Watertown Woman Running First Marathon & Raising Money for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Watertown-native Despina Najarian will be running the 2025 Boston Marathon for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. A Watertown resident who had not been a runner until two years ago will be running the 2025 Boston Marathon and will raise money for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Despina Najarian said she has always dreamed of completing a marathon, but only recently began running. “I only started running 2 years ago at the age of 29. I joined Orangetheory Fitness Waltham in November of 2022,” she said.

Boston Bruins Players Visit Perkins School for the Blind to Try Their Hand at Goalball

Members of the Perkins School for the Blind Goalball team great Boston Bruins players Parker Wotherspoon and Matthew Potras on Friday. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

A couple of special guests showed up at the Perkins School Friday to join the students in a game of goalball — a popular team sport at the school for the blind in Watertown. Boston Bruins players Parker Wotherspoon and Matthew Potras pulled on the eyeshades so they couldn’t use their sight during the game in which teams of three try to roll a rubber ball across the gym and into the opponent’s goal. The ball has a bell in it, to help defenders locate and block the ball. Students and staff lined the upper level of Perkins’ gym to get a glimpse of two pro hockey players join their very own Towerhawks.

Five Year Capital Plan Includes Middle School Project, Other Projects Pushed Back

Rebuilding Watertown Middle School is the largest addition to Watertown’s five-year capital plan, and funding the $84 million project will require moving other projects to future years. The plan also includes projects that occur year after year, such as street and sidewalk repairs. City Manager George Proakis presented the Proposed Fiscal Year 2026-30 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) to the City Council on Jan. 28. The plan includes a grand total of $273 million, about $57 million more than the FY2025-29 CIP mostly due to the addition of the Middle School project.

City Manager’s Update on Winter Parking Ban; Demolition Delay Review Request & Watertown’s Federal Grants

Watertown City Hall

Following the multi-hour meeting about Watertown’s Winter Parking ban, City Manager George Proakis updated the City Council about next steps and urged residents to sign up for the City’s alert system. Also, Council President Mark Sideris requested a review of Watertown’s Demolition Delay Ordinance, and Proakis provided information on Federal grants received by the City. During the Jan. 28, City Council meeting, Proakis tried to summarize his presentation at the Jan. 21 special Council meeting on the request to remove the Winter Parking Ban.

City Council Newsletter: Police Body Cameras, Capital Improvement Plan & More

The Watertown City Council Newsletter for the meeting on Jan. 28, 2025 was provided by the City Council. Residents can view the recording of the January 28th meeting here. PRESIDENT’S REPORT

Council President Mark Sideris began by reading a proclamation honoring Ingrid Marchesano on her retirement after over forty years of dedicated service to Watertown. You can read the full proclamation here.

Watertown Public Schools Partners With Regis College to Enhance Staff Development, Recruitment

Regis College and Watertown Public Schools announced the establishment of a strategic partnership that will support school employees with unique employee development programs, employee recruitment through access to Regis graduates, collaboration opportunities with Regis faculty on product development and research, discounted tuition rates, and use of the Regis campus facilities. 

“An enduring priority for Regis College since it was founded is to expand access to higher education opportunities,” said Regis College President Antoinette Hays, PhD, RN. “The strategic partnership with Watertown Public Schools will support faculty and staff interested in earning a bachelor, masters or doctoral degree that will enhance classroom instruction for students. This partnership is designed to provide employees of Watertown Public Schools a collaborative, flexible, and convenient way to earn college credits and advance their career through education at a discounted rate with mentorship from accomplished faculty with real-world experience.” 

“Supporting the professional growth and career goals of our employees while diversifying our workforce is a key priority for Watertown Public Schools,” said Aisling Bucci, Recruitment and Cultivation Specialist for Watertown Public Schools. “Our new partnership with Regis College provides valuable opportunities and pathways for our teachers, staff, and the next generation of educators. It’s a wonderful opportunity for our employees, students, and the Watertown community as a whole.” 

This agreement includes discounted tuition for Regis online and hybrid degree programs for school employees and their families, a flexible transfer policy for adult degree completion, and customized academic consulting to align educational programs with corporate goals.

Mt. Auburn St. Project: Drainage Installation Work at Arlington St. & Bigelow Ave. Continue

The following announcement was provided by the City of Watertown:

Newport Construction is continuing to complete the drainage installation work between Arlington Street and Bigelow Avenue on the eastbound side. You can expect to see construction crews in this area from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the week ending on Feb. 7, 2025. Traffic Impacts

There will be lane shifts and a potential lane closure during this work, which may also impact street parking in the immediate work area. Currently we do not anticipate any detours.