Around Town

Swap Shop Returns to Watertown Recycling Center in May

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The following information came from the City of Watertown:

The Watertown Swap Shop will be open 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. the First Saturday of every month unless otherwise noted (weather depending) from April through October. The hours of operation will be dependent upon the availability of volunteers to oversee the program. Closed during the winter months. 

The 2026 dates are:

May 2

June 6

July 11

August 1

September 5

October 3

November 7

The Swap Shop is located at the Watertown Recycle Center, 76 Stanley Ave. You must park on the street on Green River Way or Stanley Avenue if you are shopping at the Swap Shop. If you have donations, you can pull your car into the Recycle Center up to the Swap Shop to unload.

Charity

Watertown Refugee Support Group Receives Essential Needs Grant from Watertown Community Foundation

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The following announcement was provided by the Watertown Citizens Refugee Support Group:

The Watertown Citizens Refugee Support Group (WCRSG), a working group of Watertown Citizens for Peace, Justice and the Environment (WCPJE), is pleased to announce the receipt of a 2026 Essential Needs Grant from the Watertown Community Foundation. This $6,500 grant will fund Emergent Essential Needs for Watertown Immigrant and Refugee Families, providing direct financial assistance to Watertown residents facing hardships paying for rent, utilities, other housing expenses, or transportation. To be eligible, individuals must live in Watertown. To apply for funds, please complete this Google form: https://forms.gle/S97iikL3G45vj9nq9. Contact RefugeeSupport@watertowncitizens.org for more information.

Around Town

You’re Invited to Raider’s Birthday Party, the WPD’s Comfort Dog is Turning 2

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Raider, the Watertown Police Department’s comfort dog when he was a puppy, with Officer Anna Margaryan. (Courtesy of the City of Watertown)

Raider, the Watertown Police Department’s comfort dog, will be celebrating his second birthday, and the public is invited to the party. See details provided by the WPD, below. Guess Who’s Turning 2? In honor of Autism Awareness Month, join us in celebrating Raider’s second Birthday on Wednesday, April 29, 2026, from 4:30-6:30 p.m. at the Watertown Police Department, 552 Main St.

Letters

LETTER: Noise from Buildings in Watertown Drowning Out Charles River

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Good morning councilors and city leadership,

I’ve written in the past, requesting common-sense noise ordinances for Watertown. We still get woken up by 5 a.m. dumpster maintenance on Pleasant St. and the systems on top of labs and other buildings still dominate the river landscape along Watertown. A Google search leads to noise dampeners that are widely available- and in fact these quieting systems are in place in our neighboring towns (like Waltham). This morning at Watertown Dam, the rush of water and sounds of birds are impossible to hear over the blasting of the mechanical system on the roof of 64 Pleasant st.

Letters

LETTER: Group of Parents Support Bell-to-Bell Personal Electronic Device Ban in Watertown Schools

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Dear Watertown Community Members:

As parents and residents of Watertown, we have closely followed the discussions of the Watertown Public Schools (WPS) PED Task Force regarding personal electronic devices (PEDs) in our schools. While we understand the initial hesitation some feel regarding a complete ban, the more we examine the data and the neurobiology of our children, the clearer it becomes: a full, bell-to-bell ban for grades 9-12, including passing time and lunch, is not just a restrictive policy, but a necessary step to protect our students’ mental health and academic futures. The academic benefits of removing smartphones are undeniable. Research shows that schools implementing such bans see significant increases in GPA and academic outcomes, with a particularly powerful impact on mathematics scores. Furthermore, the mental health implications are staggering; one major study found that these bans led to a 60% decline in consultations with specialists for psychological symptoms and a 29% decline in GP visits for the same issues.

Around Town

Parts of Mt. Auburn to be Repaved in Week of April 21-24

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The City of Watertown provided the following Mount Auburn Street Update for the week of  April 21 – April 24, 2026. No work will be performed on Monday, 4/20/2026, due to the holiday. Milling and Paving

Milling (removal of the top layer of pavement) and paving will occur on Mount Auburn Street between Boylston Street and Chauncy Street and on School Street between Porter Street and Adams Avenue. Detours will be in place for this work. Please see details belowTraffic and Sidewalk Impacts

Starting 4/21/2026 through 4/24/2026, a detour will be in place on School Street for milling and paving operations.

Letters

LETTER: Resident Endorses Daniel Lander for State Senate

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To the Editor,

As a Watertown resident, I find it deeply unsettling how little we actually know about what happens behind the closed doors of our State House. In 2024, I was among the 66% of Watertown voters —and the 71.5% of folks statewide — who voted in favor of a ballot question to finally allow an audit of the State Legislature. We spoke with a clear, united voice, yet years later, legislative leaders have consistently blocked that audit. It is frustrating to live in a state that is consistently rated as one of the least effective legislatures in the country. To me, transparency isn’t just a political buzzword; it’s a major problem because, right now, we simply don’t know what our legislators are doing.

Entertainment

Watertown Lit Squad Seeks Submissions for Their 2026 Poets and Writers Sampler

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The Lit Squad tent at the Watertown Arts Market. Watertown’s Lit Squad is a cohort of writers who reside in Watertown and neighboring communities and who first gathered in 2021 to celebrate their word arts as part of the annual Watertown Arts Market. Since then they have exhibited at each WAM with a sales booth for their works, a program of featured readings and open mic, and with a new edition of their POETS AND WRITERS SAMPLER, featuring brief samples of local writers’ works.. They’re now open to receive submissions for the 2026 edition. See announcement and guidelines below.