Elections

Election 2025: See the School Committee Candidate Q&As

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The race for Watertown School Committee features five candidates and at least one new person will join the committee. Watertown News reached out to the candidates to find out more about them. See details in the Candidate Q&As. Two incumbents seek re-election, and three candidates seeking a seat (one of whom has experience on the School Committee). Voters can select three candidates for School Committee 2025 Watertown Municipal Election.

Elections

Election 2025: See the Library Trustee Candidate Q&As

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The Watertown Free Public Library. (Courtesy of WFPL)

Watertown voters will be selecting three members of the Watertown Free Public Library’s Board of Library Trustees in the 2025 Watertown Election. Watertown News reached out to the candidates to find out more about them. See details in the Candidate Q&As. The Library Trustees oversee the budget for the Watertown Library and works with Library staff on how to spend the budget, as well as working on special projects and initiatives at the library.

Around Town

Watertown Police Offering Free Kits for Drivers With Autism or Who are Neurodivergent

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The Watertown Police recently added a new resource for neurodivergent people and their families that could help prevent misunderstandings and even tragedies. The WPD has joined the Blue Envelope program. The program was started a few years ago by the Massachusetts State Police, and the kits are now available at the Watertown Police Station, said Watertown Police Officer Devon Shatkin. “It’s essentially fostering safer relationships between individuals with autism who are drivers on the road and police officers,” Shatkin said. ” So, we’ve seen a much increased frequency of those type of interactions, and they can be difficult, dangerous, stressful.

Entertainment

WEEKEND FUN: Halloween Fun, Two Plays Hit the Stage, Artists Open Studios

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Halloween celebrations are in full swing this weekend. The Commander’s Mansion will host the second annual Wicked Watertown on Saturday, and enjoy some fall fun at Gore Place on Sunday. It’s a weekend of theater at the Mosesian Center for the Arts, with two classic plays hitting the stage — one put on by the Watertown Children’s Theatre and the other by the Actors’ Shakespeare Project. Take an inside look at artists studios on Saturday and Sunday during the Turtle Studios Open Studios. While the event is just over the river in Newton, several Watertown artists create their works at the studios.

Transportation

Watertown Shuttle to Open New Route to Public, Watertown TMA Looking for Transportation Improvements

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A WATConnector shuttle bus. These shuttles run down Pleasant Street, and similar ones serve Arsenal Street.(Courtesy of Watertown TMA)

For several years, the City of Watertown has been looking for ways to supplement the MBTA’s bus service in town and provide more options for people to get around town and commute. The most visible ones are the two shuttle routes that connect to Harvard Square. One runs along Pleasant Street and is open to the public, and another along Arsenal Street, which is only open to offices and residential buildings that are supporters of the shuttle — but that will change in the near future. The City of Watertown is part of the Watertown Transportation Management Association (TMA).

Elections

View the School Committee Candidate Forum Video

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Monday night, the candidates for Watertown School Committee appeared at a live forum and answered questions about the future of the middle school, the school budget, vocational education, making students and family feel welcome in the Watertown Public Schools, and more. The candidate forum is the fourth hosted by WCA-TV and Watertown News. See how the candidates — David Stokes, Jessica Middlebrook, Joe Ganno, and Sheila Krisnan (Amy Donohue could not attend) — responded to the questions posed by host Maya Shwayder. Watch the video by clicking here: http://vodwcatv.org/internetchannel/show/4171?site=1

More Candidate Forums

On Oct. 6, the candidates running Councilor At-Large — Tom Tracy, Tony Palomba, Theo Offei, John Gannon, and Caroline Bays — appeared at the Middle School Auditorium.

Business

Watertown Mall Property Sold, Plans for Life Science Redevelopment Appears to be Over

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(UPDATED on Oct. 21, 2025 at 2:20 p.m.: The first version incorrectly noted that the whole 24 acres of the proposed project were sold. Only 550 Arsenal Street were sold). Plans to turn the Watertown Mall and other properties on the north side of Arsenal Street into a life science campus appear to be over after the owners of the property sold to a Newton-based development firm. The Boston Globe reported that Alexandria Real Estate sold the Watertown Mall property in Watertown, which is located at 550 Arsenal St., to National Development for $100.25 million.