Elections

Mass Alliance Endorses Daniel Lander for State Senate

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

Daniel Lander is proud to announce that his campaign was endorsed today by Mass Alliance, a statewide coalition of labor unions and progressive organizations dedicated to building a better Massachusetts. The endorsement shines a spotlight on Daniel Lander’s work to address affordable housing, lift up working families, and to meet this moment by taking on the broken status quo on Beacon Hill. “Mass Alliance proudly endorses Daniel Lander for Suffolk and Middlesex State Senate. A proven progressive champion, Daniel is an experienced campaigner, coalition builder, and has a strong record of innovative, equity-centered policy,” said Vanessa Snow, Executive Director of Mass Alliance.

Development

First Details of Redevelopment of Watertown Square Parking Lots Revealed, Including Garage & Residential Project

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Watertown City Manager George Proakis gave some details about a possible Demonstration Project on the Municipal Parking Lot in Watertown Square. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

Monday night, the public got the first glimpse of a possible future for the parking lot behind CVS, the Armenian Museum of America and other businesses in Watertown Square, and it may include a multi-story garage built by the City and a residential building constructed by a private developer. City Manager George Proakis spoke to a packed room at the Watertown Free Public Library. He discussed a variety of topics, including how the Watertown Square planning got to Monday’s meeting, designing the new look intersection, and the main event: the Demonstration Project that would be built on the Municipal Parking Lot. Due to constraints, such as the City of Cambridge’s water supply line that runs under the parking lot, Proakis said the likely layout would be to put the garage on the area in back of the Armenian Museum of America.

Around Town

Watertown’s First Human Services Director Shaping New Department, New Home for Food Pantry

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Jenna Bancroft

Watertown’s first Human Services Director came to town after working for more than four years in Newton, but it was a homecoming of sorts. In her first several months on the job she has been in charge of not only establishing a brand new City department, but also creating a new home for the Watertown Food Pantry. In Newton, Bancroft served as the assistant director of Social Services, and became the director of that program. Those were her first jobs on the municipal side. Immediately prior to that she worked at the Wayside Multi-Services Center in Watertown, where she worked as a Social Services Resource Specialist (SSRS) for four years.

Elections

Gov. Healey Endorses State Sen. Will Brownsberger for Re-Election

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Will Brownsberger

The following announcement was provided by the Will Brownsberger Campaign:

Governor Maura Healey announced her support for State Senator Will Brownsberger in his re-election effort. Brownsberger represents the Suffolk and Middlesex district, consisting of Belmont, Watertown, West Cambridge, Allston, Brighton, and Fenway. “Senator Brownsberger’s leadership has been a crucial part of so much of our state’s progress in the last decade, and we need him back on Beacon Hill next year,” said Governor Maura Healey. “I’ve been proud to work with him on everything from making our communities safer to driving economic growth, and he played an instrumental role in helping the Affordable Homes Act across the finish line to build more housing and lower costs. I’m grateful for his partnership, and I’m proud to support his re-election.”

“Governor Healey has been a friend and partner in securing real progress to lower costs and deliver results for people across my district and all across the Commonwealth,” said Senator Brownsberger, “I am grateful for her support in this election, and I’m excited to get to work to re-elect her and Lieutenant Governor Driscoll this November.”

Senator Brownsberger and Governor Healey have worked closely on a number of efforts to improve the district and the state as a whole, including the passage of the Mass Leads Act, which invested $400 million to drive economic development through investments in the AI, climatetech, and life sciences sectors, and their partnership was instrumental in passing the historic $5.16 billion Affordable Homes Act to increase the supply of homes to bring down costs.

Government

City Has $4M Left from Elementary School Projects, Which Will Go to High School & Middle School Projects

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Cunniff Elementary School is one of three elementary schools in Watertown to be rebuilt or renovated. The projects closed out with a combined surplus of $4 million. The new school opened in 2021. (Photo by Watertown Public Schools)

Watertown’s elementary school building projects finished with a surplus of more than $4 million, which will allow the high school construction project to stay on budget, and fund designs for a potential new middle school. On Tuesday night, the City Council approved transfers of the $4,052,660 left over from the construction of the new Cunniff and Hosmer elementary schools, and the renovation and expansion of Lowell Elementary School.

Government

Watertown Hires New Assistant City Manager for Community Development & Planning

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The following announcement was provided by the City of Watertown:

Watertown City Manager George Proakis announces that Kennan Rhyne, AIA, AICP, will be the City’s new Assistant City Manager for Community Development and Planning. Rhyne is an experienced municipal planner and architect who brings to Watertown an impressive background of leading and contributing to complex planning projects across the region. She most recently served as Principal of her own consulting firm since 2023, where she advised the cities of Boston, Lowell, Quincy, and many other cities and towns on projects related to land use planning, zoning, urban design, and public policy. Rhyne previously served as Deputy Director for Comprehensive Planning in Boston’s Planning and Development Agency, including a stint as Interim Director of Planning in 2022. During her time with the City of Boston, she conducted extensive planning studies that addressed housing needs, economic development, climate resiliency, transportation, and open space.

Government

Members of Congress Get a Look Inside Watertown’s School Lunch Program, School Farming Class

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Congresswoman Katherine Clark and Congressman Jim McGovern have lunch with Hosmer School second-graders Maya and Daphne. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

A pair of enthusiastic Hosmer Elementary School ambassadors showed two members of Congress around their school Wednesday, ending with a meal cooked up by the school cafeteria staff that featured produce grown in Watertown High School’s hydroponic farm. Congressman Jim McGovern and Congresswoman Katherine Clark visited Watertown as part of McGovern’s End Hunger Now Tour of Massachusetts, in support of the bill he filed on Capitol Hill to increase the amount of federal funding for school breakfasts and lunches. Hosmer second-graders Maya and Daphne guided the two members of Congress through the hallways, into classrooms, through the media center, up and down stairs, and finally through the lunch line in the cafeteria. Watertown City Council President Mark Sideris, left, speaks with Congresswoman Katherine Clark and Congressman Jim McGovern during their tour of Hosmer Elementary School, led by Maya and Daphne.

Elections

LETTER: As State Sen., Daniel Lander Will Fight for More Permanently Affordable Housing

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For the first time since 2011, we have two candidates for State Senate whose records and priorities we can actually compare. 

On State Legislature transparency, the rights and opportunities of the most marginalized, consistent support for State House staff to unionize, and his “fighting head on” approach to our dire housing affordability crisis — I am sure of where Daniel Lander will be leading us as State Senator. 

He will be at the forefront of the fight for more permanent affordable housing and, because he understands its urgency, it will remain one of his top priorities. And he understands that while more market rate housing is vital, alone it will not help affordability. Daniel’s track record shows his commitment and ability to get down to brass tacks and work on many fronts so that people can afford to live where they choose. For example, Daniel will actively advocate for social housing in Massachusetts — publicly owned, mixed-income developments built in partnership with housing authorities and nonprofit developers. Models like Willow Park right here in Watertown show how this works, giving cities the tools to create permanently affordable housing for low- and middle-income households.