Government

Watertown Appoints New Director of Health Department

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The following announcement came from the City of Watertown:

Congratulations to Abbey Myers, the City of Watertown’s new permanent Director of Public Health, effective, Monday, February 5, 2024. Abbey has been a key member of the Health Department’s staff since she was hired, providing customer service while coordinating many aspects of public health, from updating our COVID policy, to attending emergency management training, building our new rodent policy, establishing better rules for dumpsters, and catching bats (yes . . . bats!). 

She stepped up into the Interim Director role, in August of 2023, where she has served the public well, staffing the Board of Health meetings, managing the Health Department staff, and organizing the Department’s move to the Parker Annex last week.

Police/Fire

Police Log: Man Arrested for Taking Pair of Shoes, Check Stolen from Mail Box

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The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department. Jan. 27, 5:40 a.m.: Five people were seen exiting Milk Vape Shop on Arlington Street, got into a black SUV and sped away toward Arsenal Street. Four men and a woman, all wearing dark clothing, went into the store, jumped over the counter and took approximately $5,000 in merchandise. Detectives responded to the scene and found pry marks on the front door.

Around Town

Retiring Board of Health Member Honored by Council, New Member Appointed

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GradientDr. Barbara Beck. The City Council recently honored Watertown Board of Health board member Barbara Beck for her 28 years of service. When she announced her retirement from the Board of Health, the City Council passed a proclamation honoring Beck. “I’ve been really honored to serve on the Board of Health,” Beck said. “We started off working on hazardous materials recycling form auto body shops all they way through the pandemic to biotechs, it’s been a learning experience and an honor to be able to serve the people of this community.”

Schools

Details Released on Steps Taken by School & Police After Discovery of Middle School List

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Watertown Middle School (Courtesy of Watertown Public Schools)

Watertown Public School officials released some details about the steps taken by Watertown Middle School and the Watertown Police following the discovery of a list of students created by a WMS student. A meeting was held Tuesday night where some parents expressed frustration about the lack of information released. The meeting Tuesday night was closed to the media, and school officials said it was intended for parents, staff and the Watertown Middle School community. Watertown Middle School Principal Jennifer Fein Chen and Watertown Superintendent Dede Galdston sent out the following letter:

Dear Watertown Middle School Families

Thank you to all the members of our WMS community who came to our discussion last night regarding our school safety situation last week. One of the primary takeaways from this forum was that many caregivers feel that not enough information about the school’s process has been shared.

Schools

School Committee to Look at Ways to Make Overnight Field Trips Affordable for All Students

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Watertown Public School music students perform at Bandarama. Those in high school take a trip to New York every two years. The School Committee approved a field trip for Watertown High School music students to spend a weekend in New York, but had concerns about the price and making sure that all students can participate. The trip to the Big Apple has become a biannual tradition for the chorus, band, and orchestra. The trip includes a performance and workshop with professional musicians, a Broadway show, a dinner/dance cruise around the Statue of Liberty, visiting the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and walking around Central Park.

Schools

Following False Alarms Watertown Schools to Hold Emergency Drills, Also Seek to Improve Communication System

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After a series of false alarms in the security systems at Watertown’s new schools, the district plans to hold drills for the students, and will look for ways to avoid more incidents in the future. The Watertown Public Schools opened two brand new elementary schools, a third underwent a major renovation and expansion, and students at the high school have a new, temporary home. The new buildings also have new technology, including a multi-hazard notification system, said Superintendent Dede Galdston. All four new schools have had false alarms, she said, some due to wiring and other when the panic button was pressed by mistake. “We want to make sure people understand that these happen and that we will do to prevent that from happening again,” Galdston said.

Government

Replacing Watertown Senior Center Included in City’s 5-Year Capital Plan

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Courtesy of the City of WatertownThe City’s Capital Improvement Plan includes replacing the Watertown Senior Center. Building a new Senior Center made the list of projects planned to be undertaken by the City of Watertown over the next five years, Watertown City Manager George Proakis at Tuesday night’s City Council meeting. Proakis presented the Fiscal Year 2025-29 Capital Improvement Plan, which includes $210 million of projects with $93 million of general obligation bonds to cover part of the cost. Senior Center

The City explored replacing the Senior Center in 2022 as part of a review of the Phillips Building site. That study by Ai3 Architects, done during the planning for the new Watertown High School, looked at tearing down the former Phillips School, but Proakis said that would be too disruptive for the Watertown Public Schools administration, as well as Watertown Cable that now resides in the basement.