Around Town

Take a Walk Through Mt. Auburn Cemetery With in the October WBC Walk N Talk

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The final Watertown Business Coalition Walk N Talk of 2025 will take place in the Mount Auburn Cemetery. Check out the fall foliage in the historic cemetery. The walk will take place on Thursday, Oct. 23 at 1 p.m. Arrive via the Mount Auburn Street Entrance (580 Mount Auburn Street, Cambridge). Parking is on any road without a Green line painted on it, but there are also signs that point people towards visitor parking. 

Meeting spot: Asa Gray Garden, the ornamental garden area just inside the M.A.C. Entrance. 

The Walk N Talk, co-sponsored with Live Well Watertown, provides an opportunity to engage with fellow community members, support local Watertown businesses and participate in physical activity. Whether you’re looking to relax, network, or enjoy the outdoors, these walks offer a perfect blend of recreation and community engagement.

Government

Three Watertown Football Players Honored for Helping to Catch a Drunken Driver

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(Screenshot from Boston 25 News)

Three sharp-eyed and quick thinking Watertown High School football players were honored for their effort that helped police locate and arrest a drunken driver. On Oct. 14, the City Council approved a proclamation honoring Riaz Khan, Joel Montoya, and Boran Akisik. On Sept. 25, the three were on their way home after practice witnessed a hit and run incident at the intersection of Palfrey and Pearl streets.

Elections

Watertown School Committee Candidates Appearing at Live Forum

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Hear from the candidates for School Committee in a live, in-person candidate forum on Monday, Oct. 20 at Watertown Middle School. The public is welcome. The forum is co-hosted by Watertown News and Watertown Cable Access TV and begins at 6:30 p.m. The candidates — David Stokes, Jessica Middlebrook, Joe Ganno, and Sheila Krisnan — will discuss their views at the Watertown Middle School Auditorium. Amy Donohue will not be able attend the forum.

Government

City Manager Outlines What it Would Take for Watertown to Afford to Rebuild the Middle School

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Watertown Middle School (Courtesy of Watertown Public Schools)

The City Council must soon decided on how to proceed with Watertown Middle School’s renovations: completely redo it or do basic repairs. The catch is a complete renovation (or rebuilt) would required cutting funds planned to go to other areas. City Manager George Proakis outlined what it would take for the City to afford to completely renovate or rebuild the Middle School during his Preliminary Budget Overview for the Fiscal Year 2027 City budget. A big caveat in this plan is the Legislature approving Watertown’s Home Rule Petition that would provide tax relief to residential property owners, and would prevent tax increases of 11 to 18 percent next year (see details here). A feasibility study on the building a new middle school found that the cost of the full project was $112 million, which was well above the $87 million that the City budgeted for the project.

Government

Budget Forecast: State Legislation Will Have Big Impact on Watertown’s FY27 City Budget

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For several years, Watertown’s City has operated comfortably on a budget built on the 2.5 percent property tax increase allowed by the State and the added tax revenue from new developments. A mixture of economic uncertainty and the unknown of whether the State Legislature will approve Watertown’s tax relief request means residents could face a major tax increase next year. City Manager George Proakis presented the Preliminary Fiscal Year 2027 Budget to the City Council on Monday night, which has total forecast expenditures of $226.2 million and includes a shortfall of at least $3.6 million. He also told the Council that his aim is to “maintain options and flexibility” in the City’s budget. He stressed the budget figure is an estimate, adding that the numbers are based on the approval of the Home Rule Petition submitted by Watertown to the Legislature.