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Kristopher Surette of Tighe & Bond shows the plans for the Mt. Auburn Street Project to members of the Coolidge Square business community. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)
Businesses in Coolidge Square will face some disruptions from the construction taking place over the spring, summer, and fall of 2026. Sidewalks will be ripped up and replaced as part of the Mt. Auburn Street Project.
The new Watertown High School is approaching completion, with teachers expected to move in after school ends in June. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)
Wednesday afternoon, School Committee members, City Councilors and others got to see the new classrooms, theater, gym, and media center that will be enjoyed by Watertown High School students starting in September. The school is taking shape, with the walls and floor covering completed on the upper floors of the four-story structure, and a fresh coat of varnish still drying on the floor of the gymnasium at the new Watertown High School. A view of the gym floor at the new Watertown High School. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)
Construction should be completed in the next few months, said Christy Murphy of owner project management firm Vertex.
Watertown Firefighters salute during the ceremony honoring Joe Toscano, the firefighter who died nine years ago while working a fire. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)
Nine years after losing one of its own, the Watertown Fire Department paid honored to Firefighter Joe Toscano just down the street from where he lost his life. The annual event held at the time of his passing brings together members of the WFD, Toscano’s family, and others who remember the tragic day. Toscano, a father of five and 21 year veteran of the Fire Department, died while fighting a fire in East Watertown on March 17, 2017. On Tuesday, dozens of firefighters lined up to salute at Toscano Square, on Bigelow Avenue, just down the street from the home on Merrifield Avenue where the fire occurred.
A panel of speakers discussed the life science industry in Watertown at an event hosted by the Charles River Regional Chamber. From left, City Manager George Proakis, Boylston Properties President Mark Deschenes, CEO of Labshares Phillip Borden, and C4 Chief People Officer Kelly Schick. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)
Eleven years ago, 25 life science companies had facilities in Watertown. Today, more than four times that many companies are located in the City, making it one of Massachusetts’ life science hubs. On March 10, the Charles River Regional Chamber’s life science panel, “Watertown’s Life Science Future,” looked at how the City became one of the hottest centers for biotechs, and what’s next.
A Watertown High School student conducts medical tests during a community health clinic run by the school’s Medical Assisting Program. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)
City employees had the opportunity to get free checkups from some aspiring medical professionals during a clinic run by the Watertown High School Medical Assisting Program. The students learned to take vitals, take a blood test, and other procedures as part of the program that was added a few years ago, said teacher Melissa Burke. “So these are our students who have committed to doing full three years on top of their regular high school curriculum, doing medical assisting training,” Burke said, adding that after they have completing the course the students can take the exam for national medical assisting certification. Workers for the Watertown Public Schools, as well as the Police and Fire, Public departments received invitations to get a free checkup.
The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department. March 1: Officers were dispatched to the Municipal Parking lot off Spring Street and encountered a woman. They checked her information and discovered she was wanted on a fugitive from justice warrant out of New Hampshire for possession of a controlled substance. While police were doing an inventory of the contents of her vehicle they found some pills and illegal drugs. Officer Colton Bailey arrested Jill Clarke, 41, of Waltham, on the warrant as well as charges of possession of a Class C drug and possession of a Class E drug.
The cover of the Watertown Visitors Guide, produced by the City of Watertown. Watertown’s history, activities, dining and more have been highlighted in the new Watertown Visitors Guide. The City of Watertown produced the four-page booklet in anticipation of a busy summer in Greater Boston. On Tuesday night, City Manager George Proakis provided the City Council with some details about the Visitors Guide, which was produced by the Watertown Economic Development. “Watertown has a Visitors Guide, which is a nice color glossy explanation of everything from our City events to dining options to knowing their way around Watertown,” Proakis said.
The City Council approved 36 items from the Capital Improvement Program for the Fiscal Year 2027 budget, including road repairs, some money for the Middle School project, park projects, and requests from the Fire and Police departments. The Council’s Committee on Budget and Fiscal Oversight met twice in February to review the Capital Improvement Program (CIP). On March 10, the City Council voted unanimously to approve the 36 recommendations, as well as asking the City Manager to keep the capital spending under 8% of the total Fiscal Year 2027 operating budget. The projects include $7.5 million in loans to fund road and sidewalk replacements. The list includes Cottage Street and other roadways in the summer of 2027, Forest and Springfield streets in the summers of 2026-28, and Riverside Street the summer of 2027.