COVID-19

COVID Cases Reported in Watertown Schools, Student Vaccine Clinic Planned

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Several cases of COVID-19 have been reported in the Watertown Public Schools community, and Superintendent Dede Galdston said officials are planning how to handle the return from winter vacation. Details of what the plan is for the return to school have not been announced, but part of the Watertown School’s response will be a vaccination clinic in early January, according to a letter sent out by Galdston and Director of Student Services Kathleen Desmarais on Dec. 29. “We believe that there is community transmission at this time, so we are currently considering options to maximize testing and safety upon our return after the break,” the letter reads. Statewide, the Mass.

Government

Watertown’s Inauguration Ceremony Canceled Due to Increasing COVID Cases

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Watertown City Hall

The Watertown inauguration ceremony has been cancelled due to increasing cases of COVID-19, but the newly-elected officials will still be sworn-in on Jan. 3. City Council President Mark Sideris announced the cancellation on Tuesday. “It is with great regret and with an abundance of caution that we will be cancelling the inauguration that was scheduled for Jan. 3rd,” Sideris said in a statement.

Attendance Zones

Watertown Elementary School Attendance Areas to be Examined by New Committee

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Charlie BreitroseThe public gathered outside the new Cunniff Elementary School. Elementary attendance zones will be studied by a new ad hoc committee. The attendance areas for Watertown’ three elementary schools may be redrawn by a new committee created to study the issue. Superintendent Dede Galdston told the School Committee in December about the ad hoc committee to study the attendance zones. “As we complete (construction on) two elementary schools and are starting a third, it is the perfect time to look at attendance zones,” Galdston said.

Charity

LETTER: Wayside Thanks Generous Donors During the Holiday Season

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Social Service Resource Specialists/Wayside staff preparing holiday gifts and gift cards for families to pick-up. The holiday season is upon us and it’s the most wonderful time of the year for many. Yet for some, it can be challenging to afford gifts for their loved ones. Each year, Wayside Youth & Family Support Network’s Multi-Service Center works with local churches and businesses, to provide holiday gifts for families. Once again this year, families served through Watertown’s Social Services Resource Specialist Program were recipients of these generous donations.

Arts

Watertown Author Wins Short Story Contest, See Where to Read the Piece

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Watertown author Kathleen Spivack won the Gemini Magazine Short Story Contest. Watertown resident Kathleen Spivak’s short story Moths, was chosen from around 900 entries as the winner of the 12th annual Gemini Magazine Short Story Contest. According to the magazine, Moths is a riveting account of a woman who clashes with her husband over the future of their special needs child. Spivack’s winning story was published online in the December issue of Gemini and she received a $1,000 award. A blind selection process is used in Gemini’s contest in which the judges do not see the authors’ names until the winning pieces are chosen. The award is a group decision where the editor, David Bright, and volunteer readers narrow down the list and then vote on the stories on the shortlist.

Police/Fire

Two Watertown Homes Broken Into This Week, Residents Were Home During One

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Residents should be sure to lock the doors and windows of their homes, Watertown Police said, after a pair of break-ins this week. On Friday, the Watertown Police Department put out messages on social media alerting the public to the incidents. The first one occurred on Lovell Road on Dec. 21, and police said entry was gained through a rear locked door sometime between 3 p.m. and 11 p.m.

In the late hours of Dec. 23, a Common Street home was broken into.

Bluebikes

Watertown Looks to Lease Electric Shuttles for Pleasant Street Connector

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Watertown TMAThe Watertown Connector started running the week of Labor Day. The shuttle goes down Pleasant Street to Watertown Square and then heads to Harvard Square. It is open to the general public. The City of Watertown wants to go green by seeking funds for two electric vehicles for the recently launched shuttle running from the Westside to Harvard Square. The Council recently signed a letter requesting a three-year grant through the Community Connections program run by MassDOT to lease two battery-powered vehicles to replace the one gas-powered shuttle currently being operated.

Anthony Donato

In 4 Years Anthony Donato Left Mark the Council, Colleagues Remember a Sharp Mind, Kind Demeanor

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Councilor at Large Anthony Donato stepped down after four years. His final meeting was Dec. 14. In a relatively short time on the Council, Anthony Donato left his mark and was remembered by his colleagues as a sharp, detail oriented and, most of all, kind Councilor. After four years — two terms — Donato chose not to run for re-election as Councilor at Large.