television and provide high-definition programing and include detailed listings on the cable guides. 

The bill, known as “An Act supporting community access television,” is bill S.1857 in the Senate and H.2682 in the House of Representatives. Helen Chatel, executive director of Watertown Cable Access, said that currently when you look up WCA-TV’s three channels the cable guide programs are listed as “community, eduction or government access.” “This is useless to cable subscribers looking for the latest showing of town council or school committee,” Chatel said. “Imagine, how convenient it would be to know that your local cable access is airing a Special Town Council meeting, or a budget hearing live.” It would also be easier to find when a locally-produced show or a high school sporting event will air.

Development

Union Pushes for More Work from Watertown Developments, Help from Town Council

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Last week, a group of 40 or so carpenter union members gathered outside a construction site on Arsenal Street to make their message loud and clear – pay a living wage with benefits and follow state labor laws. Despite the building boom in Watertown over the past several years, many members of the New England Regional Council of Carpenters who live in Watertown have not gotten any work from these developments. They would like that to change, and point to cities like Cambridge and Somerville that have ordinance or resolutions pushing contractors to follow labor laws, and pay “prevailing wages” and health benefits for their workers. Not everyone believes that such an ordinance would benefit the town, however, and could dampen the hot development market. Former Watertown Town Councilor Stephen Corbett, who also develops small residential projects, said he worries that such a requirement would hurt the development market in Watertown.

Government

Changes to Watertown Square, Improving Buses Recommended in Final Arsenal Street Report

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Removing Charles River Road from Watertown Square, making changes to the 70 bus and improving access for bicyclists made the list of recommendations in MassDOT’s final Arsenal Street Corridor Report. The list of recommendations remained largely the same from the draft report released by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation in June. Officials added details to their recommendation for realigning Watertown Square, including removing one of the spokes off the intersection – Charles River Road. The benefits would be simplifying the intersection which then allows the traffic light phasing to change and make the intersection more efficient. The report acknowledges removing the road would have some complications,

“Eliminating the Charles River Road approach to the intersection may also reduce ‘cut-through’ traffic in the adjacent neighborhood.

Government

Watertown Woman Honored for Educating More Than a Million About Substance Abuse

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A Watertown resident who turned her addiction to alcohol into an inspiration for a theater troupe that both educates about substance abuse and helps those in recovering from the disease. She was recently honored after she announced her retirement. 

Lynn Bratley started Improbable Players in 1984. Over 34 years, the group has educated people about substance abuse with real stories from real people. The group has featured over 200 young actors in recovery who performed with the Players, and reached more than a million people from elementary schools to senior centers, according to Bratley. Recently Bratley announced she would retire as executive and artistic director of the troupe in September, and she was honored by the Watertown Town Council, which declared Aug.

Government

Residents Weigh in on Enhancements, Improvements to Arsenal Park

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In preparation to renovate Arsenal Park town officials are collecting ideas from the public for enhancements and additions to the park located off Arsenal Street, behind the Arsenal Mall. 

On Tuesday night, the Community Development and Planning Department hosted a Community Meeting at the Watertown Library where residents broke into groups to brainstorm ideas. Arsenal Park, at 13.2 acres, is the second biggest park in town, after Filippello Park. It features numerous activities and features, including playing fields, tennis courts, basketball courts, a tot lot, a skate park, community garden plots, gazebos, grills, a spray deck, a bocce court and an amphitheater. Residents brought up a number of ideas for improvements including better access to the site. Arsenal Park can be hard to find, and the only auto entrance is through the Arsenal Mall parking lot.

Elections

LETTER: Town Councilor At-Large Candidate Seeks to Continue Serving the Community

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To the Editor:

Whether you have lived here your whole life, you moved here years ago or you are new to town, I think we can all agree that Watertown is a special place. 

Growing up, my parents were always very involved in Watertown with organizations such as the PTO, youth sports and events such as the town-wide raffle. At an early age, they instilled in me and my siblings the importance of giving back to the community. I can remember countless Sunday mornings cleaning up the Watertown Boys and Girls Club after Saturday night bingo to help support Watertown Youth Soccer. I attended kindergarten at the Hosmer School and completed my elementary school education at the Cunniff School. After finishing eighth grade at the Watertown Middle School, I attended Boston College High School before graduating from Wake Forest University.