Government

Early Voting in 2023 Election Approved by City Council; Fewer Days Than Prior Years

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Watertown voters will have the opportunity to cast ballots in person before election day in the 2023 Watertown City Election, but there will be fewer early voting days than previous elections. Under the state’s VOTES Act cities and towns have the opportunity to offer early voting, but must opt in. For Watertown that means a vote of the City Council, said City Clerk Janet Murphy. Voters will also be able to vote by mail, and at voting locations on Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023.

Police/Fire

Council’s Public Safety Committee Gives Priorities for New Police Chief

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As he prepares to hire the next Watertown Police Chief, City Manager George Proakis heard the priorities of the members of the City Council’s Public Safety Committee as well as the public on Monday night. The hiring of the Police Chief will follow the Civil Service process, Proakis said, and the first step is running an assessment center, where candidates will be tested on how they perform in real world situations. The assessment center is scheduled to take place in October, Proakis said, which means a new chief should be hired this fall. Jack Parow, founder and principal of Parow Consulting & Associates, said the assessment center will include multiple scenarios, such as a problem employee, a media exercise, an inbox exercise where the candidates respond to emails and letters, and a problem-solving exercise where all the candidates will work together. Each scenario will be tailored to Watertown, and will include issues that arise in departments like Watertown’s, or even issues from the past or that have come up in surveys of Police officers and the public.

Around Town

Colorful New Benches Popping Up Around Watertown are Made from Recycled Bottle Caps

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One of the benches around Watertown made from recycled plastic bottle caps. (Courtesy of City of Watertown)

Scattered across different parts of Watertown are colorful benches with a surprising element to them, they are made out of recycled plastic bottle caps. The Watertown Department of Public Works (DPW) has been working with Plastic Recycled for over a year when they started making eco bricks. “They were making eco bricks which are the things where you stuff lots of non-recyclable single use plastic into a bottle and they use it for construction,” said Recycling Coordinator, Anya Pforzheimer. The company had asked the DPW if it could be a drop off center for the plastic.

Police/Fire

Police Log: Scammer Sells a Fake Kitten, Employee Busted for Stealing Merchandise

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The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department. Arrest

Aug 28, 12:48 a.m.: An officer on a traffic detail saw a vehicle with no headlights on and the hazard lights blinking driving on Mt. Auburn Street near Arlington Street. The vehicle struck the curb while pulled into the parking lot at 7-Eleven. When the vehicle left, the driver swerved across the double yellow line, and then went back onto the correct side.

Around Town

MWRA to Install Water Mains in Several Watertown Streets

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The following information was provided by the MWRS:

A Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) project will be commencing in your neighborhood starting on Monday, September 11, 2023, or shortly thereafter. This project will provide critical water system redundancy and operational flexibility in the event of water main pipe failures in your area. The project will clean and rehabilitate or replace 120+ year old water main pipes and replace two water meters. The majority of this work is located within the City of Watertown with minor work in the City of Newton at St. James Terrace and the crossing of the Charles River.

Police/Fire

Car Crashes Through Storefront, Closes Arsenal Street to Deal with Gas Line

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An elderly driver drove through the window of a vacant office at 440 Arsenal St. on Thursday. (Courtesy of Watertown Fire Department)

An elderly man driving on Arsenal Street on Thursday left the roadway and crashed through a vacant storefront, breaking a gas line. Watertown Police received multiple 911 calls about a vehicle that drove through the window of an unoccupied and vacant office at 440 Arsenal St. at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, said Watertown Police Sgt.

Business

Local Favorites Old & New Featured in Charles River Chamber’s “Get to Know Watertown Video”

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Courtesy of Charles River Regional Chamber

The following information was provided by the Charles River Chamber of Commerce:

On Friday, the Charles River Regional Chamber is releasing the first of four videos to promote Watertown, Wellesley, Newton and Needham to visitors. “Get to Know Watertown” features a mix of iconic establishments, cultural attractions and new destinations throughout the city, including Donohue’s Bar & Grill, Sevan Bakery, the Mosesian Center for the Arts and Bar ‘Cino.  

The “Get to Know” videos are the second phase of the chamber’s “Take A Trip Up the Charles” campaign launched in 2022 designed to encourage visitors to Greater Boston and people who live in neighboring communities to explore the many offerings in these vibrant communities located just a few miles upstream along the Charles. “Our goal is to support our local economy by highlighting scenic, historic, cultural, recreational, lodging, dining and retail destinations that make our communities unique to those visiting the region, or from the next community over,” said Chamber President Greg Reibman. 

“We had a lot of fun working with so many business owners across Watertown to make this video,” Reibman added.  “We also wanted to thank the folks at City Hall who helped provide many of the events and public art photos that are such an important part in telling why everyone should get to know Watertown.”

Reibman said he hopes everyone who enjoys the video will share it with customers, e-newsletters and on their social media feeds.  

The $16,500 campaign is funded by Meet Boston! and the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism.

Sports

Watertown High School Sports Teams Using Alternate Facilities During 3 Years of Construction

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Natalie Nigito PhotographyWatertown High School’s football team begins the 2023 season with a road game in New Hampshire. They finished the 2022 season playing Belmont on the home field of the Boston Red Sox. Moving to a temporary school and dealing with a field undergoing a turf replacement has required Watertown High School’s athletics program to be creative. Watertown High School moved out of the old building on Columbia Street into the temporary modular school at PFC Richard Moxley Field for the start of the 2023-24 school year. WHS will also make use of facilities at the nearby Watertown Middle School, including for some of the sports programs. The new high school is expected to take three years to be constructed, and will be built on the same site as the old school.