CTE

Committee Looking at Vocational, Technical Education to Include Parents & Residents

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The Watertown Public Schools will form a committee to look at the options for vocational and technical education available inside and outside the district, and the group will include parents and community members. For many years, Watertown has sent dozens of students to Minuteman High School in Lexington for vocational and technical education. Superintendent Dede Galdston said that the City is not part of the Minuteman High School District, but rather pays tuition for each resident to attend. “Watertown is a non-member, tuition-paying entity for Minuteman, which has worked for decades, but that changed with new (Minuteman) school — there are not as many students who can go to Minuteman,” Galdston said. Other vocational schools in the area, including Medford and Somerville, have vocational programs which are open to students who do not live in the district.

Around Town

Council Wants to Start Moxley Courts Project Soon, Worried Neighbors May Oppose Street Hockey Rink

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CDM SmithA drawing of the proposed layout for the courts and a street hockey rink at Moxley Field. The City Council discussed plans to renovate the courts at Moxley Field, but one feature — a street hockey rink — caused concerns among the Councilors. The City’s goal is to complete the work by the fall of 2022, before the rest of Moxley Field goes under construction to be the temporary home of Watertown High School while the new school is built.

Planning for the courts began a few years ago, said Glenn Howard of CDM Smith, who made a presentation to the Council in November 2017. The idea of replacing one of the tennis courts with a street hockey court —‚ which could also be used for soccer, lacrosse or other sports — came up then. A public walk through of the site occurred in December 2017, and Council President Mark Sideris recalled that some neighbors opposed the idea of having a hockey rink there.

Schools

COVID Cases in Watertown Schools Went Beyond What Officials Expected, New Protocols Discussed

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The number of COVID-19 cases in the Watertown Public Schools was beyond what officials expected, and the way that pool testing will be administered has changed so not as many students need to be retested. Superintendent Dede Galdston discussed the upsurge in COVID-19 cases in the schools, and the steps being taken to prevent the spread. She added that the number of positive cases in the week after Winter Break, 193, was by far the most seen in the Watertown Schools since the pandemic began. “What we experienced last week was not something any of us were prepared for. I am not sure any of us in any district were truly prepared for what happened last week,” Galdston said, who told the School Committee that she is in quarantine herself after testing positive for COVID-19.

Government

Find Out What it is Like to Serve on a Watertown Board or Commission

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A panel discussion will be held about serving on a City board or commission. On Thursday, Jan. 13 at 6:30 p.m. a virtual panel discussion will be held about how to serve on one of the city’s appointed boards or commission. It will cover: what it’s like to serve, how to apply, and what positions are currently open. The panel will include:

• Amy Plovnick (Bicycle & Pedestrian Committee)

• Janet Buck (Stormwater Advisory Committee)

• Leo Martin (Conservation Commission), and

• Jeanne Trubek (Environment and Energy Efficiency Committee) 

All are invited to attend.

Entertainment

Movie Filmed in Watertown Now in Theaters & Streaming Online

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The movie “Tender Bar,” which director by George Clooney used Watertown locales to shoot some of the scenes, is now showing in movie theaters and is streaming online starting Jan. 7. At least one part of town, the area near Bemis Park in West Watertown, was used in the film that stars Ben Affleck. The movie is showing at the Kendall Square Cinema in Cambridge and at the Dedham Community Theater, but can also be streamed by subscribers of Amazon Prime. The film is based on a memoir by J.R. Moehringer, and the screenplay is by William Monahan, who also wrote “The Departed.”

Sports

Three Watertown Athletes Make Globe’s All-Scholastic Teams, One Named Athlete of the Year

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Charlie BreirtoseWatertown sophomore Molly Driscoll was named Div. 3 field hockey athlete of the year by the Boston Globe. A trio of Watertown Raiders earned All-Scholastic honors from the Boston Globe this fall, including one who was named the athlete of the year. Only a sophomore, Molly Driscoll, was named the top Div. 3 field hockey player by the Globe in its fall All-Scholastic teams. She helped Watertown win its first State Championship since 2017.