Around Town

A Celebration 250 Years in the Making: Watertown’s Treaty Day 2026

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The 2010 Reenactment of Signing of Treaty of Watertown at the Edmund Fowle House. (Courtesy of Historical Society. of Watertown)

In the days after the former 13 colonies declared their independence from Britain 250 years ago, Watertown had a moment. The town outside Boston became the center of government in Massachusetts, and two historic firsts took place right near Watertown Square. However, these occasions got lost in the ether somewhere between George Washington and George H.W. Bush.

Around Town

Hear About the City’s Plan to Reduce Vulnerability to Natural Hazards at Upcoming Presentation

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The following announcement was provided by the City of Watertown:

The City of Watertown has prepared an updated FEMA Hazard Mitigation Plan to reduce its vulnerability to natural hazards such as flooding, hurricanes, and winter storms.

Please join the City for a presentation on the Draft Hazard Mitigation Plan at an upcoming City Council meeting on Tuesday, July 14 at 7 p.m. An agenda for the meeting will be posted prior to the meeting. The Draft Plan is available online for public review and comment online. 

Questions and comments on the plan are welcome and may be sent to WatertowntResilience@mapc.org. NOTE: The City Council meeting will take place at the Parker Building due to renovations of the Council Chamber. WHEN: Tuesday, July 14, 2026, 7 p.m.WHERE: Community Meeting Room, Parker Building, 124 Watertown St., Watertown, MALINKS: Join with Zoom or Stream Online

Around Town

Watertown Group Screening Palestinian Film on July 12

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The following announcement was provided by Watertown Citizens for Peace, Justice and the Environment:

The Palestine Committee of Watertown Citizens for Peace, Justice and the Environment is offering a series of documentary and feature films that explores the history and culture of the Palestinian people and provides a picture of their life under Israeli occupation. Our upcoming film is “Gaza Fights for Freedom.” “Gaza Fights for Freedom” (2019) is the underground classic by journalist Abby Martin documenting the heroic Great March of Return weekly protests that began in 2018. It features exclusive on-the-ground footage of demonstrations where hundreds of unarmed civilians were killed by Israeli snipers and first-had accounts from victims, journalists, and medics. It serves as a legal and journalistic indictment of the Israeli military for war crimes.

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Woman Donates Hospital Wing, Dedicates it to Memory of Her Mother Who Lived in Watertown

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Marsha Moeller, center, cuts the ribbon at the Helen Caloggero Women’s and Family Center in California. The center is named after her mother who grew up in Watertown. (Photo from Providence St. Joseph Hospital)

A health center in California that provides services to women and families was dedicated to and named for a woman who grew up in Watertown. Marsha Moeller donated funds to build the Helen Caloggero Women’s and Family Center at the Providence St.

Around Town

Watertown Swap Shop Will be Open on July 11

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Donate some items you no longer want, and maybe pick something up at the Watertown Swap Shop at the Watertown Recycling Center on July 11. See more information provided by the City of Watertown, below. The Watertown Swap Shop will be open 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. the First Saturday of every month unless otherwise noted (weather depending) from April through November. The hours of operation will be dependent upon the availability of volunteers to oversee the program. Closed during the winter months. The remaining 2026 dates are:

July 11

August 1

September 5

October 3

November 7

The Swap Shop is located at the Watertown Recycle Center, 76 Stanley Ave.

Around Town

Speak with State Rep. Owens at 2 Watertown Office Hours in July

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State Rep. Steve Owens. State Rep. Steve Owens will host a pair of office hours in Watertown this month, and another in Cambridge. See more in the announcement from Owens’ office, below. Please come visit me at my next office hours:

Friday, July 10 from 9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. at Intelligentsia (810 Mt Auburn St., Watertown, MA 02472)

Thursday, July 16 from 8:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. at Triangle Coffee in Cambridge, formerly Kendall Kitchen on the Quad (10 Wilson Road, Cambridge, MA 02138)

Monday, July 20 from 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. at the Watertown Senior Center (31 Marshall St., Watertown, MA 02472)

The Statehouse is open to the public and my legislative office is in suite 167. The office phone number is 617-722-2230.

Around Town

Watertown Woman Creates Historic Boston Book from Her Huge Postcard Collection

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With a collection of tens of thousands of historic post cards, Watertown’s Kathryn Alpert had a wealth of choices for her new book “Lost & Found: Historic Boston in Post Cards.” Watertown News spoke with Alpert about the creation of her book. Alpert worked in public relations for years, and was able to get a piece about one of her biggest clients, Tweeter, on the front page of the Wall Street Journal in the 1990s. Then she started a greeting card company in the early 2000s. She is also a member of the Ephemera Society, which focuses on historic items, mostly paper items.

Her 206-page softcover book contains more than two-hundred colorful vintage postcards of historic Boston.