Schools

Watertown Students Host SPEAK Week at High School

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The following article was written by Watertown High School junior Crist Patvakanian:

It’s that time of the year again! SPEAK Week, organized by the Watertown Youth Coalition Peer Leaders and funded by the Watertown Community Foundation, took place from March 9th to March 13th at the Watertown High School. For those of you who are unfamiliar, SPEAK Week, which stands for Sharing Personal Experiences and Knowledge, is a week where speakers and activities take place in WHS to help educate students about healthy decision-making, substance abuse, bullying, and suicide prevention. SPEAK Week also allows the diverse clubs of the school to promote their own interesting and useful messages during lunch periods. This year’s clubs that participated include the Watertown Youth Coalition, the Feminist Coalition, the Armenian Club, the GSA, the Animal Rights Club, the Environmental Club, and the International Club.

Around Town

Watertown Square Lighting Up for Autism Awareness April 2

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Check out the lights on the “delta” in Watertown Square Thursday night when they light up in honor of World Autism Awareness Day. The Watertown Autism Family Support Group will also have a special display on the grassy area at the major intersection in the center of town. The group released the following information:
Each April 2, the international autism community, in commemoration of the United Nations-sanctioned World Autism Awareness Day, celebrates Light It Up Blue. Light It Up Blue is a unique global initiative that kicks-off Autism Awareness Month and helps raise awareness about autism. In honor of this historic day, many iconic landmarks, hotels, sporting venues, concert halls, museums, bridges and retail stores are among the thousands of buildings lit blue to raise autism awareness.

Elections

Watertown Man Honored for Role in Passing State Ballot Question

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Watertown’s Steve Aylward and his two campaign received national recognition for their work on passing Question 1 which removed the link of Massachusetts’ gas tax to inflation and faced a well-funded “No” campaign. On March 19, Aylward, a Republican State Committee member; Republican strategist Holly Robichaud; and GOP State Rep. Geoff Diehl of Whitman, co-chairs were honored by the American Association of Political Consultants with with the Ballot Measure Campaign of the Year for their work on Question 1. The ceremony was held in New Orleans

“Easily the biggest challenge was money,” Aylward said. “We were outspent 31-to-1.” While the No campaign had the support of big construction firms and other groups, the Yes campaign relied on small donations from individuals.

Boston Marathon Bombing

Defense Rests in Marathon Bombing Case, Closing Statements Coming

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Defense attorneys for accused Boston Marathon Bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev rested their case Tuesday, and now all that remains in closing statements before the jury deliberates. The defense called only four witnesses over two days, according to a report by NBC News. With a guilty verdict almost assured, his attorneys argued that Dzhokhar, 19 at the time of the bombings, was manipulated by his older brother Tamerlan (then 26) to do the bombings and attack police, according to the NBC report. Using this strategy, the defense seeks to avoid the death penalty being brought against their client. Tamerlan was killed during the shootout when he was hit by bullets and run over by an SUV driven by Dzhokhar.

Around Town

Trouble Reading Regular Print, Find Out How to Use Perkin’s Library

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The Perkins Library has a collection for people with difficulty reading regular print and you can find out more at an information session on April 8. The Perkins Library is a free public library and its collection is available to for anyone who has difficulty reading regular print. Kim Charlson, Director and Debby King, Library Outreach Coordinator, will provide an overview of all the services available on Wednesday, April 8 at 7 p.m. at The Apartments at Coolidge School, 319 Arlington St., Watertown during a presentation called “Reading Never Sounded So Good.”

Sports

Sign Up for Baseball League for Children with Special Needs

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{NOTE: This story has been updated, see the change of location.}

An information and sign up session for the the Watertown Challenger Division, a division of Little League baseball especially designed for boys and girls ages 8 -18 with special needs, will be held on April 8. Join us in our third year of providing this wonderful opportunity for everyone to be part of a team and community! The ‘Challenger Division’ program is dedicated to providing children of varying experiences and abilities to have fun learning to play baseball while also providing a chance to be part of a team in their community! Along with their baseball skills, all children will work on social pragmatics, team collaboration and much more! Training and support will be provided to children at their level of need.

Police/Fire

Shoplifter Facing Many Other Charges After Spitting on Police

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A woman caught shoplifting at Target got herself into more trouble when she would not go quietly with police officers. The suspect, identified as Ryaneesha Rice, 24, of Jamaica Plain, was spotted put an air purifier under her cart and asked to receive credit for it. For that and some other items she received a total of $383.23 on a gift card, said Watertown Police Lt. Michael Lawn. She was caught and taken to the security office. When police arrived she was not cooperating. Rice began swearing at officers and when they tried to hand cuff her she yelled obscenities at the officers.

Schools

Watertown Schools Preparing for Growing Enrollment

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Watertown’s schools will grow by more than 180 students over the next 10 years, according to projections by school officials, and the district will have to figure ways to fit these students into the schools. 

First priority is figuring out next year, the 2015-16 school year, when the school are expected to have four fewer students than the enrollment for the 2014-15 school year – 2,579 for PreK-12. The challenge next year will be the larger than normal grades at Cunniff and Hosmer schools, school officials said at Monday’s School Committee Budget and Finance Subcommittee meeting. Cunniff’s two fourth grade classes are projected at 25 and 26 in 2015-16, and Hosmer’s third grade is projected to have three classes of 26 and one of 25. Superintendent Jean Fitzgerald said the district plans to add a teacher to each of the schools, but not to create a new class. “Both principals will use the teachers for smaller instructional groups,” Fitzgerald said.