Around Town

City Manager Discusses Comprehensive Plan, Resident Participation & the High School Project on Watertown Cable Show

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Inside Watertown hosts Bob Airasian, far left, and Charlie Breitrose were joined by City Manager George Proakis and Director of Community Development and Planning Steve Magoon. (Screenshot from Watertown Cable). Watertown City Manager George Proakis talked about the ongoing Comprehensive Plan update, how residents can get involved when projects go before the City, and what’s going on with the Watertown High School project in the latest episode of Watertown Cable’s Inside Watertown. Along with Proakis, co-hosts Charlie Breitrose and Bob Airasian were joined by Steve Magoon, Watertown’s Assistant City Manager and the Director of Community Development and Planning. The City recently held a public forum on the Comprehensive Plan, which is being updated for the first time since it was adopted in 2015.

Around Town

Watertown Purchasing Dog to Chase Geese From Parks and Fields

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City of WatertownVee, a border collie, will soon be arriving in Watertown where she will chase geese away from City-owned fields and parks. Watertown’s newest employee will get plenty of exercise, time outdoors, and her reward for doing a good job will be treats — doggie treats. Vee, Watertown’s goose control dog, will soon be patrolling the parks and fields around the City to make sure the flocks of birds don’t get too comfortable or leave their marks. She will live with and accompany Department of Public Works Parks and Cemetery Supervisor Bob DiRico to work, said Watertown City Manager George Proakis. “In a few days Mr. DiRico will go to Leesburg, Virginia, to pick up Vee,” Proakis told the City Council on Tuesday.

Around Town

Big Discussions Over the Future of a Small Pond in East Watertown

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Maya ShwayderThe future is uncertain for Sawin’s Pond, a small body of water between Arlington Street and Coolidge Avenue. It’s easy to miss Sawin’s Pond in Watertown. The little body of water sits squished between where Arlington and Coolidge streets come together, behind a UPS outlet that’s across from the Home Depot. It’s not much to look at: some scraggly trees and browned earth, and rubber is sticking up in some places. But the privately-owned space has been the center of a long-running debate: what, exactly, should happen to the land?

Entertainment

Budding Artist: 87-Year Old Painter’s First Exhibition Hosted by Watertown Library

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Seda MavetosianMargarita Avetian stands in front of some of the paintings in her exhibition at the Watertown Library. During the month of March, the paintings of an emerging Watertown artist have been displayed in the Library’s art gallery. Margarita Avetian has only been painting for two years, but her work has received rave reviews from other artists. Not bad for someone who never had any artistic training during any of her 87 years. Avetian’s daughter, Seda Matevosian said her mother got started by chance when she was putting on a fun artistic activity for some of her family and friends.

Government

Proposals Wanted for Uses for Watertown’s APRA Funds

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Watertown City Hall

The following information was provided by the City of Watertown:

The City of Watertown received $10.5 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding and is seeking project proposals. Proposals may be submitted between 9 p.m. on March 27, 2023, and 5 p.m. on May 26, 2023. Visit watertown-ma.gov/arpa for more information. Submitted applications will be posted online here for public review. Before submitting a proposal, please read the guidelines and criteria outlined in these two documents:

Guidelines for Submitting ARPA Proposals February 28, 2023

Criteria for Assessing ARPA Proposals February 28, 2023

Apply Online. Submit your ARPA Project Proposal online here when ready

Residents Discussed How Watertown Should Spend ARPA Money

Police/Fire

Police Log: Man Busted in Drug Investigation, Crypto Currency Stolen

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

March 16, 3:52 p.m.: Security at Best Buy reported a man who had taken several video games and left the store without paying. Police located a man fitting the description near Nike at Arsenal Yards and he was unwrapping a Nintendo DS game. Officers spoke to the man who said he was at Best Buy and when he was leaving he realized he had not paid for the games, but he continued to exit the store. Police looked inside the man’s backpack and found 10 Nintendo games, plus a Nintendo DS game that had been reported stolen from a vehicle parked in the parking lot near Best Buy.

Schools

Watertown High Students Bring the Musical ‘Anastasia’ to the Stage

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Karen CentolaWatertown High School students staged Anastasia as the spring musical in March. Watertown’s young performers took the stage at the high school to present this year’s spring musical, Anastasia. Karen CentolaThe cast of Watertown High School’s Anastasia. The cast and crew put on three performances of the musical adaptation of the 1997 film on March 10, 11 and 12. Karen CentolaA ballet dancer in the WHS production of Anastasia.