Around Town

Watertown Group Completes 5K as Part of Girls on the Run Program

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The group of Watertown runners who took part in the Girls on the Run 5K. (Contributed Photo)

The following announcement was provided by Watertown Girls on the Run:

After a few-year hiatus, Girls on the Run made a triumphant return to Watertown this spring, thanks to the partnership between Watertown Recreation and the Hosmer School. The eight-week program, which began on April 2, at the Hosmer School, culminated in a celebratory 5K on the Boston Common on May 31. 

Twenty-six girls in grades 3 through 5 participated in the program on Wednesdays and Fridays after school to run, learn, and grow. Over the span of the 8 weeks, they not only built stamina and running technique but also learned valuable life skills like goal-setting, positive self-talk, and teamwork; all parts of the Girls on the Run curriculum. Seven dedicated coaches comprised of community volunteers, a Hosmer School teacher, and a Hosmer parent led the girls through the program. Their commitment to both physical training and personal encouragement helped participants develop confidence and form strong bonds not only with each other, but with the coaches as well.

Obituaries

OBIT: Emma (D’Amico) Gaeta, 95, Former Head of Watertown High School Cafeteria

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Emma Gaeta

A Mass of Christian Burial for Emma Florence (D’Amico) Gaeta will be held on Saturday, June 14, 2025, at 10:00 AM in St. Patrick Church, Watertown. Emma was born and raised in Watertown, Massachusetts, to the late Francesco and Teresa (Zaccagnini) D’Amico. A proud lifelong resident of Watertown, she passed away peacefully,surrounded by her loving family, on June 8, 2025, at the age of 95. She was the beloved wife of the late Joseph Anthony Gaeta, with whom she shared 51 wonderful years of marriage.

Obituaries

OBIT: Paul Connolly, 77, Longtime Hibernian, Musician, Worked at Shipley Co.

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Paul Connolly

Paul G. Connolly, age 77, of Watertown, died on June 4, 2025 at New Horizons in Marlborough after a courageous battle with Alzheimer’s Disease. 

Born in Polrevagh, County Galway, Ireland in 1947, he immigrated to the United States in the 1960’s, where he worked at The Shipley Company for several decades, initially in Newton Lower Falls and later in Marlborough. Paul recorded two albums with his brother’s band (“Mike Connolly’s Celticaires”) in the 1980’s and later went on to become a DJ for many years. He spent the majority of his free time with his friends at The Hibernians, where he also worked as a bartender and rental hall agent. An accomplished accordion player, Paul was a fan of Boston’s professional sports teams and listening to Irish music. He was the beloved husband of Rosemary (Murphy) Connolly. Loving father of Tom Connolly and his wife Laura & Paul Connolly. Dear brother of Julie Higgins and the late Mary, Ann, Peter, Mike, and John.

Around Town

CRWA Hosting Building Resilience in the Charles River Watershed Webinar

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The following information came from the Charles River Watershed Association:

Join us on Thursday, June 12, 2025, from 6:30-8 p.m. for the Building Resilience in the Charles River Watershed webinar on Zoom to learn about innovative green and grey flood mitigation solutions, how we could use ponds for added storage and their potential to reduce extreme flooding, and actionable recommendations to safeguard our watershed’s future. Don’t miss this opportunity to be part of the conversation! Discover how the Charles River Watershed Association and local communities are working together on innovative solutions to manage future flooding from climate change as part of our regional flood initiative. Adapting to the impacts of climate change is a daunting task, but many local cities and towns are facing this challenge head-on! For the past four years, about two dozen communities in the Charles River Climate Compact (CRCC) have collaborated with CRWA and Weston & Sampson to identify opportunities to reduce flooding and build resilience to climate change.

Around Town

Drainage Installation Work Planned This Week at 2 Intersections on Mt. Auburn St.

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During the week of June 9-13 the Mt. Auburn Street roadwork will include installation of drainage on a couple of intersections. See details in the announcement provided by the City of Watertown. Beginning Monday, June 9, 2025, Newport Construction will resume drainage installation on Mount Auburn Street at the intersections with Kimball Road and Elton Avenue. Traffic and Sidewalk Impacts

During this work, you can expect temporary lane shifts and possibly lane closures, but one travel lane in each direction will remain on Mount Auburn Street.

Around Town

Winners of 2025 Historical Preservation Awards Announced at Event Hosted by Gore Place

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The winners of the 2025 Historical Preservation Award. (Contributed Photo)

The following announcement was provided by the City of Watertown:

The Watertown Historical Commission announced its 2025 Historical Preservation Awards at aceremony on June 5, 2025 attended by over 75 people. “Watertown has a rich history and it takes work to preserve it,” Commission Chair Elise Loukas said. ‘These awards celebrate people and organizations who do the work and help us all in preserving the city’s history for future generations.”

The awards ceremony is held every two years to honor individuals, organizations and projects that have shown leadership in historic preservation in Watertown. This year’s ceremony was held at Gore Place’s Carriage House.

Weather

Weather Forecast: Showers and Thunderstorms Over Weekend

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Eastern Massachusetts heads into the second week of June with a more unsettled pattern. Moisture-rich air returns Friday into the weekend, bringing several rounds of showers and a few thunderstorms, especially Friday evening and again Saturday. While no widespread flooding is expected, locally heavy downpours are possible. Sunday trends drier with some sunshine, and Monday offers a beautiful break before the next frontal system arrives midweek. Temperatures remain seasonable to warm, with a mix of sun, clouds, and scattered rain chances through the period.

Around Town

First Watertown Swap Shop on Saturday — Free to Residents

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The following information was provided by the City of Watertown:

The Watertown Swap Shop is a free resource for our residents to share household items. As a volunteer-run sustainability initiative, we hope to encourage sharing and reuse, reduce consumption and waste, and connect neighbors across our community. Hours and Location

The Watertown Swap Shop will be open 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. the First Saturday of every month unless otherwise noted (weather depending) from April through October. The hours of operation will be dependent upon the availability of volunteers to oversee the program. Closed during the winter months. The 2025 dates are:

June 7 (First day open, taking donations only!) (Note, if there is lightening while the Swap Shop is scheduled to be open, it will close early for everyone’s safety.)

July 12 (Second Saturday of July)

August 2

September 6

October 4

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