Government

Upgrades to Softball Facilities Planned at O’Connell Field as Part of Hosmer School Project

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Ai3 ArchitectsA map of the proposed additions to O’Connell Field, shown in yellow. The white pathways are already in the plans. The athletic fields at O’Connell Field will likely be getting some upgrades as part of the construction of the new Hosmer Elementary School, but some neighbors are concerned about the loss of green space and other issues. At Wednesday night’s School Building Committee meeting, designers presented a preliminary design for upgrades to O’Connell Field, which runs along Mt. Auburn Street in front of the Brigham House and sits next to Hosmer’s playground.

Around Town

Family & Friends Celebrate Memory of Girl Who Built Strong Friendships, Inspired People in Her Lifetime

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Charlie BreitroseFriends of Lora Karaguesian sit on the Buddy Bench at Hosmer School dedicated in her memory. Watertown’s Lora Karaguesian’s life was cut short, but in her 11 years she made many close friendships and lasting memories. Recently, her family and friends gathered to remember her big smile and bright personality, and leave a lasting memorial at her old elementary school. On Sept. 18, a bench with a plaque in Lora’s memory was dedicated by more than 30 family members and friends.

Schools

LETTER: Former Recreation Director Suggests Using Old Hosmer Building for Temporary High School

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The following letter was originally sent to Watertown Public Schools officials:

Good Day,

How many students will be in the swing space high school while construction is going on of the new high school? How many students can the soon to be old Hosmer School hold? Portable classrooms can be placed on the Chauncey St. side of the Hosmer to handle the needed classroom and other activities needed to keep grades 9 to 12 together. I would think this arrangement would still save the town many millions of dollars.

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.

COVID-19

Positive COVID Test Reported at Watertown School, Reopening Still Going Ahead

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Hosmer Elementary School in Watertown. The Watertown Public Schools had a person test positive for COVID-19 in the same week that the elementary schools are preparing to welcome students back for in-person learning. Superintendent Dede Galdston announced that a person at Hosmer Elementary School had tested positive, but added that the case would not stop plans to start hybrid learning at the school on Tuesday. Watertown school staff can participate in free testing for the virus provided by the Broad Institute in Cambridge, but Galdston said that the positive test was not through that program. “…

Cunniff School

Dirt Removal Caused Messy Streets, Increased Cost for School Projects

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A view of the design for the new Cunniff Elementary School. The old building has been demolished, and the first parts of the steel for the new school has been delivered. Dirt from excavation getting on the street has been an issue at both Cunniff and Hosmer, in East Watertown. Hundreds of truckloads of soil have been removed from the building sites of the new Hosmer and Cunniff elementary schools, which has caused a bit of a mess on nearby streets and added to the cost of the project. Last week, the School Building Committee received a report on the progress of the projects, and also approved a change order that added nearly $450,000 to the project (but was still within the total project budget).

Around Town

Young Boy Gets Tour of Hosmer Construction for Birthday Gift

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Quin Gosselin gets help out of a W.L. French water truck from his mother Elizabeth Neylon after a tour of the Hosmer School construction site. In celebration of his upcoming fourth birthday, Quin Gosselin got a dream ride on a construction vehicle, and gave the construction crew at the Hosmer Elementary School a special treat on Wednesday. Gosselin spends a lot of time at his grandparents house on Boylston Street, and has been enthralled by the construction at the school, as workers demolish the school in preparation for the new building, his father, John Gosselin said. Quin has been persistent in his effort to get access to the work area, even asking a police officer parked on Mt. Auburn Street if he had keys to the site, his grandmother Diane Neylon said.

Around Town

Demolition of Hosmer School Will Begin Soon

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A map of the area around Hosmer Elementary School, including the traffic plan for the fall. The section of the school in the dark green area will remain after the rest of the school, to the left, is demolished this summer. The demolition of a portion of Hosmer Elementary School will begin on Monday, July 27. Project Manager Thomas Finnegan, from Hill International, sent a letter to school and town officials, and others, updating them about the reconstruction project. The auditorium and cafeteria will be torn down as part of the demolition work, which will take about four weeks.