Elections

Election 2025: City Councilor At-Large & District C Councilor Q&As

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Watertown City Hall

The City Council will have at least one new member after the 2025 Watertown Election. Voters have multiple choices for City Councilor At-Large and in District C. Watertown News reached out to the candidates in the contested races. See the Candidate Q&As, below. With Councilor John Airasian not seeking reelection, there will be at least one new Councilor At-Large. Voters can choose four candidates in the Municipal Election.

Elections

Election 2025: See the School Committee Candidate Q&As

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The race for Watertown School Committee features five candidates and at least one new person will join the committee. Watertown News reached out to the candidates to find out more about them. See details in the Candidate Q&As. Two incumbents seek re-election, and three candidates seeking a seat (one of whom has experience on the School Committee). Voters can select three candidates for School Committee 2025 Watertown Municipal Election.

Elections

Election 2025: See the Library Trustee Candidate Q&As

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The Watertown Free Public Library. (Courtesy of WFPL)

Watertown voters will be selecting three members of the Watertown Free Public Library’s Board of Library Trustees in the 2025 Watertown Election. Watertown News reached out to the candidates to find out more about them. See details in the Candidate Q&As. The Library Trustees oversee the budget for the Watertown Library and works with Library staff on how to spend the budget, as well as working on special projects and initiatives at the library.

Around Town

Watertown Police Offering Free Kits for Drivers With Autism or Who are Neurodivergent

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The Watertown Police recently added a new resource for neurodivergent people and their families that could help prevent misunderstandings and even tragedies. The WPD has joined the Blue Envelope program. The program was started a few years ago by the Massachusetts State Police, and the kits are now available at the Watertown Police Station, said Watertown Police Officer Devon Shatkin. “It’s essentially fostering safer relationships between individuals with autism who are drivers on the road and police officers,” Shatkin said. ” So, we’ve seen a much increased frequency of those type of interactions, and they can be difficult, dangerous, stressful.

Transportation

Watertown Shuttle to Open New Route to Public, Watertown TMA Looking for Transportation Improvements

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A WATConnector shuttle bus. These shuttles run down Pleasant Street, and similar ones serve Arsenal Street.(Courtesy of Watertown TMA)

For several years, the City of Watertown has been looking for ways to supplement the MBTA’s bus service in town and provide more options for people to get around town and commute. The most visible ones are the two shuttle routes that connect to Harvard Square. One runs along Pleasant Street and is open to the public, and another along Arsenal Street, which is only open to offices and residential buildings that are supporters of the shuttle — but that will change in the near future. The City of Watertown is part of the Watertown Transportation Management Association (TMA).

Business

Watertown Mall Property Sold, Plans for Life Science Redevelopment Appears to be Over

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(UPDATED on Oct. 21, 2025 at 2:20 p.m.: The first version incorrectly noted that the whole 24 acres of the proposed project were sold. Only 550 Arsenal Street were sold). Plans to turn the Watertown Mall and other properties on the north side of Arsenal Street into a life science campus appear to be over after the owners of the property sold to a Newton-based development firm. The Boston Globe reported that Alexandria Real Estate sold the Watertown Mall property in Watertown, which is located at 550 Arsenal St., to National Development for $100.25 million.

Police/Fire

Police Log: Man Found Undressed in Apartment Building, Medicaid Scam

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The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department. Oct. 9: A worker at an apartment building on Arsenal Street was told that someone saw a totally nude man in the hallway. The worker came across the man in the building’s stairwell who was wearing no shirt and his genitals were exposed. The worker was caught off guard, was shocked and alarmed.

Entertainment

Armenian Museum Hosting Exhibition of Arshile Gorky’s Work, Many Never Shown Publicly

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Arshile Gorky, “Self-Portrait,” 1923–1924, will be part of the MA–The Armenian Museum of America’s exhibition, “Arshile Gorky: Redrawing Community and Connections.” The following announcement was provided by the Armenian Museum of America:

The Armenian Museum of America recently announced the opening of a landmark exhibition, Arshile Gorky: Redrawing Community and Connections, on December 11, 2025. This is the first exhibition of Gorky’s work in an Armenian museum, and it caps off a series of programs initiated by the “100 Years of Arshile Gorky” Committee in the City of Watertown. The exhibition is curated by Kim S. Theriault, author of Rethinking Arshile Gorky published byPenn State University Press, and it is sponsored by the JHM Charitable Foundation. “We aimed high in the planning of this show dedicated to an Armenian artist who immigrated to Watertown in the aftermath of the Genocide, like so many of our compatriots,” explains Executive Director Jason Sohigian.