Around Town

Catch Basin Cleaning Starts Soon, DPW Asks Residents to Help Keep Them Clean

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Watertown DPWThe Department of Public Works will start stormwater catch basin cleaning during the week of April. 24. The following announcement was provided by the Department of Public Works:

Beginning the week of April 24, 2023, the City will be cleaning stormwater catch basins throughout the City, utilizing our contractor, BMC Corporation. There are about 3,500 catch basins in the City and it will take about a month to clean them all. Catch basins collect stormwater off the streets and connect to drain pipes that ultimately flow to the Charles River.

Schools

Local Company Visits WHS Class Bearing Gifts & Knowledge of Biotechs

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Charlie BreitroseWatertown High School teacher Kelly Hannon works with students in her anatomy and physiology class. A Watertown High School science class recently got a visit from representatives from one of the City’s life science companies, which also provided some donations that will help students learn about the human body. In early April, three employees of Enanta Pharmaceuticals stopped by a WHS anatomy and physiology class to speak to the students about their work. Joyce Sweeney Gibbons told the students that she did not take a direct road to her current position as senior scientist in virology at Enanta. “If you have no idea what you want to do, that’s OK,” Sweeney Gibbons said.

Around Town

Local Woman Looking to Turn Her Passion for Nails into a Business

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Some nails designed and created by Watertown’s Rickteyzia Simmons, who plans to open a nail salon called Candy Paint. What started as a pandemic hobby has turned into a calling for a Watertown woman, who now hopes to turn her passion for nail design into a local business. Rickteyzia Simmons currently works as a high school teacher in Cambridge and works on nails during her free time, but she is working to open her own nail salon, Candy Paint by Teyzia, in Watertown. Simmons taught herself how to do her own nails, and got a good response. “It was my pandemic hobby.

Around Town

Watertown Remembers the Chaos, Concern and Celebrations During the Shootout & Search for the Marathon Bomber

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Police patrolled the streets of Watertown on April 19, 2013, searching for one of the Boston Marathon Bombers. Photo courtesy of Jade Burke. It seems like ages ago and at the same time just like yesterday that Watertown was rocked by gunfire and explosions, then went into lockdown as police scoured homes and yards for the Boston Marathon Bomber, before locating and capturing him in a boat parked on Franklin Street. On April 19, 2023, the 10th anniversary of the Watertown Shootout and Manhunt, Watertown News is sharing the memories of readers of that monumental day in our community. The area was already on edge.

Around Town

Watertown’s Goose Dog is on the Job!

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City of WatertownVee, Watertown’s goose control dog, has arrived in town! Vee, the dog brought to Watertown for geese control, has arrived in town and has already gotten down to work. The Watertown DPW’s Parks/Cemetery Supervisor Bob DiRicco and his wife picked Vee up at the training facility in Leesburg, Virginia, and drove her back to Watertown over the Patriots Day Weekend. On Tuesday Vee started work. City of WatertownVee and the DPW’s Bob DiRico visited City Manager George Proakis in City Hall Tuesday.

Schools

Watertown Superintendent Given Raise, Makes Salary Close to Average for Comparable Districts

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Watertown Superintendent Dede Galdston. Watertown Superintendent of Schools Dede Galdston received a 3 percent raise from the School Committee, which will put her around average for comparable school districts. The raise makes her salary $193,636.91 for Fiscal Year 2023, which runs through the end of June. The Superintendent deserves the raise, said City Council President Mark Sideris, who works with her on three boards. “I believe that that is a very reasonable request and I believe that from where I sit in positions on the School Building and School committees and the City Council, we have a superintendent who goes above and beyond constantly,” Sideris said.

Sports

See How Watertown Runners Finished in the 2023 Boston Marathon

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The fastest Watertown runner in the 2023 Boston Marathon finished in under 2:45 and broke the top 1,000 runners, and the fastest woman was in the top 900 female participants. Ryan Abo completed the 26.2 miles from Hopkinton to Copley Square in 2:44:14, and was the 988th fastest overall and 940th fastest male runner. Erin Jaffke ran the course in 3:11:56, which made her the 875th fastest woman in the 127th Marathon. Deborah Downs ran the 76th fastest time for female runners age 45-49, finishing in 3:17:34. Peter Tagge’s time of 4:00:17 was 251st ranked in male runners age 65-69.

Police/Fire

Police Log: Scammer Posed as Customs Agent, Car Stolen from Gas Station

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The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department. Arrest

April 8, 6:43 p.m.: A shoplifter at Target grabbed a bike buggy, left the store without paying and fled. Police received a description, and they located the man walking toward the bike path behind Target. He had hidden the buggy behind a dumpster near the path, but officers found it and returned it to the store. Police also determined the man was wanted on a warrant from South Boston District Court for possession of a Class A drug, possession of a Class B drug, and intent to distribute a Class B drug.