Letters

LETTER to City Manager About North Branch Library

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An Open Letter to George Proakis

Dear George,

It is the beginnings of some very lean financial times for Watertown, and one would hope that the City’s selected capital projects would be carefully chosen to reflect these times. In your proposed (now approved) FY26 budget, you listed one and a half million dollars to renovate the North Branch Library. No purpose for the building had been stated. Apparently, that would be determined later, cart before the horse style. In the course of the discussions about the North Branch Library, you noted that you had had an engineering study done to see the feasibility of spending money to do these repairs, and that the study had been quite favorable.

Obituaries

OBIT: Cheryl Larsen, 76, Lifelong Watertown Resident, Teacher

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Cheryl Ann Larsen

A funeral service for Cheryl Ann Larsen will be held on Tuesday June 24, 2025, at 9:30 AM the MacDonald Rockwell & MacDonald Funeral Home, Watertown. Cheryl was born in Boston to the late Kenneth Edward & Mary F. (Wheeler) Larsen. She passed away after a battle with cancer on Wednesday June 18, 2025, at the age of 76. Cheryl was a life time resident of Watertown. Born and raised then she resided there in her adult life. Being the oldest of 4, cheryl spent a lot of time with her siblings until going to college where she got a bachelors in education.

Around Town

Public Hearing Scheduled Ahead of Watertown’s Cable License Renewal with Comcast

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The following announcement was provided by Watertown Cable Access Corp.:

Watertown Cable Access Corp (WCA-TV) and the City of Watertown will be holding a Public Ascertainment Hearing on Tuesday, July 22nd at 6:00 PM in the City Council Chambers at City Hall. This hearing will take place in advance of formal negotiations with Comcast regarding the renewal of the city’s 10-year cable license, which is set to expire in October 2025. Comcast, City officials, and WCA-TV’s Board of Directors will be present to hear from the public and gather feedback on the following topics: 

Comcast’s compliance with its currently existing cable license

The city’s future needs related to cable access

The impact of WCA-TV and why local television is such a vital resource for the city

Why This Matters:

A cable license is important because it delivers programming to cable TV subscribers, offers free cable TV connections to the city, schools, and community locations, and provides essential community media funding support. For WCA-TV, cable funding makes up about 98% of their annual revenue, which is the case for many other community media stations across the country. Without a cable license, community media stations would cease to exist.

Letters

OP-ED: Impacts of Cuts to Federal Funding of Science Research

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By Kristen DeAngelisProfessor of Microbiology, University of Massachusetts Amherst & Watertown High School Class of 1993

I joined the Watertown High School Biology Club for the same reason everyone else did: the week-long scuba diving field trip to Bonaire. Never mind that I couldn’t clear my ears at the bottom of the pool, failing my initial scuba test. I went anyway, with my snorkeling gear. We spent hours identifying fish in their coral reef habitats and swimming at pristine beaches. But I also got to see a scientist, my high school biology teacher, Mr. Buckley, in action: collecting specimens, leading discussions on how reef systems work, and giving research presentations to the locals in exchange for our club to get a sunset ride on their catamaran. 

Today, as a research scientist and professor at UMass Amherst, I have a renewed appreciation for programs like our Biology Club and how critical they are to young people’s futures.

Around Town

Mt. Auburn St. Project Will Impact Arlington/Grove Intersection This Week

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The construction on Mt. Auburn Street continues with more drainage installation during the week of June 23-27, and work will also take place at the intersection of Arlington and Grove streets. See where the traffic impacts will be in the announcement from the City of Watertown below. Beginning Monday, June 23, 2025, Newport Construction will resume drainage installation on Mount Auburn Street between Kimball Road and Lloyd Road. Additionally, Newport Construction will be eliminating the existing telephone manhole and installing a new telephone manhole located at the intersection of Grove Street and Arlington Street. Traffic and Sidewalk Impacts

During this work, you can expect temporary lane shifts and possibly lane closures, but one travel lane in each direction will remain on Mount Auburn Street.

Obituaries

OBIT: Sandra B. Roberts, Beloved Mom, Nana, Real Estate Entrepreneur & Philanthropist

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Sandra Roberts

Sandra B. Roberts, of Wellesley, died peacefully on the morning of June 16th. She was 86 years old. Born Sandra Louise Brown on May 26th, 1939 in Boston, “Sandy” was the only child of Frederick Brown, a professional musician and band leader, and his wife Christine (Peyton), a realtor. Sandy grew up on Harnden Avenue in Watertown, Massachusetts, and graduated from Watertown High School in 1957, where she was a Cheerleader and an active member of the WHS Theater, Glee Clubs and Chorus. A talented pianist, Sandy spent a year studying at the Boston University School of Music before transferring to Boston College where she majored in Education.

Entertainment

Summer Doldrums for Small Saves in This Week’s Cartoon

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James DeMarco grew up in Watertown and became a goaltender at age 5. It’s his life’s passion to stand between the pipes and keep the puck out of the net. Combining this with the love of cartooning Small Saves emerged in 1991 and took on a life of his own. “To play goal – then come home and draw Small Saves — is my ideal definition of a good day.”

Business

Discover Coolidge Square: Events, Specials & More from June 25-28

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Coolidge Square may be under construction, but the heart of the East End is open for business. The City of Watertown has joined with local businesses, groups, and elected officials to celebrate the business center in East Watertown. See the events and specials planned for Discover Watertown, provided by the City of Watertown Economic Development division. Wednesday, June 25 @ 2:30 p.m. Meet Your Councilor and State Rep! District A Councilor Nicole Gardner and MA Rep. Steve Owens will host joint office hours at Dunkin Donuts (635 Mt Auburn) from 2:30-3:30 p.m. All are invited to stop by!