Around Town

Watertown’s Winter Parking Ban Has Ended

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The City of Watertown announced that the overnight ban for on-street parking has ended. The City sent out the following announcement on Wednesday morning:

“The Winter Parking Ban has been lifted effective immediately, today, Wednesday, March 11, 2026.” In November, Proakis announced that Watertown would have a shortened Winter Parking Ban for 2025-26, from Jan. 1 to March 1. However, due to the size of the snow banks left after the major snow storms in January and February, City Manager George Proakis said that the overnight parking ban would continue into March.

Around Town

Hop on over to Grace Chapel Watertown’s Annual Easter Egg Hunt

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Grace Chapel in Watertown will host an Easter Egg Hunt with a variety of children’s activities on Saturday, March 28 (Rain Date, April 4th), from 2-4 p.m. See more information from Grace Chapel, below. This free, family-friendly event is a joyful way to celebrate Easter and bring a little fun into your child’s day. Everyone is welcome! What to know and expect:

Parking: Please park at 552 Main Street (Watertown Police Station) and walk over to campus. Check-In: When you arrive, stop by our registration tables.

Around Town

LETTER: Watertown Group Holds De-ICE Citizens Bank Protest

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Twenty-five people came out to the Indivisible Progressive Watertown No Ice-Citizens Bank Protest in Watertown on March 7, 2026. (Photo by Joshua Touster)

The following piece was provided by Indivisible Progressive Watertown:

On Saturday, March 7th, 25 members and friends of Indivisible Progressive Watertown joined in solidarity with the De-ICE Citizens Bank coalition to protest Citizens Bank’s financing of Core- Civic and the GeoGroup. These two corporations are responsible for building 90% of the private prisons and ICE detentions centers across the United States. 

On March 7th over 71 protests were held in 13 states around the northeastern and midwestern United States calling upon the Citizens Bank administration to end ties with CoreCivic and the GEO Group immediately. Both companies have a long history of neglect and mistreatment of people incarcerated in their facilities. Emmanuel Damas, the Haitian man who was detained and died from sepsis related to a toothache on March 2, was at the Florence Correctional Center, operated by CoreCivic. 

Some of the signs at the De-ICE Citizens Bank protest in Watertown. (Photo by Joshua Touster)

The De-ICE Citizens Bank protests are part of a growing movement to pressure Citizens Bank that began three months ago.

Business

Watertown Savings Bank Launches 27th Annual Customer Choice Awards, Committing $100,000 to Local Nonprofits

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The Customer Choice Awards are back, and Watertown Savings Bank customers and residents can participate. See details in the announcement from Watertown Savings, below. Watertown Savings Bank (WSB) has officially launched its 27 th Annual Customer Choice Awards, inviting local residents and WSB customers to vote for their favorite nonprofit organizations serving Arlington, Belmont, Lexington, Newton, Waltham, and Watertown. Through this year’s program, WSB will award a total of $100,000 to deserving local nonprofits, including a top prize of $15,000. Residents can cast their votes by visiting watertownsavings.com/vote

WSB has long been a dedicated supporter of local nonprofit organizations across a wide range of causes.

Around Town

Public Meeting to be Held in Watertown on Affordable Housing Incentives Study

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The following announcement was provided by the City of Watertown:

On March 26, 2026, at 6 PM, Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) staff will present the preliminary results of its testing of potential incentives to promote affordable housing in Watertown. The MAPC study is designed to provide the City with recommendations for voluntary incentives to encourage more and/or deeper affordability in new market rate developments, as well as recommendations for incentives to encourage affordable developments. MAPC tested certain incentives using financial models of market rate and affordable developments. The test results, along with discussion of other incentives not suitable for such testing, will be the basis for MAPC’s final report. Members of the public will have an opportunity to ask questions and comment at the meeting, as well as an opportunity to provide written comments.

Around Town

Several Owls Visit Mount Auburn Cemetery During Long-Running Program Hosted by Owl Enthusiasts & Rescuers

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Marcia Wilson holds a Eurasian Eagle Owl during the Eyes on Owls event at Mount Auburn Cemetery. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

Mount Auburn Cemetery recently welcomed a couple who have devoted their lives to observing and caring for owls. They have traveled around New England in search of the raptors, from Crane Beach in Ipswich to Rye, New Hampshire, to Nantucket, and have ventured as far as Alaska, Serbia and Nunavut in the north of Canada to catch a glimpse of owls. Mark and Marcia Wilson presented Eyes on Owls on Feb. 21 at Story Chapel, a program that Mount Auburn Cemetery has hosted since 1997.

Around Town

First Parish Church Hosting Concert Benefiting Helen Robinson Wright Charitable Fund

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Charlie BreitroseFirst Parish Church of Watertown. First Parish Watertown will hold a benefit concert for the Helen Robinson Wright Charitable Fund. See details in the announcement provided by the church, below. The Helen Robinson Wright Charitable Committee joyfully announces the annual benefit concert on Saturday, March 21st at 7 p.m. David Rivera Bozon, tenor, will be singing A Night of Song, singing Classical, Broadway and Popular hits accompanied by Hector Vargas, piano. The Suggested donation is $30 for adults, $20 for students and families to be negotiated at the door.

Around Town

Belmont-Watertown UMC Hosting Musical Fundraiser for New England Justice for Our Neighbors

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The following announcement was provided by the Belmont-Watertown United Methodist Church:

Belmont-Watertown United Methodist Church presents its annual fundraising concert, “Hearts to Help,” in support of New England Justice For Our Neighbors (NEJFON), an agency which provides free legal services to low- and no-income immigrants. 

Enjoy a beautiful “Pops” program of contemporary music performed with choir and classical instruments covering the music of artists such as the Beatles and Michael Jackson. A special Piano-Four-Hand rendition of Queens “Bohemian Rhapsody” is featured. The concert is directed by Yilin You and will be held in BWUMC’s beautiful sanctuary. Refreshments will follow. There is a suggested donation of $25 with all proceeds going to NEJFON. 

Belmont-Watertown United Methodist Church is located at 421 Common St., Belmont, MA See more at www.bwumc.org

Find out more about NEJFON at https://newenglandjfon.org/