Around Town

Watertown Schools Getting 5% Budget Increase; Most Will Go to Staff, Minuteman

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Once again, the Town will include a 5 percent increase in education funding in Watertown’s Fiscal Year 2020 Budget — a $2.4 million increase — but much of that will be required to maintain the current education program and services, along with meeting an increase in the cost of sending students to Minuteman Regional Vocational Technical School. Last week, the School Committee heard a budget presentation from Superintendent Dede Galdston, who said that all but about $173,000 of the increase would be used on maintaining the level services budget and paying for the increase in Minuteman tuition. Some staff additions are still planned with the remaining money. New Staff

Among the additions in the Fiscal 2020 budget are two curriculum coaches at Watertown Middle School: one for literacy and the other for math. Similar positions have been successful in other schools, Galdston said.

Entertainment

UPDATED: Catch the Watertown High Musical, “Urinetown,” This Weekend

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Watertown High School will present the musical “Urinetown” three times this weekend. (The time of the Sunday production of Urinetown has been updated.)

Watertown High School will present three productions of the musical, Urinetown, this weekend. The WHS spring musical will be performed at the Watertown High School on Friday, March 8 at 7:00 p.m., Saturday, March 9 at 7:00 p.m., and Sunday, March 10 at 2:00 p.m.

Musical Theatre International had the following description of the show:

Urinetown, is in fact, a satire of almost every musical you can think of. More than this it parodies the traditions of musicals as a whole in terms of style, structure and story. It also jabs at the legal system, capitalism, corrupt corporation, waste in terms of the environment and our sense of entitlement (amongst other things).

Schools

First Images Released of What Watertown’s New Schools Could Look Like

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A look at what the inside of Hosmer School could look like. The view is from the top of the stadium seats in the learning commons, and looks down the atrium to the main entrance. The architects designing Watertown’s new elementary schools gave the School Building Committee a peek at what Hosmer, Cunniff and Lowell could look like after construction is complete. Scott Dunlap of Ai3 Architects showed what designers have come up with for what the outsides of the new buildings could look like. They have also laid out where the classrooms, gyms, cafeterias and other spaces would be located, even started to show where sinks and other fixtures could go in the rooms.

Some of the layouts have changed since the proposals first came before the School Building Committee.

Around Town

Watertown Youth Coalition Holding Town Hall, Performing with Improbable Players

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The Watertown Youth Coalition will host a Town Hall Meeting to present the results of the Well Being of Watertown Youth survey, and a theatrical presentation. Along with the presentation of the survey results of the Watertown Youth Coalition Peer Leaders will make their theatrical debut with the Improbable Players. The event will be on Wednesday, March 20, from 6-8:30 p.m. at the Watertown Free Public Library, 123 Main St., Watertown. To register go to http://bit.ly/wyctownhall. The Town Hall is sponsored by: Wayside Multi-Service Center, Watertown Public Schools, Watertown Police Department, Watertown Health Department, Donohue’s, Demos, Miller’s Ale House, Ixtapa Cantina, SAMHSA, and the MDPH Bureau of Substance Addiction Services.

Schools

Snow Day for Watertown Public Schools on Monday

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Watertown officials announced that the town’s Public Schools will be closed on Monday, March 4 due to the snow storm hitting the area. The storm is forecast to drop several inches of snow on area. Watertown officials announced the closing, among other places, on its Twitter account on Sunday night

The Watertown Public Schools will be closed tomorrow, Monday, March 4 due to the impending snow storm. Be safe and enjoy the snow!— Watertown Schools (@watertownschool) March 4, 2019

Follow Watertown News for more updates related to the storm.

Around Town

Performers Wanted for 8th Annual Watertown MusicFest

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A young cellist plays a duet during the Watertown MusicFest. The Friends of Watertown Music provided the following information:

Call to Performers! Friends of Watertown Music seeks musicians to perform at its 8th Annual Watertown MusicFest. 

Do you have a band? Enjoy performing solo? Are you looking for a place to play?

Schools

Applications Being Accepted for 51st Lt. Paul J. Sullivan Scholarship

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Lt. Paul Sullivan was killed in Vietnam in 1968, and a scholarship in his name has been given out for 50 years. Organizers of the Lt. Paul J. Sullivan Scholarship sent out the following announcement:

The Lieutenant Paul J. Sullivan Scholarship Committee is pleased to announce the 51st annual Lt. Paul J. Sullivan Scholarship. The Scholarship Award of $5,000 will be awarded to a deserving high school senior to perpetuate Paul’s memory. There will also be awards for the other finalists. Last year, a total of $23,000 was awarded to ten young men and women.