Letters

LETTER: Mass. Deserves Better — Support the Corporate Fair Share Act & Close the Tax Loophole

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Dear Editor,

Massachusetts is facing a critical moment. Federal budget cuts are threatening to devastate essential services — Medicaid, SNAP, education, mental health care, and more. These cuts could strip healthcare and food assistance from up to 350,000 residents, blow a $3.5 billion hole in our state budget, and harm over 1 million students. We must act now to protect our communities. A powerful solution is the Corporate Fair Share Act (An Act Combating Offshore Tax Avoidance, H.3110/S.2033), a proposal that would raise over $400 million in new annual revenue by closing a loophole that allows billionaire global corporations to hide profits offshore and avoid paying their fair share in Massachusetts taxes.  

Right now, Massachusetts only taxes 5 percent of these offshored profits — far less than neighboring states like Rhode Island, Vermont, and Maine, which tax 50–60 percent.

Around Town

Walk N Talk Visits Spots on Arsenal Street That Have Undergone Major Changes, Ends With Eats at Restaurant

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Arsenal Park is one of the stops in the September Walk N Talk

The October Watertown Business Coalition Walk N Talk, in conjunction with Live Well Watertown, will visit two areas of town that have undergone major changes in the past several years: Arsenal Park and the Arsenal on the Charles. 

We will meet at the Mosesian Center for the Arts, then visit the historical markers in the Arsenal on the Charles complex. Then we will see the recently renovated Arsenal Park and end at Branch Line restaurant for some small bites. Parking is available in the parking garage near the Mosesian Center/Branch Line. Click here to register. 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.

Entertainment

Check Out This Week’s Small Saves 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

See Who Won the First Annual Watertown Business Coalition Pizza Fest

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The joint winners of the First Annual WBC Pizza Fest: Gigi’s Pizza Co. (left) and Johnnie’s Pizza & Wings. The Watertown Business Coalition handed out the Golden Slice to the winners of the First Annual Pizza Fest at the Faire on the Square. The contest in which people voted online ended in a tie. See the announcement from the WBC, below.

Around Town

Watertown Group Screening Documentary on “Forever Chemicals”

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The following announcement was provide by Watertown Environment and Energy Efficiency Committee:

PFAS: Forever Chemicals; What They Mean for Our Health and What We Can Do

Want to learn more about PFAS? The chemicals are now almost everywhere, including in human blood, and are being linked to severe health problems.

Join the Environment & Energy Efficiency Committee for a screening of Bloomberg Investigation’s 2023 documentary “The Poison in Us All” followed by a discussion with Laurel Schaider from the Silent Spring Institute. Sunday September 28, 2-4 p.m.

Watertown Savings Bank Room

Watertown Free Public Library

Entertainment

Watertown Author Wins Mass. Book Award for Her YA Novel

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Robin Wasley of Watertown won a Massachusetts Bok Award for her YA novel “Dead Things Are Closer Than They Appear.” Watertown’s Robin Wasley received a Massachusetts Book Award in the middle grade/young adult category for her novel “Dead Things Are Closer Than They Appear.” A ceremony will be at the State House in October. See details about the winners in the announcement from the Massachusetts Center for the Book, below. The Massachusetts Center for the Book has announced the winners of the 2025 Massachusetts Book Awards, celebrating the most outstanding books published in 2024 by Massachusetts authors, artists, and poets.

Around Town

Free Fall Open House at Fly Together Fitness in Watertown

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Fly Together Fitness announced a community open house in Watertown. See details below. We will hold a free Open House on Sunday September 28th from 1-3 p.m. at our Watertown location (100 Parker Street) and we would love to invite the community! Attendees can learn about our studio, take a FREE mini class or two (including our non-pole classes!), and grab some great Intro Package deals! We will be running classes every 10-20 min, and attendees can participate in as many free classes as they’d like.

Around Town

Documentary Film About Armenians Displaced by War Premiering in Watertown

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The world premier of “A Suitcase to Home” will take place at the Armenian Cultural and Educational Center in Watertown. (Contributed Photo)

The following announcement was provided by the Society for Orphaned Armenian Relief:

Society for Orphaned Armenian Relief (SOAR) Boston invites you to join us on Friday, Sept. 26, 2025 at 6 p.m. at the Armenian Cultural and Educational Center (ACEC) 47 Nichols Ave. Watertown, MA 02472 for the premiere of “A Suitcase to Home,” a remarkable documentary that not only won the prestigious Deauville Green Award, but also encapsulates the heart-wrenching struggles and unwavering spirit of the Armenian people. This film documents the profound challenges faced during the recent 44-day Artsakh War, the blockade of the Lachin Corridor, and the forced displacement of more than 120,000 Armenians from their homes in September 2023.