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School Officials Outline Strategies to Improve Watertown’s Special Education Program

By Charlie Breitrose | 1 hour ago

A study of the Watertown Public Schools’ special education found a number of areas of concerns, including a lack of uniformity, a need for better communication with families, and a distrust among parents of students in the program.

Restaurants Won’t be Allowed to Automatically Include Plastic Utensils Under New Ordinance

Restaurants in Watertown will not longer be able to automatically include packets of plastic utensils with takeout or deliver orders. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

A new ordinance approved by the City Council prohibits restaurants from automatically including plastic utensils with takeout orders, however customers can request these items when they order or pick up their food.

Council President Outlines City’s Protections for Undocumented Immigrants, Does Not Favor an Executive Order

City Council President Mark Sideris. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

After receiving questions about and requests to protect immigrants in Watertown in recent weeks, City Council President Mark Sideris emphasized the steps being taken by the City to provide safety and security, but said he does not favor the City Council passing a resolution or executive order regarding immigrants in Watertown.

Watertown Eco Fest will Feature Sustainable Vendors, Demonstrations & Activities for All Ages

The second annual Watertown Eco Fest will feature activities including electric bike test rides, vendors of sustainable products, activities for kids, and more. The event, hosted by the City of Watertown, will also include representatives from City departments and community organizations focused on sustainability.

More Headlines

Robotics Company Builds on Watertown’s History of Manufacturing in Former Mill Building

School Committee Update: Budget, Fees, Cell Phones in Schools, Special Ed Strategy

Lafayette Celebrated (Again) in Watertown for Contributions to American Revolution

Cunniff School

Dirt Removal Caused Messy Streets, Increased Cost for School Projects

By Charlie Breitrose | September 24, 2020

A view of the design for the new Cunniff Elementary School. The old building has been demolished, and the first parts of the steel for the new school has been delivered. Dirt from excavation getting on the street has been an issue at both Cunniff and Hosmer, in East Watertown.

Hundreds of truckloads of soil have been removed from the building sites of the new Hosmer and Cunniff elementary schools, which has caused a bit of a mess on nearby streets and added to the cost of the project.

Government

Town Conducting Fire Hydrants Leak Detection Survey, Hydrants Still in Service

By Charlie Breitrose | September 24, 2020

The Watertown Department of Public Works will be examining the fire hydrants in town for leaks, and while the hydrants will have a “out of service” covering on them, the hydrants will still be operational in an emergency.

Around Town

Watertown Cable Offering Remote Workshops on Video Production

By Guest Writer | September 24, 2020

The following information was provided by Watertown Cable:

Watertown residents of all ages are invited to sign up for Watertown Cable Access Corporations remote workshops, which will take place during the months of October, November, and December. These workshops will be available in two formats: Live webinar and Q&A. For the live webinar format, a WCA-TV instructor will teach a two hour workshop via Zoom.

Police/Fire

Purchase of New Ambulance Approved, Number of Calls Increasing

By Charlie Breitrose | September 23, 2020

The Watertown Fire Department will be getting a new ambulance, which will help with the increasing numbers of medical calls to which paramedics respond.

Sports

Space Still Available for Watertown Rec’s Adult Tennis, Pickleball Programs

By Guest Writer | September 23, 2020

Watertown Recreation’s adult tennis and pickleball programs begin this week, and there is still space available.

Around Town

State Discussing Renumbering of Highway Exits at Virtual Meeting

By Guest Writer | September 23, 2020

The following information was provided by MassDOT:

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) is announcing an upcoming virtual Public Information Meeting for MassDOT’s Statewide Exit Renumbering Project on Thursday, Sept. 24 from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. This project is converting all existing exit numbers on freeways to a milepost-based numbering system, per Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) requirements.

Schools

Watertown Among Districts Encouraged by State to Return to In-Person Learning

By Charlie Breitrose | September 22, 2020

The Watertown Public Schools welcomed students back Tuesday with classes being taught remotely via computer. On Monday, the Massachusetts education officials sent a letter to Watertown and other districts running virtual classes asking when they will start running in-person classes.

Business

Find Out About Proposed Galen St. Project at 2 Virtual Community Meetings

By Charlie Breitrose | September 22, 2020

The areas on Galen Street proposed to become life science lab space. In February, the orange area was rezoned from Limited Business to Industrial 2, the same as the grey area.

The developers of a project at the former Colonial Buick GMC dealer on Galen Street will be discussing plans for the site at a pair of virtual community meetings.