Around Town

LETTER: Former Watertown Middle School Teacher Looks to Heal, Rebuild Relationships in Spirit of MLK Jr.

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The following letter was written to you, my Watertown community, almost a year ago. It was written upon Watertown News’ request for a statement from me on March 5th, 2021. As an employee of the Watertown Public Schools, I was not permitted to make such a statement at any time over the past year. Having now resigned from WPS, I would love the opportunity to share my thoughts with you and hopefully work towards some healing and rebuilding of the fractured relationships that last year’s incidents engendered. I can’t think of a better time to do this than Martin Luther King Day 2022.

City Council

Residents Share the Qualities They Want in Next City Manager, Consultant Outlines Process

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Watertown City Hall

Residents shared a long list of qualities and qualifications they would like to see in Watertown’s next City Manager during a community forum hosted by the City Council and the manager search firm. The focus was getting input from residents during the Ad Hoc Committee on the Town Manager Search forum on Wednesday, which lasted more than 90 minutes. Residents also got a chance to pose questions about the search process to Bernie Lynch of Community Paradigm Associates. During the forum, Lynch said he expects the Watertown City Manager position will get a lot of interest from qualified candidates. Qualities and Qualifications

A variety of qualifications were suggested by participants, including having strong financial management experience, good communication skills, and being a good manager of department heads and employees.

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.