Watertown Field Hockey Team Withstands Newburyport Comeback to Win Thrilling State Final

Watertown senior Molly Driscoll and the Raiders celebrate with the 2023 MIAA Div. 3 Field Hockey Championship Trophy. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

WORCESTER — Sometimes a moment leaves you grasping for words, unable to form full sentences. Several feelings flowing all at once — triumph, exhilaration, pride, a sense of relief, and pure joy. All you can do is just scream and give the nearest person a big hug.

Groundbreaking Ceremony Celebrates Start of Construction of Watertown’s Net Zero Energy High School

Groundbreaking for the new Watertown High School included the City, School, and State officials. From left, Deputy City Administrator Emily Monea, WHS Principal Joel Giacobozzi, Superintendent Dede Galdston, City Council President Mark Sideris, State Rep. John Lawn, State Sen. Will Brownsberger, State Rep. Steve Owens, MSBA CEO Jim MacDonald, and Assistant City Manager Steve Magoon. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

A celebration many years in the making took place in Watertown Thursday to mark the beginning of the creation of an asset that will last for generations: the new Watertown High School. Superintendent Dede Galdton said she recalls the wheels already being in motion when she arrived in the district in 2017 when she was told the goal was to build a new, state-of-the-art high school, along with three elementary schools. “We are just so excited to begin the work, not that the work hasn’t been going on for the last five or six years, but the actual demolition and rebuilding of this beautiful place,” Galdston said.

Watertown Field Hockey State Final Bound After Close Win Over Sandwich

The Raiders celebrate after defeating Sandwich 1-0 in the State Semifinal. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

HINGHAM — In a battle of heavyweight field hockey programs, Watertown emerged victorious, 1-0, after a 60 minute struggle in the MIAA Div. 3 State Tournament Semifinal that went down to the final moments Wednesday night. For the third straight year, the Raiders battled Sandwich deep into the tournament. In 2021 and 2022 the clash came in the State Final, and this year it came one round before.

Schedule for Watertown Square Design Workshops Released

The City of Watertown released details of the Watertown Square Area Design Charrette, and what times the public can come and participate over the three days. The City sent out the following information:

We are excited to share this invitation to attend one or more of the working group sessions at the Watertown Square Area Design Charrette on November 29 and 30, 2023. Each session will focus on a key issue in developing a Watertown Square Area Plan; these sessions are in addition to the drop-in opportunities and general meetings scheduled during the three-day charrette. All working group sessions will be held on the 2nd floor at 64 Pleasant Street. 

A charrette is a collaborative planning process during which an interdisciplinary team of planners, designers, transportation experts, city officials, residents, business owners, other interested people, and most importantly you, work together to create a shared design vision of a particular area. 

The charrette will start Tuesday evening, November 28, 2023 (6:30pm – 8:30pm), with an existing conditions analysis, feedback from the Kitchen Table Conversations (KTCs), and a summary of results from the Polis survey (you can participate in the Polis at https://pol.is/6vbuxzxrff through November 17, 2023).On November 29 and 30, 2023 (during the morning and afternoon), the project team and City staff will invite input from the community and interested groups through the working group meetings, as the team sketches options for Watertown Square’s challenges. On the second evening, there is an “interim progress drop-in session” for members of the public to see and informally discuss the day’s work. During the final evening (November 30), the consultant team will present scenarios that will inform the next phase of our project and vision of Watertown Square.

Council Approves 2024 Tax Rates & Bills Will Go Down for Watertown Homeowners

Charlie BreitroseA lot of money was raised and spent on the 2015 Watertown Election. Like Haley’s Comet or a cycle in baseball, a rarely seen event took place at the Watertown City Council meeting on Tuesday night: property taxes went down. Watertown homeowners will see a drop of around $1,000 in their annual taxes this year. The drop was primarily due to the Legislature passing special Home Rule legislation to allow Watertown to close a loophole in the law governing how much of the tax burden can be shifted from residential properties to commercial, industrial and personal (CIP) properties. The tax rate on residential properties dropped from $13.58 per $1,000 in assessed value in Fiscal Year 2023 to $11.70 in Fiscal Year 2024, said City Assessor Earl Smith.

Watertown Social Services Resource Specialists Given Latino Excellence Awards at State House

Wayside SSRS Clincians Maysa Ramos (second from left) and Sophia Suarez-Friedman (second from right) received Latino Excellence Awards from at the State House. Also pictured are State Rep. Steve Owens (right) Kimberley Hutter, Sen. Will Brownsberger’s District Director. (Courtesy of Wayside)

Watertown’s two Social Service Resource Specialists, Sophia Suarez-Friedman and Maysa Ramos, recently received the Latino Excellence Awards at the State House. Both work for the Wayside Youth & Family Support Network Multi Service Center, and their positions are funded by the City of Watertown. Every year, the Massachusetts Black & Latino Legislative Caucus hosts its Latino Excellence Awards to honor Latino leaders, agents of impact, and change makers who contribute to our communities.

Planning Board Approves Master Plan for Watertown Mall Transformation

The master plan for Alexandria Real Estate’s Watertown Mall Transformation was approved by the Planning Board. (Courtesy of Alexandria Real Estate)

The basic plan for remaking a large portion of Arsenal Street, including the Watertown Mall, has been approved by the Planning Board. Before the multiple lab buildings, residential units, retail, and garages can be built, however, developers will have to come back for approval of each building. Almost all of the project falls within Watertown’s Regional Mixed Use District (RMUD), which allows for additional height and density that most of the town but requires a master plan to be approved. On Nov.

Watertown Veterans Honored at Ceremony, City Plans to Create Square for World War II Vet

Watertown veterans gathered to celebrate Veterans Day at a breakfast at the Shutt Detachment. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

Watertown’s veterans organizations came together at the Shutt Detachment on Saturday to celebrate Veterans Day, and the City will likely soon be permanently honoring a Watertown man killed in World War II. The annual Veterans Day breakfast drew members of the veterans groups in town, including the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Marine Corps League, and the AmVets. Watertown Veterans Services Agent Patrick George noted that people from almost all the branches of the military were represented. “The only one we don’t have is Space Force and I think they are all still in bootcamp, so we are not going to have any Space Force veterans just yet,” George said.