Schools

See How the Watertown Schools Preparing to Return In-Person When Possible

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Lowell School in Watertown. When the school year begins, Watertown Public School students will start off learning from home, but officials have designed a plan to transition back to in-person learning without drastic changes to students’ schedules. Thursday night, the School Committee approved the “Bridge to Hybrid” plan proposed by Superintendent Dede Galdston. Under the plan students will start in remote learning, but Galdston said it will be more structured, and teacher focused than the spring. Meanwhile, the schools will be prepared to welcome back students while complying with COVID-19 heath and safety guidelines.

Real Estate

Check Out This Weekends Watertown Open Houses

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Home seekers have more than 20 open houses to choose from this weekend. $418,000 – 34 Pierce Road Unit 34, Condo – Townhouse, 1,311 Living Area Sq. Ft. (Includes Finished Basement), 5 Room, 2 Bedroom, 1 Full Bathroom, Open Houses: Saturday 12-2 Sunday 12-2

$799,000 – 22 Dewey St., Single Family – Detached Cape, 2,000 Living Area Sq. Ft.

Schools

Watertown Schools Starting Remotely, Plans to Move to Some In-Person When Virus Allows

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The School Committee approved a plan from Superintendent Dede Galdston to have Watertown students start the school year learning remotely, but with eyes on moving to some in-person learning when the pandemic allows. The Watertown School Committee voted unanimously Thursday night. The decision was based on both safety and what is best for student learning, Galdston said. She said that the best option educationally would be to have al students in schools, but said the safety of students and staff also needed to be taken int account. Galdston also acknowledged that any decision will be seen as wrong by some people.

Around Town

Many Watertown Bus Routes Will See Service Changes in Fall

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The 71 bus will have increased service beginning Aug. 30. It is one of several MTBA routes serving Watertown that will see changes. Several bus routes serving Watertown will see changes in service beginning August 30, including increased service on the 70 and 71 buses. Other routes begin operating on a limited schedule, or route, one will have increased weekend service and one will continue to be suspended.

Around Town

Watertown Mall Ready for Business in Time of COVID-19

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If you have not been to the Watertown Mall in a while, it will look a bit different inside with hand sanitizers in various locations and the massage chairs removed temporarily, but all the retailers in the center are open for business. Mall officials sent out the followingstatement: “Along with our own routine sanitizing, we require that all visitors to the mall wear a face covering mask, practice good hygiene by washing hands often and thoroughly, maintain a physical distance of six feet from others, and remain home if they are sick. While these are uncertain times, we are committed to opening our doors to our community as safely and efficiently as possible.” While the Watertown Mall never completely closed due to the COVID-19, stores — and the Registry of Motor Vehicles — have adjusted to the state’s Coronavirus rules, said Patricia Stenson, general manager of the Watertown Mall. “Although everybody is open, it’s been kind of staggered,” Stenson said.

Reopening Plan

School Committee to Choose Reopening Plan on Thursday, Union Endorses Remote Option

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On Aug. 6 at 7 p.m., Watertown Public School officials will present their recommendation for how to reopen the public schools in the fall. They will choose between three options: in-person, remotely or a hybrid of both. The School Committee delayed the decision on which option to use from Monday to Thursday. The meeting will be held online, with option to join by Zoom, phone, or watch on cable.

Building for the Future

Residents Lean Toward New High School on Current Site, Against Renovating School

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A rendering of what a new high school could look like if it’s built on the current site and the Phillips School site. In this option, 3D, a bridge would link the buildings on the third floor. Many participants in a virtual forum on the Watertown High School project favored building a new high school on a combination of the current property and the site across the street where the Phillips School sits. They also spoke out against renovating the current school. At the forum held on July 29, architects also discussed a third possibility of putting a new school on part of the Victory Field complex, which did not get much support from attendees of the Zoom meeting.

Weather

Tropical Storm Warning for Watertown as Isaias Moves North

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The track of Isaias, which will impact Eastern Massachusetts on Tuesday night. The National Weather Service issued a Tropical Storm Warning for all of Southern New England, though the current forecast is that the brunt of Isaias will be felt in Western Massachusetts and/or Upstate New York. The center of the storm is expected to pass through Southeast New York and Western New England Tuesday evening, the National Weather Service (NWS) announcement said. The heaviest impact will last around 6 hours, and locally it could generate winds of 25-35 mph, with gusts up to 45 mph (or higher depending on the track of the storm), according to the NWS warning. In Boston, the rainfall is forecast to be less than a quarter inch, according to WBZ Channel 4’s forecast.