Letters

LETTER: The Plan for Watertown Square Has Not Gotten the Attention It Deserves

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I am writing this in response to Linda Scott’s detailed and well researched op-ed (click here). Linda, your deep dive into our community’s issues certainly speaks to many of the concerns people have raised with me. Thank you so much for kicking off this discussion. I urge all residents to read your op-ed, pass it on to family members, friends, and neighbors, and then discuss it together. I’ve spoken to multiple people who told me that there is a proposal for a five-story building of 200 +/- units plus a garage wrap similar to a complex at Assembly Square Mall in Somerville which admittedly I have yet to visit.

Charity

LETTER: Thank You for the Support for the Hockey Fundraiser for a Rare Genetic Condition

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The Watertown and Belmont community came together on March 28 for the annual Dally Cup Hockey game, raising more than $13,000 in honor of Grace Garabedian to benefit CFC International. The event, supported by the Belmont Police and Fire Departments, the Belmont Youth Hockey Association, and local friends and families, highlighted the strength and generosity of the community while bringing awareness to Cardiofaciocutaneous Syndrome (CFC), a rare geneticcondition. Grace Garabedian was born with CFC, a disorder that commonly affects the heart, facial features, and skin. She has faced ongoing challenges related to growth, development, and a demanding schedule of medical appointments. Funds raised from the Dally Cup will directly support research, education, and resources for individuals and families impacted by CFC.

Around Town

Watertown Holding Earth Day Recycling Event, Including a Compost and Tree Giveaway

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The following announcement was provided by the City of Watertown:

Save the date! The Watertown Public Works will be hosting an Earth Day Event on Saturday April 11, 2026, from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Jewish Community Day School Parking Lot – 57 Stanley Ave, for Watertown residents only (bring your ID). The event includes paper shredding, subsidized mattress collection ($25/mattress drop off vs the usual $50 for pickup), textile collection, Styrofoam collection, Black Earth Compost’s Compost/Soil and a tree sapling giveaway. More information will be available closer to the event.

Around Town

Saltonstall Park Re-Opens After Multi-Year Construction

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Saltonstall Park has opened after a multi-year construction project. (Screenshot from City of Watertown)

The park next to Watertown’s City Hall has reopened after being under construction since 2024. The Saltonstall Park project includes landscaping upgrades, improving pedestrian accessible walkways, and enhancing the streetscape with benches and dark sky compliant lighting, according to the project webpage. Construction on the covered performing space is still underway. See details, and a video, from the City of Watertown, below.

Around Town

Watertown Walks Returns — Join the Walk Challenge

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The weekly walks hosted by Live Well Watertown, a program run by the City, return in April, and this year there is a challenge for participants. Find out more about the walks and the challenge in the announcement from Live Well Watertown, below. Watertown Walks Return

Join the Walk Challenge

Walk with us at least six (6) times between April 9th and May 28th and earn a $5 gift certificate to the Watertown Farmers’ Market! April Walk Series – Get Fit & StrongThursday, April 9th – 30th 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.Meetup in lower Saltonstall Park, next to Watertown City Hall

Join us for our kick-off program with Kristina Courage, Certified Personal Trainer! This movement series designed to help you build strength, mobility, and confidence as we head into summer.

Letters

LETTER: More Safety Precautions Needed for Large Gatherings, Like No Kings Rally

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Thanks to our new Councilor Theo Offei, I was able to attend the “No Kings Rally” in Watertown Square this past Saturday, March 28th.  There was over 1,000 people in attendance.  Conspicuously absent was the City Manager George Proakis, Council President Mark Sideris and Public Safety. Police Public Safety; Traffic Details, are common for an event of this size and common sense would tell you that a significant number of residents would be gathering in the Square. 

We have seniors, people with disabilities and residents from the Perkins School for the Blind and there were no safety procedures in place to ensure their safety. Councilor Vinnie Piccirilli had to serve as a traffic monitor, undertaking the task of getting people safely across Galen Street. Watertown is in the final stages of a major study of the Square — an area where current conditions already raise serious safety concerns for residents, pedestrians, and drivers. When a large public gathering takes place in that environment, my question is whether the future is more important than the current safety of people in the Square today? Given the safety concerns, the Town Manager has a responsibility to be physically present during high‑visibility events such as Saturday’s rally.

Entertainment

Project Save Hosting “My Armenia” Photographic Exhibit in Expanded Gallery in Watertown

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The following announcement was provided by Project Save:

A new documentary photography exhibition by Arlington-based photographer Winslow Martin, “My Armenia (1999–2008),” traces a deeply personal journey through post-Soviet Armenia and the historic moments he witnessed along the way. Opening April 16 through May 30, the exhibition inaugurates Project Save Photograph Archive’s newly expanded gallery space in Watertown. Project Save is the world’s largest photo archive dedicated to preserving the regional, national and global Armenian experience. Its expansion doubles the group’s space and creates a venue dedicated to exhibitions, public programs, and community engagement opportunities. ABOUT “MY ARMENIA” EXHIBITION

Curated by fellow photo documentarian Nubar Alexanian, the exhibition traces Martin’s unexpectedly life-changing journeys to Armenia that began when he accompanied St.