Police/Fire

Package Thieves Caught Red Handed by Watertown Police

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Three men suspected of stealing packages from an Arsenal Street apartment complex were arrested when Watertown Police caught them with a car full of boxes. Shortly before 10 p.m. on Feb. 24, Watertown Police received a call from a resident who saw a blue BMW backed up to the loading dock at The Gables apartment building, said Watertown Police Lt. James O’Connor. “The caller thought it was suspicious due to the late hour, and it is not common for a passenger car to be in the shipping area,” O’Connor said. “He saw a person make several trips in and out of the building, each time coming out with packages, and placing the packages in the trunk of the vehicle.”

Around Town

Watertown COVID-19 Cases Dropping; Teachers Soon to be Added to Vaccine List, New Site

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Watertown’s COVID-19 cases dropped below 100 for the fist time since before Thanksgiving. Also, the list of those eligible for the vaccine will soon include teachers, and those looking for vaccines have a new option in the area. The town had 89 cases over the previous 14 days according to the Mass. Department of Public Health’s most recent report on Feb. 25.

Schools

Parents, School Committee Push for Reopening Schools Full Time

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Get kids back in school full time — that was the message to Watertown Public School officials from the vast majority of parents and the School Committee on Monday night. Many parents discussed how negative an experience remote learning has been for their children, with students falling behind academically and some not engaging in class at all. Others said their children have shown signs of depression and despair due to not being in school with their classmates. Superintendent Dede Galdston spoke about the district’s planning to reopen the schools for all in-person learning, and said planning has started to make that happen by sometime in April, but she said concerns remain about whether it can be done safely. She mentioned planning for how to hold lunches with social distancing requirements and added she hopes to have all teachers vaccinated by the time students return.

Letters

LETTER: Group Seeks Racial Equity in Policing in Watertown

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The following piece was provided by the Watertown Joint Police Reform Group:

Given the national dialogue about the disparate impact policing has had on people of color throughout our history, it should come as no surprise that Watertown is also impacted by systemic racism. For example, in 2018-19 Black residents were arrested at a rate 5-6 times their percentage of the Watertown population. Watertown Joint Police Reform Group (WJPRG) is a coalition of four grassroots citizen groups that has been working on police reform proposals since last summer. The coalition comprises Uplift Watertown, Watertown Citizens for Black Lives (WCBL), the Kingian Response Team Working Group on Non-Violence Training, and the Kingian Response Team Working Group on a Watertown Police Department (WPD) Community Advisory Board. The group hopes to raise awareness among town residents of the practical ways that the WPD could address the disparate impacts of policing on people of color.

Government

Applicants Sought for Watertown Town Boards & Committees

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The following information was provided by the Town Manager’s office:

Town Manager Michael J. Driscoll is seeking Watertown citizens interested in serving on the following Town Boards, Commissions and Committees with appointment dates in February 2021 in accordance with Ordinance # 2007-46, an Ordinance on the Timing and Process of Appointments to Town Boards, Commissions and Committees. Interested applicants should submit a letter of interest accompanied by a resume or other information concerning background or experience by email to townmgr@watertownma.gov or Town Manager’s Office, 149 Main Street, Watertown, Massachusetts 02472. Board/Commission: Board of HealthVacancy/Term: One Member, Three Year Term. Description: Provide for fulfillment of its duties under M.G.L. 111:5, 26-33 and other sections including enforcement of the state Sanitary and Environmental Codes, reporting diseases dangerous to the public health, and enforcement of other applicable state and local laws and regulations. The Board of Health determines the health needs of the community (and the health services available to the community) in terms of the size and characteristics of the population, specific health problems, and environmental conditions.

Around Town

Watertown Boxer Faces First Pro Fight, Looking to Become Firefighter

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Watertown’s Rico DePaolis, center, will make his professional boxing debut on March 13. He is shown here with Matt and Mark Nolan, who own the gym where he trains. For several years, Rico DePaolis pursued a career in college basketball coaching, but now the 30-year-old has set his athletic sights on the boxing ring while he looks to start a career in firefighting. The Watertown native will make is professional boxing debut on March 13 in Windham, N.H. DePaolis has a 3-1 record as an amateur, with three victories by stoppage. “I am fighting a gentleman from New York who has a lot of experience in boxing and MMA,” DePaolis said.

Government

This Week’s Meetings: In-Person Learning, Charter Review & WHS Project

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This week’s meetings include a discussion of reopening of the Watertown Schools to in-person learning, the Town’s Charter Review, and an update on designs for the new Watertown High School. School Committee

The School Committee meets Monday, March 1 at 7 p.m., and the agenda includes an update on the reopening and an update on student learning time. A group of Lowell PTO members have written a letter asking the Watertown schools to open to all in-person learning (see the letter by clicking here). Also, the School Committee will hear a presentation about social and emotional learning and health during COVID-19. Reports include a look at the draft 2021-22 school calendar.

Alexandria Real Estate Equities

Rumors of Sale of Watertown Mall to Life Science Developer

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The Watertown Mall — home to Target, the RMV and Best Buy — could soon be sold to a developer looking to create life science lab space, according to a Boston Globe article. The potential deal involved a sale by owners Rosen Associates Management Corp. to Alexandria Real Estate Equities, which also owns the Arsenal on the Charles and the former Mount Auburn Club. The sales price of the 18-acre-site on Arsenal Street is reportedly $125 million, according to the Globe. The property lies in the Regional Mixed Use District (RMUD) zone in East Watertown, which allows for taller buildings (up to five stories) and more dense development (75 percent building coverage) than most areas of town.