Schools

Watertown High School Prepping for Life at Temporary Campus at Moxley, Other Locations

By |

A view of the temporary Watertown High School at Moxley Field from a presentation to the School Building Committee. (Courtesy of the Watertown Schools)

The final touches are being made on the temporary campus in preparation for Watertown High School students to return to class on Sept. 5, and the students and staff alike will have to adapt to their new digs, which include sites outside the modular campus at Moxley Field. Principal Joel Giacobozzi told the WHS community that they will have to adjust to a new way of “doing school,” in the introduction in the student handbook (see below). Meanwhile, construction crews continue to work to get the two-story school made from prefabricated modules ready for class.

Around Town

Prospective Young Scientists Get a Look at a Real Lab at Watertown’s Kymera Therapeutics

By |

Students in the summer program run by MassBioEd and the LEAH Project got to look around the labs at Kymera Therapeutics in Watertown (Courtesy of Kymera)

A group of aspiring young scientists got a glimpse inside a Watertown company that does cutting-edge biopharmaceutical research. The high school age students recently visited Kymera Therapeutics’ offices and labs at Arsenal Yards as part of a field trip organized by MassBioEd’s Summer Program. MassBioEd partners with the LEAH project and LabCentral to offer a lab-based summer internship program to rising high school juniors and seniors. They spend four days a week learning about biotechnology tools and improving their technical skills at LabCentral in Cambridge. One day each week, they visit life science companies and organizations to see how the skills and tools are used.

Around Town

Watertown Fire Awards Presented for Response to Heart Attack, a Woman Giving Birth & a Girl Stuck in a Duct

By |

Watertown Firefighters, Police Officers and a Public Safety Dispatcher received awards for saving a man in cardiac arrest. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

Watertown Firefighters, Watertown Police officers, and public safety dispatchers who went above and beyond in three incidents received service awards from the Watertown Fire Department this week. Fire Chief Ryan Nicholson presented the awards during Tuesday’s ceremony where Nicholson and other members of the WFD who received promotions were sworn in. The awards were approved by votes of the Commendation Board of the Watertown Fire Department. “These members acted with great distinction and heroism in the saving of a human life,” Nicholson said.

Government

Residents, Developers Raise Concerns Over New Demolition Ordinance, OK’d by Split Council Vote

By |

Photo by Steve OwensThe Shick House on Grove Street was an example of a home on which the Historical Commission placed a demolition delay in efforts to save it. It was torn down after BB&N could not find someone to move it to another site. The property is now an athletic complex. Under Watertown’s new demolition delay ordinance, a large number of homes will no longer have to go through the Historical Commission process to do additions or even to tear them down, but those that do go before the Commission could be subject to a much longer demolition delay. The City Council adopted the changes to the demolition delay ordinance on Aug.

Police/Fire

Watertown’s Fire Chief Thanks Family, Fellow Firefighters During Swearing-in Ceremony

By |

Watertown Fire Chief Ryan Nicholson was sworn in by City Clerk Janet Murphy. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

Watertown’s new Fire Chief had plenty of people to thank during his swearing-in ceremony, but Ryan Nicholson made sure not to be the sole focus of the event at the Commander’s Mansion on Tuesday afternoon. “I’m incredibly humble to be able to address this group today as the Watertown Fire Department’s eighth permanent fire chief,” he said Tuesday. “I am also excited to announce the promotion of five of our men, and celebrate the appointment of seven firefighters.” City Manager George Proakis has gotten to know Nicholson, having worked together since Proakis arrived in Watertown in August 2022.

Around Town

Watertown Boys & Girls Club Opening Childcare Center, Launching Fundraising Campaign

By |

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

The Watertown Boys & Girls Club will soon unveil its plans to open the City’s first and largest licensed childcare center for school aged children. Opening in 2024, the childcare center will encompass an entirely renovated ground floor with more than 3,500 square feet of dedicated space to accommodate up to 80 children in grades K-3. Donations will be accepted through The “New Foundations” Campaign to raise funds for this project. In addition to providing licensed childcare for school-aged children, the new center will also offer access to the Club’s pool and athletic facilities as part of its programming. The expansion will create additional capacity to meet increasing demand on the main floor of the club for programs to support older children and teens.

Around Town

Watertown’s First Multicultural Fest Celebrates Arts, Games & More

By |

Photo by Brianna WilliamsSaltonstall Park filled with activity during Watertown’s first Multicultural Fest. Live dancing, soccer, artwork and more filled Saltonstall Park with activity on Aug. 3 for the first annual Multicultural Fest held by the New Repertory Theatre and Watertown Public Library. The idea to hold the festival came from Noche De Dominó which is a monthly game of dominoes held in the library. During that night many people from all different cultures get to interact and learn about each other’s backgrounds.

Government

City Manager: Team Working on Watertown Square Study is Creative & Collaborative

By |

City of Watertown

Work on solving one of the biggest riddles facing Watertown, how to fix Watertown Square, will soon begin, City Manager George Proakis said this week, and the process will include some new approaches with plenty of public participation. Proakis spent a significant chunk of time talking about the Watertown Square study during Wednesday’s State of the City event. “One of the key goals that came out of the Comprehensive Plan is that we need to look at Watertown Square in a holistic manner,” Proakis said. The study will not just look at how the main intersection operates for motor vehicles, but also buses, pedestrians, and bicyclists, Proakis said. The study will not just look at how to get through and around the Square, but also being able to “enjoy the space.”