Letters

LETTER: Parents Concerned About Students With Disabilities, Call for “Vote of No Confidence” for School Administrator

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To the Editor,

We are a group of Watertown caregivers and community members writing to raise urgent awareness about an active community petition concerning the experiences of students with disabilities in Watertown Public Schools. Families across the district have repeatedly raised concerns regarding access to appropriate special education services, consistency of implementation, communication with families, and meaningful inclusion in decision-making processes. These concerns reflect sustained experiences shared by multiple families over many years and warrant serious public attention. In response, a community petition was created calling for the School Committee to place on its agenda a public discussion and action on a Vote of No Confidence for the Director of Student Services. This petition remains open and active.

Government

Watertown’s State Reps. & State Senator Will Take Public’s Question at Town Hall Meeting

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Massachusetts State House (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

The following information was provided by Will Brownsberger’s office:

Join Senator Will Brownsberger, Representative John Lawn, and Representative Steve Owens on Monday, June 15 at 7 p.m. for an informal “town hall” style discussion with Watertown residents. The free event is at the Community Link building in the Alexandria Center for Life Science at the Arsenal on the Charles (see directions below). Bring your questions and comments about legislation, policy, budget or anything else on your mind. The Senator and Representatives look forward to the discussion! When: Monday, June 15 from 7 to 9 p.m.Where: 305 Arsenal Street, Watertown (See GPS navigation note).

Obituaries

OBIT: James “Larry” Coe, 80, CPA in Watertown Sq., Singer & Lover of Classical Music

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Larry Coe

James Laurence “Larry” Coe of Watertown, Massachusetts passed away peacefully on June 5, 2026, at the age of 80. Larry was born in New Rochelle, New York and grew up in Columbus, Ohio. He was preceded in death by his father, Donald R. Coe, mother Nancy H. Coe Hill, and brother Donald R. Coe. He is survived by his wife of 51 years, Doris, daughters Julie (Ben) and Maggie (Eckehard), son Peter (Caitlin), and four grandchildren. He is also survived by his sisters-in-law Susan Coe and Jean Culver (Kevin), along with nephews and nieces.

Schools

Watertown Students Graduate, Earn Honors at Their Colleges & Universities

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Watertown residents graduated from Salve Regina, WPI, James Madison, and Trine. Local students earned honors at Springfield College, Ohio State, Assumption, Emmanuel, Fairfield, and Quinnipiac. The following information was provide by the college or university:

Graduates

Salve Regina University

On May 17, on the oceanside campus of Salve Regina University in Newport, RI, Dr. Kelli J. Armstrong, president, conferred 525 bachelor’s degrees upon the Class of 2026 at the University’s 76th Commencement. These local students were among them. Simrin Bakhshi of Watertown

Jesse Cavarretta of Watertown

Michael Cormier-Luce of Watertown

WPI

Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) celebrated the accomplishments of the Class of 2026 during its 157th Commencement exercises, honoring graduates whose innovation, perseverance, and purpose-driven achievements will help shape the future.

Letters

OP-ED: In Support of Instituting Medicare for All

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By David BlitzmanWatertown Resident

My cousin’s life was saved by Obamacare. Obamacare, also known as the Affordable Care Act and Patient Protection Act expanded health coverage for Americans, improved consumer protections, and decreased costs for American consumers. Prior to this act, she was stuck in medical limbo (hell) fighting with insurance as so many Americans are forced to do. However, due to the passage of the Obamacare, her insurance was now mandated to cover the surgery that saved her life. It is due to this fact, that I will always be grateful for Obamacare and how government intervention can and did make the world a better place.

Letters

LETTER: Questions About Letter Endorsed by Majority of Council

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Greetings Councilors:

Am I missing something? On June 3, 2026, a letter appeared in Watertown News; purportedly signed by eight Watertown City Councilors advocating in support of Medicare for All. 

Where was the open public process? I do not recall seeing a City Council Agenda Item that would have allowed for discussion on the topic. Who did the research? Where was the transparency in a Q & A format?

Around Town

Watertown Group Joining De-ICE Citizens Bank National Week of Action

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Twenty-five people came out to the Indivisible Progressive Watertown No Ice-Citizens Bank Protest in Watertown on March 7, 2026. (Photo by Joshua Touster)

The following announcement was provided by Indivisible Progressive Watertown:

Nearly two-thirds of Americans believe U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has gone “too far” in its immigration crackdown and are making communities “less safe.” But how can they voice their concerns with ICE and the Trump administration? One action they can take is to go after the companies that are supporting and abetting the government’s aggressive immigration crackdown. One of these companies is Citizens Bank, a major financial institution with 1,000 branches in 15 states, most of them in the Eastern US. On Saturday, June 6, the De-ICE Citizens Bank Coalition will hold a National Day of Action to protest the billions of dollars of financial support the bank has provided to prison companies operating dozens of ICE immigration detention centers across the country.

Elections

National Association of Government Employees Backs State Senate Candidate

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Daniel Lander. The following announcement was provided by The Lander Committee:

Daniel Lander is proud to announce that his campaign was endorsed by the National Association of Government Employees (NAGE), a union representing tens of thousands of workers around the country, and more than twenty thousand employees in Massachusetts. The endorsementhighlights Lander’s commitment to fighting for working people. “NAGE is fighting every day to improve the lives of working people in Massachusetts. On every level of government and in the private sector, the union represents those who keep our state moving,” said Daniel Lander.