Government

LETTER: History Lesson on Victory Field, Resident Urges Town to Keep Field Green

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In light of the current discussion over the future of Victory Field it might be informative to examine its past. The area now comprising the DPW lot and the fields was part of the Israel Whitney farm purchased by the town in 1825 to use as an almshouse and poor farm. Recognizing the growing interest in outdoor sports and recreation Watertown’s selectmen in 1893 had a portion of the farm graded for a football field and within a few years added a baseball diamond and bleachers for spectators, followed by
a play area for children. In 1901 a pipe was laid from the water main on Orchard Street to flow an acre or so for winter skating. When a subsequent board of selectmen determined that the “Town Field”, as it had become known, should be sold and developed to increase tax revenue the people of Watertown came to its rescue at a special Town Meeting on the 4th of November 1910 by turning it over to the town’s Park Department “to be used as a public playground.”

A major upgrade a decade later included construction of a concrete grandstand/field house/storage area and on Memorial Day 1922 the field was ceremoniously dedicated as “Victory Field” to the men of the town who had fought in the recent world war.

Airplane Noise

Noise from Airplanes Increasing Over Watertown, There is Hope on the Horizon

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If it seems like the noise from airplanes flying over Watertown has increased over the past few years, you are not just hearing things. However, a regional group is working on dispersing the noise so Watertown and other communities do not take the brunt. Last week, State Sen. Will Brownsberger and State Rep. Jonathan Hecht hosted an information night on the impact of noise from planes going to and from Logan Airport. The presenters gave some hope that the problem, which is a national one, could dissipate in coming years. The problem began in 2013 when the R-NAV (aRea NAVagation) system was introduced at Logan to guide planes more precisely to the airport, said Watertown Senior Planner Andrea Adams. The routes before R-NAV, Adams said, were more like a bowling ball going down a lane.

Government

Watertown Shuttle Could Start Running in Fall, or May Wait Until Spring

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Watertown’s first shuttle will likely run down Pleasant Street to Watertown Square and could start as soon as this fall, but may have to wait until the nice weather arrives in 2018. On Wednesday night, members of the Town Council’s Ad Hoc Committee on Transportation were eager to find out when they could see Watertown’s first shuttle. The Watertown Transportation Management Association (TMA) will run the shuttle, and if all goes right the first shuttles could start rolling this fall, said Allison Simmons, a consultant from Ease Consult hired by the Town to form the TMA. However, it may have to wait until spring. To get the shuttle started this fall, Simmons said, the Watertown TMA board would have to approve the shuttle pilot at its August meeting and get members to agree to fund it soon after.

Election 2017

Councilor Dushku Struggled With Decision Not to Run for Reelection

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Having successfully run for Town Council twice, and getting the most votes in the At-Large race both times, Aaron Dushku will not to run for a third time – but the decision was not an easy one. 

With children growing up and parents growing older, Dushku said that felt he should to spend time with his family rather than on the Council. “My kids and this time with them – and my father has some problems – I would never get these years back,” Dushku said. “It was a really hard decision. I really like being a Town Councilor. I love being a Town Councilor.”

Election 2017

6 Running for Council, But Second Incumbent Out; School Comm Race Draws 6

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Half a dozen people will run for both Town Council and for School Committee, but a second incumbent Councilor has decided not to run for reelection. There will also be a race for Board of Library Trustees, but several will not have contested races including Town Council President and the two-year School Committee seat. The Town Council At Large race will have six candidates for the four seats, but there will be at least two new faces on the board after Aaron Dushku decided not to run for a third term. Earlier, Susan Falkoff announced she would not seek another term. On Monday, challenger David Stokes got his papers certified and Michelle Cokonougher turned in her papers and Flynn said he is confident she will have the 100 signatures of Watertown residents necessary get on the ballot.

Government

Watertown Updates Regulations on Hens and Honeybees

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In an effort to be supportive of the sustainability movement and local food
production, the Board of Health updated its regulations regarding the keeping of
hens and honeybees in May of 2016, Town officials announced. The Health Department is pleased to report that there are currently five approved permits issued for the keeping of hens in Watertown, though there have been no requests for approval of honeybees. The new regulations followed over one year of research, discussions with industry
experts, and public hearings, and have resulted in relaxed standards on setbacks
that allow more properties to comply than had been able to in the past. The new
standards include provisions for setbacks from property lines and neighboring
properties, how much owners must know about caring for hens and honeybees,
restrictions on number of hives and hens allowed, and standards for storing feed
and waste. A permit is required for each location where hens or honeybees will be
kept, and approval from abutters is required.

Government

Plan Calls for Town’s Elementary Schools to be Renovated First, Then the High School

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An architecture firm hired by the Watertown Public Schools laid out a vision for how all five of the town’s schools could be renovated so they can provide a 21st century education, and recommended doing all three elementary schools at once followed by the high school and finally the middle school. Thursday night, Ai3 Principal Scott Dunlap presented a plan for upgrading Watertown’s five public schools over the next several years to a meeting held by both the School Committee and Town Council. Timeline
The timeline laid out by Ai3 – a firm that works solely on school projects – would start planning for the three elementary schools immediately with the goal of starting construction in late 2019 and completing the work by early 2021, Dunlap said. Meanwhile, the district would be working with the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) to get funding for and renovate Watertown High School. Construction would begin at the high school in early 2021. The timeline does not have an end date for work at WHS.

Elections

Watertown Man Running for Seat on Watertown Library Board of Trustees

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Watertown’s Daniel Pritchard announced his candidacy for Board of Library Trustees in November’s Town Election. 

Pritchard sent out the following press release:

Writer, editor, and nonprofit professional Daniel E. Pritchard is a first-time political candidate running to join the Board of Trustees of the Watertown Free Public Library. Raised in Quincy, MA, Pritchard learned the values of hard work, common decency, and public service from his single mother, who also instilled a love of libraries that would set the trajectory of his life. “The library was a home away from home,” he remembers. “I read everything — fantasy, biography, crime, poetry, the classics. The library was my window to the wider world.”

A graduate cum laude of Boston College, Pritchard has pursued a successful career in the business of letters.