Watertown News (https://www.watertownmanews.com/page/375/)
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.
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.
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.
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.
A Watertown student performs at MusicFest on April 28.
The following piece was provided by Friends of Watertown Music:
After a pandemic-imposed hiatus, the Friends of Watertown Music was excited to revive its annual MusicFest tradition and on April 28th, and the community turned out to welcome its return!
Helen Learned’s gravestone in Common St. Cemetery (Photo courtesy of Joyce Kelly)
This article is part of a series on local history provided by the Historical Society of Watertown. It was written by Joyce Kelly, Board member of the Historical Society of Watertown. Joyce writes articles for the newsletter and is the newsletter editor. This was published in our April 2011 newsletter, “The Town Crier.”
In the early 1930s, the American Legion veteran’s organization launched an effort to identify the gravesite of every deceased veteran buried in the United States and create a permanent record. In 1933 the National Grave Registration Plan was adopted by the American Legion. The project got its start by depending almost entirely on volunteers including students, residents, veteran’s organization members and others, to gather information.
James DeMarco grew up in Watertown and became a goaltender at age 5. It’s his life’s passion to stand between the pipes and keep the puck out of the net.
Watertown Fire DepartmentFirefighters from Watertown and several area communities battled the three-alarm fire on Maple Street.
Fire investigators determined that a fire that damaged a multifamily home in Watertown was started by a “natural” cause.
Watertown Fire DepartmentFlames blaze out of the roof of a multifamily home on Maple Street on Thursday.
Flames could be seen coming out of the roof of a multifamily home on Maple Street Thursday afternoon. Watertown Firefighters, with help of several departments, were able to contain the three-alarm fire to just that structure.
Anne Kendall Freitag
By Bill McEvoy
In honor of National Nurses Week, local historian Bill McEvoy has compiled histories of some of the Civil War nurses who are buried at Mount Auburn Cemetery. This is part seven of seven.
Annie Frances Kendall Freitag:
Annie Frances Kendall Freitag was born in Boston on May 4, 1830. She was the daughter of Abel and Anne Mayo Richards Kendall.
Check out the open houses around town this weekend.
Charlie Breitrose
Watertown residents wishing to run for local office can now take out papers to run in the 2023 Watertown City Election, which will be held on Nov. 7.