Government
City Councilor Caroline Bays Hosting Annual Public Meeting
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Caroline Bays
City Councilor At-Large Caroline Bays will host her annual meeting on April 27, 2026 at the Watertown Library
Fire Hits East End Home, Residents Evacuated by Alert Witnesses
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Watertown Firefighters put out a fire at a home on Kimball Road. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)
Watertown Firefighters doused a house fire on Kimball Road Tuesday morning. Residents were not hurt thanks to alert employees of a Coolidge Square business.
BOSTON MARATHON: See How the 39 Watertown Runners Fares in the 2026 Edition
Watertown had 39 participants in the 2026 Boston Marathon. The fastest male runner was Michael Creedon, and the top female was Courtney Hawkins.
Watertown’s Bob Hall, First Boston Marathon Wheelchair Champ & Advocate for Access, Has Died
Bob Hall won the Boston Marathon’s first wheelchair division race in 1975.
Bob Hall, a Watertown resident and trailblazing wheelchair athlete and advocate for access, died at the age of 74. A private funeral service will be held at a later date, and visiting hours were held at Nardone Funeral Home on April 16.
Watertown School Bus Fees Increasing, District May Buy Electric Buses
by Pixabay
School bus fees will rise $200 for students who don’t qualify for the mandated busing areas of town in the 2026-27 school year. School officials will also look at purchasing its own buses, which would be electric.
More Headlines
Watertown’s Budget Maintains Programs & Staffing, But City Needs Legislature’s Help to Do So
After Recent ICE Detention in Watertown, School & City Officials Were Asked About Plans & Protections
Care Packages Made by Children in Watertown Lift Spirits of Sailors Deployed to the Middle East
Letters
LETTER: Group of Parents Support Bell-to-Bell Personal Electronic Device Ban in Watertown Schools
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Dear Watertown Community Members:
As parents and residents of Watertown, we have closely followed the discussions of the Watertown Public Schools (WPS) PED Task Force regarding personal electronic devices (PEDs) in our schools. While we understand the initial hesitation some feel regarding a complete ban, the more we examine the data and the neurobiology of our children, the clearer it becomes: a full, bell-to-bell ban for grades 9-12, including passing time and lunch, is not just a restrictive policy, but a necessary step to protect our students’ mental health and academic futures.
Around Town
Parts of Mt. Auburn to be Repaved in Week of April 21-24
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The City of Watertown provided the following Mount Auburn Street Update for the week of April 21 – April 24, 2026.
Letters
LETTER: Resident Endorses Daniel Lander for State Senate
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To the Editor,
As a Watertown resident, I find it deeply unsettling how little we actually know about what happens behind the closed doors of our State House. In 2024, I was among the 66% of Watertown voters —and the 71.5% of folks statewide — who voted in favor of a ballot question to finally allow an audit of the State Legislature. We spoke with a clear, united voice, yet years later, legislative leaders have consistently blocked that audit.
Entertainment
Watertown Lit Squad Seeks Submissions for Their 2026 Poets and Writers Sampler
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The Lit Squad tent at the Watertown Arts Market.
Watertown’s Lit Squad is a cohort of writers who reside in Watertown and neighboring communities and who first gathered in 2021 to celebrate their word arts as part of the annual Watertown Arts Market.
Letters
OP-ED: Thoughts on the Proposed Updated Noise Ordinance
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(NOTE: The City Council’s Committee on Rules and Ordinances will discuss the proposed updated Noise Ordinance. Tuesday, April 21, 6 p.m. City Hall in the Lower Hearing Room and remote. See more info here).
By Rita ColafellaWatertown Resident
Last year, I opposed the adoption of the COVID era (2019-2024) noise ordinance draft. That same framework has resurfaced in discussions of the 2026 proposal. The core problem with the earlier draft was its reliance on vague, subjective standards like “plainly audible,” where violations do not depend entirely on objective measurement. This invites arbitrary enforcement where everyday sounds, from a humming air conditioner to a child’s birthday party, can trigger citations simply for being heard next door.
Real Estate
Nine Homes in Watertown Were Sold This Week
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Seven condos, a townhouse, and a two-family home in Watertown were sold this week.
Around Town
Historical Tours Focuses on Watertown During the Revolution
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The following announcement was provided by the Historical Society of Watertown:
The Historical Society of Watertown invites you to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the fight for American Independence by taking a walking tour of “Watertown During the Revolution.”