Watertown News (https://www.watertownmanews.com/prominence/top-story/page/2/)
If you are using a “Big story” homepage layout, add this label to a post to make it the top story on the homepage
The plaque marking the Foot of the Rocks, where Watertown’s Joseph Coolidge was killed fighting the British. It is located on Mass. Ave. in what is now Arlington.(Photo by Charlie Breitrose)
Two-hundred-fifty years ago was a turbulent time for Watertown. On April 19, 1775, more than 130 men from Watertown responded to the call to fight the British.
The following announcement was provided by the Watertown Police Department. April 9: Employees at Marshalls discovered two open boxes with the contents missing. One was a travel shaver and the other was an Otterbox wall charger. They were worth a total of $20. April 9: A shoplifting was reported at Target.
A five-unit residential building has been proposed to go at 75 Spring St. A multi-unit residential building project became the first project submitted in the new Watertown Square Area Plan zoning. Meanwhile, the City seeks consultants to assist with the redesign of the Square’s main intersection and parking lots behind CVS and the Library. The first project to be heard by the Planning Board in the new zoning is located at 75 Spring St., where a five-unit residential building is proposed to replace a vacant one-story industrial building. The project is not in the by-right area for residential buildings, said City Manager George Proakis, but is in the area in which the zoning recently changed.
Residents can learn more about ways to make their homes more sustainable and also enjoy activities for all ages at the City of Watertown’s first Resilient Watertown Eco Fest. Eco Fest will take place on Saturday, May 10, 2025, from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Commander’s Mansion, 440 Talcott Ave., Watertown, said Laurel Schwab, Watertown’s Sustainability Manager. “We wanted this to be a really family-friendly event, so things for people of all ages to learn about the City’s sustainability programs and learn about things that they can do in their own lives, all while also having fun,” Schwab said. The event is part of the City’s efforts to meet the goals of the Resilient Watertown Climate and Energy Plan. The plan covers a range of areas including energy, waste, transportation, natural resources such as plants and trees, social resilience, and emergency preparedness, Schwab said.
The cast of Actors’ Shakespeare Project’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” at the Mosesian Center for the Arts. Photo by Nile Scott Studios. Actors’ Shakespeare Project’s production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” takes full advantage of the intimate confines of the Mosesian Center of the Arts to provide audience members with a 360 degree experience of music, lights, confetti, and mist to accompany the Bard’s ethereal play. “Midsummer” is the final play in Actors’ Shakespeare Project’s 2024-25 season, and the first in its new home. The theater company recently moved to the MCA in Watertown to be the company in residence.
The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department. April 1: Police received a report of a disturbance between a food delivery man and a customer. A Warren Street resident ordered food on GrubHub and when the driver arrived he asked the resident for a confirmation code. The resident said he requested a contactless delivery, and did not have a code. The driver said the resident got upset and threw a fountain drink in his face.
Watertown City Hall
Watertown’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget includes the addition of the Human Services Department, and City Manager George Proakis said that the budget is “being produced at atime of significant uncertainty.” The proposed FY26 budget of $223.66 million is $7.08 million or 3.27 percent above the revised FY25 budget, Proakis said during Tuesday’s City Council meeting. The budget maintains the full funding of City pensions, stays on track for funding OPEB (other post employment benefits), supports stabilization funds for affordable housing, open space, and Watertown Square, and it maintains the City’s strategic reserves, Proakis said. The education budget increased by 3.5 percent, and the public safety budget (Police and Fire departments) are being funded at record levels. The major addition to the City government is the creation of Human Services Department as part of implementation of the Health and Human Services Plan.
Now in her second year in the role of the Watertown Public School’s Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging, Dr. Ceronne Daly said she approaches her work with a goal to build connection not just between her and students, but between families. Her work incorporates programs that started before DEIB began, and she seeks to make it part of what students and families experience in the Watertown Schools. “We’re not doing DEI as an add-on,” Daly stresses. “This work is woven into our strategic plan. If we stopped calling it DEI tomorrow, we’d still be doing restorative practices, still fostering student voices, still building inclusive curriculum.”