Elections

State Auditor Endorses Candidate for State Senate

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Daniel Lander. The following announcement was provided by Daniel Lander for State Senate:

State Auditor Diana DiZoglio endorsed Daniel Lander’s campaign for State Senate, providing significant momentum to Daniel Lander’s campaign against the architect of the broken status quo on Beacon Hill as the campaigns head into the last six weeks. A former State Senator herself, DiZoglio has spent her career fighting for transparency on Beacon Hill. As Auditor, DiZoglio led the successful statewide ballot campaign to audit the state legislature. Despite receiving overwhelming support from more than 70% of voters, Senator Brownsberger and his colleagues in Senate leadership have spent the past year and half trying to block the legislative audit.

Around Town

Library Hosting Art of Cast Aluminum Class for Ages 10-18 Taught by MassArt

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The following announcement was provided by the Watertown Free Public Library:

On July 31 and August 1, tweens and teens ages 10 – 18 are invited to create custom cast aluminum art at the Watertown Free Public Library! This event is made possible by MassArt, Eutectic Arts, and the Massachusetts Libraries Board of Library Commissioners. Here’s how it works: under the guidance of MassArt 3D Arts faculty and Eutectic Arts Founder Marjee-Anne Levine and current MassArt students, participants will carve their own design into a “scratch block” (a pre-formed mold made of resin-bonded sand) and watch as the design is cast in metal. Aluminum will be melted onsite on the Library lawn and poured into the scratch blocks created by each participant. Within minutes, the metal will solidify and be cooled and finished by the MassArt team.

Business

Explore Watertown Square Businesses During WBC Walk & Talk

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The following information was provided by the Watertown Business Coalition:

Join the Watertown Business Coalition and Live Well Watertown for an engaging Walk & Talk through Watertown Square on Thursday, July 23 at 5 p.m. Enjoy a community walk while exploring local businesses, meeting new people, and making meaningful connections in the heart of Watertown. During the walk, attendees will hear from the City’s Economic Development and Planning Team (Erin Rathe and Erika Jerram) as they discuss the Watertown Square Area Plan and the future vision for one of the community’s key business districts. Participants will also have the opportunity to visit WBC member businesses, hear directly from local owners, and learn more about the business community that makes Watertown Square unique. Whether you’re a business owner, resident, or community member, this is a great opportunity to connect, learn, and experience all that Watertown Square has to offer. The Route (as of June 11):

1) Start at The Residence at Watertown Square, 20 Summer St.

Elections

Candidates for Congress Appearing at Forum Hosted by Watertown Group

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The candidates running for the Massachusetts 5th Congressional District seat will appear on a virtual forum sponsored by Watertown Citizens for Peace, Justice, and the Environment. See details provided by the group, below. Meet the candidates in the Democratic Primary for Representative of CD5 in Congress: Katherine Clark, Jonathan Paz, and Tarik Samman. Attend our Candidates Forum on Aug. 5 at 7 p.m. on Zoom to hear what they have to say and to ask them questions. 

The primary is Sept.

Police/Fire

Watertown Company Will Pay Nearly $4.7 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations

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The following announcement was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Massachusetts:

EyePoint, Inc., formerly EyePoint Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (EyePoint), has agreed to pay $4,678,981 to resolve allegations that it paid kickbacks to Ambulatory Surgery Centers (ASCs) to induce the ASCs to purchase its drug, DEXYCU. This scheme, the government alleges, violated the Anti-Kickback Statute and the False Claims Act. 

The government contends that EyePoint’s unlawful scheme took two forms between January 2019 and March 2023: illegal payments from EyePoint to ASCs through an “Assurance Program;” and illegal payments from EyePoint to ASCs via the provision of free DEXYCU samples. The company, headquartered in Watertown, Mass., has admitted and accepted responsibility for the following facts. First, through its “Assurance Program,” EyePoint covered ASCs’ costs when federal insurance programs denied coverage of the drug, either by paying the ASCs cash or by providing them with free replacement DEXYCU. Second, EyePoint gave thousands of free samples to ASCs and the ASCs used the no-cost DEXYCU on patients whose commercial health insurance would not pay for the drug.

Development

Community Meeting to be Held for Proposed Multi-Family Development Just of Main Street

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A community meeting about a proposed multi-family development on Church Hill Street will be held on July 30 in City Hall. The City of Watertown sent out the following announcement:

PROJECT DEVELOPMENT – COMMUNITY MEETING NOTICE

The project applicant will be holding a Public Information Meeting as required by the Watertown Zoning Ordinance related to 6 & 12-14 Church Hill Street proposed multi-family development on Thursday, July 30, 2026. This community meeting is required prior to formal application and public hearing in front of the Planning and Zoning Boards. PROJECT DESCRIPTION and LOCATION:

The project proposes constructing a 3-story multi-family building with 9 residential units and a ground floor parking garage fronting on Church Hill Street. The meeting is presented by the project team, sharing existing site context, conditions, and the redevelopment plans.

Around Town

Deadline Approaching to Apply for Community Preservation Funds

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The deadline to apply for Community Preservation Act funds is Monday, July 27, 2026. See more details from the City of Watertown, below. The Community Preservation Act (CPA) was approved by the legislature and signed by Governor Paul Cellucci in September 2000. Watertown residents voted to adopt the CPA in November 2016. This state law, MGL Chapter 44B, allows cities and towns to raise funds through a surcharge on local real estate taxes to:

Buy, create, preserve open space and rehabilitate and/or restore open space that is acquired or created using CPA funds

Acquire, preserve, rehabilitate, or restore historic resources

Acquire, create, preserve, and support community housing

Acquire, create, preserve, and rehabilitate and/or restore passive and active outdoor recreation facilities

Before applying for Community Preservation Act (CPA) funds, please read the entire CPA application package, which includes the:

1.