Around Town

City Issued Parking Tickets & Shoveling Warnings After January Snowstorm; Winter Parking Ban May be Extended

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Charlie BreitroseA truck plows a Watertown street. Dozens of Watertown Department of Public Works crews and contractors plowed 20 inches of snow off Watertown’s 72 miles of roadway, after the snowstorm that hit the City on Jan. 25 and 26, City Manager George Proakis said. The City also issued 69 parking tickets and 50 warnings and fines for failing to shovel sidewalks. Proakis provided the City Council with a report of the response to the biggest snowstorm to hit Watertown in several years.

Government

See Why the City Council Narrowly Rejected a Nuclear Disarmament Resolution

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Tuesday night, a citizens group presented the City Council with a petition to support a resolution encouraging the federal government to seek nuclear disarmament in the United States and the other eight nations that have nuclear weapons. The proposal split the Council, which rejected it down by one vote. The resolution was signed by 500 residents, of whom about a dozen spoke in support for a variety of reasons, while a few residents spoke against mostly saying they did not think the issue was something that a local government could impact. The debate amongst the Councilors did not revolve around the content of the resolution, but rather about whether it was appropriate for the City Council to be taking up on their agenda. Originally, the resolution was proposed by a City Councilor, but City Council President Mark Sideris said he did not think it was appropriate discussion because it was not specifically City related, and the Council has many other issues to deal with.

Schools

Watertown Schools Looking for Ways to Close $2.5 Million Gap, Deal with Increasing Special Ed Costs

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Increasing costs of special education tuition has contributed to the sharp increase in the school budget over the past few years, Superintendent Dede Galdston told the School Committee on Monday night, and for budget for the 2026-27 school year the district will have to find ways to close a multi-million dollar deficit. During the Preliminary Budget overview for the Fiscal Year 2027 School Budget Galdston said the shortfall facing the Watertown Public Schools is $2.5 million, which is based on what she called a level-services budget. The total budget would be $67 million, while the current revenues — including a 4 percent increase in funding from the City — is $64.5 million. School administrators and the School Committee will be working on the budget for the next several weeks, and the School Committee will hold a public hearing on March 23 and take a final vote on the recommended budget on March 26, Galdston said. “So what we need to do is think about our level-services budget, think about what we can do to bridge that deficit so that we are able to balance a budget moving forward,” Galdston said.

Schools

Farm Inside a Freight Container Provides Produce for Watertown School Lunches, Program Praised by Lt. Governor

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Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll takes a look around the Watertown Public Schools’ Freight Farm. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

The white box container sitting in the parking lot of the Watertown Public Schools’ administration building has smooth metal walls on the outside, but inside the walls have a lush floor-to-ceiling covering of green plants. The freight container is not just a teaching tool but also provides fresh produce for students around the district. Known as a Freight Farm, the container is filled with walls outfitted with equipment to water and nourish hundreds of plants, and lights to help them grow. When up to full production it will produce all the greens used in salads and other dishes served in Watertown’s five public schools.

Around Town

Watertown’s Wayside Multi-Service Center Had a Scare with Threatened Cut of Federal Grant

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The Wayside Multi-Service Center is located on North Beacon Street in Watertown. (Courtesy of Wayside)

The Wayside Multi-Service Center momentarily saw one-third of its budget disappear, with the removal of a federal grant. While the grant was restored within days, Sophia Suarez-Friedman, Program Director for Wayside Multi-Service Center, said it was both a stark reminder and a heartening response. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services (SAMHSA) grant accounts for a large portion of the Wayside’s program in Watertown. It is used to support youth with trauma in Watertown and Waltham, and their families.

Government

Council Roundup: Councilor Elected Head of Statewide Board, DPW Equipment Funded, Contracts Approved

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Watertown District B Councilor Lisa Feltner was elected president of the Mass. Municipal Councillors’ Association.(Photo by Krista Photography | Krista Guenin)

The City Council had a full agenda on Jan. 27, with votes to approve equipment purchases by the Department of Public Works, approval of contracts for multiple City unions, and a Watertown City Councilor was elected head of a statewide board. Also, the date for the Skip the Stuff Ordinance to be considered was announced. At the meeting, City Manager George Proakis announced that the City will be cancelling its contract with Flock Safety for license plate reading cameras.

Entertainment

Watertown’s Shana Gozansky Directing “Little Women” at the Mosesian Center for the Arts

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Director Shana Gozansky (center, left) addresses (from left) Aislinn Brophy, Chloe McFarlane, Olivia Fenton, and Kaila Pelton-Flavin in rehearsal for Actors’ Shakespeare Project’s “Little Women.” (Photo courtesy of Actors’ Shakespeare Project)

A modern adaptation of “Little Women” will hit the stage at the Mosesian Center for the Arts from Feb. 5 to March 1. The Actors’ Shakespeare Project production is being directed by Watertown’s Shana Gozansky. Gozansky makes her debut with Actors’ Shakespeare Project (ASP) directing playwright Kate Hamill’s adaptation of the novel by Louisa May Alcott.

Government

Watertown City Officials Join State Reps. on Beacon Hill to Ask for Residential Tax Relief

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Watertown City and State officials appeared before a joint committee at the State House on Jan. 27, 2026. Pictured, from left, Steve Owens, George Proakis, John Lawn, Earl Smith, and Mark Sideris. City officials from Watertown joined state representatives on Beacon Hill to request an extension to a bill that allowed Watertown to shift more of the property tax burden from residential properties to commercial properties. The shift would allow a 50/50 split, instead of the current requirements of state law to have 61 percent of the tax levy coming from residential properties.