Schools

Watertown Youth Sports Groups Concerned About Being Charged to Use School Gyms

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The School Committee is examining its policy for charging groups to use school facilities, such as the gyms. Watertown youth sports groups oppose any fees, saying it could prevent some kids from participating in their programs.

A proposal to charge town youth groups to use the gyms at the Watertown Public Schools has parents and youth sports groups concerned. The subject came up last year because School officials had heard that Watertown youth groups were getting squeezed out of the gyms by for-profit renters. A policy was created to create a priority list for users of the school facilities, and fees were examined and increased on for-profit users. At a joint meeting of the School Committee’s Budget & Finance and Buildings & Grounds subcommittees, School officials found that the fees had not always been charged. “As the fees were implemented, it became clear that past practice had not followed the past fee policy and there were significant inconsistencies regarding who was charged and at what level,” said School Committee Vice Chair Kendra Foley.

Real Estate

More Than a Dozen Open Houses in Watertown

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See this week’s Watertown open houses below. $850,000 – 129 Boylston St. Unit 2, 7 room, 3 bed, 2.5 bath 2/3 family, Open Houses: Saturday 12-2 Sunday 12-2

$929,000 – 11-13 Richards Road, 2 unit, 14 total room, 6 total bedroom, 2 Family multi-family home, Open Houses: Saturday 12-1:30 Sunday 12-1:30

$679,000 – 51 Eliot St. Unit 51, 6 room, 3 bedroom, 3 full & 1 half bathroom, Townhouse condo/townhouse, Open Houses: Saturday 12-1:30 Sunday 12-1:30

$799,900 – 199 Coolidge Ave. Unit 302, 5 room, 2 bedroom, 2 full bathroom, Mid-Rise condo/townhouse, Open Houses: Saturday 12-1:30 Sunday 12-1:30

$649,000 – 57 Union St.

Government

School Projects, Parks Big Part of Watertown’s 5-Year Capital Improvement Plan

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Reconstructing Watertown’s public schools and renovating some of the parks in town made up a significant part of the conceptual recommendations for the Fiscal Year 2020-24 Capital Improvement Plan, which were approved by the Town Council on Tuesday. The Capital Improvement Plan covers five years, and includes more than $503 million in possible spending on construction, building repairs, vehicles, and equipment. The amount budgeted for Fiscal Year 2020 (which starts July 1, 2019) is $11,196,937 or about 7.6 percent of the total Town Budget. On Tuesday, the Council gave approval to a list of 29 conceptual recommendations on the FY20-24 Capital Improvement Plan. Much of the work will be paid for by money borrowed by the Town, but some will be paid through the money collected through property taxes, grants and other ways.

Charity

See Who is Competing in Watertown’s Dancing With the Stars, How to Get Tickets

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The 2016 Dancing with the Stars winner Georgia (Butler) Mulgrew, the Hosmer School guidance counselor holds the trophy. Tickets are now available for the 2019 event. The Watertown Rotary Club will host Dancing With the Stars charity event featuring local celebrities teaming with professional dancers on May 10, 2019. This year’s competitors are Town Councilor Lisa Feltner, Watertown Savings Bank’s Bill Burgess, Rhode Moise from the Watertown Boys & Girls Club, Watertown Firefighter Mary Piotrowski, Watertown Police Officer Kerilyn Amedio, Jae Smith from the Watertown Public Schools, Watertown Realtor Ari Koufos, Watertown Firefighter Andrew Vega, and Chad Foster from Watertown Middle School. The event will be emceed by Watertown Town Council President Mark Sideris.

Around Town

Watertown Police Hosting 5K Run/Walk to Recapture the Watertown Strong Spirit

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A man wears the Watertown Police Finish Strong Road Race. The Watertown Police will once again commemorate the Watertown Strong spirit with the sixth annual Watertown Police Finish Strong 5K Run/Walk. The Watertown Police Relief Association, Watertown Supervisors Association and Watertown Patrol officers Association will commemorate the sixth anniversary of the events that led to the capture of the Boston Marathon bombing suspects by inviting the community to fill the streets of Watertown in a 5K celebratory road race and walk. The proceeds will benefit the Watertown Police Relief Association, the Watertown Police Association, and the Watertown Police Supervisors Association. The WPRA assists families of deceased members, and protects and promotes the social and economic welfare of their families and dependents.

Entertainment

Eliza Dushku Talks About Taking Back Power After #MeToo, Her New Movie in Time Magazine

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Eliza Dushku was interviewed by Time magazine about her #MeToo experiences, and her latest project, the biopic Mapplethorpe. Watertown’s Eliza Dushku spoke to Time magazine about how she is responding to her #MeToo experience on the set of Bull, the movie she and her brother Nate produced — Mapplethorpe, and her sobriety. In the piece, which came out online Tuesday, Dushku also talks about her pursuit of a college degree at Lesley University, which is why the interview took place near Harvard Square. In December, she was the subject of headlines when the New York Times revealed that CBS had paid her a multimillion dollar settlement after she complained about being sexually harassed on the set of the show Bull by the show’s star, Michael Weatherly. She spoke out about it in the Boston Globe.

Around Town

Watertown Schools Getting 5% Budget Increase; Most Will Go to Staff, Minuteman

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Once again, the Town will include a 5 percent increase in education funding in Watertown’s Fiscal Year 2020 Budget — a $2.4 million increase — but much of that will be required to maintain the current education program and services, along with meeting an increase in the cost of sending students to Minuteman Regional Vocational Technical School. Last week, the School Committee heard a budget presentation from Superintendent Dede Galdston, who said that all but about $173,000 of the increase would be used on maintaining the level services budget and paying for the increase in Minuteman tuition. Some staff additions are still planned with the remaining money. New Staff

Among the additions in the Fiscal 2020 budget are two curriculum coaches at Watertown Middle School: one for literacy and the other for math. Similar positions have been successful in other schools, Galdston said.