Around Town

Charles River Conservancy & State Rep. Owens Hosting Earth Day Clean Up

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Volunteers from the 2023 Charles River Cleanup. (Contributed Photo)

An Earth Day clean up of the Charles River in Watertown and Cambridge will be hosted by State Rep. Steve Owens and the Charles River Conservancy. The event will be on Saturday, April 26 from 10 a.m. to noon. See information in the announcement from State Rep. Owen’s below. Join State Representative Steve Owens and the Charles River Conservancy as we clean up the Charles River for Earth Day.

Around Town

Mt. Auburn St. Project: Traffic & Pedestrian Signal Work, Bus Stop Moves Back to Normal Spot

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The City of Watertown provided the following information about the Mt. Auburn Street Project. Update:  The bus stop for Route 71 at Mount Auburn St and Bigelow Ave that was temporarily relocated will resume its normal location on Saturday April 5, 2025. For more details on Route 71, visit the MBTA’s schedules and maps. Intersection of Mount Auburn Street & Arlington Street Electrical Traffic and Pedestrian Signal Work

Starting Monday April 7, 2025 Newport Construction will be installing traffic electrical conduit (underground electrical pipes) at the intersection of Mount Auburn Street and Arlington Street.  

Traffic ImpactsTemporary lane shifts may occur and work will take place on the sidewalks, but will remain open and accessible.

Entertainment

Two Plays Coming to Watertown in Actors’ Shakespeare Project’s 2025-26 Season

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The 2025-26 season for Actors’ Shakespeare Project features three plays, two of which will go on stage at Watertown’s Mosesian Center for the Arts. See details in the announcement from the theater company below. Actors’ Shakespeare Project is proud to announce our 2025-26 Season line-up. We hope you’ll join us for three masterpieces of literature that invite audiences and artists to reflect on how narratives shape identity, and how art can dismantle the walls that confine us.These three productions form a tapestry of defiance: Macbeth exposes the mechanics of control. Little Women redefines who gets to tell their story. Gem of the Ocean reclaims marginalized histories.Our current season — wrapping up with A Midsummer Night’s Dream this month — has been one of our biggest and most successful yet, with our momentous move to Watertown ushering in a new era for ASP, and new opportunities on the horizon.The best way to help ASP continue to build on this success is becoming a subscriber today. Subscribers never pay ticket fees, can switch their seats at any time free of charge, and save up to 30% on single ticket prices.

Letters

LETTER: Believe it or Not With the Second Term

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Dear Editor,

Shall we start a BELIEVE IT OR NOT WITH THE SECOND TERM

President Donald Trump introduced on April 3, 2025 a gold “Trump Card” Featuring his face onthe front. The $5 million “gold card” program is aimed at wealthy immigrants (note not Migrants) seekingU.S. residency. The announcement aboard Air Force One, offers “green card-plus” privileges toindividuals who invest $5 million in American businesses. It will replace the existing EB-5 visaprogram, which required lower investment amounts and job creation. The initiative is set to become available in less than two weeks.

Entertainment

Small Saves Balances School with Hockey in This Week’s Comic

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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.”

Entertainment

Tickets Available for the 2025 Sheepshearing Festival at Gore Place

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Photo from Gore Place

Tickets are now available for Gore Place’s annual Sheepshearing Festival. See more info about the event and opportunities to volunteer in the announcement from Gore Place below. Get Ready for Another Unbaahhlievable Sheepshearing Festival! Mark your calendars and save the date: our Annual Sheepshearing Festival will be held on April 26, 2025! Advance tickets are available NOW! Since 1987, this annual event has entertained guests with music, 100+ craft and fiber artists, demonstrations of traditional shearing and herding dogs, and historic re-enactors on the beautiful grounds of this historic, 50-acre estate. The Festival will also feature hands-on activities for children and adults, and food vendors onsite. See Our Sheepshearing Festival Webpage to Stay In-the-Know About This Year’s Event!

Letters

OP-ED: Watertown’s Budget —Action Expresses Priorities

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By Linda ScottWatertown Resident

PART 3: Action Expresses Priorities (Mahatma Gandhi)

So, I went through the budget papers for Fiscal Year 2026. To make this a little shorter, I’ve abbreviated goals, etc. For the exact documents that I am outlining below, Click here and choose Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Policy Guidelines. An important note on transparency: I will be adding my opinions and questions to these pages. They’ll be in italics.

Business

Watertown Lab Building Wins Environment & Energy Leader Top Project Award

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66 Galen Street (Courtesy Photo)

The following announcement was provided by Catalyze:

Catalyze, a fully integrated developer and Independent Power Producer (IPP) of distributed renewable energy assets, announced that its 66 Galen project has been named a Top Project of the Year in the Environmental Impact category by the 2025 Environment + Energy (E+E) Leader Awards Program. Catalyze has received recognition from the E+E Leader Awards for three consecutive years. The company previously won a Top Project of the Year award for its Amherst Community Solar Farm in 2024 and a Top Product of the Year award in 2023 for its integrated platform, REenergyze®. 66 Galen is a state-of-the-art life science facility in Watertown, MA, jointly owned by Davis and Boston Development Group (BDG), featuring modern, purpose-built offices and laboratories. Catalyze enhanced the facility by installing 252 kWdc of rooftop-mounted solar panels, a 125 kW energy storage system, and 15 EV charging ports on-site.