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.

Entertainment

Performers Wanted for 13th Annual Watertown MusicFest

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The Annual Watertown MusicFest is coming up and musicians can now sign up to take part in the event that supports the music program in the Watertown Public Schools. See more in the announcement from the Friends of Watertown Music, below. Calling all musicians: Friends of Watertown Music invites performers to register for our 13th Annual Watertown MusicFest. Deadline: March 26th — performance slots are limited. Our Annual MusicFest is a fun community event, offering something for everyone with over 40 performances, across 3 stages, to be held this year on Friday, April 10th, from 5:30 to 9:00 p.m. The variety of performers often includes student musicians, Watertown Public School teachers, local rock bands, established musicians, a vignette of musical theater, and more. Performances run from 5 to 20 minutes, so attendees have the chance to see as many acts as they wish.

Business

What New Industries Might be Attracted to Watertown, Changes to the Square Discussed by City Manager

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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. Proakis spoke about the City’s economic and financial outlook during the Watertown Business Coalition’s City Update on Thursday morning at the Hampton Inn & Suites. His outlook for Watertown’s economic future was positive, despite the dip in the City’s most prominent industry: life sciences. “We are still in a community, in a state that is well invested in new growth.

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.

Schools

School Committee Votes on Watertown Middle School Start Time for 2026-27

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Watertown Middle School (Courtesy of Watertown Public Schools)

The debate over when to start the day for middle school students returned to the Watertown School Committee this week, focusing on what time the school day should begin for the 2026-27 school year. The discussion has been complicated by impact on after-school sports and the shortage of fields in town. The issue of later start times for middle schoolers was discussed in 2017, with the recommendation to move the start time for middle schoolers to from 7:40 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. based on research about teens sleep habits and circadian rhythms, showing that students in middle school do better with later start. In 2018, the start of the school day at Watertown Middle School moved to 8:30 a.m.

In the fall of 2023, the start time moved back to 7:45 a.m. when the high school moved to the temporary campus on Moxley Field so that the two schools did not have drop-offs and pick-ups at the same time. With the new WHS opening in the fall of 2026, there had been discussions about when to start the Middle School in 2026-27.

Schools

Boston Bruins Player Gets an Education About a Sport for the Blind at Perkins School

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Boston Bruin Alex Steeves learns about goalball from two members of Perkins School for the Blind Towerhawks. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

Boston Bruins center Alex Steeves has played in some tough environments — Montreal, Toronto, Madison Square Garden — but on Monday he entered the Perkins School for the Blind’s gym to try his hand at a new sport: one which requires him to play blindfolded. The NHL player visited the campus in Watertown to play goalball, a game designed for the blind and visually impaired. Because participants have a range of visual abilities, every player wears an blackout goggles so their vision is completely blocked. Bruins player Alex Steeves throws the ball down court during a game of goalball at Perkins School.