Letters

LETTER: Resident Shares Concern About Response to Book Reconsideration Request

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Dear Neighbors:

I’ve never been so disappointed in our city. Last week I attended the Library Trustee’s monthly Board meeting which included an agenda item on the policy for reconsideration of a book the summer reading list. This was largely due to a letter that I and other Jewish residents sent regarding concerns with one book on the second grade summer reading list curated by the Watertown Free Public Library and Watertown School District. We shared our concerns with how it framed Israel as the oppressor and sought to teach a young reader a history of Palestine with ideological views often seen as anti-Israel propaganda. In our letter we asked for a dialogue so we could share our concerns and have a conversation. Did we expect the book to be removed from the list? Maybe not. Did we expect our public institution overseen by elected officials would at least hear our concerns? We naively did. 

Around Town

Project Saves Receives $500K in Gifts as Photo Archive Celebrates 50th Anniversary

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Nigol Bezjian, center, filming in NYC, 1981. (Photo by Berg Zobian)

The following announcement was provided by Project Save:

Project Save Photographic Archive, a Massachusetts-based nonprofit dedicated to preserving the global Armenian experience through photography, has secured $500,000 in new financial gifts along with significant archival donations, marking major milestones for the organization’s 50th anniversary.

Weather

Weather Forecast: Rainy Weather Switching to Sunny Days With Temps in the 80s

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The end of July brings a major flip in the weather. After weeks of summer heat, clouds and a cool northeast breeze move in Thursday into Friday, and with it, the potential for a soaking rain. Some neighborhoods could pick up heavy totals, and if the rain bands line up just right, the National Weather Service may hoist flood watches for parts of southern New England Thursday night into Friday. The weekend turns gorgeous, sunny, dry, and comfortable, before warmth and humidity slowly return next week, setting up a more classic August pattern by late week.