Schools

Former Watertown Teacher Earns Statewide Award for Work in Weston Schools

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Phil Oates

Phil Oates, a former Watertown Middle School teacher and interim principal at Lowell School, received an honor from the Massachusetts School Administrators’ Association for his work as assistant principal at Weston Middle School. He lives in Watertown. The Weston Public Schools published the following announcement:

We are thrilled to announce that our own Mr. Phil Oates has won the MSAA Assistant Principal of the Year Award for 2023! Please join the entire WMS community in congratulating Phil on this amazing accomplishment. The Massachusetts School Administrators’ Association announced today that Mr. Philip Oates, Assistant Principal of Weston Middle School, has been selected as this year’s Assistant Principal of the Year. Phil has served at the Middle School for the past six years. Phil graduated from Tufts University with a Bachelor of Sciences in Mathematics.

Government

City Petitions Legislature to Extend Age Police Officers Can Work Road Detail Shifts

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Charlie BreitroseA road after being milled and prepared for overlay of new asphalt.

The City of Watertown seeks to expand the age that police officers can work a detail at road construction projects up to the age of 70. Currently, the State caps the age of detail officers at 65, said City Manager George Proakis, but some communities have expanded that age to 70. With many road projects going on through the year, Watertown has trouble filling them with its own officers. With other communities allow older officers this creates some inconsistencies, Proakis said. “Because we are not able to fill all our details we often find ourselves requesting officers from other communities to come fill details in Watertown,” Proakis said.

Around Town

Restaurant Closing After More Than 2 Decades Serving Italian Dishes in Watertown

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Porcini’s restaurant will close in mid-January after over 20 years serving diners in Watertown. The owners for the restaurant on School Street put up a “Closing Letter” on the restaurant’s website announcing the decision. They cited difficulties of doing business during the COVID-19 pandemic as one of the reasons for the decision, in which they thanked their loyal customers and dedicated staff. The letter reads: “It saddens us to have to announce today that Porcini’s Italian Restaurant will be permanently closing our doors after 23 years of service on Saturday, January 14, 2023.” The past 3 years have been devastating to our business, as we have struggled through the results of the COVID pandemic.

Government

State Legislature Allowing Watertown to Charge Developer Fees to Fund Affordable Housing

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Wikimedia Commons / ChensiyuanMassachusetts State House. City officials will be able to charge new developments a fee that would go toward creating affordable housing in Watertown after receiving approval from the state level. The City Council requested special legislation to be passed that allows them to charge linkage fees of up to $18 per square foot for commercial projects over 30,000 sq. ft. that require zoning relief.

Police/Fire

Watertown Man Arrested for Role in Fatal Crash in Rhode Island

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A 25-year-old Watertown man faces multiple charges after he was involved in a motor vehicle accident that killed a man on New Year’s Eve. Christopher Vincent, 25, of Watertown, was driving in Lincoln, Rhode Island, when he lost control and struck an attenuator, according to the report by Boston Channel 25. The accident occurred around 2:30 a.m. on Dec. 31. The passenger in the vehicle, William Molloy, 22, of Ashland, died from his injuries.

Government

Five Members of Residents Advisory Committee Appointed

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Charlie BreitroseWatertown City Hall

The City of Watertown sent out the following announcement:

City Manager George J. Proakis is pleased to announce the establishment of Watertown’s first Residents’ Advisory Committee. The Residents’ Advisory Committee, as required by Section 3-7 of the new city charter, is designed to “assist with recruitment, evaluation and selection of candidates for appointment to multi-member bodies.” As noted in the charter, the committee and the City Manager will work together to “actively encourage a diverse pool of applicants for (these) multiple-member bodies.”

The City Manager has formed a five-member committee to serve in this role. He has appointed the following individuals to this committee. All members of the committee are residents of Watertown:

J. Elizabeth Cremens: Ms. Cremens is a retired Associate Justice of the Massachusetts District Court. Ms. Cremens has served in a number of volunteer roles in non-profits and local government.

Government

Finalists for City Auditor Will be Interviewed at Council Meeting

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Two finalists for the City Auditor will be interviewed by the City Council this week at a special meeting. The Council will hold the interviews at a public meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 4 at 6 p.m. The meeting will be both in person in the Council Chamber in City Hall and remote. The finalists are Donna Tuccinardi and Charles Doherty. They will be taking over from long-term City Auditor Tom Tracy, who retired in 2022 after working in Watertown for 30 years.

Government

How to Spend Federal ARPA Funds Will be Discussed by Council Budget Committee

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Watertown City Hall

The City of Watertown will receive several million from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), and the City Council’s Committee on Budget and Fiscal Oversight will be discussing what to do with the funds. Watertown will receiving approximately $10.5 million of ARPA funds, according to an estimate by the Massachusetts Municipal Association. The money could be spent in a number of areas, including public health, water and sewer infrastructure, public broadband networks, paying essential workers, and making up revenue lost due to the pandemic. The Council has already heard a recommendation from the Department of Public Works to spend half of the money on water and sewer infrastructure to make improvements and also keep rates down in future years. The meeting will be held on Tuesday, Jan.