Around Town

Federal Judge Rules Boys & Girls Club Can Evict Day Care Center

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Watertown Cable

A Federal Bankruptcy Court judge sided with the Watertown Boys & Girls Club’s motion to allow them to evict the First Path Day Care Center from the facility on Whites Avenue. On Monday, Judge Janet E. Bostwick rejected First Path’s request for a preliminary injunction preventing the eviction, and ruled that the bankruptcy filing does not prevent the Boys & Girls Club evicting the day care center, according to a report by the Boston Globe. In the ruling, Bostwick said lease had “unequivocally expired,” according to the Globe, and that under state law any other agreements “needed to be in writing to be enforceable.” First Path has been located in the building owned by the Watertown Boys & Girls Club for 26 years, and currently serves 60 families. In December 2021, the Boys & Girls Club informed First Path that its lease would not be renewed because it seeks to expand its program into that space.

Government

Seven Days of Early In-Person Voting to be Held for State Primary

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The Massachusetts State Primaries will take place on Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024, and there will be one race involving a Watertown candidate on the ballot. Democrats will be choosing their candidate for Governor’s Councilor. The incumbent is Watertown’s Marilyn Petitto Devaney, and she is challenged by Mara Dolan of Concord. Republicans will be selecting their candidate for U.S. Senate.

Around Town

Watertown Advocate for People with Disabilities to Receive Highest Honor in Field of Blindness

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Kim Charlson, executive director of the Perkins School for the Blind’s Library. She will receive the highest honor from the American Foundation for the Blind. (Courtesy of Perkins School)

Longtime director of the Perkins Library and chair of the Watertown Commission on Disability Kim Charlson, has garnered honors and accolades, and later this year she will receive one more when she receives the highest honor in the field of blindness. In September, the Watertown resident will receive the 2024 Migel Medal at the American Foundation for the Blind’s (AFB) annual leadership conference, along with Susan Mazrui. “It is an honor to recognize these two outstanding leaders, who have spent their lives making the world more inclusive and accessible for those who are blind or have low vision,” AFB President and CEO Eric Bridges said in announcement about the award.

Government

Final Watertown Square Area Plan is Out Now, See More Here

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The City of Watertown released the final version of the Watertown Square Area Plan, which was endorsed by the City Council and Planning Board. Read the full version, which includes all the amendments and additions added during the July 16 public hearing by clicking here, and see some of the highlights in the announcement provided by the City, below. The Watertown City Council and Planning Board held three Public Hearings between June and July to discuss the Area Plan. After discussions among themselves and hearing from the public, the Council and Planning Board officially endorsed the Plan on July 16, 2024. 

What is in this Plan Document? Click Here to Read the Plan

Much of this Plan Document remains unchanged from the initial draft released on May 30, 2024.

Around Town

City Manager Clarifies City’s Role in Dispute Between Day Care and Boys & Girls Club

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Watertown City Manager George Proakis. [UPDATED: The story was updated on Aug. 15 at 8 a.m. about the status of the building permit.]

City Manager George Proakis weighed in on the City of Watertown’s role in the ongoing strife between First Path Day Care Center and the Watertown Boys & Girls Club over the space leased to the daycare provider. He said he was limited in how much he could say because First Path has ongoing suits against the City. The dispute over First Path’s lease at the Watertown Boys & Girls Club became public in recent weeks, first with a letter from the Boys & Girls Club leaders saying they have plans to expand the Club’s program but the day care has not left the space after its lease expired.

Police/Fire

Man Who Made Threats at Cambridge School Ends Up Crashing Car in Watertown

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A man suspected of making threats at a Cambridge school ended up crashing his car in Watertown on Monday. At about 10 a.m. on Aug. 12, the man (who has not been identified) made threatening statements at a playground outside Morse Elementary School in Cambridge, according to a report on Boston.com. The man also made statements that didn’t make sense. Cambridge Police said the man suffered from severe mental health issues.

Around Town

2024 Watertown Arts Market Features Artists, Music, Authors, Food & More

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The Watertown Arts Market returns to Filippello Park in 2024, with dozens of artists, along with musicians, authors, food, and more at the event, which is free to enter. The Watertown Arts Market will be held on the Grove Street side of Filippello Park (191 Grove St.) on Saturday, Aug. 17, from noon to 5 p.m. (Rain date Sunday, Aug. 18). The annual event began in 2021, and is a place for Watertown’s artists and cultural organizations in Watertown to share their work. 

More than 50 artists, authors, creatives, musicians and music teachers, arts and culture organizations will set up on the Filippello Park basketball courts, including painters, photographers, jewelry makers, fiber artists, printmakers, ceramic makers, and more.

Police/Fire

Police Log: Three OUI Arrests, Man Arrested for Break-Ins

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The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department. Aug. 1, 10:45 p.m.: A license plate was stolen from a Toyota sedan parked in the Purple Garage at Arsenal Yards. The car had been parked there since July 30, and the plate was from Florida. Aug 1, 3:35 p.m.: A pair of women went into Ulta and took three bottles of fragrance, worth a total of $390.