Around Town
Pair of Open Houses in Watertown Over Memorial Day Weekend
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A townhouse and a single family home are holding open houses this weekend.
State of the City: Manager’s New Goals, Charter Review & a Downtown Post Office
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The City of Watertown will have a new set of goals used to create the annual budget and make decisions about how municipal departments operate, City Manager City Manager George Proakis said during Tuesday’s State of the City presentation. During the address, he and City Council President Mark Sideris also discussed the Charter Review set to happen in 2026, and the possibility of having a Post Office in the center of town.
State of the City Remains Strong Even as Dark Economic Clouds May be on the Horizon
City Manager George Proakis, left, and City Council President Mark Sideris presented the State of the City on Sept. 30, 2025. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)
Despite an uncertain economic future, Watertown remains on solid ground, City Manager George Proakis said during Monday’s State of the City Address. He and City Council President Mark Sideris went into depth about the economic factors impacting the City during the annual address.
Council to Weigh Changes to Rules for City Boards and Committees, City Departments
Photo by Charlie BreitroseWatertown City Hall
The City Council will be weighing in on a 39-page document that sets the rules for how Watertown’s appointed committees and municipal departments operate. Some changes proposed include changing the length of terms for some committees, who appoints members of certain committees, and how to remove members of committees.
Hear from the Candidates in Watertown’s Election at Upcoming Forums
As the Nov. 4 Watertown Municipal Election approaches, Watertown News and Watertown Cable Access TV will host a series of candidate forums for the local races, including the City Council and School Committee.
More Headlines
Watertown Author’s Book Honored in Mass. Book Awards
City Manager’s Reflection One-Week After the End of the Trash Strike
Police Log: Threatening Flyer Left at Home, Suspected Organized Crime Scam Used at Nike, Shoplifters Busted
Around Town
Civil War Clergy at Mount Auburn Cemetery: Rev. John Pierpont
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John Pierpont
(NOTE: The story was updated on May 27, 2023)
By Bill McEvoy
In honor of Memorial Day, local historian Bill McEvoy has compiled histories of some of the Civil War clergy who are buried at Mount Auburn Cemetery. This is part eight of 15.
Reverend John Pierpont was born on April 6, 1785, at Litchfield, Connecticut. He died on August 27, 1866, at Medford, Massachusetts, from heart disease.
Around Town
Civil War Clergy at Mount Auburn Cemetery: William Augustus Start
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Rev. William Augustus Start
By Bill McEvoy
In honor of Memorial Day, local historian Bill McEvoy has compiled histories of some of the Civil War clergy who are buried at Mount Auburn Cemetery. This is part seven of 15.
Reverend William Augustus Start was born on March 1, 1837, in Camden, Maine. He died, on March 4, 1897, in Boston Massachusetts, from multiple injuries caused by a gas explosion at the intersection of Tremont and Boylston Streets.
Government
Council Denies Zoning Change for Property with Church Near Belmont St.
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A Google Earth image of the former Belmont Baptist Church. Developers sought a zoning change to allow for the building to be preserved and to develop other parts of the property.
A majority of the City Council could not be convinced that the zoning should be changed for a parcel with a former church on Templeton Parkway. The change would have protected the building from being torn down, but also could allow a range of uses from education to restaurant or commercial, as well as housing.
Sports
Watertown Grad Makes Track All-Region Team, Competing at NCAAs
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Watertown’s Abbi Peterson earned All-East Region honors, and will compete in the NCAA Div. III Outdoor Track & Field Championships. (Photo courtesy of Bridgewater State Athletics).
Bridgewater State senior Abbi Peterson, a Watertown High School grad, was named to the NCAA Division III All-East Region honors from the U.S. Track & Field & Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). She will be competing in the NCAA Championships on Thursday.
Around Town
Film About Women Who Keep Haitian Markets Running to be Shown at Watertown Library
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A film about the women who worked to keep markets in Haiti stocked and operating will be show followed by a Q&A at the Watertown Free Public Library on Saturday, May 27, at 4:30 p.m.
Around Town
Civil War Clergy at Mount Auburn Cemetery: Samuel Higginson
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Samuel Storow Higginson
By Bill McEvoy
In honor of Memorial Day, local historian Bill McEvoy has compiled histories of some of the Civil War clergy who are buried at Mount Auburn Cemetery. This is part six of 15.
Samuel Storrow Higginson was born March 22, 1841, in Roxbury, Massachusetts. He died on April 10, 1907, of myocardial degeneration, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Around Town
Civil War Clergy at Mount Auburn Cemetery: James Kimball
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By Bill McEvoy
In honor of Memorial Day, local historian Bill McEvoy has compiled histories of some of the Civil War clergy who are buried at Mount Auburn Cemetery. This is part five of 15.
James Sherman Kimball was born, on January 26, 1844, in Boston. He died on December 16, 1864, in Nashville, Tennessee, from a fever.