https://nanopress.net/watertown-ma/briefsThe daily local brief for Watertown, MA.en-ushttps://nanopress.net/watertown-ma/briefs/2026-09-02https://nanopress.net/watertown-ma/briefs/2026-09-02Wed, 02 Sep 2026 12:00:00 +0000Sen. Will Brownsberger, without conceding, told supporters Tuesday night he "might have lost," then later announced at Donohue's Bar and Grill in Watertown that the vote count had turned in his favor. Challenger Daniel Lander, 35, speaking at his Brighton watch party alongside Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, said the race was "within double digits" and framed the tight margin as a victory. The district includes Belmont, Watertown, and parts of Boston and Cambridge.https://nanopress.net/watertown-ma/briefs/2026-09-01https://nanopress.net/watertown-ma/briefs/2026-09-01Tue, 01 Sep 2026 12:00:00 +0000Voters can cast ballots in the Sept. 1 state primary from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., including a contested 10th Middlesex State Representative race between John Lawn and Alison Leary. Some polling locations have changed: Watertown Elementary and Middle School sites are no longer used for elections. Residents can confirm their precinct location through the Secretary of State's "Where Do I Vote" page or by calling the City Clerk's Office at 617-715-8686.https://nanopress.net/watertown-ma/briefs/2026-08-31https://nanopress.net/watertown-ma/briefs/2026-08-31Mon, 31 Aug 2026 12:00:00 +0000Watertown voters head to the polls Tuesday, Sept. 1, to choose party candidates for governor, U.S. Senate, State Senate and other offices. The voter registration deadline for this election passed on Saturday, Aug. 22, so residents planning to vote should confirm their registration status now.https://nanopress.net/watertown-ma/briefs/2026-08-30https://nanopress.net/watertown-ma/briefs/2026-08-30Sun, 30 Aug 2026 12:00:00 +0000Starting Monday, Aug. 31, yard waste will be collected on your regular trash day every week through Dec. 7, replacing the twice-monthly summer schedule. Accepted material includes leaves, grass clippings, weeds, twigs and brush; dirt and rocks are not accepted, and branches must be under three inches in diameter and bundled in three-foot lengths. Yard waste must go in paper yard waste bags or loosely in a trash barrel, not in plastic bags or City trash and recycling containers.https://nanopress.net/watertown-ma/briefs/2026-08-29https://nanopress.net/watertown-ma/briefs/2026-08-29Sat, 29 Aug 2026 12:00:00 +0000The 10th Middlesex District State Representative race is a rematch of 2020 between incumbent John Lawn of Watertown and Newton City Councilor Alison Leary. The district covers parts of Watertown, Newton and Waltham, including Watertown's precincts 9-12. Both candidates answered a set of questions from Watertown News ahead of Election Day on Tuesday, Sept. 1; video of their August debate at the Watertown Cable Studio and a July Chamber debate on business issues is also available.https://nanopress.net/watertown-ma/briefs/2026-08-28https://nanopress.net/watertown-ma/briefs/2026-08-28Fri, 28 Aug 2026 12:00:00 +0000Early in-person voting for the Sept. 1 State Primary ends today, with City Hall's Lower Hearing Room at 149 Main St. open from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. The deadline to request a ballot by mail passed Tuesday, Aug. 25. Voters who miss today's window will need to vote at their assigned precinct on Election Day.https://nanopress.net/watertown-ma/briefs/2026-08-27https://nanopress.net/watertown-ma/briefs/2026-08-27Thu, 27 Aug 2026 12:00:00 +0000The Zoning Board of Appeals met Wednesday, Aug. 26 at the Parker Building and took up two Arsenal-area proposals. One was Target's request for outdoor transfer of retail goods at 550 Arsenal St. The other would replace buildings at 59 Clarendon St. and 60-80 Coolidge Ave. with a five-story self-storage facility and a one-story light industrial building.https://nanopress.net/watertown-ma/briefs/2026-08-26https://nanopress.net/watertown-ma/briefs/2026-08-26Wed, 26 Aug 2026 12:00:00 +0000The Middlesex