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TREATY DAY 250: Pact Signed in Watertown in 1776 Remains Alive 250 Years Later

By Charlie Breitrose | 20 hours ago

Members of the Mi’kmaq and Maliseet tribes traveled to take part in the celebration fo the 250th anniversary of the Treaty of Watertown (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

Hundreds packed a theater in Watertown on Saturday to celebrate an event that took place 250 years before. The town was the site of the signing of the United States’ first treaty with a foreign nation — the Treaty of Watertown. Descendants of the signers of the document from the Mi’kmaq and Maliseet tribes emphasized that the agreement that was forged as a wartime alliance also created friendships and provided rights and protections for the signers that are still important in 2026.

UPDATE: Vehicle Strikes Pole on Main Street, Knocks Out Power in Area – Repairs to Take Until After 9 p.m.

A pole struck by a vehicle lies on top of power lines on Main Street. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

A vehicle struck a utility pole on Main Street, snapping it in half and cutting off power for several hundred customers on Monday around noon.

Watertown Tax Relief Legislation Approved by House, Moves to Senate

Watertown City and State officials appeared before a joint committee at the State House on Jan. 27, 2026, to discuss the City’s Home Rule Petition. Pictured, from left, Steve Owens, George Proakis, John Lawn, Earl Smith, and Mark Sideris.

The City of Watertown’s effort to prevent a tax hike for residential property owners, which could be as high as 18%, cleared a major hurdle when it was approved the the House of Representatives on Beacon Hill.

Water & Sewer Rates Increasing More Than Expected Due to Error in Calculations

Watertown residents will see an increase of 4.5% in both the water and sewer rates for the fiscal year that began on July 1, 2026, which is slightly higher than forecasted a year ago. However, the future increase could be significantly higher than projected due in part to an error made calculating future year revenues.

More Headlines

Possible Purchase of Police Drone and Guidelines for Use Discussed by Council Committee

A Pair of World Cup Final Watch Parties in Watertown

Wada Hoppah Charles River Ferry Boat Has Hit the Water — See a Video and Photos

Around Town

Part of Filippello Park Closed for 2 Weeks, More Construction Coming

By Charlie Breitrose | August 10, 2020

Filippello Park.

The Watertown Recreation Department announced further closing of part of Filippello Park due to ongoing construction work, and another project will begin in the fall.

The following information was sent out by Recreation Director Peter Centola:

The Filippello (Arlington) section of Filippello Park closure has been extended and will not be open to the public and all users until Friday, August 28 at 6:00pm due to the installation of new field lighting system.

29th Middlesex

State Rep. Candidate Backed by Group of Town Councilors

By Guest Writer | August 10, 2020

Democratic activist and Democratic State Committee member Steve Owens is running for the State Representative seat that Jon Hecht will be leaving.

The following announcement was provided by the Steve Owens for State Representative campaign:

A coalition of current and former Town and City Councilors on both sides of the 29th Middlesex district have endorsed Steve Owens to be Cambridge and Watertown’s next State Representative.

Police/Fire

Police Log: Suspect Caught Sneaking Into Unoccupied Home, Co-Workers Get into Fight

By Charlie Breitrose | August 9, 2020

The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department.

Real Estate

Four Homes Sold This Week in Watertown

By Charlie Breitrose | August 9, 2020

See the four homes that sold this week in Watertown.

Around Town

OP-ED: School, General Government Aid Will Not be Cut

By Guest Writer | August 8, 2020

State Sen. Will Brownsberger

The following piece was provided by State Sen. Will Brownsberger, who represents Watertown, Belmont and parts of Boston:

The legislature and the Governor recently announced a joint commitment to avoid cuts in state aid to municipalities in the current fiscal year despite the state’s own loss of revenues.

Atomic Bomb

LETTER: History Author Responds to Discussion of Bombing of Hiroshima, Nagasaki

By Guest Writer | August 8, 2020

Dear Editor,

I was dismayed to read the responses to the Watertown Citizens’ article about the importance of commemorating the 75th anniversaries of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki A-bombings. These comments reflected ignorance of history and passion for vengeance. As we know, the refusal to learn from history means that it will be repeated, often in a disguised form.

Entertainment

Small Saves Brings Some Drama to Hockey in This Week’s Comic

By Guest Writer | August 8, 2020

Cartoon by James Demarco

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. Combining this with the love of cartooning, Small Saves emerged in 1991 and took on a life of his own. “To play goal–then come home and draw Small Saves — is my ideal definition of a good day.”

Schools

See How the Watertown Schools Preparing to Return In-Person When Possible

By Charlie Breitrose | August 7, 2020

Lowell School in Watertown.

When the school year begins, Watertown Public School students will start off learning from home, but officials have designed a plan to transition back to in-person learning without drastic changes to students’ schedules.