Elections

Deadline to Register to Vote in November is Wednesday

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Charlie BreitroseWatertown residents cast their ballots at Watertown Town Hall in 2020. The Watertown Town Election is Nov. 2 and the deadline to register to vote is Wednesday. On the ballot are the Town Council, School Committee, Library Trustees, and the changes to the Watertown Town Charter, the document that defines how the Town government operates. The Town Clerk provided the following information:

The last day to register to vote for the Watertown 2021 Local Election on November 2, 2021 is Wednesday, October 13, 2021.

Elections

School Committee Candidate Forum on Thursday, Candidate Interviews Available on Cable

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Charlie Breitrose

Learn about the candidates running for office in Watertown this fall at a live candidate forum featuring the School Committee hopefuls on Thursday, and hear what the people running in all the races during interviews recorded by Watertown Cable. On Oct. 14 at 7 p.m., Watertown News and Watertown Cable Access TV will co-host the School Committee Candidate Forum. The event will be broadcast live by Watertown Cable on the Public Channel (Comcast Ch. 9, RCN Ch.

Elections

LETTER: Owner of Community Health Center Endorses Candidate for District A Councilor

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I have been a Watertown resident since 2005, raising my children while founding an expressive arts community center in Watertown, ARTrelief, with my wife. I’m writing today to enthusiastically endorse Nicole Gardner for District A Town Councilor and I encourage all my East End neighbors to cast their vote for her on election day, November 2nd. I first met Nicole Gardner through the Buy Nothing Watertown Project, which she has grown from a niche interest to a network of 2,500 residents across town. Nicole’s community-building energy, enthusiasm, and initiative helped me connect with my neighbors and get more involved around issues that matter to me, such as the environment and consumerism, as well as raising our children in a safe community where people know and look out for each other. In the time I have known her, Nicole has shown strong leadership abilities, not only in thinking about creating a diverse leadership team for Buy Nothing Watertown but also in her ability to motivate others in working towards a common vision.

Election 2021

UPDATED – OP-ED: Resident Concerned About Council Candidate’s Stance on Cutting Police Budget

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EDITOR’S NOTE:

This Op-Ed piece has been removed due to questions over the source of the email referenced in the piece. The author did not want to reveal the source of the email. While the email was a public document, having been sent to the members of the Town Council on their official email addresses, the description of the source of the letter was not clear enough. The editor felt the description would likely lead readers to incorrectly infer the writer got the email from one of the Councilors who, in reality, is not the source, and other descriptions might reveal the source. (Letters to the editors can be sent to watertownmanews@gmail.com)

Election 2021

LETTER: Candidate Has Unique Qualifications for School Committee

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As a parent of two children in Watertown Public Schools, I write to encourage fellow Watertown residents to support Rachel Kay for School Committee. Among the candidates for the open seats, she is uniquely qualified to represent our concerns and to work to improve our schools. The past year and a half of the COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the importance of making school policy decisions that are informed by science. As a data scientist with a long and distinguished career in education research, Rachel Kay will expand upon this evidence-based approach to running our schools. As Director of Admissions Research and Data Analysis at MIT, with a PhD in Education Research, Measurement, and Evaluation, Rachel brings a unique skill set to the job.

Election 2021

LETTER: Group of Residents Support Candidate for School Committee

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During her current term as School Committee member, Lily Rayman-Read has demonstrated a desire to work with teachers, administrators, and Watertown families, and advocate for all members of our Watertown school community. She is part of a team responsible for the building of 3 new elementary schools and is in advanced planning stages for a new high school in collaboration with the Massachusetts School Building Authority. The execution of these projects has been impressive, leading to the expected completion of the Cunniff and the Hosmer elementary schools ahead of schedule. Lily has been instrumental in bringing transparency and openness to the Watertown School Committee by providing frequent updates on social media and answering questions from the community whenever possible. This level of engagement is an important and welcome change to the way Watertown families can interact with the School Committee.

Artificial Turf

OP-ED: Town Councilors — Make a Choice: Public Health & the Environment or More Game Days

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By Watertown resident Janet Buck

I am writing this letter as a way of trying to make sense of what I heard last week in the debate among the candidates for Councilor at Large. The question asked was about the candidate’s views on the use of artificial turf for town playing fields. Almost everyone expressed a sense of being caught in a terribly difficult dilemma. What is more important – extending the availability of playing fields for Watertown kids who play team sports or protecting the environment? I have to ask – why is this so difficult?