Around Town

See What Section of Mt. Auburn St. Will be Under Construction During the Week of Memorial Day

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During the week of May 27-30, 2025, the removal of the bases for the old MBTA electric bus wires will continue, beginning at School Lane. There will be no work on Monday, May 26 in observance of Memorial Day. See more details provided by the City of Watertown. Beginning Tuesday, May 27, 2025, Newport Construction will resume removing the overhead catenary bases along Mount Auburn Street, starting at School Lane and progressing westbound toward Watertown Square. Newport Construction may also resume drainage installation on Mount Auburn Street at the intersections with Kimball Road and Elton Avenue.

Around Town

Community Foundation’s Food Drive Delivers Cart Loads of Items to Watertown’s Two Food Pantries

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Tia Tison, Executive Director of the Watertown Community Foundation and WCF Co-President Lauren Coughlin Unsworth push a cart of food into the Watertown Food Pantry. (Courtesy of the Watertown Community Foundation)

The two food pantries in Watertown received a special delivery of supplies courtesy of donations made by the Watertown community during the Watertown Community Foundation’s Food Drive. The collection took place during May, which is the Foundation’s annual month of volunteering called Watertown Helps Out — or WHO. The food was delivered Thursday afternoon to the Watertown Food Pantry, located in the former United Methodist Church, and the Watertown Catholic Collaborative Food Pantry, located the Sacred Heart Church, made Thursday afternoon, said Tia Tilson, Executive Director of the Watertown Community Foundation. “We delivered food to both pantries, unloading roughly six full grocery carts at each pantry,” Tilson said.

Around Town

See Who Will Participate in the 2025 Memorial Day Parade

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The 2025 Watertown Memorial Day Parade will take place on Monday, May 26 beginning at noon. The route begins at City Hall and ends at Victory Field with a ceremony. See who will be marching in this year’s parade

The parades starts by heading west on Main Street, then turns right onto Waverley Avenue heading past Watertown Middle School. A viewing area will be put up near the school. The parade continues along Waverley and turns right on Orchard Street, and ends at Victory Field.

Around Town

Watertown Group Hosts Panel “Concerned Jewish Faculty Speak Out On Palestine, Israel & Resistance”

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

The Watertown Citizens for Peace, Justice & the Environment, Working Group for Peace & Common Security is hosting a panel discussion entitled “Concerned Jewish Faculty Speak Out On Palestine, Israel & Resistance” at the First Parish Church on Wednesday, May 28th at 7 p.m.

Jewish Faculty Speak Out on Palestine, Israel, and Resistance

Please join us as members of Concerned Jewish Faculty discuss Jewish resistance to Israel’s policies, Jewish support for Palestinian rights, and Jewish support for protest over Palestine in the U.S.

PROFESSOR MARJORIE N. FELD, Professor of History, Babson College

Author of The Threshold of Dissent (2024) which chronicles the long history of American Jewish dissent over Israel and Zionism & argues for the value of open and safe conversations and criticism to a healthy American Jewish communal life. PROFESSOR JONATHAN FEINGOLD, Associate Professor of Law, Boston University

Expert in antidiscrimination law, affirmative action, and education law. He has analyzed the spread of discriminatory censorship laws designed to demean inclusionary values. Host of #RaceClass Podcast. PROFESSOR MNEESHA GELLMAN, Associate Professor of Political Science, Emerson College

Author of Misrepresentation and Silence in United States History Textbooks: The Politics of Historical Oblivion.

Around Town

Watertown Man Supports Group that Helps Children Who Have Lost a Parent Through His Employer’s Charity

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Watertown’s Jay Hughes presented a check to Cara Belvin, founder of Empower. The money was from the charity run by Movement Mortgage, where Hughes works. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

A dozen years ago, Watertown’s Jay Hughes met a woman who started a non-profit organization to help young women who had lost their mothers by giving them a special day on Mother’s Day. Hughes was the emcee of an auction in Scituate for Cara Belvin’s organization, Empower. The event raised more than $30,000 and got Belvin’s effort moving toward what it is now — a group that has an impact internationally.

Around Town

CAAW Dragon Boat Holds First Practice — Community Invited to June 8 Celebration

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Watertown’s Dragon Boat Team. The following announcement was provided by the CAAW:

The Chinese American Association of Watertown (CAAW) proudly announces the successful first practice of its new dragon boat team, the CAAW Night Herons, held this past weekend in preparation for the upcoming Boston Dragon Boat Festival. The launch marks an exciting new chapter for community engagement through cultural tradition, athleticism, and teamwork. This milestone was made possible thanks to the generous support of the Massachusetts Cultural Council and the Watertown Cultural Council. To continue the spirit of celebration, CAAW invites the entire Watertown community to save the date: Sunday, June 8 for a family-friendly cultural celebration.

Around Town

Vietnam Veterans Raise POW/MIA Flag at Greek Church’s Memorial Day Celebration

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The following piece was provided by Peter Vergados:

Memorial Day Celebration, Sunday, May 18th, at the Taxiarchae Greek Orthodox Church, Bigelow Avenue, Watertown, MA included Raising of the POW/MIA Flag. Color Guard was the Civil Air Patrol Cadets from the MA Wing located at Hanscom AFB. Hoisting the flag was Charles Kalivas, an Army Veteran who served in Vietnam 1967-68. Assisting was Leader of the Veteran’s Ministry, Peter J. Vergados, who also served in Vietnam as a Forward Air Controller (FAC). Charles Kalivas arrived in country at Cam Rahn Bay March, 1967.

Around Town

Beth Israel Lahey Health Offering Urgent Care in Watertown

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Members of the Urgent Care Watertown BILH/HMFP Team. Beth Israel Lahey Health announced that urgent care services are now available at the Beth Israel Lahey Health (BILH) Care Center – Watertown. The site, located at 480 Pleasant Street, opened last year. In addition to urgent care, the care center also offers primary care and specialties including obstetrics & gynecology, orthopedics and radiology. 

The urgent care services will be provided by physicians from Harvard Medical Faculty Physicians. Primary care is provided by BILH Primary Care clinicians and specialty services are provided by Mount Auburn Hospital clinicians. 

“By expanding the BILH Care Center – Watertown to include urgent care, we are bringing high-quality emergency care into the community,” said Alex Barker, president, BILH Medical Group.