Thursday, February 28, 2013
The large hole appeared right after the Blizzard of 2013. Find out how it got there.
Drivers heading down Mt. Auburn Street can't miss the big hole in the street that appeared after the Blizzard of 2013, but how did it get there? The hole, which was patched over but now has cones around it, sits outside Jasmine Taste of Persia restaurant in Coolidge Square. Gerald Mee, superintendent of Public Works, said the hole was created during efforts to clear snow from the sidewalk after the blizzard. A front loader scraping snow from the sidewalk hit a fire hydrant, and water started pouring out of the pipe, Mee said. Besides making the crater, which is about 20 feet wide, it also sent dirt and gravel into the window of Jasmine Taste of Persia and broke windows of the restaurant.
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Getting to and from the bus stop proved difficult and even dangerous, writes Karen Wood.
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Thursday, February 14
Dear Editor, I am a resident of Watertown who lives on Chapman Street. To go to work, I take the 70 bus down Main Street to Watertown Square, where I then transfer to the 71 bus to Harvard Square. I do the same at night. [Tuesday], I went to my doctor's office at Harvard Vanguard near the Arsenal Mall. This was my experience. I got off the 70 bus on Arsenal Street just in front of those apartment buildings before the mall. The sidewalks in front of the mall were not cleaned. So, I went up a side street where there is a parking lot. Usually there is a gate opening there. No luck. I had to CLIMB a snowbank on my hands and knees (literally) to get to my doctor's office. After the appointment, I went down to the bus stop in front of the mall, …
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Parking will be allowed on the streets but emergency vehicles must be able to get down roadways.
The parking ban imposed after the Blizzard of 2013 in Watertown ends Tuesday at 4 p.m., Police Chief Edward Deveau announced. The Watertown Police Department sent out reverse 911 phone messages and a Twitter message announcing the end of the parking ban. Here is the text of the message: Chief Deveau would like to announce that Superintendent of Public Works Gerald Mee is lifting the parking ban effective today at 4pm. However, whereas the side streets are still very narrow and travel can be difficult, any vehicle parked which is impeding emergency vehicles or any other traffic may still be subject to tow. The parking ban went into effect Friday before the storm hit, and has been in effect. Get Breaking News alerts sent to your inbox, …
The large amount of snow has slowed efforts to clear the town's streets and sidewalks.
Drivers likely have to wait until Wednesday, if not longer, to park on the streets of Watertown. Public Works Superintendent Gerald Mee said his crews have had a tough time removing the large amount of snow from the Blizzard of 2013, which just got heavier with Monday's rain. "We had a meeting (Monday) and we are continuing the Snow Emergency until further notice," Mee said. "We will evaluate it in a couple days." Mee said he wants to make sure the streets are wide enough for fire vehicles to get down, in case of an emergency. The snow mounds make the streets much narrower, Mee said. "On some streets you have a car park on one side and another on the other side and the entire street," Mee said. Crews will also make clearing snow from …
Monday, February 11, 2013
The schools will reopen on Tuesday after the Blizzard of 2013.
Watertown students will be back in class on Tuesday, but two hours later than normal. Superintendent Jean Fitzgerald's office sent out information about the delayed start, following snow days on Friday and Monday due to the Blizzard of 2013. Because of the large amount of snow on sidewalks in town, school officials encourage parents to drive their children to school and to used the designated drop off areas. High school students will not be allowed to park at the school. All the parking will be used by staff because of the lack of street parking due to the snow emergency, which continues until further notice. There will be no morning pre-school classes on Tuesday. School opening times for Tuesday, February 12, 2013 are as follows: Cunniff …
We've got some rough estimates, but we need your measurements!
There's no doubt about it — the recent blizzard left quite a bit of snow for Watertown to clean up. But how much snow? Although the National Weather Service does not have an exact total for Watertown, snowfall amounts have been recorded for several surrounding towns, including Waltham, Brookline, Wellesley and West Roxbury. Averaging the snowfall provided by towns that border Watertown (Belmont, Waltham and Cambridge), the town likely received around 25 inches, or just over two feet. Did you take snowfall measurements in Watertown? How much snowfall did the city get? Tell us in the comments section below! In the meantime, here are the snowfall amounts for the nearby cities and towns (provided by the National Weather Service): For more …
As the town digs out from the Blizzard of 2013, many sidewalks remain under feet of snow two days after the storm.
Walking around Watertown after the Blizzard of 2013 requires people to tread in the street, at least part of the way, because many sidewalks remain under feet of snow. In Watertown, businesses in commercial districts must clear their sidewalks or face fines under the town's bylaws, but no such requirement exists for residential properties. Last year, the Town Council considered creating such a bylaw, but voted it down. When the council discussed the ordinance in January 2012, Town Council Vice President Steve Corbett said that 22 communities in the Boston area have residential snow shoveling requirements and he encouraged Watertown to pass one. Other members did not like the idea of a requirement because some older residents and the …
Decision on lifting the ban could be made after Town officials meet Monday morning.
The earliest the Watertown's parking ban will be lifted is Monday morning, but it could last longer. Town officials will meet Monday morning to discuss the how the clean up of Watertown's streets after the Blizzard of 2013, said Public Works Superintendent Gerald Mee. "The parking ban is still in effect because of the narrow streets," Mee said. "We need to keep them free of cars so fire vehicles can get through, and for garbage trucks." Sidewalks have proven particularly difficult, Mee said, because of the depth of the snow. "It is extremely difficult. There is no sidewalk tractor that can deal with 4 and 5 feet of snow drifts," Mee said. "And there is no where for the snow to go, it is so high." The first priority for sidewalks will be …
Sunday, February 10, 2013
The Watertown Public Schools announced the school closing Sunday afternoon.
The Watertown Public Schools will be closed Monday in the aftermath of the Blizzard of 2013. The town schools made the list of closings on WBZ-TV's school closings webpage. Also, Public Works Superintendent Gerald Mee confirmed that trash will be picked up in Watertown on Monday. For breaking news alerts and up-to-the-minute news on this and other stories follow Watertown Patch on Twitter and Facebook or subscribe to the free email newsletter.
Efforts continue to try to remove the snow from town streets, but much remains.
As crews try to remove the mountains of snow from Watertown's streets, the Snow Emergency and street parking ban continue. The snow on the side of the roads is 5 feet deep in most areas, said Ed Baptista, the highway supervisor for the Department of Public works. "There's so much snow. It's crazy!" Baptista said. Work clearing sidewalks has also been delayed, Baptista said. Snow clearing efforts were also hampered by a broke fire hydrant on Mt. Auburn Street on Saturday. The decision about whether the Watertown Public Schools will be open Monday has not been announced. Follow Patch for updates on closings and other Blizzard of 2013 information.
wiley coyote
10:08 pm on Thursday, February 28, 2013
It's probably time to get it finished or at least patched up a little better while we have a warm stretch here. Im sure Mr. Mee and the DPW crew will do the great job they always do. They keep Watertown looking good! more ›