Letters

LETTER: Watertown Should Think Twice Before Adopting BERDO

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By Max Woolf

Fighting climate change is essential, but how we do it matters. Watertown is considering new rules that would shift the costs of decarbonization onto property owners, businesses, and renters. The proposed ordinance, known as BERDO, would have Watertown join Boston, Lexington, Cambridge, and Newton by requiring owners of properties 20,000 square feet or larger to track and reduce fossil fuel use — or face fines. While specific requirements and timelines vary based on building size, under the proposal, all large commercial and residential property owners in Watertown will have to take a combination of the following steps to comply:

● Hire a consultant to measure and benchmark energy use● Report energy use annually to the city● Take steps to reduce emissions, such as replacing gas boilers with heat pumps, upgrading HVAC systems and adopting other efficiency measures, or pay fines● Periodically verify energy data through third-party consultants at the owner’s expense● Implement efficiency upgrades, like installing new insulation, optimizing building controls, or reducing overall energy consumption, or pay fines● Possibly install on-site solar panels or instead purchase costly electricity offsets (even after completing retrofits)

On top of that, Watertown’s BERDO rules are different from Boston’s, Cambridge’s, Newton’s, or Lexington’s, and that’s a problem in and of itself because anyone who owns or manages property in multiple communities must navigate a different set of complex rules and deadlines. Watertown’s proposed ordinance also goes further than Newton’s, Cambridge’s, or Lexington’s, raising concerns about the city’s future affordability and competitiveness, not just against these communities but also communities across the region that have not adopted BERDO rules.

Letters

LETTER: Rock Salt – Cheap, Effective, and Very Harmful

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by Anne Harrington PhDTrees for Watertown

Rock salt is the No. 1 de-icer in the United States. It’s cheap, effective at melting snow and ice, and provides good traction on treated surfaces. But road salt is referred to as a “silent killer” because of the seen and unseen damage that it causes to infrastructure and the natural environment. Tons of rock salt are applied every winter in the U.S. Nearly half a million tons are used annually for winter road maintenance in Massachusetts alone (Source: EPA, Nov 2020).

Letters

LETTER: More Than 100 Join Tesla Takedown Protest in Watertown

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The Tesla Takedown in Watertown on March 1. (Copyright 2025 Joshua Touster)

On Saturday morning, March 1st, over 100 people showed up at the intersection of Bridge Street and Pleasant Street near the Watertown Tesla Service Center to participate in a standout targeting Tesla co-founder and CEO Elon Musk. 

The standout was part of a national protest of Elon Musk and his unelected role in the current Trump administration. Known as the Take Down Tesla Campaign, www.teslatakedown.com, the campaign urges people to sell their Tesla  cars and stock and to join the movement to protest Musk and the Department of Energy Efficiency (DOGE). 

(Copyright 2025 Joshua Touster)

Many people who attended were from Watertown and adjacent communities: Brighton, Cambridge, Newton, and Waltham. But some came from as far away as Worcester. There was a lot of support for the protest from those who drove by as several different chants were called out, one that was particularly popular was “Hay, Hay, Ho, Ho, Elon Musk has got to go.” Protest signs referenced the parallels to the rise of Nazi Germany, the current threat to democracy, and the takeover of our federal government in the form of a soft or administrative coup. choosedemocracy.us/what-is-an-administrative-coup

A protest rally that was held later in the day at the Tesla dealership on Boylston Street in Boston drew over 300 participants. The Boston Tesla protests will continue on a weekly basis Starting on Sunday, March 9th, and continuing on Saturdays beginning on March 15th. Stay tuned for a possible future standout in Watertown. 

Tesla Takedowns were held in Watertown and Boston on March 1. (Copyright 2025 Joshua Touster)

Eileen Ryan of Watertown and Janet England of Brighton were the two organizers of the Watertown Standout on Saturday.

Letters

LETTER: Thoughts on Hiring of Federal Employees & Deal with Ukraine

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Dear Editor,

I have considered myself a Liberal; however, my Wife Mary has said “you are not as Liberal as you think you are”. Therefore, I have considered myself a Practical Liberal. To me everyone seems cowed by President Trump and his new henchman Musk. However, I have thought Elon Musk or some other Oligarch has been there all along. As a former federal official, no one, even Democrats are telling you that “No” U.S. federal departments and agencies can simply create positions on their own without oversight and authorization.

High Stakes Standardized Tests

OP-ED: The Hidden Cost of MCAS – Why We Shouldn’t Let the Test Dictate the Future

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By Brendan Bean, a Watertown resident who has taught in the Boston Public Schools for nearly 10 years. 

Standing outside my school in the morning, the brightly shining sun and chirping birds signal the start of that anxiously anticipated season here in Massachusetts. No, not spring; MCAS season. For many across the state, it feels like we have been building towards this for several months, if not all year. For teachers, this is understandable, as standardized tests like the MCAS have a direct impact on federal funds for schools. For students, however, the MCAS seems to loom over everything like Heartbreak Hill for marathoners.

College

LETTER: Third Grader Writes Why College Should be More Affordable

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(The following letter was originally written as an assignment where students were asked to write about a subject that is important to them, according to Hosmer Elementary School teacher Christine Fletcher. It is the unedited version of the essay.)

Have you ever wanted to be an astronaut or a doctor or an architect? If you want to be one of these jobs when you’re grown up you have to go to college. 

College is a school you can go to after high school. Some people go there to learn more things. And how you can do a job and to learn skills.

Around Town

LETTER: Head of Boys & Girls Club Bids Farewell to Club, Dream Job

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Watertown Boys & Girls Club Executive Director Renee Gaudette is leaving the club. Here she is seen receiving the Executive of the Year Award. She was nominated by Chris Chrombie, right, the club’s Project Director. Dear Beloved Community,

I am writing to share that, after nine amazing and rewarding years as Executive Director atWatertown Boys & Girls Club, I’ve decided that the timing is right for me to step back. The Board of Directors of WBGC is working diligently to identify the individual who can bestlead our organization through its next phase of growth and impact.

Letters

LETTER: Library Employees Back Interim Director for Top Job

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This letter in support of Caitlin Browne as Library Director was written collaboratively and signed by over 30 staff members of the Watertown Free Public Library, across all departments of the library and including all department heads. It was read by library staff members at the Board of Library Trustees meeting on April 19, 2022. To our Board of Library Trustees:

As staff members of the Watertown Free Public Library, we would like to express our thanks for this opportunity to make our voices heard. We understand that the public forum is an avenue for commenting on “library business,” which we feel very much includes this director selection process. We appreciate the work of the screening committee that has narrowed the candidates to the current field.