Government

Watertown’s Capital Budget Includes School Projects, Park Improvements & Mt. Auburn St. Funds

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Watertown Town Hall

Town Council approved $22.2 million in projects and equipment purchases as part of the Fiscal Year 2022 capital spending plan, including funds for the elementary and high school building projects, improvements to Town parks and the Mt. Auburn Street reconstruction. The plan has 33 items on it. The Town Council’s budget policy is to spend between 7.5 and 8 percent of the total Town budget on capital spending. Council Vice President Vincent Piccirilli, who is chair of the Budget & Fiscal Oversight Committee, said the figure would represent 14.02 percent of the projected Town expenditures, or 7.11 percent without the $10.9 million earmarked for the school building projects.

Schools

Watertown Schools Requiring COVID Pool Testing for Students Attending In-Person

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Watertown students who attend school in-person will be required to be part of the district’s COVID-19 pool testing when they return to five-days-a-week classes. The School Committee approved the requirement on Monday night. Superintendent Dede Galdston said that the move will help keep students and staff safe. “We have all the strategies in place to prevent infections, but it is a highly infectious disease and our students are not vaccinated yet,” Galdston said. “Let’s do what we can across the board to keep our students and our community safe.”

Police/Fire

Police Arrest Watertown Man Suspected of Distributing Cocaine, Marijuana

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A 28-year-old Watertown man faces charges of possession of drugs with intent to distribute following an investigation by Watertown Police and an area drug task force. Police served a warrant on Garnett J. Miles’ home on Waverley Avenue on March 18 at 9:31 a.m., according to Watertown Police Lt. James O’Connor. The arrest came after a month-long investigation between the WPD and the Suburban Middlesex County Drug Task Force. “As a result, of the investigation, a search warrant was executed at his residence,” O’Connor said. “Our investigation revealed we had probable cause he was distributing narcotics from his residence.”

Around Town

Greek Flag Will Fly at Watertown Town Hall to Mark 200 Years of Greece’s Independence

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The Town of Watertown will fly the Greek flag on March 25 in recognition of the 200th anniversary of Greece’s independence, as well as light the trees on the Watertown Square Delta blue and white, the colors of the Greek flag. The day marks the bicentennial of Greece’s independence from the Ottoman Empire, which ruled Greece beginning in the 15th Century. Town Councilor Angeline Kounelis made the request to fly the Greek flag on behalf of the Rev. Athanasios Nenes, Pastor of the Taxiarchae/Archangels Greek Orthodox Church in Watertown. The Town will join other communities around the world that will celebrate the event. “A lot of communities (are taking part), not just in Massachusetts — worldwide,” said Kounelis, who said she has heard of celebrations in Australia, Niagara Falls, as well as lighting of the the Zakim Bridge and Longfellow Bridge Bridge in blue and white.

Around Town

Watertown Scouts Collected over 5,000 Lbs. of Donations for Watertown Food Pantry

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Watertown Scout Tage Weeden pushes a cart load of donations into the Watertown Food Pantry. The following announcement was provided by Watertown Troop 30:

Scouts collected 2.5 tons of food for the food pantry this past November, but both the Coronavirus pandemic and the resulting unemployment in Watertown has hit our community hard. At the November drive Kathleen Cunningham, Director of the Watertown Food Pantry made an unusual request: Could another food drive be held soon? Scouting for Food is a service project the BSA Scouts have participated in for years: Supporting a local food pantry, scouts across the U.S. collect food once a year, usually around Thanksgiving when many are feeling generous. Scouting for Food in Watertown is a tradition near to the scouts’ hearts: Both the Watertown Food Pantry and the scouts call the Watertown-Belmont United Methodist Church at 80 Mt.

Schools

School Building Committee Leans Toward Single Building on Current High School Site

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A rendering of what a two-story modular building could look like (in white) on Moxley Field. It would be the temporary location for Watertown High School while a new school is constructed. Watertown Middle School can be seen behind the modular campus. The School Building Committee told designers that they like the direction they are going with a single building on the current site for the new Watertown High School. That design would require students to go to a swing space during construction, and Moxley Field has been identified as the preferred temporary site.

Around Town

Watertown Winter Overnight Parking Ban Ending Early

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Watertown’s winter overnight parking ban will be ending early, announced Watertown Police Chief Michael Lawn. The parking ban usually runs through the end of March, but in 2021 it will end on March 22. The Town of Watertown sent out the following announcement:

Police Chief Michael Lawn would like to inform you that Watertown will lift enforcement of the all night parking ban effective Monday March 22, 2021 at 12:00 pm.  

The Department of Public Works, Police Department and Fire Department would like to remind motorists that keeping the streets clear allows for road repairs, street cleaning and easy access for public safety vehicles. To that end, all Departments encourage residents to make full use of off-street parking when it is available.

Police/Fire

Police Log: Fake Explosion Reported, Drunk Men Try to Get in Wrong House

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

March 10, 5:42 a.m.: Watertown Police were contacted by the Suffolk County Probation Department, which had a warrant for a Watertown resident. Police went to his address and the 20-year-old Watertown man was placed under arrest on the warrant for violating the terms of his probation. Incidents

March 8, 9:19 a.m.: An elderly woman said she believes she was scammed by someone who called her two weeks prior. The caller said he could provide a service that would prevent her computer from being hacked.