Watertown News (https://www.watertownmanews.com/page/377/)
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.
Watertown LibraryThe Watertown Free Public Library.
The Watertown Free Public Library has plenty going on in May. Here are some of the upcoming events provided by the Library.
The following information was provided by the Watertown Business Coaltion:
For our next WBC Event we turn our focus back to East End. It’s National Small Business Month and we’d like to celebrate those who have come from another country to make an impact in our community by creating culture through a long-standing business.
Mary Phinney von Olnhausen
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 four of seven.
If you heard this name recently, it stemmed from PBS’s series, Mercy Street. I located and read her diary in 2012, long before PBS’s 2016 series. I gave several lectures that noted her diary. Perhaps someone then read the book and brought her story to the public. If you saw the series and read her diary, the contrast between facts to fiction is shocking.
Charlie BreitroseWatertown City Hall
On Tuesday night, City Manager George Proakis will present the Fiscal Year 2024 budget to the City Council. The next night, the Planning Board will continue its discussion of the proposed six-story mixed-use project at 104-126 Main Street.
City of WatertownCaitlin Browne announced she will be resigning as Watertown Library Director.
After just over a year working as permanent Director of the Watertown Free Public Library, Caitlin Browne announced her resignation at the Board of Trustees meeting on May 2.
The following announcement was provided by the Watertown Community Foundation:
Our Watertown food pantries need your donations!
The grave of Mary Sullivan Felton at Mount Auburn Cemetery.
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 three of seven.
Mary Sullivan Felton was born on April 30th, 1839, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She died April 29th, 1896, in Boston, from pneumonia and pericarditis. Her father, Cornelius Conway Felton, died in 1862 at age 57. Mary is buried with him. He had been the President of Harvard College.
The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department.