Entertainment

Artist’s Exhibit Captures the Transformation of the Watertown Arsenal With Historic, Modern Images

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Watertown artist Chantal Zakari talks about some of the photos from the Watertown Arsenal in her exhibition at Kingston Gallery in Boston. What used to be the U.S. Army’s Watertown Arsenal teems with activity these days, as two major construction projects — transforming the place that used to make and develop military weapons into commercial and lab/office complexes. A Watertown artist has used the labors at the Arsenal, historic and current, as the inspiration for her new exhibit on display now in Boston. Chantal Zakari has assembled images of the Watertown Arsenal, ranging from the 1800s to the present, for her who called “A Work in Progress” at the Kingston Gallery in Boston’s SoWa neighborhood. The exhibition also includes a fictional newspaper with photos and stories created by Zakari, as well as a video installation featuring two screens on loops.

Government

Council Approves Bigger Residential Tax Exemption, Could Raise it More if WHS Project Passes

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Watertown Town Hall

Watertown’s residential property tax rates will rise less than one percent for people whose primary residence is in Town. This was due to the growing value of commercial properties, the increase of the residential exemption, and continuing the practice of shifting the burden onto commercial, industrial and personal property (CIP). Tuesday night, the Town Council approved the property tax rates for Fiscal Year 2021, including an increase of the residential exemption from 24 to 25 percent. The rate will be $12.25 per $1,000 of assessed value, which is 11 cents or 0.98 percent higher than FY2020. Town Assessor Earl Smith said that there is still room for the residential exemption to increase up to 30 percent.

Around Town

Watertown Firefighters, Others Honored for Life Saving Actions

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Last week, the Watertown Fire Department honored several firefighters, police officers and others for their life-saving actions during medical emergencies. Normally, the Fire Department would present the awards at a public ceremony, Fire Chief Bob Quinn said. “It was our hope to present these at a more formal ceremony last March but COVID sidetracked us,” Quinn said. “We did individual presentations instead.” Revival of Person Not Breathing

View this post on Instagram Lieutenant C. Wheaton and Firefighters S. Gleason, J. Capello, D. Corsi, O. Winsor, M. Fidler, and R. Hoey were presented with the Watertown Fire Department Company Citation Award by Chief Quinn for their life saving actions at an incident in December of 2019.

Schools

Watertown Students Can Get COVID-19 Tests as Schools Move into Hybrid

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Watertown Middle School

With Watertown elementary school students already attending hybrid, and the middle school starting some in person learning this week, the Watertown Public Schools are offering COVID-19 testing for students. Watertown School staff have already had access to the testing, but Superintendent Dede Galdston told the School Committee that she just recently learned the student testing could begin. “It is a very late thing. … Last week didn’t know we would be able to start student testing,” Galston said.

Around Town

Town Council to Discuss FY2021 Property Taxes, See the Proposed Rate

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A lot of money was raised and spent on the 2015 Watertown Election. The average Watertown property tax bill would rise $65 a year in Fiscal Year 2021 under the tax rate proposed by the Town Assessor. On Tuesday, Nov. 10, the Town Council will be discussing the property tax rates for Fiscal Year 2021. The meeting will be held virtually and begins at 7 p.m. on Tuesday (see how to tune in and participate below).

Police/Fire

Police Log: Gun Pointed at Man Leafletting Houses, Man Busted for Stealing Axe Body Spray

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

Oct. 31, 11:58 a.m.: Police received a report of a man who had just shoplifted at CVS in Watertown Square. The man was seen placing cans of Axe Body Spray into a backpack and leave the store without paying. The suspect was described as a bald African-American man, wearing gray sweatpants, a gray sweatshirt with a gray backpack.

COVID-19

Watertown Middle School Moving to Hybrid Next Week

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Watertown Middle School

Students at Watertown Middle School will start to attend classes in-person two days a week next week with the beginning of hybrid learning. Superintendent Dede Galdston sent out an announcement Friday evening saying that hybrid learning would start at WMS on Thursday, Nov. 12 for half the students and Friday, Nov. 13 for the other half. The school has been teaching remotely since school started in late September.

Around Town

New COVID-19 Rules on Face Masks, Restaurants, Private Gatherings Start Friday

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Massachusetts residents face new regulations that include an evening stay-at-home advisory, tightens face covering rules, closes some businesses early, reduces size of requires earlier closing times for some businesses and reduces the allowed size of gatherings. Gov. Charlie Baker announced the changes to the COVID-19 rules this week. The stay-at-home advisory for “unnecessary activities” runs from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. Face masks or coverings must be worn in all public places (even if it is possible to stay 6 feet apart)The businesses that must close by 9:30 p.m. include restaurants, movie theaters, indoor and outdoor events and youth and adult sports activitiesGatherings at private residences are limited to 10 people indoors and 25 people outdoors

Town Manager Michael Driscoll sent out the following information in his Weekly COVID-19 Update:

On Monday, the Baker-Polito Administration announced a series of targeted measures to disrupt the increasing trend of new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. Governor Baker announced these changes at a time where public health data has indicated that cases are rising, with cases up by 278 percent and hospitalizations up by 145 percent since Labor Day. These measures are meant to disrupt rising trends now, so the Commonwealth can keep the economy and schools open for residents and to prevent the need to roll back to Phase I or Phase II of the reopening plan.