Watertown News (https://www.watertownmanews.com/prominence/homepage-featured/page/81/)
Add this label to posts to display them in the featured area on the homepage.
The Burnham-Manning Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1105 will Celebrate its Centennial Anniversary on May 24. The Post provided the following information. History of Burnham-Manning VFW Post 1105
The sign out of the former location of VFW Post 1105. The Watertown, Massachusetts faction of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), Burnham-Manning Post No. 1105, was instituted on May 14, 1924.
The following announcement was provided by the Watertown Police Department. May 1, 12 p.m.: The manager at Nike reported that a man came into the store with a Target shopping bag and placed a shoe box in and left without paying. A pair of Jordan low sneakers worth $115 was taken. May 2, 6 p.m.: A man came into Nike and took a Tech Fleece sweatshirt priced at $140 and a pair of sneakers worth $75. May 2, 8 p.m.: A woman was seen going into Target and took $295 worth of merchandise, including clothing and cosmetics.
Photo by Charlie BreitroseStudents at Watertown High School got to run hands-on lab analyses during the CoLAB Club. One of volunteers from life science companies, Bridget Kreger of C4 Therapeutics, second from left, and WHS chemistry teacher Liz Mundy look on as the students fill vials with samples. While most of the school was dark and quiet, students were busy in one science classroom at Watertown High School well after the final bell working on a science experiment. The students worked with volunteers from local life science companies as part of the CoLAB Club. The group meets once a month, and conducts simulations of real-world lab work using equipment similar to what the professionals use.
Some major changes will be coming to the Watertown Police Department in the near future, including taking patrol officers out of the Civil Service System, and officers will wear body cameras and have cameras on their vehicles. City Manager George Proakis told the City Council about the changes during his Fiscal Year 2025 City Budget presentation on April 30. The move out of Civil Service is intended to help the Police Department recruit and hire more easily, he said, and studies of other departments have shown that body cams have led to fewer citizen complaints, higher rates of prosecution and other benefits. Civil Service
The Civil Service rules apply to hiring, promotions, and the disciplinary appeal process. The first part has become more and more difficult for the Police Department, said Proakis, who added that he has not seen the same thing for the Watertown Fire Department, which is also in Civil Service.
Contributed PhotoNew Watertown Football Coach Joe Carroll took over the program in February and has been busy preparing for the first game in September. The first official football game is more than four months away, but new Watertown High School football coach Joe Carroll has been busy trying to bond with players, prep them for the upcoming season, and create a team culture. Since he was hired in February, Carroll has been making the most of the time he has with the team in preparation for his first season as a head coach. He takes over the Raiders after serving as assistant coach at Waltham High School for five years. Carroll has put together a schedule and to-do list to keep him focused, and each day he tries to check a few things off the list.
Photo by Charlie BreitroseThe opening of new pedestrian gates at Mount Auburn Cemetery was celebrated with a ribbon cutting. Pictured, from left, Mount Auburn Cemetery Trustee Sean McDonnell, Bree Harvey, Vice President of Cemetery & Visitor Services; Assistant City Manager Steve Magoon, State Rep. Steve Owens, Mount Auburn Cemetery President and CEO Matthew Stephens, and Cemetery neighbor Sarah Baker. Mount Auburn Cemetery opened its gate to the public, literally, on Friday when they celebrated the four new pedestrian entrances installed along the fence around the historic cemetery located in Watertown and Cambridge. Matthew Stephens, President and CEO of Mount Auburn Cemetery, said that the gates are part of Mount Auburn’s effort to make the property more open and welcoming to the public. “We want the community to be here in Mount Auburn,” Stephens said.
A Middlesex Superior Court jury found Watertown Police officer Kevin Rooney not guilty in the trial in which he faced two counts of rape and one count of indecent assault from an incident in 2021. Rooney has been placed on administrative leave by the Watertown Police, and Watertown Police Chief Justin Hanrahan told WBUR that he will remain on leave pending the results of the Police Department’s internal affairs investigation. Rooney also had his police certification suspended by the Massachusetts Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission when he was indicted on the charges in December 2022. A woman who accused Rooney told prosecutors that she blacked out after three alcoholic drinks while at dinner in South Boston, and the next thing she next remembered was waking up next to a man she didn’t know. The man told her he was an off-duty Watertown Police officer, and he told her they had “hooked up,” according to court documents obtained by WBUR.
The following announcement was provided by the Watertown Arts Market:
The Watertown Business Coalition is delighted to announce the fourth annual Watertown Arts Market will take place on Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024, from 12-5 p.m., location is TBD. This celebratory event brings together an abundance of artists, arts and cultural organizations, and arts- and culture-related businesses based in or serving Watertown. More information is available at www.watertownartsmarket.com.
About the Watertown Arts Market
The Watertown Arts Market is a free, family-friendly, outdoor event that features a diverse selection of artists, authors, creatives, musicians, arts and culture organizations, and businesses who serve Watertown. Attendees can wander through the Market, learning about the artistic and cultural offerings in Watertown.