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Several polling places in Watertown will be moving to a new location for the 2025 Watertown Election. City Councilors had concerns about how voters will know where to go to vote. Voters in precincts 2, 7, 8, 9, 11 and 12 will be casting their ballots at a new location during the Nov. 4, 2025 election. See the chart below for addresses.
Watertown City Manager George Proakis. City Manager George Proakis received a high rating from the City Council in his annual review for Fiscal Year 2025, though members of the Council had some constructive criticism, too. The results of the annual review were presented during the Sept. 9 City Council meeting. Each councilor rated Proakis on a scale of 1 to 5, with five being highest, said City Council President Mark Sideris.
A Watertown trash bin. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)
The strike by union employees working at Republic Services has ended as the two sides announced an agreement on Friday. The strike began on July 1, and lasted more than 11 weeks. A five-year deal was signed by the two sides, according to a joint announcement. Republic Services and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 25 have reached a five-year collective bargaining agreement.
Watertown Middle School (Courtesy of Watertown Public Schools)
While the possibility of totally renovating or rebuilding Watertown Middle School appeared to be over, some members of the School Building Committee brought up strategies that they said could still allow the project to happen. The Middle School was a major item on the School Building Committee’s agenda on Sept. 17. The meeting followed the Sept. 9 City Council meeting where City Manager George Proakis told the Council that he would not recommend that Watertown try to rebuild or fully renovate the Middle School.
The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department. Sept. 4: A small black bookcase was abandoned on the side of Irma Avenue. Sept. 4: A man took 87 items from the CVS on Mt.
Robin Wasley of Watertown won a Massachusetts Bok Award for her YA novel “Dead Things Are Closer Than They Appear.” Watertown’s Robin Wasley received a Massachusetts Book Award in the middle grade/young adult category for her novel “Dead Things Are Closer Than They Appear.” A ceremony will be at the State House in October. See details about the winners in the announcement from the Massachusetts Center for the Book, below. The Massachusetts Center for the Book has announced the winners of the 2025 Massachusetts Book Awards, celebrating the most outstanding books published in 2024 by Massachusetts authors, artists, and poets.
Cunniff Elementary School has a particularly large number of kindergartners this fall. (Photo by Watertown Public Schools)
Students in Watertown returned to class this month, including a large number of kindergartners on one campus. Back to School nights will be held this week, and the School Committee also heard about a proposal that would prevent students from using cellphones and other devices anytime during the school day. At Monday’s School Committee meeting, Superintendent Dede Galdston thanked the Watertown Schools’ faculty and staff for preparing the schools to welcome students to the 2025-26 School Year. The first day of class was Sept.
Drawings for the improvements at Bemis Park. Two parks on the westside of Watertown will be renovated in the near future, and City Councilors had questions about the features of the park, as well as the pedestrian crossings for one of the parks. Conceptual drawings of Bemis Park on Waltham Street, and How Park on Pleasant Street were presented by CBA Landscape Architects at the Sept. 8 Council meeting. The designs for Bemis Park, which features a little league baseball field, include a new playground, a splash pad, a porta-potty enclosure, and field improvements.