Entertainment

Watertown Porchfest: Hundreds of Bands Playing at More Than 80 Locations

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Watertown will be rocking this Saturday when bands take to porches, lawns, and other temporary venues around town during the first Watertown Porchfest sweeps across the city. The festival will include more than 180 bands playing at 80 locations, including homes, the Watertown Free Public Library, Gore Place, restaurants, and a fitness studio. There will even be a block party with food trucks to accompany the entertainment. Matt Hanna, a member of the Watertown Porchfest organizing committee, said that Watertown “crushed it” in the first year in terms of the number of performers, and the spread of porches around town. “When we first started talking about it we said hopefully we get 50 bands.

Police/Fire

Fallen Fire Chief’s Legacy Remembered at Unveiling of Memorial Flagpole

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Photo by Charlie BreitroseA crowd gathered at Fire Station 3 to remember former Fire Chief Mario Orangio on Monday. The flagpole was dedicated in his memory. Family, friends, and colleagues gathered around the Fire Station on Orchard Street Monday morning to remember a former Fire Chief who left a lasting legacy not just on the Watertown Fire Department, but fire departments across the state. Mario Orangio was the youngest fire chief in Watertown history when he was appointed in 2004 at the age of 37. He helped improve the EMS and ambulance service provided by the Watertown Fire Department, and saw the introduction of ALS (Advanced Life Support) service in his final year as chief, in 2017.

Around Town

Removal of Overhead Wires Begins on Mt. Auburn Street as Part of the Reconstruction Project

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An MBTA bus traveling on Mount Auburn Street using the Overhead Catenary System, which will be removed as part of preconstruction work for the project. (Photo from City of Watertown)

The City of Watertown announced that preparation work for the Mt. Auburn Street reconstruction project will begin this week. See the announcement below. The Mount Auburn Street project team is pleased to announce that roadway and sidewalk construction is anticipated to begin in Spring 2024.

Around Town

Watertown VFW Post 1105 Celebrating 100th Anniversary

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The Burnham-Manning Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1105 will Celebrate its Centennial Anniversary on May 24. The Post provided the following information. History of Burnham-Manning VFW Post 1105

The sign out of the former location of VFW Post 1105. The Watertown, Massachusetts faction of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), Burnham-Manning Post No. 1105, was instituted on May 14, 1924.

Police/Fire

Police Log: Man Caught Taking Items from Nike, Resident Reports Scam Email

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The following announcement was provided by the Watertown Police Department. May 1, 12 p.m.: The manager at Nike reported that a man came into the store with a Target shopping bag and placed a shoe box in and left without paying. A pair of Jordan low sneakers worth $115 was taken. May 2, 6 p.m.: A man came into Nike and took a Tech Fleece sweatshirt priced at $140 and a pair of sneakers worth $75. May 2, 8 p.m.: A woman was seen going into Target and took $295 worth of merchandise, including clothing and cosmetics.

Schools

WHS Students, Local Life Science Professionals CoLAB-orate in After School Club

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Photo by Charlie BreitroseStudents at Watertown High School got to run hands-on lab analyses during the CoLAB Club. One of volunteers from life science companies, Bridget Kreger of C4 Therapeutics, second from left, and WHS chemistry teacher Liz Mundy look on as the students fill vials with samples. While most of the school was dark and quiet, students were busy in one science classroom at Watertown High School well after the final bell working on a science experiment. The students worked with volunteers from local life science companies as part of the CoLAB Club. The group meets once a month, and conducts simulations of real-world lab work using equipment similar to what the professionals use.

Police/Fire

Watertown Police to be Removed from Civil Service, Use Body Cams & Vehicle Cams

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Some major changes will be coming to the Watertown Police Department in the near future, including taking patrol officers out of the Civil Service System, and officers will wear body cameras and have cameras on their vehicles. City Manager George Proakis told the City Council about the changes during his Fiscal Year 2025 City Budget presentation on April 30. The move out of Civil Service is intended to help the Police Department recruit and hire more easily, he said, and studies of other departments have shown that body cams have led to fewer citizen complaints, higher rates of prosecution and other benefits. Civil Service

The Civil Service rules apply to hiring, promotions, and the disciplinary appeal process. The first part has become more and more difficult for the Police Department, said Proakis, who added that he has not seen the same thing for the Watertown Fire Department, which is also in Civil Service.

Sports

New Watertown Football Coach Works to Bond With Team, Build Excitement Around the Program

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Contributed PhotoNew Watertown Football Coach Joe Carroll took over the program in February and has been busy preparing for the first game in September. The first official football game is more than four months away, but new Watertown High School football coach Joe Carroll has been busy trying to bond with players, prep them for the upcoming season, and create a team culture. Since he was hired in February, Carroll has been making the most of the time he has with the team in preparation for his first season as a head coach. He takes over the Raiders after serving as assistant coach at Waltham High School for five years. Carroll has put together a schedule and to-do list to keep him focused, and each day he tries to check a few things off the list.