Around Town

Focus on Missed Trashed Pickups, Drop Off Site Open for Trash & Recycling All Week

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Watertown DPWCurbside composting toters, like the one on the left, will be part of the Watertown trash and recycling program starting in August. On Monday, replacement crews during the trash strike continued to collect any missed pickups from last week, so Monday pickups may not all be collected on July 14. The City will keep the drop off area for trash and recycling open from Monday to Friday during the week of July 14, with a limit of three bags of trash or equivalent recycling. City officials also requested that residents wait 48 hours to report a missed pickup as crews try to catch up. See below the update from the City of Watertown regarding trash and recycling curbside pickup:

Republic Services is doing trash and recycling curbside pickup today, Monday, July 14, 2025, completing any final missed pickups reported from Thursday and Friday of last week.

Elections

LETTER: School Committee Candidate Joins Race, Lays Out Priorities

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Sheila Krishnan (Photo by Cydney Scott)

My name is Sheila Krishnan, and I’m excited to share my candidacy for one of the three School Committee seats up for election in Watertown this November. I have long appreciated the role that public education plays in contributing to a thriving, healthy democracy as someone who has worked in public health and higher education for over 17 years. Over the past five years, I have been an active Watertown Public Schools parent volunteer and community member through a variety of roles. Understanding how decisions are made in our district is important to me, not only for my children but so that I can advocate on behalf of students and families in the district. Now more than ever, having engaged, informed citizens will be vital to the future of our communities and the challenges we face ahead.

Around Town

Seniors Hear About Fire Department’s Paramedic Services at Coffee with the Chiefs

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Watertown Firefighters Tony Caruso and Katie Boudreau demonstrate paramedic services at the Coffee with the Chiefs with the Senior City. (Contributed Photo)

By Alison Clapp

As many of you may be aware, there was an effort in the town to approve a second ambulance for the Fire Department. Tuesday, April 29th the City Council’s Committee on Budget & Fiscal Oversight took up the proposal which had strong support from many residents including a broad group of seniors. The case for a second ambulance was based both on the increased demand for the current ambulance based out of the Orchard Street station and response time when waiting for a contracted private ambulance to arrive at calls. The Council approved the request in mid-May which means the addition of eight firefighter/paramedics to staff a second ambulance.

Entertainment

Small Saves Gets a Change of Position in This Week’s Comic

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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.”

Entertainment

Watertown Library Hosting Summer Reading Block Party

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Watertown LibraryThe Watertown Free Public Library. Celebrate the halfway point of Watertown Free Public Library Summer Reading with fun for all ages — dancing, music, ice cream, prizes, and more! See details provided by the WFPL below. Friday, July 25 | 4-6 PM | Saltonstall Field

All ages and all community members are invited to Saltonstall Field to celebrate the halfway point of WFPL Summer Reading with dancing, music, ice cream, prizes, and more. Try Bollywood-inspired dancing with Purnima Thakre and get your groove on with Zumba instructor Ama Edzie.

Around Town

Marshall Home Fund Awards $76K for Watertown’s Older Adults, Has Awarded Over $1 Million Over 20 Years

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2025 Marshall Home Fund Grant recipients at the Grant Award Ceremony on May 15, 2025. (Photo from Marshall Home Fund)

The following announcement was provided by the Marshall Home Fund:

The Board of Directors of the Marshall Home Fund (MHF) is very pleased to announce the recipients of its latest round of program grant awards. This spring, the Board of Directors pledged $76,000 to local organizations for programs that will benefit residents of Watertown who are ages 55 and older. In awarding this latest round of grants, the MHF has surpassed a total of $1 million awarded over a 20-year period for the benefit of older adults in Watertown. The 2025 grant recipients include:

Carroll Center for the Blind: Individual Services for residents of Watertown 55+ years old living with vision loss or blindness.

Letters

LETTER: Whose Job is it to Unmask the Threat to Democracy?

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Dear Editor,

It is like it has not happened in Watertown. Whose Job is it to Unmask the Threat to Democracy? When federal agents conceal their identities behind masks, they don’t just cover their faces — they block accountability, liability and proper identification as a federal agent. In recent months, ICE has deployed masked officers in plainclothes across American cities, detaining immigrants and citizens alike without identification and a charge. This is not just unconstitutional — it’s dangerous.