District Attorney's office on Monday identified William Woodworth, 64, of Watertown as the man fatally shot by Cambridge police on Friday night, Aug. 21. Officials said officers responded to a report of people gathered in a parking lot off Temple Street and were speaking with several individuals when, police allege, Woodworth got out of a vehicle and pointed a firearm at officers; police said they tried to disarm him before shooting. Officers were wearing body cameras and the footage is part of the ongoing investigation, but officials have not said when it will be released publicly.https://nanopress.net/watertown-ma/briefs/2026-08-25https://nanopress.net/watertown-ma/briefs/2026-08-25Tue, 25 Aug 2026 12:00:00 +0000Flames were shooting from the roof of the three-level, two-family home at 41-43 Keenan St. when firefighters arrived Saturday night, and a second alarm was requested as fire spread into the attic and threatened a neighboring property, Chief Ryan Nicholson said. All residents had evacuated before crews entered the building; the home was determined uninhabitable, displacing seven residents, and the American Red Cross was notified to assist. One firefighter was taken to the hospital for evaluation after experiencing heat-related symptoms.https://nanopress.net/watertown-ma/briefs/2026-08-24https://nanopress.net/watertown-ma/briefs/2026-08-24Mon, 24 Aug 2026 12:00:00 +0000Overnight paving runs through sections of Watertown Square from Aug. 24 to 26, between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. The work covers three sections: from the middle of the Square to Spring Street and down Mount Auburn Street to Baptist Walk; from the Square down North Beacon Street to Alfred Road; and from the Square down Galen Street, stopping before the bridge over the Charles. Detours will be in place during the overnight work, and drivers are asked to follow posted signage.https://nanopress.net/watertown-ma/briefs/2026-08-23https://nanopress.net/watertown-ma/briefs/2026-08-23Sun, 23 Aug 2026 12:00:00 +0000Early in-person voting for the Sept. 1 state primary continues today, Aug. 23, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Lower Hearing Room at City Hall, with weekday hours running through Friday, Aug. 28. The deadline to register for the primary passed Saturday at 5 p.m., and the last day to request a ballot by mail is Tuesday, Aug. 25, at 5 p.m. Voters who miss early voting can cast ballots at their precinct on Election Day.https://nanopress.net/watertown-ma/briefs/2026-08-22https://nanopress.net/watertown-ma/briefs/2026-08-22Sat, 22 Aug 2026 12:00:00 +0000Grace Chapel's Watertown campus will host a free Back to School Bash on Saturday, Aug. 29, from 2 to 4 p.m., with no cost and no registration required. The afternoon includes bounce houses, carnival games, face painting, balloon animals, and snacks, though activities may vary by campus. Families with children entering kindergarten through fifth grade in the 2026-2027 school year can receive a free pair of shoes for each child.https://nanopress.net/watertown-ma/briefs/2026-08-21https://nanopress.net/watertown-ma/briefs/2026-08-21Fri, 21 Aug 2026 12:00:00 +0000Construction managers told the School Building Committee on Wednesday, Aug. 19 that the new Watertown High School will be ready for students, though members pressed for reassurance as inspections, systems testing and punch-list work continue. The $218 million project has taken nearly three years, and school officials hope to open the doors on the first day of classes, Sept. 8. Public tours are scheduled for Sept. 2 from 3 to 8 p.m.https://nanopress.net/watertown-ma/briefs/2026-08-20https://nanopress.net/watertown-ma/briefs/2026-08-20Thu, 20 Aug 2026 12:00:00 +0000At Monday's meeting, the School Committee laid out details of its new Ad Hoc Student Services Subcommittee and approved a separate session where families can speak about their experiences with the special education program. Parent complaints about not feeling heard and not trusting the program preceded the early retirement of the Director of Student