Police/Fire

Watertown Man Arrested in N.H. Child Pornography Investigation

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The eight suspects arrested in a child pornography investigation in Nashua, N.H., including Juan Correa of Watertown (bottom, left)

A Watertown man faces charges of possession of a “Child Sexual Abuse Image” after being arrested by police in New Hampshire. Juan Correa, 31, of Ladd Street in Watertown, was arrested by Nashua Police on July 15 on a charge of Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Image, police announced. He was released on personal recognizance bail, and he will be arraigned in Hillsborough County Superior Court South on Aug. 20. The arrest was one of eight made in an investigation by the Nashua Police Department and Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force focusing on child exploitation during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Nashua Police.

Around Town

Watertown Library Now Offering Scheduling for Curbside Pickups, Placing Holds

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Bags prepared to be delivered to patrons of the Watertown Library as part of the curbside pickup program. The Library is now offering scheduled pickups and putting holds on items.

The following information was provided by the Watertown Library:

The Watertown Free Public Library’s curbside pickup service is growing more popular with every passing week. Since WFPL launched the service on May 11, Library patrons have placed over 3,000 pickup orders for books, DVDs and other materials. On busy nights, as many as 200 book bags are delivered to patrons in the Library parking lot. In order to meet the growing demand for this service, WFPL is making some changes to the curbside pickup process.

Around Town

Watertown Residents Can Apply for Rental Assistance

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Watertown residents struggling to cover their rent due to the COVID-19 outbreak can apply for rental assistance of up to $1,000. The Watertown Community Foundation has teamed with MetroWest Collaborative Development and Wayside Youth & Family Network to provide rental assistance for families who are behind (or arrear) in rent. The assistance will be awarded on a first-come-first-serve basis. The Watertown Community Foundation received funds from the Massachusetts COVID-19 Relief Fund, said Executive Director Jan Singer. “Our grants from MA COVID-19 Relief Fund have gone directly to MetroWest Collaborative Development, who is administering the program,” Singer said.

Adult Use Marijuana

Council Approves Host Community Agreement with 2nd Adult-Use Marijuana Dispensary

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An adult-use marijuana dispensary planned for the Westside of Watertown entered into a Host Community with the Town after the Town Council approved the agreement on Tuesday night. Buds Goods & Provisions is applying to open a recreational marijuana dispensary in the new development at 330-350 Pleasant St. The company now must apply for a license from the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission (CCC) before it can apply to the Watertown Zoning Board for a special permit. They can open when both are approved. The ballot measure that legalized adult-use marijuana prohibits communities from banning them, but allows them to limit the number to 10 percent of the number of liquor licenses.

Government

Watertown Water & Sewer Rates Projected to Go Up 8.6% for Fiscal Year 2021

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Watertown residents will likely see a significant jump in their water and sewer bills. The Town Council saw a presentation asking for a 7 percent increase in the water rate and a 9.5 percent increase in sewer rates at Tuesday’s Council Meeting. The increases were recommended by the Town’s water/sewer consultants from Weston & Sampson and Abrahams Group, which studied the budgeting and operations of Watertown’s water and sewer divisions. Without the increase, the water and sewer funds could face deficits, said Matthew Abrahams of the Abrahams Group. The increases would also help build a 15 percent retained earning in five years time.

COVID-19

No Decision on How Schools Will Operate in Fall, Officials Prepping for Three Scenarios

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With about eight weeks until the start of the school year, Watertown School officials continue to prepare for three different scenarios — in-person teaching, remote learning, or a mix of the two. Superintendent Dede Galdston told the School Committee Monday that with “the sands shifting everyday” she will not know which of the three will be used until sometime in August. Massachusetts education officials presented district with guidelines and asked them to come up with plans for how to operate schools in each of the three scenarios. Galdston said that while it is not clear which of the three will be used for the district as a whole, the Watertown Public Schools must prepare for remote learning because some students will be choosing that option no matter what. If the schools do return in person, they could try to welcome everyone back, or have students rotate when days they are in school by the day or the week, Galdston said.

Sports

Watertown Youth Baseball, Softball Returning to Action During COVID-19 Reopening

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While COVID-19 pandemic wiped out the normal youth baseball and softball seasons, Watertown Youth Baseball recently began having games during the summer as the state reopens. During Phase 2 of the reopening, players could begin practicing and doing drills. Groups were limited to 12 players and coaches. While Phase 2 started on June 9, Watertown did not start practicing until June 26, said Bill Furtado, president of Watertown Youth Baseball. Last week, the first games were held for Watertown teams traveling to other towns, and on July 13, the first games in Watertown will take place, Furtado said.

Police/Fire

Police Log: Customer Gets in Altercation for Not Wearing Mask, Man Caught Trying to Get into Cars

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

July 3, 6:35 a.m.: Police received reports of a man pulling on door handles on Westminster Avenue near Bemis Street. The witness saw the man pulling on a door handle of a Honda SUV, and then tried to get into the hatchback, but both were locked. Officers located a man fitting the suspect’s description. The man said he took a taxi to town to visit his sister, and said he thought the vehicle was his sister’s.