CTE

Committee Looking at Vocational, Technical Education to Include Parents & Residents

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The Watertown Public Schools will form a committee to look at the options for vocational and technical education available inside and outside the district, and the group will include parents and community members. For many years, Watertown has sent dozens of students to Minuteman High School in Lexington for vocational and technical education. Superintendent Dede Galdston said that the City is not part of the Minuteman High School District, but rather pays tuition for each resident to attend. “Watertown is a non-member, tuition-paying entity for Minuteman, which has worked for decades, but that changed with new (Minuteman) school — there are not as many students who can go to Minuteman,” Galdston said. Other vocational schools in the area, including Medford and Somerville, have vocational programs which are open to students who do not live in the district.

Government

Six Residents Sought to Serve on Watertown’s New Solid Waste & Recycling Committee

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Watertown DPW

The City of Watertown sent out the following announcement:

City Manager Michael J. Driscoll is seeking six (6) Watertown citizens interested in serving onthe Solid Waste and Recycling Advisory Committee. The Honorable City Council adopted Resolution 2022-01, a Resolution to Establish a Solid Waste and Recycling Advisory Committee at their January 11, 2022 meeting. The City of Watertown has established a Solid Waste and Recycling Advisory Committee in response to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection’s aggressive goals of the Commonwealth’s Solid Waste Master Plan to reduce disposal statewide by 30 percent from 2020 to 2030, and sets a long-term goal of achieving a 90 percent reduction in disposal statewide by 2050. The Committee’s responsibilities are defined as follows:

a. Research and make recommendations relating to recycling and reduction of solid wasteso that Watertown can meet the Commonwealth’s Solid Waste Master Plan milestones. b. Develop and engage in communication, education, and community outreach to increasepublic awareness for recycling and reduction of solid waste, including Watertown PublicSchools, the Farmers Market, Faire in the Square, and other venues.

Around Town

Council Wants to Start Moxley Courts Project Soon, Worried Neighbors May Oppose Street Hockey Rink

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CDM SmithA drawing of the proposed layout for the courts and a street hockey rink at Moxley Field. The City Council discussed plans to renovate the courts at Moxley Field, but one feature — a street hockey rink — caused concerns among the Councilors. The City’s goal is to complete the work by the fall of 2022, before the rest of Moxley Field goes under construction to be the temporary home of Watertown High School while the new school is built.

Planning for the courts began a few years ago, said Glenn Howard of CDM Smith, who made a presentation to the Council in November 2017. The idea of replacing one of the tennis courts with a street hockey court —‚ which could also be used for soccer, lacrosse or other sports — came up then. A public walk through of the site occurred in December 2017, and Council President Mark Sideris recalled that some neighbors opposed the idea of having a hockey rink there.

City Manager Search

City Manager Screening Committee to Include Two Residents, See How to Apply

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With the retirement of Michael Driscoll this month, Watertown will be hiring a new City Manager for the first time in nearly 30 years and residents can be part of the process. Two residents will be included in the committee that will screen the candidates for the position. On Tuesday night, Council President Mark Sideris announced that the Screening Committee would have seven members. Along with the two residents, there will be three City Councilors — Sideris as chair, Vice President Vincent Piccirilli and Caroline Bays, who chairs the Personnel and Town Organization Committee. There will also be two members of the City Administration or City employees, who have not yet been named.

Schools

COVID Cases in Watertown Schools Went Beyond What Officials Expected, New Protocols Discussed

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The number of COVID-19 cases in the Watertown Public Schools was beyond what officials expected, and the way that pool testing will be administered has changed so not as many students need to be retested. Superintendent Dede Galdston discussed the upsurge in COVID-19 cases in the schools, and the steps being taken to prevent the spread. She added that the number of positive cases in the week after Winter Break, 193, was by far the most seen in the Watertown Schools since the pandemic began. “What we experienced last week was not something any of us were prepared for. I am not sure any of us in any district were truly prepared for what happened last week,” Galdston said, who told the School Committee that she is in quarantine herself after testing positive for COVID-19.

Around Town

Watertown Unity Breakfast to be Held Virtually on MLK Jr. Day, Awards to be Given to Local Pastor & a Civil Rights Activist

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Charlie BreitroseA mural created by Watertown High School students for the 20th annual Unity Breakfast. The following announcement was provided by the Watertown Unity Breakfast organizers:

The annual Watertown Unity Breakfast will be hosted on January 17th – the anniversary of the birth of Martin Luther King Jr – at 10 a.m.

Since 2000, Watertown residents have come together to honor civil rights leaders, past and present, and to recommit to the principles of racial, social and economic justice. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s event will be virtual. Event registration is now open at www.unitybreakfast.org. The Unity Breakfast is sponsored by World In Watertown, a civic organization that was founded by concerned Watertown residents in 1999 to protect and promote non-discriminatory practices in the city. 

At this year’s event, organizers will announce the creation of a scholarship fund, to be awarded in 2023, designed to support extraordinary young people in the Watertown community who show immense promise as agents of change.

Government

Find Out What it is Like to Serve on a Watertown Board or Commission

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A panel discussion will be held about serving on a City board or commission. On Thursday, Jan. 13 at 6:30 p.m. a virtual panel discussion will be held about how to serve on one of the city’s appointed boards or commission. It will cover: what it’s like to serve, how to apply, and what positions are currently open. The panel will include:

• Amy Plovnick (Bicycle & Pedestrian Committee)

• Janet Buck (Stormwater Advisory Committee)

• Leo Martin (Conservation Commission), and

• Jeanne Trubek (Environment and Energy Efficiency Committee) 

All are invited to attend.