Around Town

Longtime Former Town Manager Michael Driscoll Passes Away

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The man who led Watertown’s municipal government for nearly three decades, former Town Manager Michael Driscoll, passed away on Saturday. Driscoll worked for the Town, and now City, of Watertown for 45 years, beginning as the manager of the John A. Ryan Arena in 1977, became treasurer collector in 1985 before becoming Town Manager in 1994. He grew up in Woburn and lived in Watertown with his wife, Jane. He has three daughters and one step daughter: Amy, Allison, Aileen, and Sarah. 

The City of Watertown sent out a statement that read, in part: “We are saddened to share the news that former Watertown City Manager Michael Driscoll passed away early on February 11, 2023 after receiving treatment for cancer over the past year. …

Around Town

Local Store Buys Girl Scout Cookies for Troop to Deliver to Food Pantries

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Amy TrapassoMembers of Watertown Brownie Troop 70133 delivered donated Girl Scout cookies to the Watertown Food Pantry. They posed with Food Pantry Coordinator Kathy Cunningham. A Watertown store purchased more than 100 of boxes of Girl Scout cookies from a Watertown Brownie Troop, and the girls recently delivered them to a pair of food pantries in town. A local merchant bought 128 boxes of cookies from Brownie Troop 70133, and asked the girls to donate them, said Amy Trapasso, co-troop leader. “Teresa, one of the new owners of The Meat Spot in Watertown Square, generously purchased more than $600 worth of Girl Scout cookies from Watertown Brownie Troop 70133 and asked that we donate them to the two food pantries in town,” Trapasso said.

Around Town

Watertown Food Pantry Needs a Longterm Temporary Location

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One of the food pantries in town must find a temporary location while their current location is under construction. The Watertown Food Pantry currently operates out of the Belmont-Watertown Methodist Church on Mt. Auburn Street, but the church will be under construction for a year or longer. When the work is completed, the Food Pantry will move back in, but it does not have a home during the interim. In 2022, the Food Pantry assisted over 140 families per week, and served around 13,000 people during the year, according to Watertown Food Pantry Coordinator Kathy Cunningham.

Schools

Watertown Teachers Union Addresses Salaries, Parental Leave and Other Issues in Contract Negotiations

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Watertown teachers rallied in Watertown Square calling for settling their contract. Photo courtesy of Watertown Cable News / Maya Shwayder. Watertown’s teachers spoke out about their desire for a “fair contract” during Monday’s School Committee, and responded to the statement from the School Committee about the negotiations made during the previous meeting. The teachers contract has expired, and the teachers union — the Watertown Educators Association — has met more than a dozen times to discuss the contract with representatives from the Watertown Public Schools. Last week, to demonstrate their frustration with the negotiations teachers went to “work to rule,” where they only work contracted hours and duties, and would not do any volunteer work.

Schools

Rising Special Education Costs Contribute to $1 Million Shortfall for FY24 Watertown School Budget

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The Watertown Public Schools face a shortfall of around $1 million for the 2023-24 school year (Fiscal Year 2024), due in part to a large increase in the cost of special education. Monday night the School Committee heard the FY24 preliminary budget presentation from School administrators, who said the Watertown Public School’s level-services budget faces a significant deficit. This budget would provide the same level of services and programs available to students during the current school year, though it might require additional staff to provide the service due to increased enrollment in a certain grade or in a particular program, said Heidi Perkins, the WPS Director of Finance and Operations. The Watertown Schools will receive a 3.5 percent increase from the City over the FY23 budget, or $2.84 million, which would make the FY24 budget $55.64 million. The amount needed to cover a level-services budget is $58.47 million, as of Jan.

Sports

WHS Sports: Hockey Team Hot, Big Comeback by Boys Hoops, Runners on Right Track

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Charlie BreitroseThe Watertown boys hockey seeks another trip to the Final Four and the Final at the TD Garden after finishing runner-up in 2022. The 2022-23 season has been a hot and cold one for the Watertown High School boys hockey. The Raiders appear to be heating up in the latter half of the season as they look to return to the Garden for a second straight state final. The Raiders started the season winning four of their first seven games, and tying one. Then Watertown dropped four of six, and added another tie.

Government

See How Much the City Proposes Charging New Developments to Fund Affordable Housing

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Watertown City Hall

The City of Watertown recently received approval from the state to charge linkage fees on new developments to raise money to create affordable housing. A zoning amendment has been proposed that would set the fee to be paid by new developments. The special legislation approved by the Legislature and signed by Gov. Charlie Baker in December allows Watertown to charge up to $18 per square foot on projects over 30,000 sq. ft. The exact amount must be set by amending the Watertown Zoning Ordinance.

Around Town

Gore Place’s New Home for Sheep Being Built With Historic Method

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Charlie BreitroseA new barn is going up at Gore Place for the estate’s herd of sheep. It is being built using a historic method. A new building going up at the farm at Gore Place will provide a new home for the flock of sheep at the historic estate, but it will also embody the architecture of the 19th Century, when the home and farm were built.

The beam and post method is being used to build the barn, where pieces are cut to fit together and are held together with wooden pegs. During construction, workers use only hand tools, besides the crane that lowered the beams into place when the frame went up in mid-December. The building is a reproduction of an English-style threshing barn which would have been used for threshing wheat, housing animals, and other purposes, said Thom Roach director of interpretation at Gore Place.