Alexandria

Harvard, MIT Investing in Biotech Manufacturing Center in Watertown

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A biotech manufacturing center will be created in this building in the Arsenal on the Charles. The Massachusetts Center for Advanced Biological Innovation and Manufacturing is a joint effort between Harvard, MIT, area hospitals and biotech firms.

Harvard University is coming back to the Arsenal on the Charles, this time teaming with MIT, local hospitals and corporate sponsors to create a biotech manufacturing center in the former U.S. Army Arsenal. The new center will be called the Massachusetts Center for Advanced Biological Innovation and Manufacturing, and will be located in 40,000 sq. ft. of a building located off North Beacon Street in the complex.

Police/Fire

Man Acting Suspiciously Toward Girl Reported at Watertown Park

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A mother called Watertown Police after a man appeared to be filming her young daughter and acting suspiciously at Fillippello Park. The incident occurred at about 11:50 a.m. on Jan. 7, and was reported shortly before 3 p.m. that day, according to Watertown Police Lt. James O’Connor. The woman said she was at the tot lot in the East End park with her 2-year-old daughter at the time. “While she was she there, she became aware of an adult male who appeared to be filming, FaceTiming or something else on his phone and she felt he was filming her child,” O’Connor said.

Around Town

UPDATE: Dozens of Pairs of Shoes Donated by Watertown Native, Rec. Dept. Will Distribute

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Watertown native Robert Marra with Peter Centola, who was Marra’s fold coach at WHS and is now Director of Watertown’s Recreation Department. Marra donated 60 pairs of shoes to the Town, which will give them away to residents. (Updated Jan. 13, 2021 at 8:45 a.m.)

Watertown residents can get a free pair of shoes thanks to a Watertown native who wanted to help his hometown. Robert Marra works and lives in Ashland now, but he grew up in Town.

Government

Charter Review Committee Hears How Other Local Governments Work from Mayors & a Manager

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Watertown Town Hall

The group looking at whether to make changes to how Watertown’s government works heard from chief executives from three communities: two mayors and one town manager. At the Jan. 5 Charter Review Committee meeting, the members were joined by three panelists: Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll, Woburn Mayor Scott Galvin, and Jamie Hellen, Town Administrator in Franklin, which has a similar set up to Watertown with a “strong manager.” Each spoke about the strengths and weaknesses of their governments. Hellen said that one of the strengths of Franklin’s council/manager form of government is that he as an appointed executive can take the heat off the elected council for some of the more contentious decisions.

Arrests

Police Log: Juvenile Busted on Gun Charges, Pizza Place Broken Into

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

Dec. 30, 3:50 p.m.: Target security spotted a woman going into two vehicles in the parking lot before entering a third vehicle, which she drove away. Security got a license plate and description, and gave it to police. It was determined that the vehicle had been stolen from Boston.

Government

Watertown Moves into High Risk for COVID-19, Health Director Asks Residents to Remain Vigilant

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Watertown moved into the Red, or high-risk, category in the most recent Mass. Department of Public Health’s COVID-19 reporting. The Watertown Health Director fears that people are suffering from “COVID fatigue” and have become lax about taking measures to stop the spread of the virus. In the latest data from the MassDPH, Watertown has an average of 55.8 cases per 100,000 residents over the past 14 days, which was up from 51 per 100,000 the previous week. The number that moved the Town from “yellow” to “red” was the positivity percentage of tests, which was 5.14 percent (up from 4.7 percent the previous report).

Around Town

Supporters Thank State Rep. Jonathan Hecht for Years of Service to Watertown

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Newly retired State Rep. Jonathan Hecht thanked the supporters who gathered outside his home to thank him for his work representing Watertown for almost 15 years. Longtime 29th Middlesex State Rep. Jonathan Hecht received a serenade some of his biggest supporters on Wednesday, who thanked him for his 12 years representing Watertown on Beacon Hill. Supporters from Watertown and Cambridge sang Hecht a song thanking him for his work on Beacon Hill, including the improvements to the Charles River Park, the Watertown/Cambridge Greenway bicycle and pedestrian path, support for clean energy, transportation and health care. Hecht came out of his home, still bleary eyed from his last day as state rep, which lasted until the early hours of Wednesday. He told the gathering of about two dozen people the day had been a strange and bittersweet one.

Schools

COVID-19 Numbers Low in Watertown Schools, Officials Look at When to Increase In-School Time

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The Watertown Public Schools have significantly lower COVID-19 positive test rates than the Town, and more than two-thirds of students and staff are participating in the district’s free testing program. Superintendent Dede Galdston said that the staff and students tested in the district’s pool testing is 0.15 percent, which is below the most recent positivity rate Townwide, which was 4.4 percent as of Dec. 28. She discussed the COVID-19 rates and the testing program, along with what factors will be considered when looking at increasing the amount of in-school learning during Monday’s School Committee meeting. Galdston credits staff and students taking the COVID-19 protocols seriously for the low rates of the virus.