Government

Watertown Schools Respond to State Letter; Gov. Relaxing Restrictions

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Watertown School officials responded to the letter from state education officials asking them to reopen the schools to in-person learning, saying the Town’s school will remain on their schedule to have students return to elementary schools in late October and to secondary schools in November. Meanwhile, Gov. Charlie Baker announced the relaxing of some of the state’s COVID-19 rules. Last week, the Watertown Schools, and 15 other districts, received a letter from Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Jeffrey Riley strongly urging the schools to return to in-person learning because the communities have low rates of Coronavirus infections. Watertown remains a “green” community, meaning it is at lower risk of COVID-19 spread. The latest weekly statistics released by the State, as of Sept.

Around Town

Mass. Gov. Bans Gatherings, Over 25, Makes Restaurants Take-Out Only & Closes All Schools

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Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker announced some sweeping steps to try to control the outbreak of Coronavirus in Massachusetts Sunday evening, including limiting the size of gatherings, allowing restaurants only to serve take out meals and closing all the schools in the state. During the press conference he said there are no plans currently to have residents shelter in place to stop the spread of COVID-19. He did stress that people should only gather in small groups, according to a report on WCVB Channel 5. “These gatherings include all community, civic, public, leisure, faith-based events, sporting events with spectators, concerts, conventions and any similar event or activity that brings together 25 or more people in single room or a single space at the same time. This includes venues like fitness centers, private clubs and theaters,” Baker said.

Government

Gov. Baker Names Head of Watertown Addiction Recovery Center to State Board

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Watertown’s efforts to end addiction and fight the opioid crisis have been noticed at the state level, and one of the local leaders has been appointed by Gov. Charlie Baker to serve on a state board. 

What had been scheduled to be a regular meeting of the Watertown Access to Treatment, Education and Resources Task Force (WATERtown) turned into a celebration of member Woody Giessmann’s new position. Gov. Baker came to the Watertown Free Public Library to swear in Giessmann to his seat on the Massachusetts Board of Registration and Medicine. Giessmann was a member of the Del Fuegos, and is in long term recovery. He is founder and CEO of Right Turn, an outpatient treatment center for those seeking to recover from addiction located in Watertown. “I judge myself not by what I have, but what I am willing to give,” Giessmann said.

Gov. Baker

Legislature Still Working on Approving More Liquor Licenses for Watertown

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The Town Council sent a request to the State Legislature to add 15 more liquor licenses to Watertown, and work in the State House continues after a getting past a sticking point. The request was approved by the Town Council in March, and committees at the Legislature have been carefully looking at the proposal, State Rep. Jonathan Hecht told the Town Council on Tuesday. The town has 34 licenses for restaurants, but the council wants more to encourage more mixed-use development in town. “The committee knows how hard you worked on the new licensees to increase economic development,” Hecht said. “It looked early on like it would move along quickly.”