Watertown News (https://www.watertownmanews.com/page/377/)
A vision of what a new Watertown Middle School could look like created by Ai3 Architects and presented to the School Committee in June 2025.
Architects have started creating detailed designs for a new Watertown Middle School to determine how much a new school would cost, and that information will be used by the City to see whether Watertown’s budget can handle a project expected to cost significantly more than $100 million.
Dr. Bernard Lafayette and Watertown Kingian Nonviolence Trainer Holly Cachimuel, who is a former Watertown teacher.(Photo by Chuck Dickinson)
The death of legendary civil rights icon Dr. Bernard Lafayette on March 5 resonates deeply throughout the city of Watertown. “Doc” first came here for several days in 2016, at the behest of former Watertown Middle School teacher Ruth Henry. Henry had trained in Kingian Nonviolence Conflict Resolution under Dr. Lafayette. Lafayette had promised Martin Luther King, Jr. before his 1968 assassination that he would spread King’s nonviolence teaching and practice around the world.
City Manager George Proakis spoke at the Watertown Business Coalition’s City Update on March 5, 2026. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)
Watertown became a magnet for life science companies in the last several years, and City Manager George Proakis said the building boom in that industry may be slowed, but other industries may be attracted to the same things: proximity to Boston and the universities in the area, easy access, and a nice place to be.
Marcia Wilson holds a Eurasian Eagle Owl during the Eyes on Owls event at Mount Auburn Cemetery. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)
Mount Auburn Cemetery recently welcomed a couple who have devoted their lives to observing and caring for owls. They have traveled around New England in search of the raptors, from Crane Beach in Ipswich to Rye, New Hampshire, to Nantucket, and have ventured as far as Alaska, Serbia and Nunavut in the north of Canada to catch a glimpse of owls.
The following announcement was provided by the Watertown Recreation Department:
How to get involved: Come to an Event!
Bemis Playground Improvements is by the Watertown Recreation Department, the Watertown Department of Public Works, and CBA Landscape Architects
Dear Watertown community members,
Lisa Capoccia’s commitment to equity in the Watertown schools over the past 10 years, her skills in working with groups, her role as an advocate and her professional occupation as a school social worker are just a few of the many reasons we encourage you to vote for Lisa on November 7th for School Committee member of the Watertown Public Schools.
Some of you will remember that I wrote a letter to the editor of the Watertown News on September 7th regarding the serious nature of the conditions on Highland Avenue for school children.
Watertown Police identified a man wanted for stealing $2,400 from Best Buy by using sleight of hand to pocket some cash while paying with the help from across the pond.
The following announcement was provided by MassDOT:
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) is announcing a virtual public workshop on Tuesday, October 24, from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. to discuss traffic signal and safety improvements at Newton Corner in Newton.
Watertown had a single home sale this week.
Musician and composer Ara Dinkjian will play Armenian recordings made over 100 years ago and share vintage photographs from that time period.
The following announcement was provided by the Armenian Museum of America:
The Armenian Museum of America is elated to present “Early Recordings of Armenian Classics” featuring the eminent musician and composer Ara Dinkjian, on Nov. 9, 2023, at 7 p.m. In this distinctive event, Ara Dinkjian will discuss early recordings of well-known Armenian songs, play recordings made more than 100 years ago, and share historic photographs.
The Shick farm house at 183 Grove Street, demolished in 2021 (Photo courtesy of the Watertown Free Public Library)
The following story was is part of a series on local history provided by the Historical Society of Watertown. It written by Sigrid Reddy Watson Terman for the July 2002 Historical Society newsletter, “The Town Crier”. Sigrid is a former Board member and former President of the Historical Society, as well at a former Director of the Watertown Free Public Library.
For several years starting in 1997, she wrote a Watertown history column for the Watertown TAB/Press called “Echoes.” Sigrid published her columns in a book called “Watertown Echoes: A Look Back at Life in a Massachusetts Town”. The book is available for purchase through the Historical Society of Watertown for $10.00. To purchase it, please contact Joyce at joycekel@aol.com.
EMMA NEIBERG TAYLOR REMEMBERS WATERTOWN’S JEWISH COMMUNITY
Emma Neiberg Taylor, who now lives at the Marshall Home, is in her ninety-second year. She was born at 9 Mt. Auburn Street in 1910, and has lived in Watertown all her life. To capture her memories was not difficult, for her mind is clear on the events of what most of us consider the remote past.