Around Town

Nearly 2,500 Watertown Residents Set to See Food Benefits Frozen, Local Assistance Efforts Underway

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With a freeze on SNAP benefits set to start Nov. 1, 2025, food drives for local food pantries are being planned. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

Starting Nov. 1, 2025, nearly 2,500 Watertown residents who receive federal food assistance funds will likely lose hundreds of dollars in SNAP benefits. Food pantries, non-profits and other groups in the City are gearing up to try to fill the gap.

Around Town

Watertown Community Gardens Gets Grant to Remove Invasive Plants from Watertown Greenway

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Watertown Community Gardens received a state grant to improve the path from Watertown to Cambridge. (Contributed Photo)

By Linda RelsonWatertown Community Gardens, Board Chair

Volunteers have been working on the Watertown-Cambridge Greenway all year, and their efforts got a boost earlier this month with the award of a MassTrails Grant. The Watertown-Cambridge Greenway is a treasured ribbon of green space that connects School Street in east Watertown to Fresh Pond Reservation in Cambridge. The path is a rail trail converted from the former B&M Railroad’s Watertown Branch, now owned by the State of Massachusetts’ Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR). It is frequented by commuters, dog walkers, and bicyclists every day of the week. Unfortunately, since the path’s construction, many of the shrubs, trees, and perennial flowers that were originally planted have been overcome by invasive plants.

Around Town

Director of Award-Winning Documentary Film on Armenian Women During Wartime to Appear at Upcoming Screening

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The following announcement was provided by West Newton Cinema:

The West Newton Cinema Foundation is presenting a special screening of the internationally acclaimed documentary There Was, The Was Not on Friday, Nov. 7, 2025, at 7 p.m. at the West Newton Cinema, 1296 Washington St., West Newton. Following the screening, the film’s writer and director Emily Mkrtichian will participate in the Director’s Spotlight, a program of the West Newton Cinema Foundation. The Q&A discussion will be moderated by Paul Boghosian, President of Harbor Side Films. The film company produces documentaries (PBS), public affairs programming as well as major television and cable and streaming projects for networks and private clients. Presently in development is Pulitzer-Prize-winning poet, Peter Balakian’s memoir, “Black Dog of Fate.”

Around Town

See the Art Making a Former Lumber Yard into a More “Pleasant Landscape”

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Vitoria Regia said “Charles River and the Joseph Thompson Bridge” was inspired by an area of the river she finds very soothing. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

Six new banners like the fence line around a former industrial property on the Westside of Watertown. The images were created by local artists and will be displayed around for the foreseeable future. “Transitions” by Cynthia White is an abstract piece which she thought fit into the theme of A Pleasant Landscape. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

The project was organized by the City of Watertown to make the area look a little nicer, said Liz Helfer, the City’s Public Arts & Culture Planner.

Around Town

Kids Eat Free at Watertown Restaurant on Halloween

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Watertown’s Branch Line restaurant will host a Halloween party, and invites families to join in the fun. Children will eat for free on Oct. 31, and there will be music and games. See info from the restaurant, below. On Halloween, Branch Line is hosting a biergarten party on their covered, heated patio.

Obituaries

OBIT: Richard Tashjian, 99, Former Long-Time Watertown Resident, Owned an Art Gallery

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Richard Tashjian

Richard Hratch Tashjian, a well-known artist, passed away peacefully on Oct. 21, 2025, at the age of 99 in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Born on June 27, 1926, in Dorchester, Massachusetts, Richard lived a life rich in creativity, love of nature and devotion to the fine arts. Richard served honorably in the United States Naval Reserve during World War II from 1944 to 1946, where he was an aerial photographer. Following his military service, Richard pursued his education with fervor, graduating from the Museum School of Fine Arts in Boston in 1950 and further enhanced his skills in design under the tutelage of Professor Gyorgy Kepes at the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology School of Visual Design Architectural Center in Cambridge.

Around Town

Watertown Police Offering Free Kits for Drivers With Autism or Who are Neurodivergent

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The Watertown Police recently added a new resource for neurodivergent people and their families that could help prevent misunderstandings and even tragedies. The WPD has joined the Blue Envelope program. The program was started a few years ago by the Massachusetts State Police, and the kits are now available at the Watertown Police Station, said Watertown Police Officer Devon Shatkin. “It’s essentially fostering safer relationships between individuals with autism who are drivers on the road and police officers,” Shatkin said. ” So, we’ve seen a much increased frequency of those type of interactions, and they can be difficult, dangerous, stressful.

Around Town

Vendors Wanted for Watertown Senior Services’ Annual Health Fair

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The following announcement was provided by the City of Watertown:

We’re calling all local health, wellness, nutrition, home care, fitness, and social service organizations to participate as vendors in this exciting event. This year’s Senior Health & Wellness Fair will focus on Brain Health and Wellness — an engaging and educational afternoon dedicated to understanding, preventing, and supporting brain health across all stages of aging. Vendor Highlights:

• Tables are absolutely free! • You’re requested to bring an engaging activity to delight and educate our seniors and a gift bag to be raffled off at the event — think interactive demos, short games, or 5-minute presentations. • Share your marketing materials, free resources, or product samples to showcase your services.