Alexander Richards

Watertown Resident Rowing at Tokyo Olympics, Competition Begins Friday

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Kelley L Cox / KLC fotosWatertown’s Alexander Richards will be rowing for Team USA at the Tokyo Olympics . Rower Alexander Richards, who hails from Watertown, will get his first taste of Olympic competition on Friday, Eastern time, a day earlier than originally scheduled. Richards competes on the USA’s men’s eight team, and while he has had international experience, this will be his first time rowing in the Olympic Games. The 25-year-old attended Belmont Hill School, and went on to Harvard. He currently trains in Oakland, Calif.

Affordable Housing

UPDATED: Community Preservation Committee Seeking Applications for Potential Projects

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The Community Preservation Committee (CPC) seeks applications for potential projects to be funded by Watertown’s Community Preservations Act funds, and informational meetings have been scheduled for potential applicants. 

The money raised from a 2 percent surcharge on Watertown property tax bills can be spent on projects in four areas: open space, outdoor recreation, community housing, and historical preservation. As of June, the CPA Fund had nearly $9 million. 

The CPC takes applications and recommends which projects should receive funding, but it does not initiate, implement or manage projects. Community Preservation funds can be used for the following types of projects:

buy, create, preserve open space and rehabilitate and/or restore open space that is  acquired or created using CPA funds;acquire, preserve, rehabilitate, or restore historic resources;acquire, create, preserve, and support community housing; andacquire, create, preserve, and rehabilitate and/or restore passive and active outdoor recreation facilities. Projects can be done on public or private property, said Watertown Community Preservation Coordinator Lanae Handy, but the applicants must have permission. 

“If they are a local group interested in doing a project on town property they need to get the consent and support of the Town,” Handy said. “They can’t just apply for funds if they don’t have the approval of the Town.”

Similarly, applicants may have to get permits and approvals for other types of projects before getting funding. 

Town Departments can also apply for projects using CPA funds, Handy said, but they cannot be projects that already have approved funding.

Government

See the Description of Watertown Included as Part of the Ad for Town Manager Search Firms

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The Town of Watertown is a diverse, growing community with a strong commitment to education, green energy goals with active and engaged residents, according to the description of the town created by the Council subcommittee overseeing the search for the next Town Manager. Tuesday night, the Ad Hoc Committee for the Town Manager Search created the community description to go into the request for proposals (RFP) going out to potential manager search consultant firms.

The meeting was the first step of many to come in the process of hiring the new Town Manager, said Town Council President Mark Sideris. On July 15, the Council decided to have an outside firm help with the search. Sideris said this type of search is a specialized one, and he did not believe that the Town’s Personnel Department could do it on its own. He added that he wants to spend the money required to get a quality Town Manager.

Government

New Plan for Arsenal on the Charles Approved by Planning Board, Millions in Mitigation Projects to be Done

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Alexandria Real Estate EquitiesA view of Building 2 with a pedestrian plaza in front. It is one of the new additions to the Arsenal on the Charles proposed by Alexandria Real Estate and approved by the Planning Board. The owners of the Arsenal on the Charles complex got approval for changes to the master plan, including three new buildings, and the owners will pay millions in mitigation funding. The plan had been criticized for the number of trees that would be lost in the projects, but the approved plan saves some of those originally slated to be removed. On July 14, the Planning Board gave approval for the amendment to the master plan proposed by Alexandria Real Estate Equities.

Sports

Watertown Boxer Expects Tough Competition in 3rd Pro Fight, Also Expecting First Child

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Emily Harney PhotographyWatertown’s Rico DePaolis won his second professional fight in May, and is preparing for his next bout on July 23. On Friday, July 23, Watertown’s Rico DePaolis returns to the ring for his third professional fight, and this time the atmosphere will be a bit different. “To fight in front of a crowd at any level is great, but this is my first time as a pro,” DePaolis said. After making his professional debut in March — a first round technical knock out loss — DePaolis scored his first win as a pro in May with a first round TKO. Both events were limited to just the boxers and their trainers.

Homepage Featured

Police Log: WPD Seeking IDs of Couple Involved in Altercation, Resident Scammed by Man from Dating Site

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The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department. Arrests

None

Incidents

July 7, 7:22 p.m.: A small fire was reported by someone on the bicycle path behind Target. The fire was on private property just off the path where there were some patio chairs. Some cardboard and glue sticks were on fire, and appeared to have been lit by a cigarette lighter. Watertown Firefighters put out the fire.

Entertainment

Watertown Musicians Return to Serenading Visitors of the Watertown Library

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Anaïs MarkwoodThe Watertonics play music and sign on the porch of Thomas Michel’s home, which overlooks the back parking lot of the Watertown Library. On Sunday he was joined by friend and soprano Maria Ferrante. This past Sunday saw the first Watertonics concert since the beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic, an event welcomed by many Watertown residents.  

The Watertonics, self described by co-founder Thomas Michel as “Watertown’s leading front porch busking group” is a local music group who have been giving concerts from Michel’s front porch for a few years. 

The Watertonics’ front porch concerts began with Michel and his friend Ted Sharpe simply practicing together on Michel’s porch, which overlooks the back parking lot of the Watertown Free Public Library (WFPL). They noticed many library patrons stopping to listen to the music as they got in and out of their cars and decided to make it more official, naming themselves the Watertonics and establishing a weekly concert schedule of Sunday afternoons. . 

Michel and Sharpe met in graduate school at Duke University and have been playing music together for many years.

Government

Town Council to Hire Consultant to Assist Search for New Town Manager

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Watertown Town Hall

For the first time in more than a quarter century, the Town Council will be looking for a new Town Manager, and they will get some help in finding the Town’s next chief executive from a consultant. Town Council President Mark Sideris gave the first details about the Town Manager search at Tuesday’s Town Council meeting. “The manager’s search is going to be a multi-step process,” Sideris said. “This is something that no body on this council has ever dealt with. We have been fortunate to have our manager for more than 29 years, here.