Watertown’s Unity Breakfast to be Broadcast Live on MLK Day

The following information was provided by the Unity Breakfast organizers:

Each year, the residents of Watertown come together to celebrate civil rights and to honor the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. and other civil rights leaders by recommitting to foundational principles of racial, social and economic justice. 

This year’s Unity Breakfast will take place on Monday, January 15, 2024 at 10 a.m. The event will be broadcasted live from www.unitybreakfast.org. It will feature a keynote address from Dr. Charmain Jackson, a psychologist working to disrupt racial disparities in mental health along with remarks from Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell. The honorary host is Dr. Ceronne Daly, Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging at Watertown Public Schools.

UPDATE: Extra Trash Disposal to be Allowed for Watertown Residents for One Week

Watertown DPWResidents will soon be able to purchase a second recycling toter – the green one – for less than before. For one week only, Watertown residents will have an opportunity to put out trash that does not fit in trash toters. City officials sent out the following announcement:

The City of Watertown will offer an overflow trash week from January 8 through 12, 2024. Households may place up to 3 trash bags next to their trash tote for collection. Find out more about trash and recycling in Watertown by clicking here.

Watertown’s Semi-Pro Hockey Team Features Former Pros, College Players and Even Rec League Skaters

Members of the Boston Gold Kings hit the ice at their home rink, John A. Ryan Arena in Watertown. The semi-pro team starts its first season on Jan. 6. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

For some, playing for the Boston Gold Kings is a second chance to keep their hockey career going, for others being on the semi-pro team based out of Watertown is the first time playing with an organized adult team, and it’s fun for all. The first game for the Boston Gold Kings will be at Ryan Arena on Saturday, Jan.

Watertown’s Main Street Post Office Closing for at Least 2 Years

The Post Office located on Main Street in Watertown will be closing for an extended period starting in January 2024. The Post Office, located across from the Library at 126 Main St., Watertown, will close while the building where it is located is torn down and replaced with a five-story mixed use building with retail on the ground floor and four stories of residential above. The project was approved by the Zoning Board of Appeals in October. During the hearing for the project, the developers said they had contacted the U.S. Postal Service about designing a new space in the development, and also said there may be a temporary location. Under current plans, there will be no temporary spot in Watertown Square.

19 Watertown Athletes from 8 Sports Named Middlesex All-Stars

Watertown senior Molly Driscoll Molly was named the Middlesex League Field Hockey MVP, along with being an All-Star in 2023. Here she celebrates scoring against St. Mary’s State Tournament. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

Watertown High School had 19 athletes from eight sports named Middlesex League All-Stars during the Fall 2023 sports season. The Watertown field hockey team, which won its third straight state championship, led the way for the Raiders with seven All-Stars.

Watertown Man Pilots Special Flight to “North Pole” to Bring Joy to Some Special Children

Delta Capt. Steve Teager and the Delta North Pole Staff. (Courtesy Photo)

Watertown resident and Delta Airlines Pilot Steve Teager made a special flight recently to spread some holiday joy. Teager, who is a longtime volunteer at the Watertown Food Pantry, flew to the “North Pole” in Detroit to “bring joy to some very special kids and let them ‘just be kids’ for an afternoon!” shared Watertown Food Pantry Coordinator Kathy Cunningham. He was selected to be the Captain by Silverliners International, a charitable organization founded by retired Eastern Airlines flight attendants.

Skate with Watertown’s New Semi-Pro Hockey Team

Watertown will be home to one of the franchises in the new Union Hockey League (UHL), and the Boston Gold Kings invite the public to join them on the ice for a special event on Dec. 27 at 7:10 p.m.

The Gold Kings are one of 16 teams in the Union Hockey League a senior “A” semi-pro hockey league with squads in the Northeast and Midwest. They will play home games at John A. Ryan Arena in Watertown, with the first game on Jan. 6 at 8 p.m. vs. the Holyoke Papermen.

Freddy Farkel’s Fabric Showcase Closing After 92 Years, Holding Closeout Sale

Freddy Farkel’s Fabrics Showcase on Walnut Street will be closing. The business started in Brighton in 1927. (Photo from Fabricshowplace.net)

A Boston-area fabric institution is holding a closeout sale after losing its lease on its space on Walnut Street. Freddy Farkel’s Fabric Showcase started in Brighton, and now has its showroom in Watertown. The store opened in 1927, and has been run by four generations.