Letters

LETTER: Parents Group Writes About Overcrowding, Enrollment and More

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The Watertown Strong Schools parent group followed the School Committee meeting on June 13, which tackled some key issues, such as overcrowding, enrollment projections and where dozens of students were honored. Unofficial Minutes: School Committee Meeting 6/13/16 – Key Points and Commentary

Note: These are NOT official minutes. Commentary can be found at the bottom of the minutes. Written by: Pete Caron, Julie Cotton, Kate Coyne, Alyson Morales, and David Stokes. Committee members: John Portz, Chair; Kendra Foley, Vice-Chair; Guido Guidotti, Secretary; Eileen Hsu-Balzer; Candace Miller; Mark Sideris; Liz Yusem; Dr. Fitzgerald, Superintendent; Charles Kellner, Director, Business Services; and Craig Hardimon, Human Resources Director.

Schools

Approved Overcrowding Plan Focuses on Controlling Where New Students Go

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The School Committee approved a plan to deal with the overcrowding facing Watertown’s elementary schools next school year. The plan has fewer moves of classes from school to school, but creates less breathing room, so a district registrar will determine where new students are placed. The plan, the third presented by Superintendent Jean Fitzgerald, was approved by the School Committee on Monday night at their second meeting in two weeks. The only class moving out of its school is an Early Steps Integrated Preschool, which moves from Hosmer School to the Phillips Building. Room will also be created by other moves including:
• Combining Learning Support programs at Cunniff into one room
• Making the Computer Room at Lowell into a classroom
In the first plan, all the Early Step classes would have moved to the Phillips, as well as moving PreK classes from Cunniff and Lowell out of their schools along with two Cunniff kindergartens.

Environment

Find Out About Green Infrastructure, and How It Keeps the Charles River Clean

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Come learn about how to making greener streets will help keep the Charles River cleaner during a workshop hosted by the Watertown Department of Public Works and the Stormwater Advisory Committee. The meeting will be held at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, June 21 at Town Hall, in the Council Chambers. When it rains, the runoff from Watertown driveways and streets goes into the stormwater system, which ends up draining into the Charles River – untreated, said Watertown Public Works Superintendent Gerald Mee. “We need to educate people, if you drop your dog waste in the storm drain it goes to the river,” Mee said. Another major concern that might not occur to residents is grass clippings, which have chemicals – including phosphorous – which is a major pollutant of the Charles River.

Letters

LETTER: Young Men – Take Care of Yourselves, Others

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Guys, I know you’re bombarded all the time with messages about what it means to be a “real” man, messages like “don’t show weakness” and “don’t ask for help,” particularly when it comes to your health. These messages can be confusing and make it difficult to know how to take care of yourself, especially when it comes to sexual health. It’s unfortunate, but many young people in school aren’t taught comprehensive sexuality education that is unbiased, medically accurate and age appropriate. As a sexuality educator, who also happens to be a man, I know very intimately the dangers of not providing young men with the information they need to keep themselves and their partners safe and healthy. In the spirit of Men’s Health Week, let’s put aside all “real” man talk and instead focus on what it means to be a healthy man.

Armenian Genocide

106 Year Old Woman Shares Haunting Tale of Surviving the Armenian Genocide

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Seeing the cheerful personality and smile on the face of Asdghig Alemian’s face, you would never know the horrors and harsh conditions she lived through as a young girl. At the age of just five, Alemian watched family members die, was separated from her mother and made a harrowing journey just to be taken in by an abusive Turkish family. Now, at age 106, the Weymouth resident is one of the “last surviving survivors of the Armenian Genocide,” said Roxanne Makasdjian, a member of GenEd Board of Directors and UC Berkeley Manager of Broadcast Communications who interviewed Alemian at the Armenian Museum of America in Watertown. The interview was part of a day-long program by The Genocide Education Project, called “Understanding the Armenian Genocide through Primary Sources,” to teach educators about the Armenian Genocide and was attended by teachers from the Watertown Public Schools, St. Stephen’s Armenian School, and other schools in the Boston area.

Police/Fire

Residents Can Turn in Unwanted Guns at Buyback Event in Watertown

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Watertown Police Chief Michael Lawn urges residents to bring their unwanted guns in exchange for a gift card at the first such event ever held in Watertown. Gun buybacks are more common in inner city areas suffering from gun violence, but the emphasis of this event is to make homes in Watertown safer, Lawn said. “When I first heard about it, I thought of ones with Boston with gangs,” Lawn said. “When they started talking about safer homes, it started to make sense.” Belmont held a gun buyback last year, which brought in more than 60 weapons.

Police/Fire

Police Log: Man Eats His Way to Arrest, Woman’s Bingo Bag Stolen

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The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department. Arrests
June 3, 2:20 p.m.: A man was seen walking through Stop & Shop in Watertown Square, taking food off the shelf and eating it while he browsed through the store. He was also seen putting items in a backpack and then attempted to walk out without paying. The 48-year-old Boston man was arrested for shoplifting, a second offense. June 3, 7:50 p.m.: A witness saw a Jeep SUV strike a curb on School Street.

Real Estate

See the Five Properties that Sold in Watertown

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All these homes sold in Watertown, see more below. $680,000 – 20-22 Wilson Ave., 2 unit, 11 total room, 4 total bedroom, 2 Family – 2 Units Up/Down multi-family home

$675,000 – 169 Fayette St. Unit 169, 6 room, 3 bedroom, 2 full & 1 half bathroom, Townhouse condo/townhouse

$435,000 – 31 Parker St. Unit 31, 6 room, 2 bedroom, 1 full bathroom, 2/3 Family condo/townhouse

Sponsored by:

$458,000 – 11 George St. Unit 11, 5 room, 2 bedroom, 1 full bathroom, 2/3 Family condo/townhouse

$604,000 – 29 Warren St.