9/11

Watertown Remembers 9/11 at Ceremony, Reflects on the Events of 20 Years Ago

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Charlie BreitroseWatertown Firefighters salute during the 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony at the Watertown Fire Station on the 20th anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001. Each year since the attacks on the World Trade Center took the lives of hundreds of firefighters, the Watertown Fire Department has honored the sacrifices made on Sept. 11, 2001. This year, which marked the 20th anniversary, the ceremony drew dozens of people, who lined the sidewalk in front of the Watertown Fire Headquarters on Main Street.

Around Town

Watertown Shuttle Starts Running from Pleasant Street to Harvard Square, Available to the Public

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Watertown TMAThe Watertown Connector started running the week of Labor Day. The shuttle goes down Pleasant Street to Watertown Square and then heads to Harvard Square. It is open to the general public. Watertown residents have a new public transportation option with the addition of the Watertown Connector, which runs along Pleasant Street and ultimately takes people to Harvard Square. For about a decade, the Town of Watertown and residents have been working to start a shuttle to the westside corridor that would serve not only businesses and apartment complexes that help fund it, but also the general public.

Election 2021

Town Charter Changes Going on the Ballot, Info to be Sent to Residents

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The proposed changes to the Town Charter, the document that lays out how Watertown’s government operates, will be on the November ballot in the form of two questions. The items will appear as summaries on the ballot, but voters will receive detailed information about all the changes. On Sept. 2, the Town Council ironed out a few issues the Attorney General’s office had with the proposed Charter changes, and also discussed how the items should be on the ballot. Number of Ballot Questions

Initially, the proposal was to have three separate items: one on changing the official name from the “The City Known as the Town of Watertown” to “The City of Watertown,” one about the preamble proposed to be added at the beginning of the Charter, and a third covering “everything else,” or all the other changes to the document.

Police/Fire

Two-Family Home in Watertown Heavily Damaged in Two-Alarm Fire

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Five residents of a two-family home on Spruce Street have been displaced by a two-alarm fire that Firefighters from Watertown and four other communities battled on Monday night. Smoke detectors in the second floor unit of 143 Spruce St. woke up the residents, who were able to get out and wake up the residents of the first floor. Five people and a dog all got out safely, said Watertown Assistant Fire Chief Ryan Nicholson, but the house was significantly damaged. “The fire got a good head start.

Entertainment

Guitarist Featured in Summer Concert Has Played with Jazz & Rock Greats, His Music Has Been Used by TV Shows

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Watertown’s John Baboian has played guitar with the stars of rock and jazz, and will be performing at the Watertown Summer Concert series. Wednesday’s Watertown Summer Concert features guitarist John Baboian, who has played with some of the greats in rock and jazz, and his music has been used on television soundtracks. “Although best known for his work in the jazz & swing idioms, John has performed in the Classical, Blues, Rock, R&B, Latin and World music genres,” Baoboian’s bio on his website said. The concert is scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 8, from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Saltonstall Park, next to Town Hall (149 Main St., Watertown).

Homepage Featured

Team New Day Sweeps the 2021 Watertown Summer Basketball League Finals

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Watertown RecreationTeam New Day took on Team HBC in the finals the Papas Elite League championship. The Watertown Summer Basketball League wrapped up for the year with a two game sweep by the 2021 champions. See the game report provided by the Watertown Recreation Department, below. The Summer of 2021 will go down as an unusual year for the Watertown Recreation Department’s Men’s Summer Basketball League. Due to COVID concerns, the league got a late start, but fortunately there was a positive response from some of the veteran teams in the Papas Elite League.

Fire

2 Alarm Fire Damages Watertown Restaurant Near Galen Street

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A fire started in the basement of a Watertown restaurant, and significant damage was done by the two-alarm blaze. A fire alarm rang at Jana Grill & Bakery, at the corner of Watertown and Galen streets, at 10:18 p.m. on Aug. 30. The Watertown Fire Department arrived about 10:30 p.m. and smoke was found in the basement. Watertown Engine 1 and Ladder 1 responded to the first alarm.