Charity

More Than 400 Volunteer Opportunities During 12th Annual Watertown Helps Out

By |

Watertown Helps Out starts soon and there are hundreds of ways to give back to the community. See more information in the announcement provided by the Watertown Community Foundation, below. The Watertown Community Foundation, with the support of local company sponsors and the City of Watertown, is kicking off the 12th Annual Watertown Helps Out (WHO), a month of community service, taking place throughout the month of May. This year’s corporate sponsors include ButcherBox and Enanta Pharmaceuticals, Arsenal Yards Life Sciences, C4 Therapeutics, Kymera Therapeutics and Watertown Savings Bank. From May 2 through May 31, the Watertown Community Foundation invites residents, businesses, schools and neighborhoods to come together and volunteer to make a positive impact across the city.

Around Town

Cook With Greens Grown in the Watertown School’s Farm at the Next Eat Well Watertown Program

By |

Produce growing in the Watertown Public Schools’ Freight Farm. (Contributed Photo)

Watertown High School has a farm in a freight container, and the next Eat Well Watertown event features cooking demonstrations using the greens grown by WHS students. See details in the announcement from Live Well Watertown, below. There are still spaces open for our spring Eat Well Watertown program, happening next Tuesday, April 28, 2026, from 5:00 – 6:30 p.m.! Register today and bring a friend (all ages welcome).

Business

Chamber’s Spring Breakfast Features Monster.com Founder, Non-Profit Panel

By |

The Charles River Regional Chamber’s Spring Business Breakfast will be on Friday, May 15, 7-9:30 a.m. at the Sheraton Needham. See details in the announcement from the Chamber, below. The Spring Business Breakfast is our annual May gathering of 200+ business, nonprofit, and civic leaders from across Newton, Needham, Watertown, Wellesley, Brookline and the broader region. This year’s keynote speaker is Needham High grad Jeff Taylor, a serial entrepreneur best known as the founder of Monster.com — one of the earliest internet companies to transform the job search. As founder and CEO of Boomband, he’s building the replacement: an AI-native talent marketplace that ditches the static resume in favor of dynamic “Dossiers” designed to put human discovery back at the center of hiring.

Around Town

Swap Shop Returns to Watertown Recycling Center in May

By |

The following information came from the City of Watertown:

The Watertown Swap Shop will be open 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. the First Saturday of every month unless otherwise noted (weather depending) from April through October. The hours of operation will be dependent upon the availability of volunteers to oversee the program. Closed during the winter months. 

The 2026 dates are:

May 2

June 6

July 11

August 1

September 5

October 3

November 7

The Swap Shop is located at the Watertown Recycle Center, 76 Stanley Ave. You must park on the street on Green River Way or Stanley Avenue if you are shopping at the Swap Shop. If you have donations, you can pull your car into the Recycle Center up to the Swap Shop to unload.

Charity

Watertown Refugee Support Group Receives Essential Needs Grant from Watertown Community Foundation

By |

The following announcement was provided by the Watertown Citizens Refugee Support Group:

The Watertown Citizens Refugee Support Group (WCRSG), a working group of Watertown Citizens for Peace, Justice and the Environment (WCPJE), is pleased to announce the receipt of a 2026 Essential Needs Grant from the Watertown Community Foundation. This $6,500 grant will fund Emergent Essential Needs for Watertown Immigrant and Refugee Families, providing direct financial assistance to Watertown residents facing hardships paying for rent, utilities, other housing expenses, or transportation. To be eligible, individuals must live in Watertown. To apply for funds, please complete this Google form: https://forms.gle/S97iikL3G45vj9nq9. Contact RefugeeSupport@watertowncitizens.org for more information.

Around Town

You’re Invited to Raider’s Birthday Party, the WPD’s Comfort Dog is Turning 2

By |

Raider, the Watertown Police Department’s comfort dog when he was a puppy, with Officer Anna Margaryan. (Courtesy of the City of Watertown)

Raider, the Watertown Police Department’s comfort dog, will be celebrating his second birthday, and the public is invited to the party. See details provided by the WPD, below. Guess Who’s Turning 2? In honor of Autism Awareness Month, join us in celebrating Raider’s second Birthday on Wednesday, April 29, 2026, from 4:30-6:30 p.m. at the Watertown Police Department, 552 Main St.

Letters

LETTER: Noise from Buildings in Watertown Drowning Out Charles River

By |

Good morning councilors and city leadership,

I’ve written in the past, requesting common-sense noise ordinances for Watertown. We still get woken up by 5 a.m. dumpster maintenance on Pleasant St. and the systems on top of labs and other buildings still dominate the river landscape along Watertown. A Google search leads to noise dampeners that are widely available- and in fact these quieting systems are in place in our neighboring towns (like Waltham). This morning at Watertown Dam, the rush of water and sounds of birds are impossible to hear over the blasting of the mechanical system on the roof of 64 Pleasant st.

Letters

LETTER: Group of Parents Support Bell-to-Bell Personal Electronic Device Ban in Watertown Schools

By |

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. The academic benefits of removing smartphones are undeniable. Research shows that schools implementing such bans see significant increases in GPA and academic outcomes, with a particularly powerful impact on mathematics scores. Furthermore, the mental health implications are staggering; one major study found that these bans led to a 60% decline in consultations with specialists for psychological symptoms and a 29% decline in GP visits for the same issues.