Anthony Donato

LETTER: Town Councilor Donato Won’t Seek Re-election, Proud of Council’s Work & Thanks Residents for Support

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Anthony Donato

Editor,

It has been one of the greatest honors of my life to serve on the Town Council, representing the hometown that means so much to me, but I have decided not to run for reelection this year. The decision to not run was more difficult to make than the initial decision to run a few years ago. Serving on the Town Council represents a significant time commitment and I am not currently in a position to make that commitment for another term. I am incredibly proud of the work the Town Council has accomplished during my tenure and I am excited about the groundwork we have laid for Watertown’s future. I am extremely grateful for all of the help and support I have received from Watertown’s residents, my colleagues on the Town Council as well as the Town’s Administration and Staff.

Connie Henry

LETTER: Town Council Candidate Hosts Listening Session

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Town Council candidate Connie Henry, right, held her first listening session in District D.

The Committee to Elect Connie Henry held the first Listening Session for District D residents on July 19th. Connie Henry, a candidate for Town Councilor, District D, values the opportunity to learn and listen from as many residents as possible early in the campaign and to provide a space for dialogue between neighbors. The event used a ‘World Cafe’ model with each of four stations (backyard tables!) focused on important topics: Development and Traffic, Green Spaces and the Environment, Education and Public Safety, and Equity, Inclusion and Communication. As they visited each station, participants generated ideas, concerns, and hopes and discussed them with one another, writing and drawing on large poster boards. It was a productive -and fun- evening.

Around Town

LETTER: School Mental Health Professional, Mother of 2 Running for School Committee

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Jessica Middlebrook announced her run for School Committee. She is shown with her two daughters at Watertown Town Hall. My name is Jessica Middlebrook and I am thrilled to announce my candidacy for Watertown School Committee. In the wake of the most disruptive and painful school year in living memory, our community needs experienced, empathic leaders who will build connections, foster difficult but important conversations, and work toward creating equitable school cultures where all students feel valued and safe. With my experience as a parent and school mental health professional, my strong progressive values, and my abiding love for our community, I know that I can help our schools work better for all our kids and families.  

My husband, David, and I have been residents of Watertown for the past 12 years. We were drawn here to start our family because of its diversity and caring, engaged community.

Environment

LETTER: Invasive Plant Spreading in Watertown, Poisonous to to Some Animals

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The blooms of the black swallow-wort. The plant is poisonous to butterflies and other animals. By Nicole Gardner and Douglas Hood

Black swallow-wort is a non-native, highly invasive plant that is poisonous to butterfly populations and other animals, and which toxifies the soil to benefit itself and harm other plants. We need to act right now to stop its spread and protect the Monarchs, other animals, and other plants. Black swallow-wort can be found all around Watertown, sprouting up through and even strangling lush well-established perennials and shrubs, along chain-link fences, in empty patches of dirt, or coming up between pavement cracks.

Elections

LETTER: Watertown Mother, Educator Running for School Committee

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School Committee candidate Jennifer Nicholson, her husband Ryan Nicholson (Assistant Fire Chief on the Watertown Fire Department), and their children. My name is Jennifer (Holt) Nicholson and as a lifelong resident of Watertown, I am thrilled to announce my candidacy for the Watertown School Committee. It would be a tremendous honor for me to serve with pride and give back to the community that has given so much to my entire family. My children, incoming third and first graders at Cunniff, are fourth generation students of Watertown Public Schools. My husband, who is currently Assistant Fire Chief for the Watertown Fire Department, and I both graduated from Watertown High School in 2003.

Letters

OP-ED: The Lavender Bamboo Ceiling — LGBT+ x AAPI Perspectives on the Workplace

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Jason Ng

By Jason Ng (he/him)Director of PRIDE, NAAAP Boston & Civil Engineer, Sasaki Associates

I’ll admit, it sounds weirdly specific to say I lead a group dedicated to LGBT+ Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) professionals. But on the heels of AAPI Heritage Month, in the thick of the growing #stopasianhate movement, and marching through Pride Month, this is our moment and we have a unique story to share. 

I write this piece to show you what I’ve gathered as common themes that affect LGBT+ AAPI individuals in the workplace. These stem from conversations with various folks I’ve met through my life and career, from personal experiences, and from my own NAAAP PRIDE team and community. However, I should clarify that this list cannot possibly encompass the vast diversity of LGBT+ AAPI experiences. I speak mostly from my perspective as a cisgender, gay, mixed Chinese- and Vietnamese-American man in the built environment industry, and it would be irresponsible to ignore the specific privileges and limitations of my worldview. 

Let’s dig into how these three aspects of identity overlap.

Heat Related Early Release

OP-ED: Parent Group’s Preliminary Results of Heat-Related School Early Release Survey

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The WPS Parent’s Action Group was formed in order to assess the impact of Watertown Public School (WPS) policies, including school closures, on Watertown families. 

We are extraordinarily privileged to live in a school district which cares about social equity and our little group of parents seeks to aid the school district in understanding the needs and realities of Watertown families through, among other things, innovative and nimble data analysis. 

The survey issued this week in relation to the WPS early closures is part of a broader project concerning accountability and transparency for the school district in making decisions that may disparately affect families.  The ultimate goal of these inquiries is to both understand the impact of decisions on families, as well as to imagine creative possibilities for supporting families. Preliminary Report

Heat-Related Early School Closure Family Impact Study

Dr. Lisa Lucile Owens

January 8, 2021

WPS Parent’s Action Committee

While our survey addressing the family impacts of the recent early school closures is still open and gathering data, this communication shares some preliminary data. On June 7 and 8, 2021, the Watertown Public School (WPS) district, as well as a number of other suburban school districts in eastern Massachusetts closed schools in the afternoons due to temperatures which reached 94 degrees Fahrenheit. This closure was first communicated to parents past 9:00 PM the night before the initial closure. As mask mandates at WPS schools are still in place, and the schools lack sufficient air conditioning, the school district made the decision to close school in the afternoon for all students.

Development

LETTER: In Support of Modification of Plan for Arsenal on the Charles

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We would like to voice our support for the modification of the Masterplan for the Arsenal on the Charles site which was submitted by Alexandria Real Estate (ARE) to the planning Board on June 9th. 

For many reasons, we believe that the ARE submission is far superior to the current Master Plan. 

The proposal brings economic development that is consistent with Watertown’s comprehensive plan, bringing excellent job opportunities in growing fields. It features state of the art carbon reduction strategies for its buildings, aggressive targets for reducing its overall carbon footprint and increased publicly accessible open space. 

ARE has previously worked in Watertown and has a demonstrated track record as a developer that engages with neighbors and contributes to the community.  Responding to citizen concerns, ARE modified its earlier landscaping plan to address the community’s recognition of the importance of trees for a healthy environment.  The plan that was presented to the Planning Board calls for 129 more trees than are currently on the site. ARE has developed a comprehensive plan that will maintain more of the larger trees on the site, transplant some existing trees to new locations and plant many new trees, paying careful attention to selecting species most suited to the Intended use. We have seen many transformations of the Watertown Arsenal over the years.  The community had important feedback for ARE. The developer listened and responded, leading to an excellent proposal for a sustainable and attractive project that will make the thriving Arsenal property even better than it is today.