Around Town

OP-ED: Watertown Group Remembers Hiroshima Bombing, Supports Campaign to Prevent Nuclear War

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Candle boats in the Charles at Watertown Square. The following piece was provided by Watertown Citizens for Peace Justice & the Environment:

In 1912 Mayor Yukio Ozaki of Tokyo City, gave 3,000 cherry trees to Washington, D.C. to celebrate the growing friendship between the United States and Japan. Thirty-three years later, on August 6, 1945, the United States dropped the first nuclear bomb on Hiroshima and the second on Nagasaki three days later. Over 100,000 people’s lives were ended instantly and by the end of that year, over 210,000 people were dead. Countless others were maimed or suffered long-term effects of radiation. In what he called his “anti-poem,” Original Child Bomb, Trappist monk and writer Thomas Merton described the events leading up to August 6 in a stark, bureaucratic style.

Around Town

City Seeks Applicants to Serve on New Memorialization Committee

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The City seeks residents to serve on the Memorialization Committee, a new board that will create a process for naming public places such as parks, streets, squares, and municipal buildings, and making recommendations to the Council about how “Watertown honors its people and stories.” See the announcement from the City of Watertown below. Are you interested in Watertown’s rich history? Would you like to play a role in how our public places are named and remembered? The City of Watertown and City Manager George J. Proakis are seeking Watertown residents to serve on the newly formed Memorialization Committee.

Sports

Watertown Summer Basketball League Semis Heading to Decisive Game 3

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Both of the 2025 Watertown Summer Basketball League Semifinal series will be decided in a winner-take-all game 3 on Tuesday night. (Courtesy of Watertown Recreation)

The following information was provided by the Watertown Recreation Department:

The 2025 Papas Elite Semifinals is all tied up at 1-1 with wins from the second-seeded Beavers and fourth-seeded Donohue’s Kaos Club. The Beavers evened up the series with an 80-54 victory of the third-seeded Zards in the first game on Monday night. Thomas Ferdinando dropped 17 points on the Zards, while Sam Longwell led the Zards with 18 points. In the second semifinal game of the night, Donohue’s Kaos Club pulled out the 68-60 overtime win over the top seed New Day.

Around Town

Point32Health Finance Team Supports Operation American Soldier

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Employees at Point32Heath packed care packages for American servicemen and -women, which will be delivered by Operation American Soldier. (Photo from Point32Health)

The following announcement was provided by Point32Health:

The Point32Health finance team turned a summer BBQ into something unforgettable. More than 150 colleagues in the finance organization came together for food and camaraderie and to make a meaningful impact in support of Operation American Soldier. Point32Health employees assembling the care packages. (Photo from Point32Health)

Together, the team assembled and donated 115 backpacks filled with snacks, toiletries, and handwritten notes of appreciation.

Around Town

Mount Auburn Cemetery to Mark 80th Anniversary of Hiroshima Bombing with Evening of Reflection and Art

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The following announcement was provided by the Mount Auburn Cemetery:

On Friday, August 15, Mount Auburn Cemetery will host Branches of Hope: Reflecting on the Past, Healing for the Future, a reflective, cross-cultural evening marking the 80th anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing and the end of World War II. Through art, remembrance, and quiet contemplation, the event invites the public to reflect on the costs of conflict and the enduring human pursuit of peace. The program will include a keynote by Cannon Hersey, filmmaker and cultural organizer, and grandson of Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist John Hersey, whose landmark 1946 book Hiroshima brought the voices of atomic bomb survivors to a global audience. Hersey is also currently producing a feature film inspired by his grandfather’s work, titled What Divides Us, set to begin production in 2025. “Eighty years after my grandfather, John Hersey, gave voice to the survivors of Hiroshima, their stories still feel deeply urgent,” said Cannon Hersey.

Sports

Watertown Summer Basketball League Semifinals Heading to Game 2 on Monday

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The Papas Elite Summer Basketball League semifinals are underway at Saltonstall Park. (Photo by Watertown Recreation)

The following announcement was provided by the Recreation Department:

Top seeded New Day and third seeded Zards take a 1-0 series advantage in a best-of-three 2025 Papas Elite semifinals.  

Led by Jamari Robinson’s 17-point night, New Day edged out fourth seed Donohue’s Kaos Club by a score of 51-46. Akeem Williams followed up Robinson netting 11 points. Bo Brace led Donohue’s with a total of 12 points.

Around Town

Sidewalk Work Continues Along Mt. Auburn St. During Week of Aug. 11

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Over the week of Aug. 11 to 15, 2025, the Mt. Auburn Street Project includes sidewalk excavation, as well as drainage installation in the Eastside of town. See details in the announcement from the City of Watertown, below. Sidewalk Excavation Continues

Excavation of the westbound sidewalk on Mount Auburn Street between Belmont Street and Keenan Street will continue Monday, August 11, 2025 from 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Learn about travel and parking impacts below.

Transportation

New Schedule for the Watertown Connector Shuttle Between Pleasant St. & Harvard Sq.

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A Watertown Connector shuttle. (Courtesy of the Watertown TMA)

Watertown’s shuttle along Pleasant Street announced a new schedule. See more details in the information from the Watertown TMA below. The Watertown Connector (WATConnector) is a convenient, eco-friendly electric shuttle providing weekday service along Pleasant Street, with stops at Watertown Yards and Harvard Square during peak morning and evening commute hours. This eco-friendly service is free for employees and residents of participating corporate and residential partners (see list below), and available to the public for just $1 per ride each way, $10 minimum purchase to the public.