Watertown News (https://www.watertownmanews.com/prominence/top-story/page/126/)
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Watertown LibraryWatertown Library staff show off the new lockers available to patrons. They can be accessed 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The Watertown Library provided the following announcement:
Lockers at the Library? That’s right. The Watertown Free Public Library (WFPL) is launching a new outdoor pickup option which will make it easier for anyone to pick up materials twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.
Charlie BreitroseWatertown senior Sophia Garapetian celebrates after hitting the go-ahead layup with under eight seconds left in the State Tournament game against Norton. A State Tournament game that was neck and neck most of the way appeared to be slipping away for the Watertown High School girls basketball team, falling behind six points with about two minutes left. But, the team and the WHS Gym came to life as the Raiders closed the game and senior Sophia Garapetian completed the comeback with a drive straight down the lane. When the final buzzer sounded, Watertown’s players came together on the court to celebrate their 54-52 win over Norton in the MIAA Div. 3 Round of 16 game, and kept their season alive.
Almost two years to the day after schools shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Watertown students will be able to go to class without wearing a face mask. Monday night, the School Committee approved Superintendent Dede Galdston’s plan to make masks optional and a set of metrics to decide if they will be required in the future. Galston noted that March 13, 2020 was the date that school in Massachusetts closed in the beginning of the Pandemic, and two years later students will be able to choose not to wear a mask. She also stressed that teachers and staff will emphasize that students will be respected and accepted regardless of whether or not they choose to wear a face mask. The change in mask rules will be finalized this week, Galdston said, after the latest student and staff testing results are received.
The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department. Arrests
Feb. 18, 9:32 p.m.: An officer patrolling on Arsenal Street near the Watertown Mall spotted a bus with the “Call Police” sign flashing on it. The bus was pulled over and the officer spoke to the driver, who explained there had been a verbal disturbance between two passengers. One of the passengers had gotten off the bus, but police got a description.
Superintendent Dede Galdston will recommend that the School Committee allow mask wearing for students to be optional, as long as the COVID-19 cases trend continues “in the right direction.” Currently, students must wear a face covering in the classroom at all times, and during breaks and lunch, except when eating or drinking. The presentation will be made at the School Committee’s meeting on March 7, Galdston said in an announcement. She noted that unlike past vacations, the district did not see an increase in cases after February break. “Based on our pool testing and parent/staff reporting, we only have six known active COVID cases in the district,” Galdston said in the announcement.
Ai3 ArchitectsAn illustration of what the outside of the new Watertown High School will look like. The plan to build new Watertown High School passed the last major hurdle when the state approved the project on Wednesday. The Massachusetts School Building Authority voted to approve the project on March 2. The new school will be built on the same location as the current school, and architects projected the cost at $201 million at the Dec. 15, 2021 School Building Committee meeting.
A draft of the Watertown Climate and Energy Plan has been released and City officials seek input from the public about the document. The plan has been titled “Resilient Watertown,” and it details the City’s strategies to address climate change. The plan is the product of meetings, workshops and surveys, according to the introduction by Acting City Manager Tom Tracy. The City Council’s statement reads, in part: “The Plan identifies opportunities for lasting improvements here in Watertown, by reducing climate change-causing greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants and improving quality of life for all residents in the face of extreme events and prolonged stressors.” The plan seeks to help the City prepare for the impact of severe weather events.
Watertown City Hall
Legislation recently passed on Beacon Hill requires communities with MBTA service to create an area where dense housing projects would be allowed in locations near transit hubs. Watertown officials say, however, the area of the City designated by the state does not make sense and should be moved closer to the center of town. Each of the 175 MBTA communities must designate an area of at least 50 acres where multi-family projects with up to 15 units per acre would be allowed by right, so the City could not deny approval based on density. These zones are supposed to be within half-a-mile of a transit station. In Watertown’s case, the bus hubs in Watertown Square and the Watertown Yard do not qualify because they do not have a building available to passengers, acting Deputy City Manager Steve Magoon said at the Feb.