Around Town

Retired Recreation Director Thanks Mentors, Reflects on Nearly 50 Years Working for City

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Recreation Director Peter Centola celebrates his retirement with his family. Pictured from left, daughter Leanne, mother-in-law Irene Samourian, Peter, wife Karen, daugther Tory, and son Philip. (Contributed Photo)

Recently-retired Recreation Director Peter Centola likes to tell people worked in Watertown for 48 years. He got his start in the mid-1970s but had a break in the middle, and at one point didn’t expect to return. Following his retirement at the end of June after 15 years as Recreation Director, Centola spoke recently with Watertown News about his time as Recreation Director, his mentors, the programs and facilities he helped build, and things left unfinished.

Around Town

Podcast Focuses on People, Places & Stories of Watertown

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Matt Hanna has spent the last several months getting to know people living and working in Watertown, and has produced more than 20 episodes of Little Local Conversations. He provided the following information about his ongoing project:

Hi there! I’m Matt Hanna, a Watertown resident of 14 years now, and I want to share with you a little project I’ve been working on to dig a little deeper into the people, places, stories, and ideas of Watertown. Matt Hanna

I’ve always enjoyed living here and over the years in the city I’ve gotten married, had a kid, been a stay-at-home parent, sheltered in place, worked, and volunteered and I’ve experienced the city in all the ways those different life stages and points of view have brought me. But it wasn’t until quite recently that I started to truly appreciate how wonderfully unique Watertown is and especially how many amazing people have shaped and are shaping the city, in big ways for everyone to see, and in smaller, but no less important ways within smaller communities.

Business

Life Sciences Building in East Watertown Sold for $45 Million

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Elm Street PartnersA rendering of the new life science lab building built at 23 Elm St. A life science lab building in East Watertown off Arsenal Street has been sold for $45 million. The Triad Group announced the sale of “Elm Street Labs” in Watertown to Shannon Life Sciences. The building, located at 23 Elm Street, includes 74,670 sq. ft.

Around Town

Local Man Hopes to Find a Kidney Donor for Himself or Another Person in Need

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James Pagounes, second from right, seeks an organ donor before his kidneys fail. He is shown here with his family: wife, Joanne, and sons Othon, Kimon, and Iraklis. (Contributed Photo)

James Pagounes first learned he had something wrong with his kidneys when he got an abdominal ultrasound 15 years ago. “The doctor said, your stomach looks fine, but the guy looks and finds that my kidney has a problem,” he recalled. “It’s been declining ever since then.

Schools

Wage Increases, Bonuses Proposed for Staff of Extended Day Program

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The Extended Day program run at Watertown’s elementary schools serves 400 students, but officials have struggled to find and keep staff to run the after-school program. Extended Day is operated by Watertown Community Education, which is a self-sustainingdepartment of Watertown Public Schools. Its funding comes from tuition and fees, rather than from taxpayer dollars. The program is able to accommodate more than 90 percent of the demand, but there is a waiting list of 38 students for this fall. In a memo to the School Committee, Debi Cornelius, Director of Community Education, wrote:

“The challenges our community faces with after-school care are not unique to Watertown.

Schools

UPDATED: Watertown’s Extended Day Program Salaries to be Discussed by School Committee

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The School Committee will hold a pair of meetings on July 29 to discuss the compensation for the Extended Day program staff. The after school program, which is run by Watertown Community Education with the Watertown Schools acting as its fiscal agent, has a waiting list of 38 students, according to Superintendent Dede Galdston. The School Committee will discuss compensation for Extended Day employees to assist in recruitment, Galdston added. The program has had waiting in previous years, and the number on the list is similar to last year, Galdston said. “We limit the number of students to ensure a safe and supportive environment, based on the historical staffing that EDP can sustain,” she said.