Around Town

Recreation Department Announces Victory Field, Courts Are Open

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Victory Field will not be hosting football games this fall, but it is open for public use. Watertown’s athletic and recreation facilities are open to the public, announced Recreation Director Peter Centola. Centola sent out the following information:

Our Victory Field Artificial Turf will be open from 8:00am to 8:00pm everyday,  weather permitting.The Casey Park Courts, Victory Courts and Moxley Courts will be open the same times as well.Face covering and other COVID19 protocals for these amenities and other recreational facilities are required. Please feel free to contact the office at 617-972-6494 or 617-312-9007 for questions, concerns or comments. SAVE THE DATE: RECREATION OPEN FORUM, TUESDAY DECEMBER 1 AT 7 PM.

Schools

Minuteman Superintendent Wins Award for Commitment to Safety

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Minuteman High School Superintendent Dr. Edward Bouquillon accepts the Schettini Award during the virtual ceremony on November 17, 2020. The following announcement was provided by Minuteman High School:

Edward A. Bouquillon, Superintendent-Director for the Minuteman Regional Vocational Technical School District, received the eleventh-annual Dr. Patrick A. Schettini Jr. Memorial Award from the Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth (MPY), Inc., for his longstanding commitment to safety of the students and staff at Minuteman. 

More than 120 school superintendents, police chiefs and fire chiefs joined Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan and members of MPY to honor Dr. Bouquillon in a virtual ceremony. The annual event brings together staff from the district attorney’s office, law enforcement, educators, and community leaders to collaborate on student safety, juvenile justice, and crime prevention strategies. 

“It’s a tremendous honor to be recognized for our commitment to the safety and health of our students and staff,” Bouquillon said. 

In selecting Dr. Bouquillon for the 2020 award, MPY cited the integration of security cameras, tap-card systems, information technology infrastructure, and other innovative and cost-effective security features in the new Minuteman High School building that opened in September 2019. 

“Security and safety were foremost in our minds as we worked with students, staff and our architects, from Kaestle Boos Associates, to create a welcoming, yet secure, learning environment,” Bouquillon said. “It’s the work of my committed team, and our shared dedication to fostering a safe environment, which has allowed Minuteman to become a leader in school safety design and implementation. We thank our partners in the law enforcement, first responders, and firefighting communities for their collaboration in this important effort.” 

The Schettini Award, named after the late Reading schools superintendent, is presented annually to a school superintendent, fire chief or police chief for their commitment to the health and safety of students in their communities. 

“We are continually impressed with Minuteman’s commitment to proactively address safety and social-emotional support for students,” said Margie Daniels, executive director of MPY.

Around Town

Plenty Going on at the Watertown Senior Center This Week

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Watertown Senior Center

The following information was provided by the Watertown Senior Center:

The Watertown Council on Aging/Senior Center has been offering fitness, art and discussion programs via ZOOM! Please call the Senior Center at 617-972-6490 for program information and ZOOM access. Mondays

10:00 AM, Art Class with Dawn Scaltreto

12:30 PM, Chair Yoga with Diane

Mondays, 12/14 and 12/28 at 2:00 PM, Secrets of Armenian Cuisine with Naire

Tuesdays

12:30 PM, Tai Chi and Meditation with Marie

2:00 PM, Line Dancing with Bradley

Tuesday, 12/8 at 10:00 AM, Discovery Corps Engagement in Retirement

Tuesday, 12/15 at 9:30 AM, Director Coffee “Looking Ahead”

Tuesday, 12/22 at 10:00 AM, Public Safety Coffee

Wednesdays

11:00 AM, Exercise with Joanna

Wednesday, 12/2 at 2:00 PM, Armenian Music Concert

Wednesday, 12/9 at 2:00 PM, LGBTQ Coffee

Wednesday, 12/30 at 2:00 PM, Holiday Music Hour with John Clark

Thursdays

9:00 AM, Pilates

10:30 AM, Conversation with Tom; Senior Center member Tom Lewis leads this informal discussion group. Current events and issues pertaining to aging well are discussed. Thursday, 12/10 at 2:00 PM, Protect Yourself from Medicare Fraud

Thursday, 12/17 at 2:00 PM, Ask the Pharmacist

Fridays

10:00 AM, Exercise with Shannon

12:00 PM, Seated Strength and Balance with Pearl.

Cartoon

Small Saves Makes a Sacrifice in This Week’s Cartoon

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Cartoon by James DeMarco

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.”

