Minuteman High School

New Minuteman High School Celebrated at Grand Opening

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The ribbon cutting at the new Minuteman High School in Lexington. Pictured, from left, are Needham Selectman Dan Matthews, Minuteman Superintendent-Director Dr. Edward A. Bouquillon, State Senator Cindy Friedman, State Treasurer Deborah Goldberg, Executive Director of the Massachusetts School Building Authority Jack McCarthy, Ford Spalding, Dover representative to the Minuteman District School Committee and chair of the Minuteman School Building Committee, and State Rep. Michelle Ciccolo. The following piece was provided by Minuteman High School. Dozens of Watetown students attend the vocational high school. State Senator Cindy Friedman said that on the morning of Friday, October 4, when a grand opening and ribbon cutting that she attended was held at the new Minuteman High School, she could not get one song out of her mind – “The Long and Winding Road” by the Beatles.

Letters

OP-ED: Raising Our Rate of Investment in Transportation

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Buses like this one on the 71 bus will get priority heading toward Harvard Square on Mt. Auburn Street in the new Cambridge-Watertown Bus Priority Pilot program. The following piece was provided by State Sen. Will Brownsberger, D – Belmont, who also represents Watertown and parts of Boston:

The MBTA’s Board heard a presentation last week from leaders of Toronto’s regional rail system. What was really stunning was how rapidly Toronto has been investing in all forms of transit improvement and expansion. 

Since 2008, Toronto’s regional leadership has been engaged in a series of transit expansions which will add up to a total investment of approximately $60 billion by 2028. Annual spending has reached a level over $4 billion in some years. Four billion dollars in well-managed transit investments within one year represents staggering progress. In Massachusetts, we have struggled to raise our annual investment to $1 billion per year on transit. In private and public meetings officials ask constantly whether we can move more quickly, but again and again the answer has been that we don’t have the planning and management capacity to do so.

Letters

LETTER: This Monday, Let’s Remember What Really Happened

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It is 2019 and the Commonwealth is still celebrating a man whose crews carried out mass genocide, enslavement, and rape of indigenous people in the West Indies. While many of us have the day off from work or school, most people probably don’t think about Christopher Columbus or his legacy on this holiday — they’re just glad to have the day off, or to get sales at their favorite stores. So why are many cities around the state and country changing the name of this holiday to Indigenous Peoples Day? Much for the same reason that confederate statues and the place names of known racists are being removed. It is not to erase these people from history — rather, it recognizes that these people should not continue to be honored.

Age 55+

Panel of News Outlets, Non-Profits Will Discuss How to Reach Older Adults

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Groups looking to reach older adults in Watertown can attend a panel discussion hosted by the Marshall Home Fund in late October. The group provided the following announcement:

The Marshall Home Fund, a community-based charitable foundation benefiting Watertown residents age 55 and older, is sponsoring a free workshop for non-profits interested in promoting their services and programs to our dynamic community of older adults and exploring the challenges of reaching those who are isolated. A panel of experts representing local news media and organizations that serve our older adults will include the Council on Aging, Perkins School for the Blind, Springwell, Watertown News, Watertown Free Public Library, Watertown Tab, and the Watertown Housing Authority. They will exchange ideas, experiences, and insights to help non-profits increase their outreach to older adults. The workshop will be held on Wednesday, Oct.

Government

Reconstruction of Belmont Street to be Discussed at Meeting

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A meeting will be held to discuss the plans to reconstruct Belmont Street and the sidewalks in the area on Tuesday, Oct. 15 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

The meeting will he held at the Buckingham Browne & Nichols Administration Building at 46 Belmont St. (rear of the Sacred Heart Parish, 770 Mt. Auburn St.)

This is the second in a series of meetings to view and discuss conceptual plans for the reconstruction of Belmont Street, and abutting sidewalks, by the City of Cambridge. The sidewalks on the south side, from the area of Watertown’s Brimmer and Francis Streets, to the intersection with Mt. Auburn St., are located in Watertown and will be reconstructed as part of the project. 

Information on the project is available on the Town of Watertown and City of Cambridge websites as follows:

https://www.watertown-ma.gov/Calendar.aspx?EID=21694

https://www.cambridgema.gov/Departments/PublicWorks/CityProjects/2019/belmontstreetreconstructionproject

Arts

Public Invited to Share Ideas for Public Art Master Plan

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The mural facing the Saltonstall Park basketball courts is one example of public art in Watertown. The Public Arts Master Plan Advisory Committee seeks other ideas at a public meeting. The Watertown Public Arts Master Plan Advisory Committee seeks input from the public about what kinds of public art they would like to see in town. A meeting will be held later this month to provide people with more information about the Public Arts Master Plan, and to gather input. Organizers sent out the following announcement:

What should public arts in Watertown look like?

Cartoon

Small Saves: The Leaky Roof

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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.”

Arts

Watertown Actress in Stage Production of The Rocky Horror Show

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Watertown’s Janis Hudson will be part of Moonbox Productions’ The Rocky Horror Show in Harvard Square. The following announcement was provided by Moonbox Productions:

Watertown actor, Janis Hudson, stars in Moonbox Productions upcoming productions of the The Rocky Horror Show opening on Oct. 17 and running through Nov. 2. Moonbox will perform the production in a pop-up theatre located in the heart of Harvard Square at 25 Brattle Street, the former home of Hidden Sweets.