Elections

LETTER: Outgoing School Committee Member Reflects on His Term

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Dear Watertown,

Four years ago, I was elected because residents wanted a change from what had come before and they wanted results in our schools. It is a humbling experience to be elected and entrusted with making positive changes to the lives and education of our students. I took that obligation very seriously then and I still do. After being sworn in, I mentioned to my wife and friends that they would not see a lot of me during the first half of 2012 due to the challenges facing the district. I focused all of my efforts on working with my Committee colleagues to resolve the immediate challenges facing us then:

Settling the teacher’s contract and rebuilding those relationships.

Business

Artemis Yoga Studio Brings New Life to Building in East Watertown

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The storefront on Mt. Auburn Street in Coolidge Square next to Dunkin Donuts sat quietly for a few years, but now it has been refreshed and has a new life as a yoga studio. 

Owner Liz Padula opened Artemis Yoga in mid-December after completely renovating the former oriental rug shop. The studio offers two spaces for yoga, one on the ground floor and one in the basement. Artemis offers a variety of classes for people with a range of experience. “I hear that all the time – I am not flexible, I have no experience,” Padula said.

Government

Town Council Lays Out Budget Priorities for Fiscal Year 2017

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The Watertown Council has included dealing with storm water infiltrating the Charles River, funding the social services resources position and bolstering the town’s Planning Department to handle the development boom in town. Those areas, along with the long-standing areas of schools, public safety and streets and sidewalks, made the Fiscal 2017 budget priorities announced by Town Councilor Vincent Piccirilli at last week’s Town Council meeting. See the entire Budget and Fiscal Oversight subcommittee report by clicking here. The priorities were created by the subcommittee after holding meetings in November and early December. Councilor Tony Palomba said he would like to find out how to have more suggestions of Councilors not on the committee included in the budget priorities.

Letters

LETTER: Watertown Groups Denounce Trump’s Proposal on Muslims

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To the Editor:

We write in strong support of people of the Muslim faith in Watertown, as well as Muslims across the nation. We are deeply disturbed by Donald Trump’s hostile outbursts, which are not only hurtful to Muslims, but an affront to all who value the founding principles of this country. The Puritans who established Watertown in 1630 risked their lives for religious freedom – precisely the freedom that Mr. Trump and other extremists are challenging today. By promoting the “Us vs. Them” perspective, Mr. Trump is fanning the flames of fear, and creating harmful divisions in the country, when in fact we should be coming together to support one another in these stressful times.

Sports

Watertown’s Kennedy Named Field Hockey Player of the Year, 2 Others All-Scholastic

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The Boston Globe named Watertown’s Kourtney Kennedy the Div. 2 field hockey player of the year. 

The junior has scored 69 goals and added 66 assists in her career, and helped the Raiders capture their seventh-straight State Championship and set the national record for consecutive games unbeaten (now 160). She has already committed to play field hockey at UConn. The Globe also named senior Ally McCall to their All-Scholastics list. The University of Vermont-bound player ended her career with 29 goals and 21 assists.

Entertainment

Arsenal Center for the Arts Presents a Jazzy Christmas Concert

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JAZZ at the Arsenal presents holiday themed concert of A Jazzy Christmas with The John Baboian Quintet on Monday, December 21 at 7:30 pm. Jazz at the Arsenal’s Artistic Director, John Baboian, brings his quartet into the Arsenal for a concert of music inspired by the Season. Guitarist/Composer, John Baboian, has been on the faculty at the Berklee College of Music in Boston for 35 years. He has been organizing the Jazz at the Arsenal series since its inception 8 years ago. This concert will feature unique compositions and arrangements of standard holiday fare.

Obituaries

OBIT: Paula MacDonald, 42, Watertown High Grad, Worked for Food Banks

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A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Monday December 14, 2015 for Paula Jean MacDonald at 9 a.m. in the Church of Saint Patrick, Watertown. Ms. MacDonald, a daughter of Walter F. MacDonald, Jr. and Irene H. (Tobio) MacDonald, passed away suddenly on Wednesday evening, Dec. 9, 2015 at the age of 42. Paula was a graduate of the Class of 1991, Watertown High School. She loved to play sports; softball and field hockey were he favorites.

Arrests

Police Log: Home Broken Into, Christmas Decorations Stolen

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The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department. Arrests
Dec. 1, 5:27 p.m.:  A woman was spotted in Target taking out an empty bag and filling it with numerous items and tried to leave the store without paying. The items were worth a total of $488. While police investigated the incident they found she had a pill container with various medications inside.