Schools

See the ‘Unofficial’ Minutes from the Last School Committee Meeting

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Watertown Strong Schools puts together a detailed summary of School Committee meetings, and adds its own commentary at the end. The parent group wrote these minutes for the May 2 School Committee meeting. Unofficial Minutes: School Committee Meeting 5/2/16 – Key Points and Commentary

Note: These are NOT official minutes. Commentary can be found at the end of the minutes. Committee members: Marc Sideris, Craig Hardimon, Candace Miller, Guido Guidotti, John Portz, Elizabeth Yusem, Kendra Foley, Eileen Hsu-Balzer, Charles Kellner, Dr. Jean Fitzgerald

Remembrance

A moment of silence was observed in memory of Robert Galante, site coordinator for the Lowell School Extended Day program and director for Camp Pequossette – RIP Bob!

Government

Arsenal Center on the Arts Will Host Watertown Inauguration

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Watertown’s elected officials will be sworn in at an inauguration ceremony to take place at the Arsenal Center for the Arts. The ceremony will be held in the Charles Mosesian Theater, 321 Arsenal St., in the Arsenal on the Charles Complex on Monday, Jan. 4 at 7 p.m.

Those elected to the Town Council, School Committee and Library Board of Trustees will be sworn in that night. A reception will follow.

Schools

Watertown School Committee Says Goodbye to Two Members

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The two School Committee members who served their last meeting on Monday may have only served one term, but their colleagues made it clear they will be greatly missed. Julie McMahon and Michael Shepard have made some major contributions over their four years on the board, said School Committee Chairwoman Eileen Hsu-Balzer. “Julie is enthusiastic, insightful and empathetic. She does the difficult work behind the scene and lets others have the face time,” Hsu-Balzer said. “Mike is a relentless worker on the Building and Grounds and Budget and Finance subcommittees.

Elections

LETTER: School Committee Chair Reflects on Watertown Election

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Editor,

I am extremely grateful to the voters of Watertown for their continuing trust in my work to support the Schools. None of that work ever happens without the robust assistance and counsel of other citizens. 

Thank you to all who participated in the election process, and who helped bring attention to the vital role that education plays in nourishing a healthy and welcoming community. Out of these discussions will come new good ideas and energy and participation. Congratulations to Kendra Foley and Candace Miller for their success, and thank you to Julie McMahon and Mike Shepard for being willing to put themselves and their families to the personal test that an election represents. I look forward to serving the School Committee and the School community in whatever way I can be most useful.

Campaign Finances

Lots of Money in Town Election, Small Donors More Successful than Unions

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More than $61,000 was raised in campaign funds for the 2015 Watertown Elections. Money came from small donors and for the first time in recent years in big amounts from labor unions. The campaign funds did not guarantee success for a candidate, but it was a big help. Labor unions spent $5,890 on candidates in the various Town Council races, with mixed results. Two candidates were elected, but four lost their bids for the council (including the candidate in the preliminary election).

Election 2015

Precinct-by-Precinct Votes in Tuesday’s Election Tell Some Interesting Stories

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Breaking down the vote by precinct shows where the winners took the Tuesday’s Watertown Election, but even those not elected had their strong points. 

The final results can be seen by clicking here. (Check the map above to see the location of each precinct.)
School Committee
The School Committee race, where the two challengers finished one-two, was dominated by Kendra Foley. She won 10 precincts – all but 8 and 9. She got her highest precinct total of 358 in Precinct 4. Second place finisher Candace Miller got second in nine precincts (all but 1, 2 and 8).

Election 2015

See Who Won in the School Committee and Library Trustee Races

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It was a good night for challengers in the Watertown School Committee and the Library Trustees races. In the School Committee race, the two challengers topped the list in Tuesday’s Watertown Election. Kendra Foley had the biggest share of the vote with nearly 26 percent, followed by Candace Miller who had almost 23 percent. The third spot went to 20-year-School Committee veteran Eileen Hsu-Balzer, who got 18.66 percent. Foley said she believes her hard work during the campaign paid off.

Election 2015

See the Voter Guide for the Nov. 3, 2015 Watertown Election

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Watertown’s hottest election in years is Tuesday, and Watertown News has plenty of information to help you choose your candidates and find out where to vote. 

Polls open on Nov. 3 at 7 a.m. and stay open until 8 p.m. Results generally start coming in around 9 p.m., and follow Watertown News on Twitter and Facebook for the latest updates – and go to the main site for the results Tuesday evening. All but one race on the ballot has a contested race this year. Candidates have been out knocking on doors, holding signs, attending candidate forums and answering questions from media outlets and others. Town Council
Watertown voters will elect the entire Town Council, including the President, four Councilors At-Large (who represent the whole town) and four District Councilors (who represent a quarter of the town, each).