Around Town

Watertown Armenian Church Remembers 2 Family Members Killed in Car Crash

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Arie Orchanian and Anie Manoushagian. Arie Orchanian and Anie Manoushagian, the victims of a car accident after a family member’s funeral, were remembered by members of the church that they attended for years. At Saturday’s service, Pastor Aram Bedrossian of the Armenian Memorial Church in Watertown, said Arie Orchanian, 32, and his aunt Anie Manoushagian, 80, had been members of the congregation for decades. “[Orchanian] was a pure man and a good man,” Bedrossian said, according to the report by WCVB Channel 5. “He always wanted to do the good thing.

Police/Fire

Firefighters Extinguish Kitchen Fire in Multi-Unity Building on Main Street

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Charlie Breitrose

On Dec. 22, Watertown firefighters responded to a reported fire in the kitchen of an apartment in a multi-unit residential building on Main Street. The fire originated in the cooking area and extended into nearby cabinets, said Watertown Fire Chief Ryan Nicholson. “Prior to the arrival of firefighters, the resident made a valiant attempt to extinguish the fire using a fire extinguisher,” Nicholson said. “When the fire could not be safely controlled, the resident evacuated the apartment and notified emergency services.

Around Town

Watertown Historian Backs Bill Exonerating People Accused of Witchcraft Prior to Salem Trials

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Marilynne Roach, center-right, and State Rep. Steve Owens, center-left, at the State House on the day that Roach spoke during a hearing about exonerating the victims of witch trials before the ones in Salem. (Photo by Caroline Enos / The Salem News)

Watertown historian and author Marilynne Roach who has researched the Salem Witch Trials recently testified at the State House for a bill that would exonerate the eight people, including two with ties to Watertown, found guilty of being alleged witches before the Salem 1692 panic. Roach has written multiple books about the Witch Trials in Massachusetts, and wanted to find a way to give those found guilty some justice. “A few months ago I spoke with Rep. Steven Owens at one of his regular visits to the Senior Center to ask about getting a bill to clear the names of the people found guilty of witchcraft before the well-known Salem outbreak,” Roach said. “Needless to say, the verdicts were based on faulty evidence.

Sports

Watertown Wrestlers Off to Strong Start in Early Season Dual Meets

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Senior Jimmy Shrestha is Watertown’s highest point scorer so far. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

Watertown High School’s wrestlers got off to a strong start, beating all but one team in recent head-to-head competitions. The Raiders beat Josiah Quincy Upper School 60-23, Triton 58-10, and Oliver Ames 54-23, while dropping the match to Cambridge Rindge & Latin, 47-30. Leading point scorer so far is Senior Jimmy Shrestha, said Watertown Wrestling Coach Kevin Russo. “He is 4-0 on the season in dual meets,” Russo said.

Police/Fire

Two Killed in Multi-Vehicle Accident, Victims Were Returning to Church After a Funeral

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Two people died Tuesday during a multi-vehicle accident in East Watertown. The crash occurred after a funeral service in Watertown. First responders were called to Bigelow Avenue at around noon on Dec. 23 for a motor vehicle accident. “Upon arrival, it was determined that two individuals had succumbed to their injuries as a result of the collision,” police said in a statement to WBZ Channel 4.

Entertainment

Watertown Band, Dolata, Releasing First EP & Hosting Listening Party

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Dolata, from top left counter clockwise, Madi Donlan, Joe Froeber, Reilly Somach, and Amelia Allison. Dolata, a band out of Watertown featuring dual lead singers, recently released its debut single, and will soon host a listening party for its first EP. Co-lead singers, Madi Donlan, of Watertown, and Joe Froeber, a native of the North Shore, teamed up recently to form the the new band. In November, Dolata released its first song, “Friday Girl,” which Donlan wrote based on her own experiences. “When I first started writing it, it was about a best friend of mine, Jill, who passed away a few years back,” Donlan said.