Around Town

A Dining Fixture Near Watertown Square is a Hidden Treasure to be (Re)Discovered

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Courtesy of MolanaMolana has been serving Persian food in Watertown since 1999. A dining destination that has attracted hungry people from around New England for a quarter century is a hidden gem in Watertown, but the owners want locals to discover — or rediscover – their restaurant. Molana can be found on Spring Street, steps from Watertown Square. Owners Mohsen Tehrani and Hadi Eghbali started the first Persian restaurant in New England in 1999, and word spread among the Iranian community around the region. “People come from Hartford, Stamford, Connecticut.

Schools

Watertown Schools to Add Music Teachers, Tutors & Field Trip Aid in FY25 Budget

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Watertown’s school budget will increase by $2 million, and additions include music teachers, math and literacy tutors, English as a second language teachers, and financial assistance to help all students go on field trips and school trips. The 2024-25 Watertown Public Schools budget will increase by 3.5 percent from the current year, for a total budget of $59.599 million. City Manager George Proakis said the Watertown Public Schools will receive a 3.5 percent increase when he presented the preliminary budget in October. Superintendent Dede Galdston said the budget represents a level services budget, which maintains the services provided by the district the prior year. This includes salary increases, and additional positions to maintain services.

Around Town

Watertown Cable’s New Studios Showcased at Grand Opening, Public Can Use the Facility & Equipment

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Photo by Charlie BreitroseWatertown Cable staff gave the public a look around their new studio during the grand opening on April 11. After years of planning, and months of construction, Watertown Cable Access Television officially opened its new and improved studios in the basement of the Phillips Building. On April 11, WCA-TV invited the public to take a look at the new facility, which features a new studio, control room, editing suite, and a brand new addition: a podcasting studio. While Watertown Cable may be known for broadcasting government meetings, producing news shows, and covering local sports, Executive Director Andrea Santopietro said WCA-TV facilities are for the community, too. “All of the spaces that you will see today are available to you to create.

Sports

See How Runners From Watertown Finished in the 2024 Boston Marathon

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The fastest Watertown runner in the 2024 Boston Marathon finished in under 2 hours 35 minutes on Monday, and the fastest female runner finished in the top 115 in the women’s race. Thirty residents of Watertown started the 128th Boston Marathon. As of 5:13 p.m., 28 of the local runners had finished the race. Michael Creedon was the top male finisher, and completed the 26.2 miles in 2:34:49. He was the 207th fastest man in the race and 229th fastest overall.

Schools

Superintendent Given Four Year Extension Which Will Take Her to Over a Decade in Watertown

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Watertown Superintendent Dede Galdston. The School Committee thanked Superintendent Dede Galdston for her efforts in Watertown this week when they approved an extension to her contract. On April 8, the School Committee unanimously approved a four-year extension for Galdston. Her salary increased by more than $26,000 to $220,000 in the first year of the contract, with future year’s salaries to be set by the School Committee after her annual review. Galdston said she looked forward to finishing some of the initiatives that have started in her time in the Watertown Public Schools.

Government

Council Votes Down Proposal for Short Term Rentals in Watertown

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Watertown City Hall

A proposal that would have allowed limited forms of short term rentals, such as Airbnb and VRBO, in Watertown was rejected by the City Council in a split vote. On April 9, the Council heard more than an hour of input from residents, and then discussed it for another hour or so. The proposal only allowed short term rentals in owner-occupied homes, or bedrooms of a home when the owner is home, and the most that a home could be rented as a short term rental was 3 months of a year. This was the second time that a proposal had come forward, but in 2021 the Planning Board sent it back for reworking. This year, the Planning Board endorsed the proposal, and sent it to the City Council for a final vote.

Schools

Watertown Student Wins Several Awards for Her Poetry in National Competition

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Watertown High School sophomore Montserrat Llacuna won five Silver Keys from the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. (Courtesy Photo)

A Watertown High School student’s poetry earned her several awards in a national scholastic writing and arts competition. WHS sophomore Montserrat Llacuna won five Silver Keys and two honorable mentions in the 2024 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Llacuna, who is also an Advisory Council Member of the statewide student leadership program Project 351 submitted several of her social justice poems.

She was encouraged to submit her writing to the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards and got help editing her work from ELA teacher William MacLaughlin and Casey Andrews, the head of the English Department. Llacuna was not the only Watertown student to earn recognition.

Around Town

Watertown Boys & Girls Club Announces 2024 Youth of the Year Winner

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The Watertown Boys & Girls Club’s Youth of the Year for 2024, Yazmin Ramirez Arias. (Courtesy Photo)

The following announcement was provided by the Watertown Boys & Girls Club:

The Watertown Boys & Girls Club held their Annual “Rising Stars” Youth of the Year Awards Celebration on Wednesday, March 6, 2024 in the Club’s gymnasium. Three highly qualified Club Member were nominated as a result of their service at the Club and further in the community. Yazmin Ramirez Arias was named the Watertown Boys & Girls Club “Youth of the Year.”

In this Leadership Development Program, Club Members nominated by Club Staff are prompted to write a “Club Experience” Essay that shares their achievements and why they personally believe they should be named “Youth of the Year.” They present this essay to local judges who collectively decide the top candidate. The top chosen candidate and Official “Youth of the Year” will represent The Watertown Boys & Girls Club and qualify for the next step to compete at the State Event for the title of Massachusetts Youth of the Year on May 7, 2024 at Gillette Stadium.