Around Town

Youth TV Production Workshop Offered by Watertown Cable

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The following announcement was provided by Watertown Cable Access Television:

WCA-TV’s Youth Workshop is back this summer for children between the ages of 9 to 14. Our students will learn the basics of video production, from scriptwriting to editing. By the end of the Workshop, students will have produced a film. This Workshop will run Monday-Wednesday from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. during the weeks of July 20th and 27th. This Workshop is free of charge to all students thanks to a generous grant from the Watertown Cultural Council.

Elections

LETTER: Retired Judge Endorses Sen. Will Brownsberger

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To The Editor,

I am writing to enthusiastically support Senator Will Brownsberger’s re-election campaign and will be voting for him on Sept. 1. During my legal career, encompassing 20 years as a public defender and 24 years as a juvenile court judge, I have learned a lot about the legislative process and the importance of having an effective and forceful advocate who understands the issues and the needs of our community. Will has been in the forefront of youth and criminal legal reform efforts, and his voice is now needed more than ever. I work with a wide network of advocacy groups who realize the imperative of having someone who has the institutional history and credibility to get things done.

Environment

Watertown Swap Shop Returns, Eco Fest & Composting

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The following announcement was provided by the Watertown Solid Waste and Recycling Committee:

The Watertown Swap Shop re-opens for its second season this Saturday, May 2. The Swap Shop is located at the Recycling Center, 76 Stanley Ave., Watertown. The Swap Shop will be open on the first Saturday of each month, May to November, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m., except July when it will be open on the second Saturday. Bring your no-longer needed small items in good condition to the Swap Shop and/or take up to eight items home with you. No clothing or textiles. For a full list of what you can donate, Visit: Swap Shop | Watertown, MA – Official Website

Want to know more about what Watertown is doing to address climate change? Come to Watertown’s Eco Fest on May 9th, which will include a clothing give away of clean used clothes donated by Watertown residents. https://www.watertownecofest.com

Watertown offers Free Curbside Composting with Black Earth for households of fewer than 8 units. Composting food scraps is a great way to reduce your waste and contribute to making Watertown a more climate resilient community. To learn more about how to join the free composting program, visit: https://www.watertown-ma.gov/885/Free-Curbside-Collection-Program. 

Compostable food scraps can also be dropped off at the Recycling Center between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.

Entertainment

Gore Place Tour, Pattern & Place: Wallpapers of the Mansion 1806-Present

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Gore Place.. Gore Place will host a set of special tours focused on the wallpapers in the mansion that dates back to the early 19th century. See more information in the announcement from Gore Place, below. From May 8 through July 10, visitors to Gore Place will get to view a special exhibition of Gore Place wallpapers as part of the regularly scheduled mansion tour. 

Guests interested in seeing the exhibition should make a tour reservation at goreplace.org. Walk-ins are also welcome.

Obituaries

OBIT: Michael Donovan, 38, Advocate for Children with Autism & Other Challenges, Devoted to Family & Friends

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Michael Donovan

The Donovan, Lazarus, Zinsmeyer, and Eurich families are devastated to share that Michael Maurice Donovan passed away on March 20th, 2026, from complications related to Marfan Syndrome. At only 38 years of age, this loving husband, son, brother, cousin, uncle and friend left us much too soon, but he will stay with us in rich memories. 

In his toddler years, Mike had long blonde hair and an irresistible, mischievous grin. Later at Shady Hill School, he found his quiet but razor-sharp wit, which he hid behind a subtle smile and a spark in his eyes until the moment came for the perfect quip. From an early age, Mike also possessed something that many of us still search for: the ability to completely and comfortably be himself. This gave him a quiet charisma and unflappable kindness that is hard to describe but impossible to forget. 

As a teenager, he became a leader on the lacrosse, soccer, and basketball teams at Beaver Country Day School, where he also uncovered a passion for English literature that stayed with him through his time at Occidental College.

Government

Detailed Plans for Watertown Square Project to be Presented at Open House

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Save the date for the Open House on Watertown Square Implementation on May 20, 2026, from 3-8 p.m. at 9 Galen St. See more details in the announcement from the City of Watertown, below. Join the Open House! The City of Watertown invites you on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, between 3-8 PM to 9 Galen Street for the Watertown Square Implementation Open House!Stop in anytime between 3-8 PM to visit stations that will inform you more about the Demonstration Project and the Urban Revitalization Plan. 

Topics that you can engage with at the Open House include:

A detailed outline of the drafted Demonstration Project Plan, as presented by City Manager Proakis in April. Guided tours of Demonstration Project area with members of the project team.

Around Town

Watertown Historical Society Event Focuses on True Crime Story from Colonial Times

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The Historical Society of Watertown will host a talk about a historical true crime, and host its annual meeting on Sunday, May 3, 2026 at 2 p.m. at the Watertown Library. See more information provided by the Historical Society, below. Annual Members Meeting with Election of Board Members Immediately following slide show and talk by historian Marie Daly: “Incident at Rock Meadow — True Crime Story of Ruth Sawtell & Thomas Loveran.”

Location: Watertown Free Public LibraryWatertown Savings Bank Meeting Room123 Main Street, Watertown, MA 02472

In 17th century Watertown, Zachariah Smith fled charges of unlawful relations with neighbor Ruth Sawtell. The ensuing repercussions of his subsequent murder contributed to the outbreak of King Philip’s War. Three years later, an assignation with another neighbor made Ruth Sawtell a repeat offender, and the scene of their crime was the “Great Rock” in Rock Meadow.

Around Town

Group from Watertown Joining the Mother’s Day Walk for Peace

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The following announcement was provided by Watertown Walks for Peace:

Join the Watertown Walks for Peace Team on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 10th, and support the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute’s Mother’s Day Walk for Peace in Dorchester. This year is the 12th consecutive year that the Watertown team will participate in the 5K Walk for Peace. For those who would like to walk with us, there will be a bus leaving Watertown at 7:30 a.m. and returning to Watertown by noon. Sign up here to walk, donate, or take the bus to Dorchester.  

–> Sign up to walk, or donate. –> Sign up for a free bus which will depart from First Parish in Watertown at 7:30 a.m. (returning by noon), or meet us at Fields Corner at 8am. Whether you walk, donate, or both, you’ll be part of a strong, hopeful community working for peace. 

The Peace Institute was founded by Chaplain Clementina Chery, the mother of Louis D. Brown, after her son was shot and killed in 1993 by random gunfire. The Peace Institute has become an inspiration and model for breaking the cycle of violence for all of those affected by gun violence in Boston and beyond. A donation to the Peace Institute helps to provide vital services to families and communities affected by murder and trauma with dignity and compassion. 

The Peace institute and its partnership with the city of Boston has helped to make Boston one of the safest cities in the U.S. and is a model around the world. It embodies the hopes we all have for a better future for all. To learn more: https://ldbpeaceinstitute.org/

Come be inspired by the words of Massachusetts leaders, join a welcoming community of supporters, and help the Watertown team surpass its past fundraising success in raising over $6,000.