Around Town

UPDATED: Trash Strike – Sides Going into Mediation, Letter from City Manager, Watertown Human Rights Commission Weighs In

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Watertown DPWTrash and recycling collection has been impacted by the trash strike that began on July 1. (UPDATED Friday, July 11, 2:50 p.m. – The letter signed by City Manager George Proakis was added)

The trash strike entered its 11th day on Friday, and the two sides — Republic Services and Teamsters Local 25 — said they will be going into mediation. City Manger George Proakis and other municipal heads sent a letter to Republic Services. On Thursday, Republic released a statement saying they had been contacted by the union and will be using a federal mediator, according to a report by NBC Boston 10. This statement came after the Teamsters said that there had been no negotiations since last week.

Weather

Weather Forecast: Cloudy Days Clear for Sunny, Hot Conditions

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A bit of a weather rollercoaster sets up across the area this week. After a day of local heavy downpours on Thursday, a slow-moving front lingers nearby. Conditions gradually improve by the weekend, with dry weather, brightening skies, and seasonable warmth. Then, from Monday through midweek, summer arrives in full force. A southwest flow brings rising temperatures and muggy air, with highs soaring into the upper 80s and low 90s.

Around Town

Marshall Home Fund Awards $76K for Watertown’s Older Adults, Has Awarded Over $1 Million Over 20 Years

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2025 Marshall Home Fund Grant recipients at the Grant Award Ceremony on May 15, 2025. (Photo from Marshall Home Fund)

The following announcement was provided by the Marshall Home Fund:

The Board of Directors of the Marshall Home Fund (MHF) is very pleased to announce the recipients of its latest round of program grant awards. This spring, the Board of Directors pledged $76,000 to local organizations for programs that will benefit residents of Watertown who are ages 55 and older. In awarding this latest round of grants, the MHF has surpassed a total of $1 million awarded over a 20-year period for the benefit of older adults in Watertown. The 2025 grant recipients include:

Carroll Center for the Blind: Individual Services for residents of Watertown 55+ years old living with vision loss or blindness.

Around Town

Trash Strike Continues, Sides Have Not Met This Week

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Overflowing trash and recycling bins on Main Street during the trash strike. (Photo by Dean Martino)

The two sides have not come to an agreement on the trash strike impacting Watertown and 11 other communities, and it appears they have not been at the negotiation table since last week. The City says replacement crews continue to pick up trash, and missed collections will be dealt with later in the day. On Wednesday, Teamsters Local 25 sent out a release saying that officials with Republic Services have not met with them. “Republic Services was told on Thursday, July 3, if they did not begin negotiations by Monday, July 7, we were prepared to extend picket lines across the country.

Obituaries

OBIT: Tom Lewis, 82, Architect Who Worked at Perkins & Harvard Medical School, Senior Center Volunteer

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Tom Henry Lewis, 82, of Watertown, Massachusetts, died peacefully from natural causes on July 3, 2025, at Neville Center at Fresh Pond, near his home in Watertown. Tom was born the son of Herman and Angeline (Smith) Lewis on May 10, 1943, on the family farm near Edgewood, Iowa. He was valedictorian of the class of 1961, the last class to graduate from Edgewood High School. The following year Edgewood and Colesburg united to become Ed-Co. Tom graduated from Cal Poly Tech in San Luis Obispo, CA in 1965 and began his career as a registered architect working for Leo Peiffer Assoc.

Around Town

City to Seek Compensation for Trash Service Impacted by Strike, Pickups Slower Than Normal

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Overflowing trash and recycling bins on Main Street during the trash strike. (Photo by Dean Martino)

The City of Watertown will be seeking compensation for the service interruption. While trash and recycling collection has restarted, City officials said that the backup crews are taking longer than normal, and recycling will not be prioritized while the company continues contract negotiations. Also, the Recycling Center will remain closed, causing the cancellation of a planned event. On July 1, members of Teamsters Local 25 went on strike demanding changes to the contract with Republic Services.

Around Town

City Hosting Extreme Weather Preparedness Workshop

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The City of Watertown will host a workshop on how to prepare for extreme weather on July 14. See details in the announcement below. Attend the Extreme Weather Workshop, Building Climate Resilience and Flooding Solutions in Watertown, on Monday, July 14, 2025, from 12:30-1:30 p.m. at the Senior Center, 31 Marshall Street. Join us to explore the effects of flooding in Watertown and learn how to prepare for extreme weather. Get tips on preparedness, share flood solutions with neighbors and communicate your priorities to city staff.

Around Town

Learn About Historic Events in Watertown in July 1776 at Historical Society’s Presentation

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Charlie BreitroseA colonial re-enactor listens to a reading of the Declaration of Independence from the Edmund Fowle House on Marshall Street during the Historical Society of Watertown’s celebration in 2015. This year’s event will be at the Watertown Senior Center. The Historical Society of Watertown will host “Historic Events in Watertown, July 1776” at the Watertown Senior Center, 31 Marshall St., on Tuesday, July 15, 2025, from 5-6:30 p.m. See details in the event announcement below. Please attend this special program presented by the Historical Society at the Watertown Senior Center, honoring two important events: the Declaration of Independence and the Treaty of Watertown. The Treaty of Watertown was the first international US treaty.