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(UPDATED: March 24, 10:20 a.m.) The start of the work on Mt. Auburn Street scheduled for this week will be delayed due to weather. It will now begin on March 25, 2025. See the original announcement below:
During the week of March 24-28, the Mt. Auburn Street Project includes drainage work, the relocation of a bus stop in Coolidge Square.
The following announcement was provided by the Watertown Cultural District:
The Watertown Cultural District, in partnership with the Watertown Free Public Library, is thrilled to announce Madison Scaletta as the winner of its logo design contest. Scaletta’s vibrant and engaging design, inspired by the colors and landmarks of Watertown, particularly the Charles River, was selected by the Cultural District Partnership for its relevance, joyful imagery, and compositional integrity. “We were impressed by Madison’s ability to capture the spirit of our cultural district in a fun and accessible way,” said Kristen Kenny, Chair of the Cultural District Partnership. “Her design reflects our mission to promote arts and culture in Watertown for all audiences.” Scaletta, a 16-year-old student at Minuteman High School in Lexington, MA, and a competitive dancer, shared her inspiration: “I wanted to incorporate a colorful design while using things/places close to Watertown like the Charles River.
Watertown school officials closed a budget gap of nearly half a million dollars without cutting staff. On Monday night, Superintendent Dede Galdston will present the Fiscal Year 2026 Watertown Public Schools budget at a public hearing. The budget hearing will take place during the March 24 School Committee meeting, which will be at Lowell School beginning at 7 p.m. While the FY26 Budget of $61.9 million, which will cover the 2025-26 School Year, was a challenge, Galdston said, Watertown is in a better position than many other communities. “In the relative scheme of things, it was a more challenging budget for Watertown, not quite as challenging as Brookline or Newton or Lexington or some of the people who have experienced pretty dramatic decreases in their budgets,” Galdston said. Coming into the budget making process, Watertown knew it would be facing a $1.1 million increase in special education tuition for out-of-district placements, but the district also saved about $227,000 in staff turnover savings that occurs when a veteran staff member retires and someone with a lower salary replaces the person.
Watertown has a decision to make about what kinds of accessory dwelling units the City will allow to exist. A discussion about ADUs (also known as in-law units or granny units) will be held on Monday, March 24, where residents can learn more about what they are and give input about what kinds they would like to see. The State’s Affordable Homes Act, passed into law in 2024, requires cities and towns to allow certain kinds of ADUs, said Cliff Cook, a member of the Watertown Affordable Housing Trust, when he appeared on the Watertown Cable show “Inside Watertown.” For the past few years, the subject of ADUs has been brought up by City Councilors and others in Watertown. “They are a way of giving the property owner, the homeowner, some additional flexibility in how to use their property,” Cook said.
The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department. March 8: Police responded to Best Buy for a shoplifter. They got the man’s description and located the suspect near Hampton Inn & Suites. The man admitted to shoplifting from Best Buy and had two speakers in a bag. When he took the speaker he removed the “spider” anti-theft devices.
Watertown Fire DepartmentFirefighter Joseph Toscano, a 21-year veteran of the Watertown Fire Department, died on March 17, 2017 after collapsing during a fire. St. Patrick’s Day is a somber one for the Watertown Fire Department. Each year since 2017 Watertown Firefighters pay tribute to Joe Toscano, who lost his life fighting a fire on Merrifield Avenue. On Monday, current and former members of the Watertown Fire Department lined up on Bigelow Avenue, near the home where Toscano collapsed and died during a house fire.
Watertown’s five-year capital plan for Fiscal Years 2026-30 by the has 51 items, including replacing Watertown Middle School, road repair, and renovating parts of the Victory Field complex. The City Council voted to recommend the budget be included in City Manager George Proakis’ Fiscal Year 2026 Operating Budget. For FY26 the total proposed capital spending is $38.49 million, which includes $23.2 million in school building projects. The cost is covered by tax revenue, state dollars, grants, and borrowing. Based on the revised FY26 revenue projection, the total proposed FY26 capital spending would be 17.9 percent of the $215 million operating budget, or 7.1 percent without the school building projects, known as “Building for the Future.”
Vincent Piccirilli, District C City Councilor and Council Vice President
Watertown Council Vice President and District C Councilor Vincent Piccirilli spoke with former Council President Clyde Younger, host of the Eye on Watertown Podcast. Topics covered included housing and the MBTA Communities Law, the City logo, and Piccirilli’s possible political future. Younger was joined by guest co-host Charlie Breitrose, editor of Watertown News. The podcast was recorded at the Watertown Cable Access studio. See the podcast by clicking here.