Government

Council Debates How Watertown Can Have a Voice in the 2024 Olympics

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If Boston hosts the 2024 Olympics, one of the biggest events on earth will take place just minutes away from Watertown, but right now the town is not on the list of towns participating in the planning. The Town Council wants to change that, but disagreed on how to do so. On Tuesday, the Town Council discussed whether to create a committee to plan for the Olympics and fight to get Watertown a voice in decisions being made about the Olympics. Councilor Tony Palomba, who first proposed the Ad Hoc Watertown Olympic Committee, said some of the events could be as close as Harvard University, and if they come he hopes Watertown can benefit from the games. “The fact that Watertown is such a unique place could be marketed to benefit us economically,” Palomba said.

Government

Household Hazardous Waste Collection Easier This Year, Starts Saturday

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The process has become easier for Watertown residents to dispose of items such as garden chemicals, motor oil and other automotive fluids, kitchen cleaners and other household hazardous waste. Disposing of household hazardous waste is free and Watertown residents no longer have to pre-register – just bring proof of residency. The town sent the following announcement and the first disposal day will be Saturday, April 18 in Lexington:

The Town of Watertown is pleased to announce the 2015 schedule for collection of Household Hazardous Waste Products. As in the past years, the collection will take place at the Minuteman Household Hazardous Products Facility at 60 Hartwell Avenue, Lexington, MA from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the following dates (which are Saturdays unless otherwise indicated):

April 18th
May 16th
June 20th
July 18th
August 15th
September 13th (this is a SUNDAY)
October 17th
November 7th

This event is free of charge to Watertown residents. Advanced registration is NO LONGER required; Watertown residents must bring identification or proof of Watertown residency to participate in a collection event.

Government

Road Work Will Close Major Intersection Near Watertown Square

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The intersection of Church and Summer streets will be closed this week for emergency repairs, announced the Department of Public Works. Beginning Monday, April 13, the Department of Public Works and its contractor D & R Paving, will be performing emergency road repairs. The work includes the section of Church Street from Winter Street to Summer Street. During the construction, the work area will be closed and there will be no access to Church Place. The emergency work will consist of removal of pavement by excavation, compaction, and repaving.

Government

Watertown Health Department Collecting Needles, Syringes and More

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The Watertown Health Department will have a Households Sharps Collection Day on Saturday, April 18, 2015 from 9 a.m.-noon at the Watertown Town Hall (149 Main Street) parking lot in the rear of building. Watertown Residents may bring:

Used needles, syringes, and lancets stored in sturdy puncture proof containers. Unused capped needles, syringes, and lancets in original packaging. Sharps containers. No Medical Waste or Commercial sharps are accepted.

Environment

Watertown State Rep. Honored For Environmental Record

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The Environmental League of Massachusetts honored a Watertown state representative for his work and record on voting for environmental issues. The group sent out the following announcement:

State Rep. Jon Hecht, a Watertown Democrat, is a true leader on environmental issues, according to his perfect scores on the Environmental League of Massachusetts’ unique and inaugural legislative scorecard. The scorecard gauges true leadership on environmental issues – not just votes, upending more traditional rankings that are often based mainly on non-controversial votes. The legislative scorecard from ELM, the oldest environmental advocacy organization in the Commonwealth, awards additional points to lawmakers who led by sponsoring important legislation and deducts points for lawmakers who filed measures that ELM opposed. It also takes lawmakers to task over their recent practice of ensuring controversial votes are not recorded roll call votes – preventing voters from truly gauging which representatives and senators on truly on their side.

Development

Developer, School Collaborate to Make Grove Street Project Approvable

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The first time developers of the former GE Ionics Building on Grove Street came to the Planning Board they met loud opposition because the plan had hundreds of cars exiting onto a residential street, but they worked with their neighbor – the Atrium School – to come up with a solution. Wednesday night, Cresset Grove LLC presented a new plan that would have all cars from the 135,000 square foot office building come and and leave via Grove Street. The agreement became official just the night before the Planning Board meeting when the Atrium School School Committee approved the new plan, said Ed Nardi, president of the Cresset Group. The driveway for the Grove Street project was too narrow to allow cars to enter and exit, so they had to ask the school if they could share their driveway. Silvia Nerssessian, an Atrium parent and chair of the School Committee, said the school was pleased with the outcome, too.

Charity

Local Foundation, Town Funded Post Help Watertown’s Homeless and Needy

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{This is the second story in a series of articles on homeless and needy in Watertown}

Watertown’s neediest have few places to turn, but when they are in their direst moments there are a couple places to turn. 

Those in need of money to keep the heat or lights on, or even to put a meal on the table, can go to the Helen Robinson Wright Foundation. Nancy Dutton, administrator of the the Robinson Foundation, said she often sees people at wit’s end. 
“People get down to zero in their heating oil,” Dutton said. “They come to you on the last day.” The harsh winter has made for an increase in need in Watertown. The first quarter of 2014 the foundation gave out $20,000 in aid, and in mid-March they had already spent $5,000 more than the previous year, Dutton said. The money goes straight to pay the bill, said Mark Harris, minister at First Parish Church of Watertown, where the Wright Foundation is located.

Government

Watertown Public Works Holding Spring Recycling Event

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Get your items ready for the Watertown Public Works recycling event. 

The event will be held Saturday, May 9 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

It will be held at the Watertown Recycling Center on Green River Way, off Waltham Street. You can shred paper, a styrofoam collection, and a tire collection – no rims are allowed. No commercial or business recycling will be allowed. The event is open to Watertown residents and identification will be required.