Letters

LETTER: Library Should Resist Effort to Remove Book on Israeli/Palestinian Conflict

By |

(Note: The Watertown Board of Library Trustees will meet Thursday, July 31 at 7 p.m. at Watertown Middle School. The agenda includes a statement of policy in response to feedback on the suggested summer reading list read by the Board Chair.)

Dear  Kim Long (Hewitt), Library Director and Board of Trustees, 

I’m writing about the pressure the library faces to remove the children’s book, “A Map for Falasteen: A Palestinian Child’s Search for Home.” I hope the library resists this pressure and lets parents and children make their own choices of reading material and draw their own conclusions. This issue matters greatly to me for two reasons, my connections with Israel-Palestine and my connections with Watertown. I have been many times to the West Bank and Gaza and most parts of Israel.

Obituaries

OBIT: Robert Kaprielian, 89, Devoted Father, Veteran, Star Athlete at WHS, Cable Show Host

By |

Robert Kaprielian of Watertown, passed away on July 25th with his loving family at his side. Beloved husband of the late Landyce (Torrance) Kaprielian. Devoted father of Rachel Kaprielian Feloney and her husband Paul and Myra Ovoian and her husband Bill, all of Watertown. Loving Papa to William Robert Gannon and Calvin and Drew Ovoian. Dear brother-in-law to Ilse Kaprielian of Belmont.

Around Town

Mt. Auburn St. Project: More Sidewalk Excavation & Drainage Work This Week

By |

Planned work on the Mt. Auburn Street Project will impact the East End of town during the week of July 28, including sidewalk excavation and drainage work. See the announcement from the City of Watertown below. Sidewalk Excavation Continues

Excavation of the westbound sidewalk on Mount Auburn Street between Belmont Street and Keenan Street will continue Monday, July 28, 2025 from 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Learn about travel and parking impacts below. Traffic and Sidewalk Impacts

The westbound sidewalk will be closed for excavation starting Monday, July 28, 2025 at 7:00 a.m. A bypass sidewalk on the westbound side will be opened up while this work is being completed.Traffic on Mount Auburn Street will be narrowed and you can expect lane shifts, however traffic will be maintained in both directions. Entrances to driveways and parking lots will be maintained.

Entertainment

Small Saves Reads His School Paper in This Week’s Cartoon

By |

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.”

Around Town

Watertown Church Hosting Leadership Summit

By |

Grace Chapel Watertown

Grace Chapel announced it will be hosting a two-day leadership summit in Watertown. See details in the announcement below:

The Global Leadership Summit is the largest leadership experience in the world partnering with business, local churches, ministries, and other organizations to help leaders grow and become catalysts for change. In this two-day conference you’ll hear leading experts from both the marketplace and ministry share their wisdom to fuel inspiration, recharge your vision, and trigger intentional action to never stop learning. It’s a terrific forum you and/or your team(s) to improve their leadership. For more info checkout www.GlobalLeadership.org/Summit. 

The GLS is perfect for both individuals and teams who want to grow their leadership skills. In 2024 over 300,000 people attended in over 110 countries. The GLS is run live from Willow Creek Church in Chicago, and streamed to thousands of host sites worldwide including Grace Chapel in both Watertown and Wilmington. Email cogswell.doug@gmail.com for further information, including complimentary tickets for church and/or NGO leaders. 

Conference Details:

Date: August 7 & 8Time: 9:30am – 5pm

Special discount pricing of $169 is available through the links belowNote that Grace Chapel’s discounts are applied at checkout, and only through the links below. We are livestreaming at two locations:

Grace Chapel Watertown – Sanctuary525 Main St, Watertown MARegister for Watertown Location

Police/Fire

Watertown Police Department Welcomes Newest Officer

By |

New Watertown Police Officer Francis Yannizzi is sworn in by City Clerk Noelle Gilligan. (Photo by WPD)

The Watertown Police Department welcomed its newest officer on July 11, 2025. See the announcement posted on the WPD social media below. The Watertown Police Department proudly swore in Officer Francis Yannizzi as the newest member of our team. Officer Yannizzi brings 13 years of law enforcement experience to Watertown, having previously served with the Massachusetts Port Authority Police Department.

Schools

Watertown Engineering Teacher Learning About STEM Careers in Construction Sector

By |

WHS engineering and robotics teacher Jason Welch

The following announcement was provided by Associated General Contractors of Mass.:

Associated General Contractors of Massachusetts (AGC MA) will present its fifth annual Building Advancement Externship (BAE) program from Monday, August 4 – Friday, August 8. The program exposes educators to a wide array of STEM-based careers in the construction sector and prompts greater awareness of professional work opportunities for young people. Jason Welch, engineering and robotics teacher at Watertown High School, is one of 15 educators to be selected for the program. “Participants in AGC MA’s annual Building Advancement Externship become well-informed and passionate advocates for the construction industry, eager and able to share its many diverse and fulfilling opportunities with students,” says John Ferrante, CEO at AGC MA. “The participation and enthusiasm of our membership has been essential to the program’s success, and reflects its value in developing and strengthening the regional construction workforce.”

Participants in the 2025 AGC MA Building Advancement Externship include:

* Andrew DeLuca, Greater Lawrence Tech

* Eric Furlong, Wahconah Regional High School

* Josh Greeley, Upper Cape Cod Regional Technical School

* Grace Haggstrom, Randolph High School

* Jacob Humiston, South Hadley High School

* Timothy Lavin, Charlestown High School

* Joseph Migliore, Greater Lowell Technical High School

* Maureen O’Donnell, Boston Community Leadership Academy

* Julie O’Leary, Framingham High School

* Keith Powers, Bristol Plymouth Regional Technical High School

* Tracey Schryba, Franklin County Technical School

* Mario Sousa, Salem High School

* Melissa St. Pierre, BMC Durfee High School

* Heather Toomey, Lynn Vocational Technical Institute

* Jason Welch, Watertown High School

The 2025 Building Externship is supported and presented by BOND, Colantonio Inc., Collier’s Engineering & Design, Columbia, Consigli Construction, Dimeo Construction Company, Erland Construction Inc., Fontaine Brothers, Inc., North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters, Turner Construction, and Walsh Brothers, with support from Building Mass Careers, Building Pathways, Center for Smart Building Technology at Roxbury Community College, Fitchburg State University, Franklin Cummings Technical College, Mass CEC, Christa McAuliffe Center for Integrated Science Learning at Framingham State University, Wentworth Institute of Technology, Worcester Polytech Institute of Technology, and YouthBuild Boston.

Around Town

City Calls for Art to Revitalize Coolidge Square During Mt. Auburn St. Construction

By |

A map of Coolidge Square showing possible installation locations. The City of Watertown today announced “Open for Business,” a new public art initiative inviting artists and artist teams to submit proposals for temporary outdoor art installations in Coolidge Square. This project aims to maintain the vibrancy of the neighborhood and support local businesses during the ongoing reconstruction of Mount Auburn Street. The extensive Mount Auburn Street reconstruction project, while essential for long-term revitalization, will undoubtedly cause temporary disruption to businesses in Coolidge Square. In response, the City of Watertown seeks to transform this period of change into an opportunity for community engagement and economic support through the power of public art.