Around Town

School Officials Say $6 million Hike Needed to Provide Excellent Education

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Superintendent Jean Fitzgerald, second from left, Assistant Superintendent Dari Donovan, second from right and financial specialist Frank Colvario presented the first draft of the Fiscal 2015 Watertown School Budget. Director of Student Services Arlene Shainker also participated. Photo by Charlie Breitrose

By Charlie Breitrose

School officials discussed a very preliminary school budget for the 2014-15 school year, but one number stuck out – an increase of $6 million or 16 percent officials said they need to provide the education that Watertown’s students need. The increase is based on what principals and program directors said they needed to run their school or program right, said Assistant Superintendent Dari Donovan said during Thursday’s School Committee Budget and Finance Subcommittee meeting. “This is what people really feel like that need to proved an excellent education to students next year,” Donovan said.

Around Town

Feds Nab Connecticut Man for Allegedly Trying to Meet Minor for Sex in Watertown

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By Charlie Breitrose

A man who drove from Connecticut to Watertown to allegedly have sex with an underage girl was arrested yesterday and faces multiple charges. Paul R. Hinkel, 56, of Chester, Conn., faces federal charges that he persuaded, induced, enticed or coerced a minor to engage in sexual activity, according to a press release from United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz’s office. “We vigorously pursue defendants who intend to use the Internet to evade detection and to infringe on the protections of children,” Ortiz said. Hinkel responded to an ad on Craigslist which he thought was placed by a woman who was looking for a man to have a “relatioship” which would also include her underage daughter. The ad, however, was placed by undercover Homeland Security Investigation agents, according to the announcement.

Around Town

Shortage of ESL Teachers in Watertown Schools

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By Charlie Breitrose

One in ten students in the Watertown Public Schools are in English as a Second Language classes, but more than half are not getting the ESL (now known as English Language Learner) instruction that is required by state law.The students are in all five Watertown schools, and they come in speaking one of 27 different languages, said ESL Program Director Allison Levit said during a School Committee Budget and Finance Subcommittee meeting. Students who know the least amount of English are supposed to get 150 minutes a day of ESL instruction. That amount drops to 60-120 minutes for mid-level students and 30 minutes for those close to moving into a regular classroom full time, Levit said. A couple years ago Watertown Middle School received an award for its ESL program, but now the system is struggling. Levit, who is in her second year as director, asked for more staff last year, and did not receive any more instructors.

Schools

New Group Pushes for ‘Watertown Strong Schools’

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By Charlie BreitroseA new group has emerged advocating for quality public schools in town, known as Watertown Strong Schools.The group seeks to support the Watertown Public Schools in the effort to get the “full funding needed to staff schools and purchase materials to provide quality education to Watertown students,” according to the group’s website, http://www.watertownstrongschools.com.Watertown Strong Schools has a three-tiered approach to improve the schools – data driven understanding and documentation of the schools; building relationships with the school, town and community leaders; and positive communication and outreach.The website provides a place to find out about upcoming meetings that impact the schools and town. It also has announced informational meetings about Watertown Strong Schools. The meetings will be held on Sunday, March 23 at 3 p.m. at the Watertown Free Public Library, and one on Wednesday, March 26 at 7 p.m. – place to be determined.

Around Town

Is Your Street on the Watertown Road Improvement Plan?

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Road repairs are coming to Watertown. Photo by Charlie Breitrose

By Charlie Breitrose

The list of Watertown roads that will be repaired, and in some cases completely rebuilt, was approved by the Town Council last week. The projects will repair 12 roads and will cost $25 million. Some will be repaired with the reclamation method, where the entire road is taken up, ground up and laid down again. Others will be fixed with the mill and overlay, where the top layer is ground down and a new layer of asphalt is put down.

Food

Farmers Market Coming to Watertown!

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By Charlie BreitroseWatertown will have its own farmers market beginning this spring!The farmers market will be held at the Arsenal on the Charles, which is home to athenahealth, the Boston Sports Club and the Arsenal Center for the Arts. The first market will be held on Thursday, June 5, and will be held each Thursday from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. through October, according to the Watertown Farmers Market website, http://www.watertownmarket.com/.Organizers are seeking vendors to provide fruits and vegetables, baked goods, meat, dairy products, honey, cider, maple products, plants and flowers, and more.For more information contact Mimi Graney or MaryCat Chaikin at info@watertownmarket.com or 617-620-1497.