Watertown News (https://www.watertownmanews.com/)
The City Council approved 36 items from the Capital Improvement Program for the Fiscal Year 2027 budget, including road repairs, some money for the Middle School project, park projects, and requests from the Fire and Police departments.
Dr. Bernard Lafayette and Watertown Kingian Nonviolence Trainer Holly Cachimuel, who is a former Watertown teacher.(Photo by Chuck Dickinson)
The death of legendary civil rights icon Dr. Bernard Lafayette on March 5 resonates deeply throughout the city of Watertown. “Doc” first came here for several days in 2016, at the behest of former Watertown Middle School teacher Ruth Henry. Henry had trained in Kingian Nonviolence Conflict Resolution under Dr. Lafayette. Lafayette had promised Martin Luther King, Jr. before his 1968 assassination that he would spread King’s nonviolence teaching and practice around the world.
A vision of what a new Watertown Middle School could look like created by Ai3 Architects and presented to the School Committee in June 2025.
Architects have started creating detailed designs for a new Watertown Middle School to determine how much a new school would cost, and that information will be used by the City to see whether Watertown’s budget can handle a project expected to cost significantly more than $100 million.
City Manager George Proakis spoke at the Watertown Business Coalition’s City Update on March 5, 2026. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)
Watertown became a magnet for life science companies in the last several years, and City Manager George Proakis said the building boom in that industry may be slowed, but other industries may be attracted to the same things: proximity to Boston and the universities in the area, easy access, and a nice place to be.
Wonder will celebrate the grand opening of its Watertown location on March 19. (Courtesy of Wonder)
Wonder, which has been called a virtual food hall, will mark the opening of its new Watertown location with a grand opening celebration on March 19 with samples, giveaways, and activities. See the announcement from Wonder, below.
Friday evening there is a drop-in for LGBTQ+ folks at the Hatch Maker Space. Hatch is open to all in their regular hours, too, but this particular gathering features an optional maker activity designed by their facilitator. All weekend there is a child-focused theater event at the Mosesian: the Watertown Children’s Theater presents Alice in Wonderland Jr. Take your youngsters for lots of fun and maybe they will want to join in the next show. A blood drive isn’t exactly deep in the fun category of things to do, but it feels like an important thing to do if you can. There is one on Saturday at Hibernian Hall along with a food drive. It always feels good to give to others. Springtime weather typically draws me to Mount Auburn Cemetery to watch nature waking up. On Sunday afternoon there is an opportunity for you to draw there, a one-day workshop on drawing animals with illustrator Clare Walker Leslie. All levels of ability are welcome. Sunday evening, when you really don’t feel like cooking, check out the lasagna dinner at Bar ‘Cino. It’s a fixed menu at a fixed price, and it looks delicious.
The Boston Gold Kings(BGK) entered their final game of the season feeling pretty good about themselves, entering the contest with second place locked up and having beaten first-place Hudson 6-3 just days earlier.
The City of Watertown announced that the overnight ban for on-street parking has ended.
Nicole Zuraitis
The following announcement was provided by the Mosesian Center for the Arts:
The Mosesian Center for the Arts continues its acclaimed Chords and Cocktails jazz series with a powerhouse performer whose voice and songwriting have captivated audiences worldwide. On Wednesday, April 1, 2026 at 7:30 p.m., Grammy Award-winning vocalist, pianist, and composer Nicole Zuraitis takes the stage in the Charles Mosesian Theater for an unforgettable evening of bold, contemporary jazz.
Will Brownsberger
State Sen. Will Brownsberger will host a virtual town hall meeting on March 15. See information below.
The Charles River Regional Chamber will host an LGBTIA+ Morning meetup on Friday, March 20 from 8:30-9:30 a.m. at Fly Together Fitness in Watertown. The event is free and open to LGBTQIA+ members and non-members. See more information provided by the Chamber below.
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.