Government

Draft of Bike & Ped Plan to be Discussed at Public Meeting; New Path Behind Library

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The draft of Watertown’s new Bike and Pedestrian Plan will be discussed at a public meeting in December, and the Town has a new section of the Community Path near the Watertown Library. Watertown Transportation Planner Laura Wiener sent out the following information:

New Bike and Ped Plan will Pave the Way for more Biking and Walking.  

Public Meeting December 7. The Town is undertaking a Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan, to show the way toward roads and sidewalks that welcome bikers and pedestrians, along with cars. Partnering in this endeavor are the Town Council, the Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee, the Department of Community Development and Planning, Public Works Department, and McMahon and Associates.  This effort has been ongoing for about a year.There will be a public meeting to review the Draft Plan, on Monday evening December 7, 2020, at 7:00PM via Zoom. The meeting is hosted by the Town Council Committees on Economic Development and Planning and Public Works. The consultant, McMahon and Associates, will present the draft plan and its recommendations, and then take questions and comments from Council members and the public.The Draft Plan, and other information is available on the Town website, HERE.  Click on the Flyer link for a link to the presentation and the Zoom meeting.Bike Ped Plan Project Goals

Increase opportunities for bicycling and walking, and thereby reduce the number of vehicle trips in Watertown.Increase safety and access for bicyclists and pedestrians, to promote biking and walking.Create a road map for future improvements to the Bicycle and Pedestrian network. 

Quick Build Community Path Extension in Watertown Square

Have you noticed some changes behind Town Hall and the Library?  The Town received funding from a MassDOT program called Shared Streets/Shared Spaces, to fund quick-build projects that support Covid-friendly outdoor activities.

Business

New Hotel Opening on Arsenal Street by End of 2020

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The Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton is scheduled to open by the end of 2020 at Arsenal Yards. The following information was provided by Boylston Properties:

Boylston Properties and Stonebridge Companies today announced that the Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton™ Watertown Boston is scheduled to open at the end of December 2020 in the heart of Arsenal Yards. The hotel will be a welcomed addition to the limited hotel options that currently exist in Watertown, which is a growing destination for Boston/Cambridge leisure travel, business travel within the exploding biotechnology industry, and patients and staff of the well-established medical community in Boston, to name a few. The property will operate as a Hilton franchise, owned by a joint venture of Boylston Properties and the Stonebridge Companies, and managed by Stonebridge Companies. In an ideal location directly on Arsenal Street, and just minutes from Cambridge and Boston, the hotel serves as a gateway to historical attractions and new and upcoming venues.

Business

Boston Restaurant Opening Second Location in Watertown

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The following announcement was provided by Arsenal Yards:

Boylston Properties and Wilder proudly announced today that they’ve leased 3,000 square feet at Watertown’s Arsenal Yards to local celebrity chef and restaurateur, Jason Santos. Following the success of Buttermilk & Bourbon in Boston’s Back Bay, the nationally-recognized chef will open his second location of the popular restaurant in the new neighborhood in 2021, bringing a taste of Southern hospitality to Watertown. The New Orleans’ inspired restaurant will be an exciting addition to the eclectic mix of offerings at Arsenal Yards, which will offer a true neighborhood experience with its more than one million square feet of retail shops, residential apartments, life science space, and a 146-room hotel when construction is completed in Fall 2021.   

“For a chef of Jason Santos’ caliber to open his next restaurant at Arsenal Yards only adds to the incredible level of buzz that Arsenal Yards and the town of Watertown is currently receiving,” said Bill McQuillan, Principal at Boylston Properties. “And while COVID-19 continues to greatly impact our communities and neighborhoods, we couldn’t be more grateful to share some positive news about one of the best chefs and restaurant groups in Boston. Our team is committed as ever to creating a unique place for people to work, live, and simply just enjoy, and Jason and Buttermilk & Bourbon are the perfect complement to this lasting, energized experience that we’re creating at Arsenal Yards.”

Letters

LETTER: Residents Support Middle School Student Who Spoke Out Against Racial Harassment

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Editor,

We write this letter in support of the Watertown middle school student who has endured repeated racist attacks by her peers. We do not know this student personally, but as a White family and longtime residents of Watertown, we want her to know that we stand with her in solidarity. This young woman, at just 13-years-old, should be applauded and encouraged for using her voice and fighting for racial justice and deserves nothing less than support from our schools and community. Recently a local news channel covered the extensive harassment of this Black Watertown middle school student by her classmates. According to the interview, the harassment started when the student began speaking out against racism and affirming that black lives matter.