Around Town

Lost Diamond Recovered With the Help of Watertown DPW Employee

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Belmont’s Wendy Murphy and Watertown Recycling Program Manager Matt Bacon posed for a selfie after the pair found Murphy’s missing diamond in a recycling bin on Mt. Auburn Street. A woman who realized she had lost the diamond off her ring in a recycling bin recovered the stone thanks to the assistance of a Watertown Public Works employee who sifted through the refuse. On Nov. 15, Wendy Murphy had just been shopping at one of her favorite markets in East Watertown, Arax, when she decided to recycle some boxes.

Government

City Council Votes to Make Renovating Watertown Middle School a Priority

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Watertown Middle School

Watertown Middle School will be the next major project constructed by the City of Watertown. Tuesday night, the City Council voted to move the school to the top of the Capital Projects list. One of the primary reasons was to take advantage of the cost savings provided by using the modular classes set up on Moxley Field for students while the school is under construction. The City Council held a special meeting after City Manager George Proakis asked Councilors said a decision must be made about when to take on the middle school project because the modular classrooms currently serving as the temporary Watertown High School will be removed in 2026 unless the City extends the lease. The Middle School is not the only project on the list of priorities.

Around Town

Watertown Cultural District Approved by Mass Cultural Council

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Watertown will have a cultural district in the center of town after the City’s application received official approval from the Mass. Cultural Council this week. The Watertown Cultural District will be centered around Watertown Square, and includes the Watertown Free Public Library, the Armenian Museum of America, and Saltonstall Park. Watertown was one of three communities to get approval for a cultural district, said Michael J. Bobbitt, Executive Director, Mass Cultural Council. “This is a celebration of these three communities, their distinct local character, and their cultural vibrancy,” Bobbitt said.

Government

Council Approves Watertown Square Zoning Changes With Increased Sustainability Requirements & Other Changes

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The zoning map recommended by the Planning Board on October 30, 2024. After nearly a year of planning, meetings and discussion, the Watertown Square Area Plan zoning changes have been adopted by the City Council. The updated zoning will meet the State’s housing requirements, even after trimming back some of the recommendations from the Planning Board, and the Council increased the green building requirements for new projects. Thursday night, the Council approved the Watertown Square Zoning unanimously. They included a majority of the changes recommended by the Planning Board on Oct.

Around Town

Watertown Native’s Event Raises $275K for Cancer Research

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A Shot for Life Founder & CEO Mike Slonina, left, and Dr. Will Curry, Chief Medical Officer of Massachusetts General Hospital post with Boston Celtics Mascot, Lucky the Leprechaun. (Photo by Betsy Cullen/A Shot For Life)

On Saturday, a fundraiser run by a Watertown native raised more than $275,000 to support research into the development of cancer treatments. Mike Slonina, a Watertown native, started A Shot for Life in 2017, and since its inception, through a number of sports-centric initiatives including the Gauntlet, the organization has raised more than $1.1 million in support of cancer research at Mass General. 

At this weekend’s Gauntlet, which took place at the Starland Sportsplex in Hanover and was open to all skill levels, hundreds of players participated in shifts to ensure that basketball drills and sprints were ongoing for 24 hours – from noon Saturday to noon Sunday. https://www.watertownmanews.com/2022/01/20/lacrosse-games-to-raise-funds-to-fight-cancer-organized-by-non-profit-led-by-watertown-resident/

Around Town

Dunkin’ Donuts Manager Who Brings Smile to People’s Faces Profiled by Boston News Station

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Julianna Tosta, manager of the Dunkin’ Donuts on Main Street, was profiled on WBZ Channel 4. (Screenshot from WBZ)

The energetic manager of a Dunkin’ Donuts in Watertown was featured on WBZ Channel 4’s Change Maker segment recently. WBZ-TV’s Lisa Hughes spoke to Julianna Tosta, and some of her many fans who frequent the Dunkin’ on Main Street. The four minute-plus piece includes some familiar faces, including Watertown High School Principal Joel Giacobozzi. Tosta shared some stories about her life, which has had some ups and downs, and how the owners of the Dunkin’ discovered her infections spirit.

Sports

Watertown Holds Strong Defensively & Capitalizes on Opportunities to Win 22nd Field Hockey State Championship

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The Watertown High School Field Hockey team celebrates winning the 2024 MIAA Div. 3 State Championship. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

WORCESTER — Most games, Watertown High School’s field hockey team spends a majority of the time attacking the opponents goal, but in Saturday’s MIAA Div. 3 State Final the tables were turned. Despite facing an onslaught from Sandwich’s attack on Saturday, the Raiders emerged as the 2-0 winner and claimed the program’s 22nd State Title.