Around Town

FY2022 Budget Looks Stronger Than Expected, Next Year’s Budget Includes High School Project With No Override

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Town Manager Michael Driscoll submitted his final preliminary budget to the Town Council on Tuesday before retiring in early 2022. Town Manager Michael Driscoll presented his 29th, and final, preliminary budget to the Town Council on Tuesday night. The Town’s financial outlook is positive, with significant increases in property taxes and from inspection fees. The current fiscal year, FY2022, came in nearly $7 million above the budget approved in the spring of 2021. The majority of the increase, Driscoll said, came from inspection fees, which were $5 million more than projected.

Government

Changes to Watertown’s House Districts Proposed, Residents Can Give Input During Hearing

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Wikimedia Commons / ChensiyuanMassachusetts State House. Every 10 years Massachusetts Legislative districts are adjusted and changes are proposed for both of Watertown’s House Districts. The Senate District may change, but the new boundaries would not impact the town. On Friday, Oct. 15, a virtual public hearing will be held to get testimony from the public and residents can submit written comments.

Business

New STEM Education Fund Will Provide Grants to Watertown Teachers, Funded by Local Companies, WCF & Life Science Cares

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The following announcement was provided by the Watertown Community Foundation and Life Science Cares Boston:

Life Science Cares Boston is collaborating with the Watertown Community Foundation and four Watertown-based life science companies to launch the Watertown STEM Education Fund, a special effort to fund science, technology, engineering & math programming in the Watertown Public Schools. Four corporate contributors — Arranta Bio, C4 Therapeutics, Forma Therapeutics & Landmark Bio — and Life Science Cares have committed a total of $15,000 in funding for teacher-driven requests for supplemental materials, books, equipment, special events and speakers, student programs and experimental school or district-wide initiatives. The fund builds on the Watertown Community Foundation’s annual school-based educational grants program and will increase total funding for the foundation’s grants this fall. “This exciting new partnership and funding commitment will expand our ability to support Watertown teachers through our annual education grant program. Each year we receive far more grant requests than we can fund, particularly in the area of science and technology. This STEM Fund will truly transform our grant giving capacity and provide teachers and our schools with more resources to support students in the classroom,” said Jan Singer, Watertown Community Foundation Executive Director.

Arrests

Police Log: Two Face Charges After Melee in Street, Man Seen in Woman’s Apartment Late at Night

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

Sept. 27, 3:43 p.m.: An altercation in the middle of Lloyd Road involving six people got violent. Police received a report of the incident and when officers arrived they got between the parties. One woman, a 53-year-old from Waltham, had a cut on her face and was bleeding.

Homepage Featured

2021 Boston Marathon: Watertown Runner Among Best Women’s Runners, See How the Local Runners Finished

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Twenty-five Watertown runners entered the 125th Boston Marathon on Monday, including one who finished among the best women’s runners in the 2021 race. The top runner from town was Elaina Tabb, who finished 12th in the women’s race and 88th overall. Matthew Farkas was the fastest male runner from Watertown. He finished 100th overall and was the 87th fastest man. The 2021 Boston Marathon drew 20,000 runners.

Business

Record Store in Watertown Square Has Drawn a Crowd in Its First Year

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Anaïs MarkwoodA wide range of musical genres are available at Wanna Hear It. New and used albums are available

Calling all vinyl lovers, if you haven’t heard yet, Watertown is now home to a record store! Wanna Hear It Records opened during the COVID-19 pandemic in early December and has been operating a successful business ever since. 

Located right in Watertown Square at 7 Main St., Wanna Hear It sells records for a variety of interests. Many Watertown residents noticed a line around the block to get into the store on a few occasions throughout the summer, sparking curiosity about the new shop. Owner Joey Cahill described the store’s inventory as, “A mix of everything,” saying “our main focus is Indie Rock, Punk, Hardcore, Emo, some Top 40, hip hop [and] metal.” The shop also does record trading and has “about half and half new and used [records]”.

Arts

Transformed Mosesian Center for the Arts to Reopen in November with Several Performances Scheduled in 2021

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Mosesian Center for the ArtsA rendering of the what the new lobby at the Mosesian Center for the Arts will look like after renovations are complete. Like a butterfly emerging from a cocoon, the Mosesian Center for the Arts will reopen after closing for the Pandemic with a brand new look which will transform the lobby space into a place where patrons can spread their wings. The arts center located in the Arsenal on the Charles is scheduled to reopen at the beginning of November, and more than a dozen events have been scheduled through the end of 2021, said MCA Executive Director Darren Farrington. Visitors will notice that the twin stairway with a platform in between has been removed. “The (old) lobby had a limited amount of space,” Farrington said.

Homepage Featured

Public Wowed During First Look at New Cunniff School, Officials Celebrate With Ribbon Cutting

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Charlie BreitroseThe public gathered outside the new Cunniff Elementary School before open house on Tuesday. The first impression of the new Cunniff Elementary School may have best been captured by the boy who yelled, “Oh, my God!” loud enough to be heard despite the fact he was in a car with all the windows up. A few hundred Watertown residents celebrated the opening of the new elementary school on Warren Street on Tuesday afternoon. After a few remarks and a ribbon cutting, the visitors got a chance to walk around the new school.