Around Town

MWRA to Install Water Mains in Several Watertown Streets

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The following information was provided by the MWRS:

A Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) project will be commencing in your neighborhood starting on Monday, September 11, 2023, or shortly thereafter. This project will provide critical water system redundancy and operational flexibility in the event of water main pipe failures in your area. The project will clean and rehabilitate or replace 120+ year old water main pipes and replace two water meters. The majority of this work is located within the City of Watertown with minor work in the City of Newton at St. James Terrace and the crossing of the Charles River.

Police/Fire

Car Crashes Through Storefront, Closes Arsenal Street to Deal with Gas Line

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An elderly driver drove through the window of a vacant office at 440 Arsenal St. on Thursday. (Courtesy of Watertown Fire Department)

An elderly man driving on Arsenal Street on Thursday left the roadway and crashed through a vacant storefront, breaking a gas line. Watertown Police received multiple 911 calls about a vehicle that drove through the window of an unoccupied and vacant office at 440 Arsenal St. at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, said Watertown Police Sgt.

Business

Local Favorites Old & New Featured in Charles River Chamber’s “Get to Know Watertown Video”

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Courtesy of Charles River Regional Chamber

The following information was provided by the Charles River Chamber of Commerce:

On Friday, the Charles River Regional Chamber is releasing the first of four videos to promote Watertown, Wellesley, Newton and Needham to visitors. “Get to Know Watertown” features a mix of iconic establishments, cultural attractions and new destinations throughout the city, including Donohue’s Bar & Grill, Sevan Bakery, the Mosesian Center for the Arts and Bar ‘Cino.  

The “Get to Know” videos are the second phase of the chamber’s “Take A Trip Up the Charles” campaign launched in 2022 designed to encourage visitors to Greater Boston and people who live in neighboring communities to explore the many offerings in these vibrant communities located just a few miles upstream along the Charles. “Our goal is to support our local economy by highlighting scenic, historic, cultural, recreational, lodging, dining and retail destinations that make our communities unique to those visiting the region, or from the next community over,” said Chamber President Greg Reibman. 

“We had a lot of fun working with so many business owners across Watertown to make this video,” Reibman added.  “We also wanted to thank the folks at City Hall who helped provide many of the events and public art photos that are such an important part in telling why everyone should get to know Watertown.”

Reibman said he hopes everyone who enjoys the video will share it with customers, e-newsletters and on their social media feeds.  

The $16,500 campaign is funded by Meet Boston! and the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism.

Sports

Watertown High School Sports Teams Using Alternate Facilities During 3 Years of Construction

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Natalie Nigito PhotographyWatertown High School’s football team begins the 2023 season with a road game in New Hampshire. They finished the 2022 season playing Belmont on the home field of the Boston Red Sox. Moving to a temporary school and dealing with a field undergoing a turf replacement has required Watertown High School’s athletics program to be creative. Watertown High School moved out of the old building on Columbia Street into the temporary modular school at PFC Richard Moxley Field for the start of the 2023-24 school year. WHS will also make use of facilities at the nearby Watertown Middle School, including for some of the sports programs. The new high school is expected to take three years to be constructed, and will be built on the same site as the old school.

Schools

Students, Parents Get a Look Inside the Temporary Watertown High School After Ribbon Cutting

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The temporary campus for Watertown High School at PFC Richard Moxley Field opened after a ribbon cutting on Aug. 31 by, from left, Superintendent Dede Galdston, Principal Joel Giacobozzi, Assistant Superintendent Steve Magoon, and City Council President Mark Sideris. (Photo by Maya Shwayder)

The huge, empty hallways smelled like the wood aisle at Home Depot. Large boxes – empty and not – lined most corridors, and all the computers and monitors in the media room were still wrapped in plastic. But nonetheless the modular Watertown High School at PFC Richard Moxley Field held its grand opening five days before the first day of school, complete with a red ribbon and giant scissors to cut it.

Police/Fire

Watertown Fire Department to Mark Anniversary of 9/11 with Remembrance Ceremony

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The Watertown Fire Department will mark the anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001 with a ceremony at the Fire Station on Main Street. The City of Watertown sent out the following announcement:

The Fire Department will hold a brief ceremony on Monday, Sept. 11, 2023 at Fire Station Headquarters, located at 99 Main St., to remember the 343 FDNY firefighters lost Sept. 11, 2001, along with thousands of innocent people on the 22nd anniversary of the terrorist attacks.

Around Town

Rocker Tells Bruce Springsteen About His Watertown Origins on Stage at Gillette Stadium

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During Bruce Springsteen’s recent concert at Gillette Stadium, one of the members of the E Street Band revealed that he was born not just in the Boston area, but in Watertown. During the band’s performance of “Glory Days” the band asked the crowd “Do you want to go home?” to which guitarist Steven Van Zandt responded, “You know, I was born here,” according to a report on Boston.com. Springsteen responded, “In Boston?” And, Van Zandt specified, “Yeah, Watertown!” 

According to the report, he spent his first several years before moving to New Jersey.

Around Town

See How Labor Day Impacts Watertown City Facilities & Services

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Watertown LibraryThe Watertown Free Public Library. Multiple City-run facilities in Watertown will be closed on Monday for Labor Day, and the holiday will impact trash and recycling pick-up. The City of Watertown announced:

Watertown City Hall and Senior Center are closed in observance Labor Day, on Monday, September 4, 2023. Please note: Trash and recycling pickup is delayed one day. The schedule is Tuesday, September 5 – Saturday, September 9, 2023.