Schools

Watertown High School TV, Radio Program Expanding

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After starting with a couple of periods of television production classes last year, Watertown High School students now have five classes to choose from, including one focused on radio. With an expanding program, the high school hired Todd Robbins – a first year teacher but experienced broadcaster – to run the multimedia production program. Students can choose from two sections of television news production, documentary film making and radio. In TV news production, Robbins allowed students to choose what kind of program they wanted to do for the class. “Both periods came up with similar panel style shows,” Robbins said.

Schools

Watertown Spelling Bee Coming Up – Teams Can Sign Up

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The annual Watertown Education Foundation Spelling Bee is coming up soon, so get your teams together. The bee will be held on Sunday, Jan. 25 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the Watertown Middle School Auditorium. Teams are made up of three members and students in grades 1-5 can enter. Students do not have to be from the same school.

Government

LETTER: Resident Thinks Town Bargained Unfairly with Fire Union

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We have heard several Town Councilors tell the public that funding the arbitration award for the Local 1347 would not have been fair to other public employees. They have cited the fact that all other unions agreed to accept their predetermined parameters of no raises for two years and that the arbitration award did not meet that same criteria because of an increase in EMT / Defibrillator stipend pay. Comparing the outcome of previously negotiated contracts to the outcome of an independent, third-party review such as arbitration is both deceptive and disrespectful. Town officials made a decision in 2009 to treat all public employee unions as one during the negotiation process. The town failed to realize that each separate labor union has a right to not accept those bargaining terms. The town took a risk in using this negotiation tactic as their sole collective bargaining strategy, and the result of this gamble is a lack of a negotiated contract for local firefighters. In my opinion, the town setting these parameters and expecting that all unions comply does not meet the definition of negotiation.

Entertainment

Mall Hosting Event with Snow-Themed Stories, Songs & Crafts

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The Watertown Family Network will host a “Let it Snow,” an event featuring snow-themed event including stories, songs, crafts and surprises. The event will be held at the Watertown Mall on Thursday, Jan. 22 at 10 a.m.

The free event for children includes story time, singing and a chance to make some winter crafts. It will take place near Carter’s in the mall at 550 Arsenal Street in Watertown. Watertown Mall is wheelchair accessible and accessible by MBTA Bus routes 70 and 70A. For more information on these and other events, call 617-926-4968 or visit our website at www.watertown-mall.com.

Obituaries

OBIT: Mary Ellen Koumjian, 95, Active Member of St. Jude’s Church

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A Mass of Celebration for Mary Ellen (Howard) Koumjian will be held on Thursday January 15, 2015 in the Church of St Jude, Waltham at 10:30 a.m.

Mrs. Koumjian, a daughter of the late Martin J. and Ellen (Cullinan) Howard, died peacefully in the Armenian Nursing Center, Jamaica Plain. January 15, 2015 at the age of 95. Born in Somerville, she was a proud 1937 graduate of Girls High School, Boston. After marrying her husband John, they moved to Watertown where they raised their children. Mary Ellen was a member of St. Jude’s Sodality, St.

Obituaries

OBIT: Francis Mooney, 74, Therapist, U.S. Marine

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A Funeral Mass for Francis M. Mooney will be celebrated on Friday, January 16, 2015 at 9 a.m. in the Church of Saint Patrick, Watertown. Mr. Mooney was a son of the late George and Mary (MacLellan) Mooney. Born in Boston, he was a graduate of Watertown High School and Boston College, class of 1963. He passed away Tuesday morning in the Mount Auburn Hospital after a lengthy illness, age 74. After college, Francis enlisted in the U.S. Marines, serving 12 years, reaching the rank of Captain.

Police/Fire

Watertown Car Dealership Struck by Tire Thief

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A nighttime thief struck a Watertown car dealership, stealing a dozen tires from trucks left on the lot. Sometime on the night of Jan. 10 or early hours of Jan. 11, a thief or thieves struck Watertown Ford on Pleasant Street, said Watertown Police Lt. Michael Lawn. “Someone stole 12 tires and rims from three trucks on the property worth $1,000 to $1,200 each,” Lawn said.

Development

See What the Town’s Design Standards, Guidelines Will Look Like

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Come and see what Watertown’s new design standards and guidelines will look like at a community meeting on Jan. 22. 

The meeting – the third in the series of community meetings on the design standards and guidelines – will be held at Watertown Middle School on Thursday, Jan. 22 from 6 to 8 p.m.

At a meeting in October, consultant David Gamble of Gamble Associates explained what design standards and guidelines can do and what they cannot do. They can:

Improve the character of new developments
Articulate standards of quality
Provide Examples
Represent spatial and dimensional criteria graphically

Gamble also warned they can also go too far, and make all new buildings look the same or be too restrictive. What they can’t do is:

Regulate building use
Replace zoning or building codes
Redesign streets and public rights-of-way
Masterplan areas of the town

The town has created a website about the design standards and guidelines: http://www.watertown-ma.gov/index.aspx?NID=831
See previous stories on this subject:
Design Standards – What They Are, What Residents Want
Town Council Rejects Moratorium, Will Fast Track New Design Guidelines
Town Hiring Consultant to Create New Design Standards, Guidelines