Around Town

Department of Public Works Releases Trash & Recycling Calendar for 2026

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Details of the trash, recycling, and yard waste collection for 2026 are available in the Department of Public Works’ calendar. The calendars were mailed to homes and are available online. See details in the announcement sent out by the City of Watertown, below. 2026 Trash and Recycling Calendars

Please be aware that the 2026 Trash and Recycling Calendar will be arriving in your mailbox soon. In addition to the calendar showing which days your trash, recycling and yard waste will be picked up, there is also useful information about composting, how to dispose of mattresses, furniture, clothing and TVs, the hours and location of the Recycle Center and what you can bring there, and a guide to what materials are and are not recyclable.

Around Town

Winter Parking Ban Goes Into Effect Jan. 1, See Off-Street Parking Options

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The Winter Parking Ban will be in effect starting on January 1, 2026. The City has options for off-street parking in municipal owned lots. See information provided by the City of Watertown, below. From January 1, 2026 (January 2, at 1:00AM) to March 1, 2026, the City’s overnight parking restriction is strictly enforced, unless an updated start and end date is announced by the City. The regulation reads in part; “No vehicle may remain on any public way for more than one hour between the hours of 1 a.m. and 6 a.m. all days of the week”.

Around Town

Registration for Pequossette Summer Program Watertown Opens Jan. 1

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Watertown residents can begin registering for the Recreation Department’s Pequossette Summer Program beginning on Jan. 1. See more details in the announcement from the Rec. Department, below. We’re excited to share that planning has officially begun for the 2026 Pequossette Summer Program, and we have some important updates for families — including extended camp hours and new registration options!

Letters

LETTER: The More Things Change — Fiscal Anxiety and Growth in Watertown 100 Years Ago

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This week we enter 2026. But what was Watertown like in 1926? The year 1926 found Watertown at a critical juncture, grappling with the growing pains of a rapidly modernizing suburb. As the town transitioned from its industrial roots toward a more residential future, the municipal government faced the daunting task of balancing fiscal conservatism with the urgent need for infrastructure expansion. The following history, drawn from the 1926 Watertown Annual Town Report, reveals a community navigating the complexities of the early motor age, educational demands, and the eternal debate over the “tax burden.”

Government

Newly Elected Watertown Officials to be Sworn in During Inauguration Ceremony

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The City of Watertown’s inauguration ceremony will take place on Jan. 2, 2026 at the Mosesian Center for the Arts. See more information from the City of Watertown, below. Please save the date for the City of Watertown’s upcoming Inauguration Ceremony of our newly elected members of the City Council, School Committee, and Library Board of Trustees. The ceremony will be held on Friday, January 2, 2026 from 6-8 p.m. This event is sponsored by the City of Watertown and graciously hosted by the Mosesian Center for the Arts.

Entertainment

COMIC: Small Saves Goes on a Shopping Spree This Week

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James DeMarco grew up in Watertown and became a goaltender at age 5. It’s his life’s passion to stand between the pipes and keep the puck out of the net. Combining this with the love of cartooning Small Saves emerged in 1991 and took on a life of his own. “To play goal – then come home and draw Small Saves — is my ideal definition of a good day.”

Schools

Watertown Public Schools Awarded State Grant to Support Farm-to-School Program

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Produce growing in the Watertown Public Schools’ Freight Farm. (Contributed Photo)

The state recently awarded the Watertown Schools a grant to run its farm-to-school program, including its Freight Farm. See details in the announcement from the Watertown Public Schools, below. Watertown Public Schools has received more than $80,000 in state grant funding to continue its farm-to-school efforts, expanding learning opportunities for Watertown’s students while also increasing local food production. Last week, Governor Maura Healey’s office announced $1.2 million in funding to expand educational food growth and farming efforts across Massachusetts.

Around Town

Watertown Community Foundation Distributes $43,000 in Donations to Food Pantries

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Food collected from multiple locations across the City during theCommunity Food Drive, running through December 31, 2025. The following announcement was provided by the Watertown Community Foundation:

The Watertown Community Foundation received $43,000 in donations to support Watertown’s food pantries since the City of Watertown’s Community Food Drive began on October 31. These funds have been distributed to the Watertown Food Pantry and Watertown Catholic Collaborative Food Pantry to purchase and distribute food at each pantry. Residents from Watertown, Belmont and nearby communities also continue to contribute shelf-stable pantry goods at multiple drop off locations in our schools and across the city during the Community Food Drive. An estimated one to two tons of food each week have been distributed among the food pantries, the Watertown Community Fridge, and, as needed, to the city’s social service providers since November 10.