Around Town

State Looks to Fill Job Openings in Tricky Economy, Offering Programs for Career Changers & Immigrants in Shelters

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Lauren Jones, State Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development, spoke at the Charles River Regional Chamber event at the Hampton Inn & Suites in Watertown on Feb. 6. (Courtesy of Charles River Chamber)

Massachusetts finds itself in an unusual job market in the post-Pandemic period. The state added more than 50,000 jobs from 2019 to 2023, but at during the same period the workforce declined by 113,000 people, creating a tight job market. Last week, Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Lauren Jones spoke at an event hosted by the Charles River Regional Chamber at Watertown’s Hampton Inn & Suites.

Schools

School Committee Member Rachel Kay Hosting Office Hours

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School Committee member Rachel Kay

Watertown School Committee member Rachel Kay will host virtual office hours this week. Kay sent out the following announcement:

I will be available on zoom on Thursday February 15 from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Click here at 7 p.m. on the 15th to log in. Please come with your questions and concerns, and I’ll do my best to answer them.

Around Town

Changing Main Street: Post Office Closes (for Now), Restaurants Coming and Going

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Crown CafeDiners enjoy a meal at Crown Cafe on Main Street. The restaurant will soon close after getting a notice to vacate to make way for a new development on Main Street. Over the past couple of weeks, the section of Main Street near Watertown Square has gone through more changes than it has for many years, with the Post Office closing — at least temporarily — restaurants opening and closing, and a new development starting construction soon. On Jan. 26, the Main Street Post Office closed for at least two years.

Sports

Watertown High School Athletes Gearing Up for State Tourney, Some Along Side Belmont Players

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by Charlie BreitroseSenior Laura Biagiotti and the Raiders’ girls basketball team have had a successful season. Here she plays against Oakmont in the 2023 State Tournament. Watertown High School’s winter sports teams are all on track to make the State Tournament in 2024, and even one group that doesn’t have a team of its own will be playing in the post season. Girls Basketball

The Raiders girls basketball team, under first year head coach Michael Tempesta, has put together two four-game winning streaks on the way to a 10-4 record. Most recently Watertown defeated Stoneham 53-34 at Watertown Middle School (the Raiders home court during the construction of the new high school).

Schools

Watertown Schools to Offer Free PreK Starting in Fall 2024

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(Courtesy of Watertown Public Schools)

Starting next fall, Watertown will offer free pre-kindergarten classes for 90 4-year-olds in town as part of a new universal PreK program. Since she arrived in Watertown, Superintendent Dede Galdston has been talking about offering universal PreKindergarten. She hoped that the district would get financial help from the federal or state government, but that has not materialized. “Sooner or later, if we feel this is something that is true to our core values, we might want to consider doing it ourselves,” Galdston told the School Committee on Monday. “So, I think we are at the moment and time where I think we do so.”

Around Town

Online Fund Raising Effort to Help Family of Young Boy Who Passed Away Recently

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A screenshot from GoFundMe.com

Cunniff Elementary School lost a young student recently, and a crowdfunding campaign has been started to help his family. Second grader Ayyan passed away at the age of 7, and is remembers for his infectious joy, according to a building-based substitute, Pete Carron. “The loss of Ayyan is felt throughout Cunniff and the community. As a building-based substitute teacher I’ve had the pleasure of working with Ayyan on several occasions. He was quick with a smile and a high-five whenever I would see him. That kind of joy is infectious and the best kind of light to share with others,” Carron wrote.