Election 2021

LETTER: Candidate Declares Her Run for Watertown School Committee

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Rachel Kay is running for Watertown School Committee. The following announcement was provided by Rachel Kay:

Over the past year, we have all experienced great challenges. Those of us caring for school-aged children have watched them struggle with isolation, academic losses and for too many students even harm to their mental health and well-being. As I have watched Watertown Public Schools grapple with the difficult decisions they had to make this year, I have felt obligated to advocate for the needs of all our children, as well as for working families. I learned that I have a unique perspective to share, and that I will add to discussions including the critical challenge our schools now face in overcoming the educational debt our students have sustained over what was for some of them a lost year.

District A

LETTER: Retiring Councilor Calls Candidates Campaign Literature Misleading

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Greeting East Enders,

It has recently been brought to my attention that campaign literature is being disseminated with text that could be misleading. Certainly, everyone is entitled to voice their opinion. But, when my name, and the position that I have held with great honor for sixteen years are the topic; I will not allow anyone to compare my performance, versus theirs. I am not flattered. Although I understand Mr. Michael Hanlon’s desire to show the perception of following in my path of District A, East End, Town Council representation; I have not consented to the use of my name in any political literature.

Buses

MBTA Holding Virtual Meeting on Redesigning Bus Network

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Charlie BreitroseAn MBTA bus in Watertown. The MBTA announced it will host a meeting about its Better Bus Project, which will redesign its bus network. MBTA officials sent out the following announcement:

Virtual Public Meeting on June 8th  

We’d like to remind you of the Bus Network Redesign virtual public meeting on Tuesday, June 8 from 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.

What will I learn at the meeting and how can I contribute?  

At this meeting, we will be presenting an overview of the Bus Network Redesign and what we have found so far.  Following a presentation, the team will be available to take feedback and answer questions.   

The meeting will be held online, via Zoom. To pre-register, please click this link:  https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIsd-mvqjIiGNw-dx6bbtLcxMYYNGKrLG0w  

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Upon joining you will be prompted to share your first name, last name, and email address.

Entertainment

Small Saves Seeks the Spotlight in This Week’s Cartoon

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James DeMarco grew up in Watertown and became a goaltender at age 5. It’s his life’s passion to stand between the pipes and keep the puck out of the net. Combining this with the love of cartooning Small Saves emerged in 1991 and took on a life of his own. “To play goal–then come home and draw Small Saves — is my ideal definition of a good day.”

Alexandria Real Estate Equities

OP-ED: Resident Concern About Loss of Hundreds of Trees During Redevelopment Project

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Samatha Rao VuppalaShade trees in the Arsenal on the Charles complex. (The following piece was submitted by Sharon Bromberg-Lim, a member of Trees for Watertown)

A large real estate equities firm arrives in a small New England town. Based in California, the firm has rolled into many towns before, bought up properties big and small, and plunked down buildings. This project is just one of many investments that the firm owns. The firm says it must cut down more than 200 trees to put up its buildings.

Around Town

Watertown DPW Hosting Styrofoam, Textile Recycling Event with Paper Shredding

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Recycle your Styrofoam at the special DPW event. The following information came from the Watertown Department of Public Works:

There will also be Textiles, Paper Shredding and Styrofoam Recycling for Watertown Residents only on Saturday, June 12, 2021 from 10AM-2PM. Please enter at Stanley Ave. These items can be dropped off at the Jewish Day School parking lot at the entrance of Stanley Avenue. 

This is a free event for Town residents only – please bring an ID with you. For all standard recycling, please enter on Green River Way.

Around Town

Watertown Library Lifts Most COVID-19 Restrictions, Opens at Full Capacity

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The following announcement was provided by the Watertown Free Public Library:

Starting on Saturday, May 29, most covid restrictions were rescinded inside the Watertown Free Public Library. With capacity and social distancing limitations removed, patrons were welcomed back to full use of the library. It didn’t take long to feel the buzz that was so common before COVID hit last March. For the past year, library services have been greatly reduced to primarily browsing the collection, checking out materials, and limited computer and equipment use. Now, patrons can walk in and use computers, study rooms, sit and read, work, and use the public meeting rooms. Library operating hours are near pre-covid with the final move to full hours on July 11 when the library will resume Sunday hours.

Homepage Featured

Watertown Students Receive Awards at Minuteman High School Ceremony

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The following announcement was provided by Minuteman High School:

Minuteman High School has announced the student recipients of annual scholarships and awards for the graduating Class of 2021. The awards recognize outstanding student achievement and support both college and career pursuits. A video of the award presentations is on youtube.com/minutemanhighschool. Minuteman’s graduation ceremony will be held in-person at the Lowell Memorial Auditorium on Friday, June 4, at 2:00 PM. Valedictorian and Salutatorian

The Class of 2021 Valedictorian is Hannah Bardei, an Engineering student from Arlington.