Letters

LETTER: How Honest is our Development Process?

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Dear Watertown Residents:

Have I written enough about the April 6th meeting at the library? Perhaps, but when has that ever stopped me before?? I received a comment to my last Op-Ed entitled “Calling All Everyday Citizen Heroes for the Watertown Square Meeting.”

See:

OP-ED: Calling All Everyday Citizen Heroes for the Watertown Square Meeting

A reader responded:

“Of all the components of the MBTA Act/Watertown rezoning issue, the urge of some to protect a parking lot and to view construction of a garage as a threat to our way of life makes no sense to me. Building housing and parking in a central spot — and in a currently unattractive downtown area — is a good path forward. (I like Tresca’s by the way; hopefully, they can re-locateto somewhere nearby — the ground floor of the new building going up where the post office was?)”

And here’s my response:

Hi,

I was prepared to write one of my signature long responses to your comment, but then I thought, you’ve cut to the heart of the matter.

Around Town

Hear Musicians of All Ages on Multiple Stages at 13th Annual Watertown MusicFest

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The following announcement was provided by the Friends of Watertown Music:

Friends of Watertown Music invites you to our 13th Annual MusicFest this Friday, April 10th. Doors open at 5:15 p.m. and performances start promptly at 5:30 p.m.! Come celebrate music with us! This year we again feature a variety of music – folk, jazz, classical, pop, and rock – in concurrent solo and group acts on different “stages” including, among others: Flip Zero; Don Bakerian & Friends; Dead Stock; The Moxley Boys; many popular Watertown Public School teachers in various groups; student jazz bands; Girls Like That; piano, woodwinds, reeds, brass, strings, voice, ukelele … in solos or small ensembles. And no MusicFest would be complete without representation from local favorites Ruth Rappaport & Peter Wetherbee – this year we welcome JOE PETE is 3 in 1!

Entertainment

Cartoon: Small Saves Meets a Future Hall of Famer

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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.”

Letters

LETTER: The Plan for Watertown Square Has Not Gotten the Attention It Deserves

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I am writing this in response to Linda Scott’s detailed and well researched op-ed (click here). Linda, your deep dive into our community’s issues certainly speaks to many of the concerns people have raised with me. Thank you so much for kicking off this discussion. I urge all residents to read your op-ed, pass it on to family members, friends, and neighbors, and then discuss it together. I’ve spoken to multiple people who told me that there is a proposal for a five-story building of 200 +/- units plus a garage wrap similar to a complex at Assembly Square Mall in Somerville which admittedly I have yet to visit.

Charity

LETTER: Thank You for the Support for the Hockey Fundraiser for a Rare Genetic Condition

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The Watertown and Belmont community came together on March 28 for the annual Dally Cup Hockey game, raising more than $13,000 in honor of Grace Garabedian to benefit CFC International. The event, supported by the Belmont Police and Fire Departments, the Belmont Youth Hockey Association, and local friends and families, highlighted the strength and generosity of the community while bringing awareness to Cardiofaciocutaneous Syndrome (CFC), a rare geneticcondition. Grace Garabedian was born with CFC, a disorder that commonly affects the heart, facial features, and skin. She has faced ongoing challenges related to growth, development, and a demanding schedule of medical appointments. Funds raised from the Dally Cup will directly support research, education, and resources for individuals and families impacted by CFC.

Around Town

Watertown Holding Earth Day Recycling Event, Including a Compost and Tree Giveaway

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The following announcement was provided by the City of Watertown:

Save the date! The Watertown Public Works will be hosting an Earth Day Event on Saturday April 11, 2026, from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Jewish Community Day School Parking Lot – 57 Stanley Ave, for Watertown residents only (bring your ID). The event includes paper shredding, subsidized mattress collection ($25/mattress drop off vs the usual $50 for pickup), textile collection, Styrofoam collection, Black Earth Compost’s Compost/Soil and a tree sapling giveaway. More information will be available closer to the event.

Around Town

Saltonstall Park Re-Opens After Multi-Year Construction

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Saltonstall Park has opened after a multi-year construction project. (Screenshot from City of Watertown)

The park next to Watertown’s City Hall has reopened after being under construction since 2024. The Saltonstall Park project includes landscaping upgrades, improving pedestrian accessible walkways, and enhancing the streetscape with benches and dark sky compliant lighting, according to the project webpage. Construction on the covered performing space is still underway. See details, and a video, from the City of Watertown, below.

Around Town

Watertown Walks Returns — Join the Walk Challenge

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The weekly walks hosted by Live Well Watertown, a program run by the City, return in April, and this year there is a challenge for participants. Find out more about the walks and the challenge in the announcement from Live Well Watertown, below. Watertown Walks Return

Join the Walk Challenge

Walk with us at least six (6) times between April 9th and May 28th and earn a $5 gift certificate to the Watertown Farmers’ Market! April Walk Series – Get Fit & StrongThursday, April 9th – 30th 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.Meetup in lower Saltonstall Park, next to Watertown City Hall

Join us for our kick-off program with Kristina Courage, Certified Personal Trainer! This movement series designed to help you build strength, mobility, and confidence as we head into summer.