Election 2021

Town Charter Changes Going on the Ballot, Info to be Sent to Residents

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The proposed changes to the Town Charter, the document that lays out how Watertown’s government operates, will be on the November ballot in the form of two questions. The items will appear as summaries on the ballot, but voters will receive detailed information about all the changes. On Sept. 2, the Town Council ironed out a few issues the Attorney General’s office had with the proposed Charter changes, and also discussed how the items should be on the ballot. Number of Ballot Questions

Initially, the proposal was to have three separate items: one on changing the official name from the “The City Known as the Town of Watertown” to “The City of Watertown,” one about the preamble proposed to be added at the beginning of the Charter, and a third covering “everything else,” or all the other changes to the document.

Police/Fire

Two-Family Home in Watertown Heavily Damaged in Two-Alarm Fire

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Five residents of a two-family home on Spruce Street have been displaced by a two-alarm fire that Firefighters from Watertown and four other communities battled on Monday night. Smoke detectors in the second floor unit of 143 Spruce St. woke up the residents, who were able to get out and wake up the residents of the first floor. Five people and a dog all got out safely, said Watertown Assistant Fire Chief Ryan Nicholson, but the house was significantly damaged. “The fire got a good head start.

Entertainment

Guitarist Featured in Summer Concert Has Played with Jazz & Rock Greats, His Music Has Been Used by TV Shows

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Watertown’s John Baboian has played guitar with the stars of rock and jazz, and will be performing at the Watertown Summer Concert series. Wednesday’s Watertown Summer Concert features guitarist John Baboian, who has played with some of the greats in rock and jazz, and his music has been used on television soundtracks. “Although best known for his work in the jazz & swing idioms, John has performed in the Classical, Blues, Rock, R&B, Latin and World music genres,” Baoboian’s bio on his website said. The concert is scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 8, from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Saltonstall Park, next to Town Hall (149 Main St., Watertown).

Extreme Weather

Watertown Receives Grant to Prepare for Impacts of Extreme Weather

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The Charles River in Waterotwn Square.Watertown DPW

The Town of Watertown has been awarded an MVP Action Grant for a new Equity-Based Community Greening Program. The Town will use the money to work to identify climate-vulnerable areas of town and design green interventions to add trees and stormwater management. “We have seen numerous heat waves this summer, and they will only become more frequent,” said Watertown Senior Environmental Planner Laurel Schwab. “This $94,240 MVP grant will help us use trees and green infrastructure to cool off our hottest neighborhoods and help protect our most vulnerable residents.” Learn more about the MVP Grants in the announcement provided by the Mystic River Watershed Association:

Following the release of $20 million in state FY2022 MVP Grants, The Mystic River Watershed Association announced that Resilient Mystic Collaborative (RMC) cities and towns had secured a total of $2.6 million in state funding to help prepare for extreme weather.

Homepage Featured

Team New Day Sweeps the 2021 Watertown Summer Basketball League Finals

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Watertown RecreationTeam New Day took on Team HBC in the finals the Papas Elite League championship. The Watertown Summer Basketball League wrapped up for the year with a two game sweep by the 2021 champions. See the game report provided by the Watertown Recreation Department, below. The Summer of 2021 will go down as an unusual year for the Watertown Recreation Department’s Men’s Summer Basketball League. Due to COVID concerns, the league got a late start, but fortunately there was a positive response from some of the veteran teams in the Papas Elite League.

Around Town

Watertown Man Tests Positive for West Nile Virus, See Tips for Avoiding Mosquitos

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The following information was provided by the Watertown Health Department:

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) announced today a human case of West Nile virus (WNV) in Watertown. The case is a 79 year old male. The West Nile Virus risk level to in Watertown remains at moderate. This means that residents need to take appropriate precautions outlined below. Although serious illness caused by WNV is uncommon, there have been 216 cases of WNV in Massachusetts between 2001 and 2020.

Fire

2 Alarm Fire Damages Watertown Restaurant Near Galen Street

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A fire started in the basement of a Watertown restaurant, and significant damage was done by the two-alarm blaze. A fire alarm rang at Jana Grill & Bakery, at the corner of Watertown and Galen streets, at 10:18 p.m. on Aug. 30. The Watertown Fire Department arrived about 10:30 p.m. and smoke was found in the basement. Watertown Engine 1 and Ladder 1 responded to the first alarm.