Government

Council Applauds School Budget for Rebuilding Programs, Fiscal Stability

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Watertown’s public schools have made some big strides toward rebuilding the district after it suffered cuts in recent years, and in creating a budget that school and town officials can trust. School officials presented their budget to the Town Council Tuesday night, in a session that had a much different feel from the previous year. “What a difference a year makes!” Town Council President Mark Sideris said. Last year, the Council Chamber was filled with parents worried about the budget, and the council had a lot of questions about school official’s budget request that asked for nearly triple the increase as was ultimately given by the town.

Government

Watertown Ice Rink May be Seeking Major Tenant if Bentley Leaves

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Watertown’s ice arena may be losing a key tenant if Bentley University builds an 0n-campus rink for its ice hockey team. The Bentley hockey team plays its home games and practices at the John A. Ryan Arena, on Paramount Place, just off Pleasant Street. The arena would not have trouble finding groups wanting to replace games Bentley plays in the evening and one weekends, Ryan Arena Director Daniel Brothers told the Town Council during his budget hearing. The challenge will be getting groups during the team’s practice time. “Two-thirds of what Bentley uses is not prime time.

Around Town

Watertown Resident Receives Nursing Scholarship at Fenway Park

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Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) has honored Watertown resident Nagma KC, RN as part of its annual National Nurses Week celebration. KC was presented with a Nursing Scholarship in a ceremony at Fenway Park, according to an announcement from BIDMC. National Nurses Week celebrates the dedication, professionalism and talents of nurses in delivering the highest level of compassionate care. This year, BIDMC recognized 76 nurses, five nurse practitioners and seven assistive/in-training staff and distributed more than $100,000 in nursing scholarships. “At Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, our nurses provide extraordinary, patient-centered care to every patient, every day,” said Marsha Maurer, RN, Senior Vice President of Patient Care Services and BIDMC’s Nurse-in-Chief.

Around Town

Watertown Youth Coalition Seeks Nominations for Community Spirit Awards

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The Watertown Youth Coalition would like to invite you to celebrate the community spirit of many beloved neighbors, friends, and colleagues! The annual “Community Spirit Awards” Ceremony will take place at Arsenal Park on Monday, June 22 from 6-7:30 p.m.

Join the Watertown  Youth Coalition for dinner, music and to honor people committed to the health and well-being of Watertown’s youth and families. Please RSVP here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/watertown-youth-coalition-community-spirit-awards-tickets-17068485299
Spirit Award Nominations
Do you know someone who served as a positive influence or mentor to others in Watertown? Do they have the courage to address challenging issues that affect youth and the community? Have they actively taken steps to improve the Watertown community (in big and small ways)?

Obituaries

OBIT: Joseph Tardif, 80, Marine, Former Youth Hockey Coach

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A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Thursday morning at 10:30 am in the Church of St. Jude, Waltham for Joseph A. Tardif. Mr. Tardif, a son of the late Philomon P. and Bibiane C. (LeClair) Tardif, died in the Mount Auburn Hospital on Sunday May 31, 2015 after a brief illness. He was 80. Joseph proudly served his country in the United States Marine Corp.

Government

Despite Popularity of Watertown Library, Some Offerings Remain a Secret

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The popularity of the Watertown Free Public Library keeps growing, but Library Director Leone Cole said some programs remain largely unknown. The library has become a community hub, but Cole said the library has done surveys of patrons and found that people are not aware about all of its offerings. “We need to get more world out about what is happening in our library,” Cole said. “We do some social media promotion.” The library website also features a calendar of events (click here to see it).

Food

Watertown’s Newest Food Truck Fuses the Foods of the Far East and Middle East

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The Arsenal Project welcomes a new food truck to it’s Wednesday lineup. This one features a fusion of Turkish and Chinese cuisines! Uyghur Kitchen features food from China’s Northwest province known as Xinjiang. The Uyghur (pronounced wee-geer) are Turkic people who live in Central Asia, and their food includes influences from neighboring areas of Turkey, Tibet and China. The food truck is run by Pie Polat, who plays in a jazz-rock band called Background Orcs by night and runs the food truck by day.