Services and a review of the program. Superintendent Dede Galdston said interim Director of Student Services Kristen Beaupre has been meeting with principals and administrators and has reached out to several families.https://nanopress.net/watertown-ma/briefs/2026-08-19https://nanopress.net/watertown-ma/briefs/2026-08-19Wed, 19 Aug 2026 12:00:00 +0000City Manager George Proakis has appointed a Building Committee to oversee the design and construction of a new Senior Center to replace the current facility at 31 Marshall St., which opened in 1993 as the city's first municipal building dedicated to older adults. The project's design, features, and even location have not been determined. A new Senior Center has been at or near the top of the city's project list following construction of the new Watertown High School, alongside a new East End Fire Station, redevelopment of the former Sterritt Lumber site, and a DPW staging area.https://nanopress.net/watertown-ma/briefs/2026-08-18https://nanopress.net/watertown-ma/briefs/2026-08-18Tue, 18 Aug 2026 12:00:00 +0000The Watertown Boys & Girls Club says furniture and trash have been dumped in its parking lot for months, leaving the club with a costly cleanup problem. Staff are now working with police to address the dumping.https://nanopress.net/watertown-ma/briefs/2026-08-17https://nanopress.net/watertown-ma/briefs/2026-08-17Mon, 17 Aug 2026 12:00:00 +0000Detours will be in place at Mt. Auburn and Chauncey streets from Aug. 17-21 as Mt. Auburn Street reconstruction continues, with sidewalk grading near School and Arlington streets and pouring on the westbound side between Upland and Hillside roads. MBTA Route 71 stop 2038 is temporarily relocated to Mt. Auburn Street at Richards Road. Expect temporary lane shifts and possible closures, though one travel lane will be maintained in each direction; pedestrians will be directed to the opposite sidewalk, with rear business entrances or police escorts through the work zone.https://nanopress.net/watertown-ma/briefs/2026-08-16https://nanopress.net/watertown-ma/briefs/2026-08-16Sun, 16 Aug 2026 12:00:00 +0000The MBTA is launching three fare pilot programs in September 2026, all of which can benefit Watertown riders. Express bus fares — including the 504 to Downtown Boston — drop from $4.25 to the local bus rate of $1.70, and a new two-hour transfer window lets riders switch between bus, subway and ferry while paying only the highest single fare. Riders 75 and older who do not have a driver's license will be eligible for free travel across MBTA bus, subway, Commuter Rail and ferry service under a pilot run with the RMV.https://nanopress.net/watertown-ma/briefs/2026-08-15https://nanopress.net/watertown-ma/briefs/2026-08-15Sat, 15 Aug 2026 12:00:00 +0000The City Council voted Aug. 11 to direct $990,000 in Community Preservation Act funds toward Phase 2 design and environmental permitting at the Walker Pond site, which the city bought from Raytheon in 2022. The money pays for a landscape architect to complete design development, produce construction drawings and prepare cost estimates. Community Preservation Committee chair Marissa Mayo said the plan keeps the natural space largely as it is, adding walkways, boardwalks, some recreational areas and woodland management, with City Manager George Proakis noting a children's play area is also planned.https://nanopress.net/watertown-ma/briefs/2026-08-14https://nanopress.net/watertown-ma/briefs/2026-08-14Fri, 14 Aug 2026 12:00:00 +0000Early in-person voting for the Sept. 1 State Primary runs Aug. 22-28 in the Lower Hearing Room on the ground floor of City Hall, 149 Main St., with hours ranging from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on the opening weekend to 8:30 a.m.-7 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 25. The voter registration deadline is Saturday, Aug. 22 at 5 p.m., and vote-by-mail applications are due Tuesday, Aug. 25 at 5 p.m. Democrats will have several races on the ballot, while Republicans will select a candidate for governor; the city is also seeking poll workers.