Schools

Watertown Schools to Offer Free PreK Starting in Fall 2024

By |

(Courtesy of Watertown Public Schools)

Starting next fall, Watertown will offer free pre-kindergarten classes for 90 4-year-olds in town as part of a new universal PreK program. Since she arrived in Watertown, Superintendent Dede Galdston has been talking about offering universal PreKindergarten. She hoped that the district would get financial help from the federal or state government, but that has not materialized. “Sooner or later, if we feel this is something that is true to our core values, we might want to consider doing it ourselves,” Galdston told the School Committee on Monday. “So, I think we are at the moment and time where I think we do so.”

Around Town

New Banh Mi Restaurant Opens in Watertown, Grand Opening This Week

By |

Watertown has a new destination for Vietnamese sandwiches known as banh mi. Boston Restaurant Talk posted that Banh Mi Cafe has opened at 102 Main Street in Watertown. The location is next to O Some Cafe and is across from the Watertown Fire Station. According to the Banh Mi Cafe Instagram site, the restaurant also serves bubble tea. The restaurant will have a Grand Opening celebration on Feb.

Government

Watertown Appoints New Director of Health Department

By |

The following announcement came from the City of Watertown:

Congratulations to Abbey Myers, the City of Watertown’s new permanent Director of Public Health, effective, Monday, February 5, 2024. Abbey has been a key member of the Health Department’s staff since she was hired, providing customer service while coordinating many aspects of public health, from updating our COVID policy, to attending emergency management training, building our new rodent policy, establishing better rules for dumpsters, and catching bats (yes . . . bats!). 

She stepped up into the Interim Director role, in August of 2023, where she has served the public well, staffing the Board of Health meetings, managing the Health Department staff, and organizing the Department’s move to the Parker Annex last week.

Police/Fire

Police Log: Man Arrested for Taking Pair of Shoes, Check Stolen from Mail Box

By |

The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department. Jan. 27, 5:40 a.m.: Five people were seen exiting Milk Vape Shop on Arlington Street, got into a black SUV and sped away toward Arsenal Street. Four men and a woman, all wearing dark clothing, went into the store, jumped over the counter and took approximately $5,000 in merchandise. Detectives responded to the scene and found pry marks on the front door.

Entertainment

Watertown Resident Designing Costumes for The Huntington’s Upcoming New Play

By |

Watertown’s Zoe Sundra is the costume designer for The Huntington’s upcoming play “John Proctor is the Villain” at the Calderwood Pavilion. (Courtesy of The Huntington)

The Huntington announced that Watertown resident Zoë Sundra is Costume Designer for company’s upcoming production of Kimberly Belflower’s John Proctor is the Villain 

The new play, running at the Calderwood Pavilion from Feb. 8 through March 10, centers young people coming of age as they examine The Crucible in their high school English class through a fresh lens. The piece comes from a young, rising voice in American Theatre, Kimberly Belflower, and is set in a small town in Georgia. This production also features several Boston-based artists including Victoria Omoregie (most recently was featured in Fat Ham this past fall) and Jules Talbot. 

About Zoë Sundra 

The Huntington: assisted on designs for Fat Ham, The Art of Burning, Witch. Regional: Chicken and Biscuits (Front Porch Arts Collective); But Not Buddy, The Addams Family (Wheelock Family Theatre at BU); Bombitty of Errors, Bright Half Life (Actors’ Shakespeare Project). Zoë is also a fiber artist and creates work under the name She Said Embroidery.

Around Town

Hear How Watertown is Tackling the Growing Problem of Hunger at a Live Roundtable Discussion

By |

After the ceiling collapsed in the church that hosts the Watertown Food Pantry, pickup was moved outside for several weeks. (Photo by Kathy Cunningham)

A lack of food has long been a problem for some Watertown residents, but the number of people worried about going hungry increased during the Pandemic and the numbers have only declined slightly in the past few years. On Feb. 12, Watertown News and Watertown Cable Access Television will host a live discussion with some of the people working on the problem of food insecurity in town. The Watertown Food Pantry has seen the number of families served each week double from pre- to post-pandemic.

Around Town

Retiring Board of Health Member Honored by Council, New Member Appointed

By |

GradientDr. Barbara Beck. The City Council recently honored Watertown Board of Health board member Barbara Beck for her 28 years of service. When she announced her retirement from the Board of Health, the City Council passed a proclamation honoring Beck. “I’ve been really honored to serve on the Board of Health,” Beck said. “We started off working on hazardous materials recycling form auto body shops all they way through the pandemic to biotechs, it’s been a learning experience and an honor to be able to serve the people of this community.”

Schools

Details Released on Steps Taken by School & Police After Discovery of Middle School List

By |

Watertown Middle School (Courtesy of Watertown Public Schools)

Watertown Public School officials released some details about the steps taken by Watertown Middle School and the Watertown Police following the discovery of a list of students created by a WMS student. A meeting was held Tuesday night where some parents expressed frustration about the lack of information released. The meeting Tuesday night was closed to the media, and school officials said it was intended for parents, staff and the Watertown Middle School community. Watertown Middle School Principal Jennifer Fein Chen and Watertown Superintendent Dede Galdston sent out the following letter:

Dear Watertown Middle School Families

Thank you to all the members of our WMS community who came to our discussion last night regarding our school safety situation last week. One of the primary takeaways from this forum was that many caregivers feel that not enough information about the school’s process has been shared.