Schools

Building Committee Eliminates Potential Location for New High School

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A rendering of Option 1A, where Watertown High School’s academic building would be built on the current site, and would have a large green space in front along Columbia Street. The design of the new high school has not been settled, but Watertown High School will not be built on Victory Field. The School Building Committee voted Wednesday, Sept. 2, to eliminate options for the new school to go on the sports and field complex on Orchard Street. The Committee also saw some scenarios where the main academic building would be built on the current WHS site.

Around Town

Parts of Common Street Closing for Paving Project

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An illustration of the Common Street Reconstruction Project, including the roundabout at Orchard Street and a redesigned intersection at Spring Street. The Department of Public Works announced that sections of Common Street, including the rotary, will be closed while the final paving work is completed on the project. The Watertown DPW sent out the following announcement:

The Common Street project is scheduled to install top course paving on Common Street starting on Tuesday, September 8th. Work is anticipated to begin at Orchard Street and proceed towards Spring Street. To facilitate the paving, the roundabout and intersecting streets will be closed to vehicular traffic.

Elections

After Election, State Reps. Have Issues to Tackle in State House

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John Lawn, left, won re-election to his sixth term as 10th Middlesex State Representative, while Steve Owens won his first election to be the State Rep. for the 29th Middlesex District. With the long campaign and election day behind them, Watertown’s two state representatives now have some work to do in the State House. They face issues that arose from the COVID-19 pandemic, along with those around before the shutdown. Beacon Hill is familiar territory for John Lawn, who will be entering his sixth term as the 10th Middlesex State Representative. The impacts of the pandemic will be his top concern.

10th Middlesex

Owens, Lawn Win in Watertown State Rep. Races

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After Tuesday’s election, Watertown has one new State Representative and one returning to the State House. In the three way race for the 29th Middlesex seat, former chair of the Democratic Town Committee Steve Owens took nearly 60 percent of the vote. He received 7,602 votes, or 61 percent, in the district that includes most of Watertown and part of Cambridge. Town Council President Mark Sideris got nearly 24 percent, with 2,972, and consultant David Ciccarelli got about 15 percent (1,851 votes). In Watertown, Owens got 4,148 votes, or 60 percent of the vote, while Sideris got 25 percent (1,757 votes), and Ciccarelli got 1,091 votes (15 percent).

Police/Fire

Firefighters Extinguish Fire in Unoccupied Watertown Home

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Watertown Firefighters responded to a fire that broke out in an unoccupied home on Friday night. The call reporting the fire came in just after 11 p.m. on Aug. 25, said Watertown Deputy Fire Chief Ryan Nicholson

“Upon arrival we could see fire on the second floor. At that time I ordered a Working Fire,” Nicholson said. “The building was being rehabbed and was unoccupied, which we confirmed with a search.”

Elections

Watertown Firefighters Back Candidate in State Rep. Race

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The Watertown Firefighters union endorsed John Lawn in his re-election bid for the 10th Middlesex State Representative seat. Local 1347 announced its endorsement on Facebook on Friday. The message cited Lawn’s work with Fire Chief Bob Quinn to get a second set of turnout gear (the clothing worn by firefighters during calls). “Before we received the back up turnout gear we were forced to wear the wet, carcinogen contaminated turnout gear after any fire we had. With the rise in occupational cancer, it has been discovered that cancer causing agents enter our bodies through our skin, as well as respiratory systems,” the announcement said.

Sports

High School Sports to Look Much Different During 2020-21

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The Raiders celebrate a first quarter touchdown against Burlington at Victory Field. Many details remain up in the air for high school sports this school year, but some things are already clear: there will be no Thanksgiving Day football game and no field hockey state championship for Watertown this year. The COVID-19 pandemic will have a great impact on Massachusetts high school sports, particularly on the fall season, which will have no state tournaments in 2020 (tourneys in other seasons have not been decided yet). Also, the football season will be delayed until early 2021. The MIAA announced those and other details about high school sports last week.