Government

City Council Wants More Study of Building Emission Reduction Before Adopting Ordinance

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The City Council wants more information and input from businesses and advocates before adopting a Building Emissions Reduction and Disclosure Ordinance (BERDO). The proposed ordinance is aimed at 150 of the largest buildings in the City, and it calls for the largest non-residential properties in Watertown to reach net-zero energy status by 2035, and all buildings to reach that status by 2050. The Council’s Committee on Rules and Ordinances met twice to discuss the proposal that came from the Watertown Environment and Energy Efficiency Committee (WE3C). At Tuesday’s City Council meeting, Council President Mark Sideris said there were questions about the impact of BERDO, including on residential buildings. “It appears that the Council and some others have some questions that we could get better clarification if we had the City staff perform a few things that I am going to lay out here,” Sideris said.

Government

Council Approves Taking of Sterritt Lumber Site, Possible Uses Described in Document

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The City of Watertown will purchase the former Sterritt Lumber site at 148 Waltham St. The use has not yet been determined. The City Council approved a “friendly” taking of the former Sterritt Lumber site, with the proposed uses including senior citizen services, education, housing, and operation of utility networks. On Feb. 25, the Council approved allowing City Manager George Proakis to enter into an agreement with the property owners to purchase the 2-acre site at 148 Waltham St.

Schools

Watertown Middle School Principal Selected, Will Begin Over Summer

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Jeff Gaglione has been selected as Watertown Middle School’s next principal. Watertown Middle School will have a new principal. Superintendent Dede Galdston announced the selection of Jeff Gaglione as the new WMS principal. He currently works in Hudson, and will take over in the summer. The school is currently being led by Joel Giacobozzi, who is also the Watertown High School principal.

Sports

Gold Kings Win First Game of PPSHL Final, Can Clinch Championship at Ryan Arena

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The Boston Gold Kings need to win one more game to capture the PPSHL Championship after beating the Salem Sasquatch 5-2 on Saturday. The semi-pro team, which plays its home games at John A. Ryan Arena in Watertown, hosts game 2 of the finals against the Sasquatch on Saturday, March 29 at 8:10 p.m. If game 3 is necessary, the teams will play on April 5 at 7 p.m. in Salem, New Hampshire. The Gold Kings finished the regular season in third place in the Power Play Senior Hockey League, with a record of 8-9-1. The team dropped the first game of the semifinal series to the No. 2 sed Holyoke Papermen on March 1, but the Papermen had to forfeit the game after it was discovered they used an ineligible player.

Around Town

Watertown Schools Close a $495K Gap for FY26, Superintendent Will Present Budget March 24

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Watertown school officials closed a budget gap of nearly half a million dollars without cutting staff. On Monday night, Superintendent Dede Galdston will present the Fiscal Year 2026 Watertown Public Schools budget at a public hearing. The budget hearing will take place during the March 24 School Committee meeting, which will be at Lowell School beginning at 7 p.m. While the FY26 Budget of $61.9 million, which will cover the 2025-26 School Year, was a challenge, Galdston said, Watertown is in a better position than many other communities. “In the relative scheme of things, it was a more challenging budget for Watertown, not quite as challenging as Brookline or Newton or Lexington or some of the people who have experienced pretty dramatic decreases in their budgets,” Galdston said. Coming into the budget making process, Watertown knew it would be facing a $1.1 million increase in special education tuition for out-of-district placements, but the district also saved about $227,000 in staff turnover savings that occurs when a veteran staff member retires and someone with a lower salary replaces the person.

Government

Watertown Must Decide What Kinds of Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) Should Be Allowed

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Watertown has a decision to make about what kinds of accessory dwelling units the City will allow to exist. A discussion about ADUs (also known as in-law units or granny units) will be held on Monday, March 24, where residents can learn more about what they are and give input about what kinds they would like to see. The State’s Affordable Homes Act, passed into law in 2024, requires cities and towns to allow certain kinds of ADUs, said Cliff Cook, a member of the Watertown Affordable Housing Trust, when he appeared on the Watertown Cable show “Inside Watertown.” For the past few years, the subject of ADUs has been brought up by City Councilors and others in Watertown. “They are a way of giving the property owner, the homeowner, some additional flexibility in how to use their property,” Cook said.

Police/Fire

Police Log: Suspect Arrested After Taking Items from 2 Stores, Man Refused to Leave Nursing Facility

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The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department. March 8: Police responded to Best Buy for a shoplifter. They got the man’s description and located the suspect near Hampton Inn & Suites. The man admitted to shoplifting from Best Buy and had two speakers in a bag. When he took the speaker he removed the “spider” anti-theft devices.

Police/Fire

Fallen Watertown Firefighter Remembered Eight Years After Dying in House Fire

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Watertown Fire DepartmentFirefighter Joseph Toscano, a 21-year veteran of the Watertown Fire Department, died on March 17, 2017 after collapsing during a fire. St. Patrick’s Day is a somber one for the Watertown Fire Department. Each year since 2017 Watertown Firefighters pay tribute to Joe Toscano, who lost his life fighting a fire on Merrifield Avenue. On Monday, current and former members of the Watertown Fire Department lined up on Bigelow Avenue, near the home where Toscano collapsed and died during a house fire.