Around Town

School Officials Say $6 million Hike Needed to Provide Excellent Education

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Superintendent Jean Fitzgerald, second from left, Assistant Superintendent Dari Donovan, second from right and financial specialist Frank Colvario presented the first draft of the Fiscal 2015 Watertown School Budget. Director of Student Services Arlene Shainker also participated. Photo by Charlie Breitrose

By Charlie Breitrose

School officials discussed a very preliminary school budget for the 2014-15 school year, but one number stuck out – an increase of $6 million or 16 percent officials said they need to provide the education that Watertown’s students need. The increase is based on what principals and program directors said they needed to run their school or program right, said Assistant Superintendent Dari Donovan said during Thursday’s School Committee Budget and Finance Subcommittee meeting. “This is what people really feel like that need to proved an excellent education to students next year,” Donovan said.

Around Town

Feds Nab Connecticut Man for Allegedly Trying to Meet Minor for Sex in Watertown

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By Charlie Breitrose

A man who drove from Connecticut to Watertown to allegedly have sex with an underage girl was arrested yesterday and faces multiple charges. Paul R. Hinkel, 56, of Chester, Conn., faces federal charges that he persuaded, induced, enticed or coerced a minor to engage in sexual activity, according to a press release from United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz’s office. “We vigorously pursue defendants who intend to use the Internet to evade detection and to infringe on the protections of children,” Ortiz said. Hinkel responded to an ad on Craigslist which he thought was placed by a woman who was looking for a man to have a “relatioship” which would also include her underage daughter. The ad, however, was placed by undercover Homeland Security Investigation agents, according to the announcement.

Around Town

Shortage of ESL Teachers in Watertown Schools

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By Charlie Breitrose

One in ten students in the Watertown Public Schools are in English as a Second Language classes, but more than half are not getting the ESL (now known as English Language Learner) instruction that is required by state law.The students are in all five Watertown schools, and they come in speaking one of 27 different languages, said ESL Program Director Allison Levit said during a School Committee Budget and Finance Subcommittee meeting. Students who know the least amount of English are supposed to get 150 minutes a day of ESL instruction. That amount drops to 60-120 minutes for mid-level students and 30 minutes for those close to moving into a regular classroom full time, Levit said. A couple years ago Watertown Middle School received an award for its ESL program, but now the system is struggling. Levit, who is in her second year as director, asked for more staff last year, and did not receive any more instructors.

Around Town

Is Your Street on the Watertown Road Improvement Plan?

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Road repairs are coming to Watertown. Photo by Charlie Breitrose

By Charlie Breitrose

The list of Watertown roads that will be repaired, and in some cases completely rebuilt, was approved by the Town Council last week. The projects will repair 12 roads and will cost $25 million. Some will be repaired with the reclamation method, where the entire road is taken up, ground up and laid down again. Others will be fixed with the mill and overlay, where the top layer is ground down and a new layer of asphalt is put down.

Around Town

Road Race Planned for First Anniversary of Capture of the Bombing Suspect

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A poster for the Watertown Police fun run on April 19. By Charlie Breitrose

A year after Watertown residents filled the streets after the capture of the Boston Marathon Bombing suspect, people will take to town roads – this time for a road race sponsored by the Watertown Police. The 5K race will be held on Saturday, April 19 at 10 a.m. and will raise money for a number of organizations, including the One Fund, the Watertown Police Foundation and the Watertown Police Supervisor’s Association. One Fund benefits those impacted by the Marathon Bombings, and the Watertown Police Foundation supports programs for youth and schools in Watertown. The race begins at Tufts Health Plan at 705 Mt.

Around Town

Transportation Improvements May be in Watertown’s Future

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MBTA Buses may be one of the things improved under the Legislature’s Transportation Bond Bill. By Charlie Breitrose

Several proposals to improve transportation in Watertown have been included in the Legislature’s Transportation Bond Bill, including for buses, multi-use paths and intersection improvements. A summary of the proposals was collected by State Sen. Will Brownsberger’s office. The projects are proposed over the next five years. The joint House and Senate bills bot include:

$725,000 to create and improve the Community Path in Watertown
$1.3 million to create construct a multi-use path from Arlington Street in Watertown to Fresh Pond in Cambridge along a former railroad.

Around Town

A Dog Park May be Coming to a Watertown Park Near You

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By Charlie Breitrose

Dogs may soon have a place to run and play in Watertown. The Town Council voted Tuesday to ask town staff to explore the cost and timeline for building a dog run area in How Park on Pleasant Street, and investigate putting another one at Arsenal Park or Filippello Park. In addition, residents will be able to use a dog park being built as part of the new apartment complex being built on Waltham Street. The run at How Park would be 200 feet by 100 feet, and would be along the sloped area near Pleasant Street, said Watertown Director of Economic Development and Planning Steve Magoon. “It is sloped and has some trees, so it is not good for a ball field, but it is a good place for dogs to run around,” Magoon said.