Letters

OP-ED: In Support of Instituting Medicare for All

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By David BlitzmanWatertown Resident

My cousin’s life was saved by Obamacare. Obamacare, also known as the Affordable Care Act and Patient Protection Act expanded health coverage for Americans, improved consumer protections, and decreased costs for American consumers. Prior to this act, she was stuck in medical limbo (hell) fighting with insurance as so many Americans are forced to do. However, due to the passage of the Obamacare, her insurance was now mandated to cover the surgery that saved her life. It is due to this fact, that I will always be grateful for Obamacare and how government intervention can and did make the world a better place.

Letters

LETTER: Questions About Letter Endorsed by Majority of Council

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Greetings Councilors:

Am I missing something? On June 3, 2026, a letter appeared in Watertown News; purportedly signed by eight Watertown City Councilors advocating in support of Medicare for All. 

Where was the open public process? I do not recall seeing a City Council Agenda Item that would have allowed for discussion on the topic. Who did the research? Where was the transparency in a Q & A format?

Around Town

Watertown Group Joining De-ICE Citizens Bank National Week of Action

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Twenty-five people came out to the Indivisible Progressive Watertown No Ice-Citizens Bank Protest in Watertown on March 7, 2026. (Photo by Joshua Touster)

The following announcement was provided by Indivisible Progressive Watertown:

Nearly two-thirds of Americans believe U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has gone “too far” in its immigration crackdown and are making communities “less safe.” But how can they voice their concerns with ICE and the Trump administration? One action they can take is to go after the companies that are supporting and abetting the government’s aggressive immigration crackdown. One of these companies is Citizens Bank, a major financial institution with 1,000 branches in 15 states, most of them in the Eastern US. On Saturday, June 6, the De-ICE Citizens Bank Coalition will hold a National Day of Action to protest the billions of dollars of financial support the bank has provided to prison companies operating dozens of ICE immigration detention centers across the country.

Elections

National Association of Government Employees Backs State Senate Candidate

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Daniel Lander. The following announcement was provided by The Lander Committee:

Daniel Lander is proud to announce that his campaign was endorsed by the National Association of Government Employees (NAGE), a union representing tens of thousands of workers around the country, and more than twenty thousand employees in Massachusetts. The endorsementhighlights Lander’s commitment to fighting for working people. “NAGE is fighting every day to improve the lives of working people in Massachusetts. On every level of government and in the private sector, the union represents those who keep our state moving,” said Daniel Lander.

Around Town

Registration Open for Boys & Girls Club Mugar Memorial Golf Tournament, Sponsorships Available

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The Watertown Boys & Girls Club will hold the 2026 Stephen P. Mugar Memorial Golf Tournament on Monday, Aug. 3. Registration is open for golfers and the club seeks sponsorships in an effort to raise up to $80,000 in matching funds. See more details in the information from the Club, below. Since its inaugural tournament in 1978, the Watertown Boys & Girls Club annual golf tournament has been the cornerstone of the Club’s fundraising calendar.

Around Town

Watertown Farmers Market Opens This Week, See Who Will be There, Including New Vendors

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The Watertown Farmers Market returns on June 10, 2026. (Courtesy of Watertown Farmers Market)

The Watertown Farmers Market season begins this week, with the first market of 2026 taking place on Wednesday. See more information about what to expect, how to get there, and food asssistance programs in the announcement provided by the Watertown Farmers Market, below. We’re excited to kick off the 13th year of the Watertown Farmers’ Market in the newly renovated park space! Stop over next Wednesday, June 10, 2026, from 2:30-6:30 p.m. to celebrate all the market has to offer!Join us to welcome back familiar faces and welcome newcomers.

Schools

Watertown Students Graduate from BC High, Make Honor Roll

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Three Watertown students graduated from Boston College High School, and several made the school’s honor roll. See the information provided by BC High, below. Boston College High School proudly celebrated the achievements of the 277 graduates of the Class of 2026 during the school’s 162nd Commencement Exercises on Morrissey Boulevard. Thousands of family members, alumni, faculty, staff, and friends gathered to honor the graduates and welcome them into the lifelong brotherhood of the BC High alumni community. This year’s commencement address was delivered by Vincent D. Rougeau, president of the College of the Holy Cross and a nationally respected scholar of legal education and Catholic social thought

The graduates included the following students from Watertown:

Ben Campolongo

Owen Driscoll

Alex Podgoretsky

Honor Roll

BC High announced the students who received honors in Quarter 3, including several local students.

Around Town

Sidewalk Work Continues in Coolidge Square This Week During Mt. Auburn St. Project

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Crews will be doing sidewalk work in multiple parts of Mt. Auburn Street this week, including in the business district in Coolidge Square. Businesses will remain open during the construction, some may be accessible only using rear entrances. See more details in the announcement from the City of Watertown, below. Concrete Removal

Concrete sidewalk panels will be removed along the eastbound side of Mount Auburn Street between Bigelow Ave.