Around Town

Snow Cleanup & Removal in Watertown Will Continue Through This Week

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Charlie BreitroseA truck plows a Watertown street. Watertown Public Works crews will be busy this week continuing efforts to dig the City out after the heavy snow on Sunday and Monday, said City Manager George Proakis. “This storm was significant – over 19 inches of snow in Watertown since Sunday. The DPW crews have been working for over 50 hours, but they are not done yet,” Proakis said. “They are going to be addressing a number of challenging spots over the next few days, including many of those snowbanks at the street corners.”

Around Town

Hear from a Multidimensional Entrepreneur at the Next Creative Chats

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The following announcement was provided by Creative Chats’ host Matt Hanna:

You’re invited to Creative Chats! The event is a way to gather creative people face-to-face to mingle, hear a featured conversation on the topic of creativity and the creative life, and then engage in the conversation themselves in small groups. Come to get inspired, to reflect, and connect. All people interested in creativity are welcome! Coffee and other refreshments will be available to purchase at the MBar.

Around Town

Charles River Chamber’s Sends Letter with “Timely Immigration Information for Employers”

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The Charles River Regional Chamber sent a letter about anticipated immigration enforcement efforts in the Boston area, and included guidance for businesses and information about immigration policies. See the letter written by Chamber President & CEO Greg Reibman, below. To our members:

Our chamber firmly believes in abiding by all federal, state and local laws. However, those laws include individual protections, rights and due process that we believe must also be followed. This afternoon, I’m writing to share with you timely information related to immigration provided to us by the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute, as well as the office of Attorney General Andrea Campbell, that may be important to you, your employees and others in your circle.

Around Town

Refined Design for Walker Pond to be Presented at Community Meeting

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See the refined conceptual design for Walker Pond at the third and final community meeting on Feb. 5 at 6 p.m. at the Jewish Community Day School, at 57 Stanley Ave. See details provided by the City of Watertown, below. At this meeting you will learn about all the incredible feedback we received from the community, dive deep into the details of a single refined concept design with the community, answer questions, and more! If you missed the first two meetings, please visit the Walker Pond page to learn more about the project, the community feedback, the concept designs presented at meeting #2, and more!

Around Town

Webinar on the Nuclear Disarmament Resolution: Why Now & Why It’s a Local Issue

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The following announcement was provided by Watertown Citizens for Peace, Justice & the Environment:

The Watertown  Citizens for Peace and Common Security Committee is holding a webinar on the Nuclear Disarmament Resolution in order to better inform the public about this issue which is on the City Council calendar for February 10, 2026. Join us for an informative discussion about the Nuclear Armament Resolution on Sunday, January 25, 2026 from 4-6 p.m. The Watertown Citizens for Peace, Justice & the Environment’s, Peace & Common Security Working Group along with co-sponsors, Boston Physicians for Social Responsibility & Disarmament Working Group, & Massachusetts Peace Action will all have speakers representing their respective groups, as well as, Students for Nuclear Disarmament. The Zoom link for the webinar is: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89831190874?pwd=iYFPOM63RBTp4FfajbGazNOKNlF3EM.1#success

Around Town

Watertown Human Rights Commission Hosting Workshop on Building Effective Community Conversations

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The Watertown Human Rights Commission will team with Human Rights Commissions in the area to host an online workshop on Building Connections: Effective Tools for Community Conversations in March. See details about the workshop and how to register in the announcement from the HRC below. We are excited to help further productive dialogue in our community, and invite you to a free, virtual workshop, Building Connections: Effective Tools for Community Conversations. 

The workshop will be held over two Sundays: March 1st and March 8th, from 3-4:30 p.m. Attendance at both sessions is strongly encouraged. More details about the workshop are included below. To register, please complete this form by January 31. /Building Connections: Effective Tools for Community Conversations

Flyers – Building Connections Effective Tools for Community Conversations.pdf – Google Drive

Please select the “Watertown” self identification option on the registration form. 

Background

This workshop is the product of conversations between eight Human Rights Commissions (or equivalents) in Arlington, Brookline, Cambridge, Lexington, Needham, Newton, Sudbury, and Watertown.

Around Town

Poet Laureate Speaks at Packed Unity Breakfast; Award Given to Group Monitoring Immigrant Enforcement

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Massachusetts Poet Laureate Regie Gibson recited several of his poems at the 2026 Unity Breakfast. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

Massachusetts’ Poet Laureate inspired the crowd at the 26th annual Unity Breakfast. During the event on Monday, awards were presented to a group monitoring immigration enforcement and supporting immigrants rights in Watertown, and a man who has been a big part of keeping the Unity Breakfast going through the Pandemic. The Unity Award at the 2006 Watertown Unity Breakfast went to the Rapid Response Network, while the Sue Kuder Unsung Hero Award went to Chuck Dickinson. Poet Laureate

Before the presentation of the awards, Poet Laureate of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Regie Gibson, recited several of his pieces related to Dr. King and the struggles of today.