Around Town

Watertown Community Foundation Welcomes Four New Members of Board of Directors

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The following announcement was provided by the Watertown Community Foundation:

The Watertown Community Foundation welcomes four new board members to the Board of Directors over the last year: Rachel Kaprielian, Christina Murphy, Dwayne Parmley and Erin Webb. The Watertown Community Foundation relies on the Board of Directors to provide strategic leadership and guidance for its grant making efforts, oversight and stewardship of the Foundation’s financial resources, and bring valuable insight, expertise and community connection to identify and address opportunities and challenges in Watertown. Rachel Kaprielian serves as President and CEO of Triangle, Inc., a leading human services nonprofit dedicated to empowering people with disabilities to live, work, and thrive in their communities. She brings decades of leadership spanning government, public policy, human services, workforce development, and corporate affairs. Rachel began her public service as a Watertown Councilor at-Large before being elected to six terms in the Massachusetts House of Representatives, representing Watertown and Cambridge.

Around Town

21 Watertown Residents Riding in the 2026 Pan-Mass Challenge

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The following announcement was provided by the Pan-Mass Challenge:

This Aug. 1 and 2, the Pan-Mass Challenge (PMC) will bring together more than 6,000 cyclists and 4,000 volunteers on Aug. 1-2 to raise money for cancer research and patient care at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Participants from local communities will be among those helping support the PMC’s mission to fund lifesaving cancer research and treatment. The PMC, which raises more money for charity than any other single athletic fundraiser in the world, is aiming to raise more than ever this year, with a fundraising goal of $79 million.

Schools

Watertown Residents Graduate and Make Dean’s List at Their Colleges

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Watertown students earned degrees from Tufts, UMass Amherst, and University of Wisconsin. Local students also earned honors from Tufts, Holy Cross, UMass Amherst, and Wisconsin. The following information was provided by the colleges and universities:

Graduates

Tufts University

More than 3,600 students across all schools graduated from Tufts University on May 17 during a university-wide commencement ceremony that featured the awarding of honorary degrees to a number of academic, business, and civic leaders making a positive impact on the world. The following students were among those who graduated:

Leyla Mandel of Watertown (02472)

Eraste Talla Ngoualadjo of Watertown (02472)

UMass Amherst

Approximately 7,000 students received bachelor’s degrees in over 100 majors at the University of Massachusetts Amherst’s Undergraduate Commencement on May 15, 2026 at the McGuirk Alumni Stadium. 

Below is a list of students from your area that received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Massachusetts Amherst:

Watertown, MA

 Philip Richard Centola Levon Gukasyan Benjamin Harrison Heep Olivia Juliet-Mei Hoover Deion Adam Howe Duncan Alexander Lepera Sophia Lucille Noble Gregory Steven Venizelos

University of Wisconsin-Madison

More than 9,100 students, including students from your area, earned degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in May 2026. The university held its Spring 2026 Commencement ceremony for doctoral, MFA, and medical professional candidates at the Kohl Center on Friday, May 8 and its ceremony for undergraduate, law, and other Master’s degree candidates at Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday, May 9.

Around Town

Mt. Auburn St. Project: Sidewalk Reconstruction and Drainage Installation This Week

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The Mt. Auburn Street Project during the week of July 27-31 includes sidewalk work from Boylston to School streets, Hillside Avenue to Upland Road, and School Street to Amherst Road. Drainage work will take place from Bates Road to Russell Avenue. The following information was provided by the City of Watertown:

Sidewalk Grading & Forming

Sidewalk fine grading will take place on Mount Auburn Street between Boylston Street to School Street and Hillside Avenue to Upland Road. Concrete Placement

Concrete placement will take place on the westbound sidewalk along Mount Auburn Street between Boylston Street to School Street.

Entertainment

Watertown Wheels: Third Annual Classic Car Show at Commander’s Mansion

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The third annual Watertown Wheels Classic Car Show is coming to the Commander’s Mansion on Sunday, Aug. 2 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. See how to attend, or even enter the event in the information provided by the City of Watertown’s Events Team, below. ​What better way to spend a summer weekend than at a classic car show? Join us for the 3rd Annual Watertown Wheels Classic Car Show — a fun, family‑friendly day featuring an exciting lineup of antique and vintage cars, great food, music, and raffles. This event is free to attend and open to the public.

Entertainment

See What Small Saves is Up to in This Week’s Cartoon

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James DeMarco grew up in Watertown and became a goaltender at age 5. It’s his life’s passion to stand between the pipes and keep the puck out of the net. Combining this with the love of cartooning Small Saves emerged in 1991 and took on a life of his own. “To play goal – then come home and draw Small Saves — is my ideal definition of a good day.”

Check out Small Saves’ website at smallsaves.com 

See What’s Happening at the Rink in This Week’s Small Saves Cartoon

Letters

LETTER: MWRA, Keep Your Promise of a Clean Charles River

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I don’t know about you, but I love being able to access the Charles River here in Watertown. We have invested a lot in cleaning up our waterways, especially the Charles River and it shows. Many of us remember when you had to get a tetanus shot if you were exposed to the water. But we have waited a long time (since 1972!) for the MWRA to live up to its promise of a truly swimmable, fishable Charles River. 

However, a recent proposal from the MWRA will betray this promise and replace it with certain pollution for many years to come. The main object in the way are the continued Combined Sewerage Overflows (CSOs) that are released into the river whenever we have serious rainstorms. Rainstorms are becoming more severe, dropping large amounts of water at a time and triggering these CSOs.

Government

Rescheduled Tree Hearing to be Held for Proposed Removal of 4 Trees

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The tree hearing about four trees on public property on Channing Road, Elmwood Avenue, Fairview Avenue, was originally scheduled for July 23, but was rescheduled for Aug. 4. See the announcement provided by the Watertown Tree Warden, below. Public Shade Trees are protected by Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 87. The removal of a healthy public tree requires an advertised public hearing.