COVID-19

LETTER: Lowell PTO Members Urge Watertown Schools to Move to In-Person Learning

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Lowell School in Watertown. Dear Dr. Galdston and Members of the Watertown School Committee,

As members of the J.R. Lowell School Parent Teacher Organization and the Cunniff School Parent Teacher Organization many of us have spent years volunteering our time to enrich the educational experience of Watertown Public School children. In March of 2020 we found ourselves in an unprecedented time and the unthinkable happened, all in person learning was suspended. Now, nearly a full year later, we are sincerely grateful for the many steps the school district has taken to keep our children and teachers safe. The thoughtful approach to return to the classroom, COVID testing for teachers and pooled COVID testing for students has in fact proven to keep our children safe.

Police/Fire

Police Log: Fraudulent GrubHub Order, Catalytic Converter Stolen

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The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department. Arrests

None. Incidents

Feb 15, 1:39 p.m.: A Watertown man reported that someone tried to cash a check in his name. The check was for $498, and the person attempted to cash it in Connecticut. He was notified by his bank about the attempt, and said the check was not from his checkbook.

Development

Zoning Board Approves Plans to Turn Former Tufts Building Into Biotech Space

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Plans to turn the former Tufts Health Plan building into biotech lab and office space was approved by the Zoning Board of Appeals. The Zoning Board of Appeals approved the project that will renovate and add on to the former Tufts Health Care building on Mt. Auburn Street on Wednesday night. The new owners, Spear Street Capital, wants to turn the area into life science office and lab space. Plans include renovating the interior of the main building, adding a small building on the back and renovating on the property near Grove Street.

Schools

Watertown’s Elementary School Projects to Finish Months Ahead of Schedule

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Recent photos of the construction at Hosmer (left) and Cunniff elementary schools. The construction of the new Cunniff and Hosmer elementary schools will be completed several months ahead of schedule. Students at Cunniff are projected to move into their new school three months early. At Hosmer, children and staff will return seven months early, with the entire project scheduled to be completed a year early, said Vivian Varbedian from owner’s project manager firm Hill International. The School Building Committee received the news last week, and it was shared with the Town Council on Tuesday night.

Entertainment

Council Approves Public Arts Master Plan, Creates New Committee

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A mural created on Melendy Avenue in 2015 is an example of public arts in Watertown. A committee will be formed to help Watertown implement the Public Arts Master Plan, which received approval from the Town Council on Tuesday night. While Watertown has had some public arts projects, most notably a series of murals created from 2013-15, it did not have a formal plan. Planning to create a master plan began in 2019, when the Watertown Department of Planning and Community Development brought on the Metropolitan Area Planning Council as a consultant. The group gathered input from multiple community forums, from online surveys and by speaking with local artists and stakeholders.

Around Town

COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic for Watertown Residents Age 65+ Planned

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UPDATE: All the appointments for this vaccine clinic have been filled. The Watertown Health Department announced that it will host a COVID-19 vaccine clinic for Watertown seniors age 65 and older. The Watertown Health Department has been allotted 100 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, per State requirements. 

A First-Shot clinic will be held for Watertown residents 65 and older ONLY (no caregivers) on Monday, March 1, 2021 from 9:30 AM to 2:30 PM, Community Room, Watertown Police Department, 552 Main Street. An appointment is required to get a vaccine. No walk-ins. Registration for the clinic can be done by following this link: https://www.maimmunizations.org/reg/5161005892

Watertown Seniors requiring assistance with registering for this clinic can call the Senior Center at (617) 972-6490.

Sports

One of the Best WHS Basketball Players Looking to Play at College’s Highest Level

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Gabe Spinelli returned to Watertown for his senior year. Coach Steve Harrington called him one of the best players he has coached. The pandemic has altered plans for many. While most of those changes fall in the negative column, there was a positive one for the Watertown High School boys basketball team, as it led to the return of a star player who’s looking to take his game to the Division I college level. Gabe Spinelli spent his first two years playing for the Raiders, and got some quality playing time on Watertown’s 2018 State Championship team his freshman year.

Entertainment

Library Hosting Virtual Events for One Book, One Watertown

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The Watertown Library provided the following announcement:

Following a difficult year, the Watertown Free Public Library has chosen an uplifting theme for this year’s One Book, One Watertown March events. As we all look forward to a reopened world, the Library invites our community to come together, virtually, to share what we love most (and miss the most) about being human. “This year’s One Book title, The Humans by Matt Haig, is all about the joys, frustrations, and often hilarious pitfalls of being human, as observed by an alien outsider,” says Jill Clements, WFPL Adult Services Supervisor. “We hope it will remind us all to cherish the things that bind us together, because, in the final analysis, we’re all we’ve got.”

Here’s what the Library has planned for March:

Community Book Discussion: The Humans by Matt Haig

Wednesday, 3/3 | 7 PM | via Zoom | The Wednesday Book Group is WFPL’s monthly book discussion group for adults. Discussions are informal and generally based on personal reactions, not academic analysis.