Government

Netting at Victory Field Track Scrapped, Walkers to be Prohibited at Certain Times

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The Victory Field Committee made compromises when addressing safety of Victory Field by voting against having netting on the ends of the field, but the compromise also means that the track will be closed to walkers during certain times while high school teams use the field. When deciding whether to put up the safety netting, the Ad Hoc Committee on Victory Field Phase 2 tried to balance the needs of athletic teams using the track and turf area inside with the needs of people using field as a public park. For years the oval area has served as home to the Watertown track and field team, and the field inside the track is used by both high school and youth sports groups. The facility is also part of the Watertown park system, and the track is a popular place for residents to walk and run. A proposal by designers at CDM Smith made two years ago, when the project was first discussed, includes netting at the ends of the field to protect users of the track from flying balls – particularly lacrosse and soccer balls.

Letters

LETTER: Don’t Sacrifice the Open Space Feel of Victory Field for Athletics

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I attended one of the June subcommittee meetings on Victory Field renovations.  As with many projects, it is difficult to organize the “general public” to attend. And it is natural that those whose work is directly affected (sports directors from high school, recreation dept. and youth) are an integral part of this project, and will speak in favor of their needs. But in the effort to accommodate their needs, we can lose the identity of this open space, which has served the general public for decades, improving health and building community, in an informal way. By adding many fixed physical objects to the field for organized sports, we may make the field uninviting for casual play, and we may lose flexibility to use this space for future needs.

Little League

White Sox Capture 2017 Watertown Little League Championship

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The White Sox won the best-of-three series over the Diamondbacks to win the Watertown Majors League Championship. 

The first game was very close because of great pitching from the White Sox’s Robbie Iannetta and Mason Lombard and the Diamondback’s Zane Davis and Daniel Tattrie, said White Sox Manager Rob Iannetta. It took two extra innings to decide this one but with 2 out and men on first and second in the 8th inning Caden Salzman came through with the walk-off base hit scoring Cam Reed to win the game for the White Sox 3-2. In game 2 the White Sox bats came alive as James Grady, Cam Reed and Mason Lombard combined for 7 hits and 5 runs, Iannetta said. The White Sox played great defense all year and this game was no exception, behind Riley Donlan’s 2 hit shutout and solid plays by Jack Kelley, Antonio Puleo, Owen Newlon, Mike Nilan, Jack Brennan and Lucas Pizzutto the White Sox won 11-0.  

Sports

Watertown Youth Softball Team Wins Trophy in End of Year Tournament

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Watertown Youth Softball’s 12U team ended the season by claiming a trophy in the City Town Tournament. The team defeated Waltham 10-2 on Monday in the championship game. The tournament also includes teams from Belmont and Brighton. The Watertown 12U squad is coached by John Husson and David Reilly. The players are Lara Cordeiro, Katie Haley, Liliana Souza, Ava Husson, Victoria Reilly, Abigail Bass, Cela Hoyt, Elizabeth Parmley, Sadie David and Riley Doss.

Sports

Watertown Youth Baseball Team Plays in NESN Tournament for Players with Disabilities

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The Watertown Youth Baseball Challengers joined other teams with players with disabilities at the second annual NESN Connects Baseball Tournament last weekend. The tournament is a one-day, four team event at Joseph Lalli Miracle Field in Acton. Along with the Challengers, the Newton Tigers, Miacle Leauge All Stars and the Miracle League Dream Team played in the tournament. More than 30 NESN employees volunteered to assist athletes as part of the NESN Connects program, according to the Watertown-based sports channel. The mostly served as “buddies” and assisted players on the field and provided support and encouragement.

Government

Committee Debates Victory Field’s Dual Role as Athletic Complex and Park

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Plans to rehabilitate and renovate the track area at Victory Field began to take shape Tuesday night, but members of the Committee making recommendations about the project had trouble agreeing on some aspects of the project. The Ad Hoc Committee on Victory Field Phase II is made up of town officials, neighbors of the site and representatives of groups who use the site – the Watertown Public Schools and Watertown youth sports. The disagreements rose from the balance of the how much the use of the track and court areas should be athletics vs. being a public park and recreation area. What arose as an area of contention was something not for track and field, but a net to protect people from balls thrown or kicked by teams using the grass area inside the track.

Government

School Subcommittee Recommends Adding Another Artificial Turf Field

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The demand for artificial turf field space has grown for Watertown High School’s athletic squads, and a School Committee subcommittee has recommended that the town install a second artificial turf field with lights somewhere in town. 

With football/baseball area of Victory Field covered in artificial turf it has allowed the area to be used for more hours and in more inclement weather, said WHS Athletic Director Michael Lahiff. However, there is a lot of demand for that space. In the fall, for instance, it is used by the football, field hockey, and boys soccer teams. However, the football team has priority because they cannot practice or play on the nearby Victory Field Track Oval because players would tear up the grass, Lahiff said. They are not the only team that wants to use the turf. “Field hockey wants to be on the turf, it’s a different game now (on artificial turf), and boys soccer prefers it,” Lahiff said.