Sports

Watertown Field Hockey Coach Receives National Award

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Watertown Field HockeyWatertown Field Hockey Coach Eileen Donahue celebrated win number 700 in 2021. Watertown High School Field Hockey Coach Eileen Donahue received the Coach of the Year award from the National Federation of State High School Associations. Donahue was one of 24 high school coaches from across the country in a range of sports to be selected as 2023-24 National Coaches of the Year by the NFHS Coaches Association. She was the only honoree from Massachusetts. The coaches are nominated by the NFHS member state associations, which often works with the state coaches’ association in its respective state, according to the NFHS announcement, which continued: “The state association then contacts the potential state award recipients to complete a coach profile form that requests information regarding the coach’s record, membership in and affiliation with coaching and other professional organizations, involvement with other school and community activities and programs, and coaching philosophy.”

Government

Watertown Police Will Soon Start Using Cameras That Can Capture License Plate Info, ACLU Expresses Some Concerns

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In the next few weeks the Watertown Police Department will have access to new equipment that can capture images of license plates of passing cars. The technology is intended to help with criminal investigations, but some have expressed concerns about how it will be used, including the ACLU of Massachusetts. City Manager George Proakis provided information about the Flock Safety program to the City Council on Nov. 25. The Flock system was approved in the Fiscal Year 2026 budget and eight cameras will be installed on major roadways in Watertown.

Business

Watertown Restaurant to Close After 50+ Years, 2 New Eateries Opening in Town

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China Rainbow

A fixture on the Watertown eating scene, China Rainbow, will be closing after more than half a century. A post on Boston Restaurant Talk quoted a note posted by the owner of China Rainbow. Thank you for your patronage. I am deeply grateful for the memories, laughter and loyal support over the years and will cherish the time we’ve spent together. I love you all.Tammy

Fans still have time to enjoy a meal at China Rainbow, which will be closing on Dec.

Around Town

See and Hear Highlights of SOLSTICE Light & Audio Show at Mount Auburn Cemetery

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A new light show is featured on Bigelow Chapel for SOLSTICE in 2025. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

SOLSTICE returns to Mount Auburn Cemetery beginning Friday, Dec. 5 with some new features and a different theme in 2025. Watertown News got an early peak at SOLSTICE during Wednesday’s Friends and Family night, while Matt Hanna, host of Little Local Conversations, spoke with two of the people behind SOLSTICE 2025. Trees at Mount Auburn Cemetery alight along the lantern-lit pathway during SOLSTICE.

Letters

LETTER: Resident Encourages Congresswoman Clark to Sponsor Nuclear Disarmament Resolution

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Dear Editor,

As a resident of Watertown, I am hopeful that Congresswoman Clark will join Senators Markey and Warren and Congressmen Jim McGovern, Stephen Lynch and Richie Neal in cosponsoring an important resolution to the U.S. Congress that addresses the incredibly dangerous situation in the world right now: the threat of nuclear war. H. Res 317 calls upon the United States government to enter into negotiations with the other nuclear-armed states for a verifiable, enforceable agreement to eliminate their nuclear arsenals. It also urges our government to implement safeguards to reduce the danger of nuclear war while these negotiations take place. The resolution does not call for unilateral disarmament. The threat of nuclear war is hiding in plain sight, but the threat is real and growing.

Around Town

Items Being Dumped at Watertown Boy & Girls Club Costing Hundreds to Remove

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Items recently dumped in the parking lot of the Watertown Boys & Girls Cluh. Recently, the Watertown Boys & Girls Club has been receiving some unwanted drop-offs in the form of furniture, mattresses, and other items being left in or around the club’s dumpster. The club serves about 150 school-age children each day in its afterschool and aquatics programs. Usually, the items are dropped off at night, and they are costing the Club money, said Executive Director Gary Beatty. “I can’t say for certain if it’s people being vindictive, or if it’s like simply miseducation,” Beatty said. “I get the sense that some people see a dumpster in our parking lot, and assume that it’s just a place that’s available for the public to come and dump their unwanted belongings.”