Around Town

Historical Society of Watertown Offering Historic American Legion Artifacts to the Public

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The following announcement was provided by the Historical Society of Watertown:

Three or more decades ago, when American Legion Post 99 closed, the Historical Society of Watertown acquired a quantity of their documents and artifacts. It is a sad fact that small museums, such as ours, have limited space for proper storage and now that we are slowly cataloging our accumulated collection, it has become clear that while it is appropriate that we keep some of these items, we lack the room to house them all. The next step in cases like this is to offer the items to another appropriate party or organization. Last month, we donated a photo from 1930 to the Shutt Detachment, Marine Corp League, depicting the dedication of the WWI memorial stone out in front of their building at 215 Mt. Auburn St., which was occupied by the American Legion Post 99 at that time.

Around Town

Free Open House at Browne House, Watertown’s Oldest Home

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Browne House (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

The following announcement was provided by Historic New England:

On Saturday, June 7, Historic New England sites across the region are free and open to the public. Visitors can enjoy a fun day of fantastic storytelling from architecture and fine art to New Englanders of the past. Browne House is recognized as the first fully documented restoration in America and the oldest house in Watertown. There is one large room on the first floor, which incorporated living, cooking, and sleeping space. The second floor features rare architectural features and an attic completes the tour.

Letters

LETTER: Disability Commission Doing ADA Study in Watertown

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Dear Editor,

Last Wednesday, the Disability Commission heard the results from the ADA study which was funded by a grant. The Commission engaged KMA, LLC in Newton to conduct the study and recommendations. 105 residents responded to the survey which is exceptional for a municipality and this study type. City properties comply with a lot in the ADA. However, there are areas needing improvement, such as fixing elevators, resurfacing parking lot and having signage. The Phillips School and Senior Center needed addressing. The non-school polling places were part of the study and there’s room for improvement there. School use in elections will be studied later. The good news is that many improvements can happen programmatically by adding “request for accommodations can be made” to agendas and applications, for example. Advertising accommodation aides would also be helpful An audit of city aides will be performed. It would be beneficial to know what locations have a Meeting Owl for hybrid meetings.

Around Town

Construction Crews Will Install Drainage on Mt. Auburn St. This Week

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Drainage work will be the focus of the construction on Mt. Auburn Street during the week of June 2-7. See details in the announcement from the City of Watertown. Beginning Monday, June 2, 2025, Newport Construction will resume drainage installation on Mount Auburn Street at the intersections with Kimball Road and Elton Avenue. Traffic and Sidewalk Impacts

During this work, you can expect temporary lane shifts and possibly lane closures, but one travel lane in each direction will remain on Mount Auburn Street.

Sports

Watertown Swimmers Head to Florida to Compete at Boys & Girls Club Nationals

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A member of the Watertown Wavemakers, competed at the Boys & Girls Club National Championships in Florida. (Photo by Jessica vonGoeler)

The following piece was provided by Erin Hickey coach of the Watertown Wavemakers:

Members of the Watertown Boys & Girls Club Wavemakers swim team recently dove into fierce competition at the Boys & Girls Club National Swim Meet in St. Petersburg, Florida, from April 11-13, showcasing their talent among the nation’s best young athletes. Watertown Boys & Girls Club has been representing the community annually at the Nationals swim meet since 2012. This year, a group of 17 determined swimmers ages 10-17 made the trip under the leadership of Wavemakers Head Coach Erin Hickey and assistant coaches Jenn Lawlor and Dylan Hickey.

Entertainment

Small Saves Deals With Playing a Bad Game in This Week’s Cartoon

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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 Concert Raising Money for Refugee Support Group

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The following announcement was provided by the Watertown Citizens Refugee Support Group

Saturday June 7th, 8:00pm Watertown Immigration-themed Concert at First Parish of Watertown

Sponsored by the Social Action Committee of First Parish, this performance by Dinosaur Annex Music Ensemble comprises works by living immigrant composers from many parts of the world who have chosen to settle and work in the U.S. 

A portion of the proceeds from the concert will be donated to Watertown Citizens Refugee Support Group. For more information or to purchase tickets:  https://www.dinosaurannex.org/concerts

Schools

Student Records for Watertown High Class of 2018 to be Destroyed Soon, Copies Available

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The Watertown Public Schools provided the following announcement:

Kathleen Desmarais, M.Ed, Director of Student Services, is notifying the public that in accordance with  Massachusetts Student Records Regulations temporary records which have been maintained by the school system for the Class of 2018 are about to be destroyed. Former students have the right to receive copies of any or all of these records prior to their destruction.  

After July 1, 2025, only the transcript, which includes the minimum information necessary to reflect the student’s educational progress, will be on file for at least sixty years. Transcript information includes only name, address, course titles, grades, and grade level completed. 

The temporary record contains all other information maintained by the school about the student. All temporary records must be destroyed no later than seven years after the student leaves the school system. 

Former students from the classes of 2018-2024 may contact the Watertown High School Guidance Office at 617-926-7736 prior to July 1st and arrange to pick up their records.