Around Town

Watertown Group Hosting May Screening in Palestinian Film Series

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

The Watertown Citizens for Peace, Justice & the Environment will be showing the film PALESTINE 1920: THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PALESTINIAN STORY produced by Al Jazeera Arabic in 1922. Please join us for a post film discussion led by Hani Murad, a Palestinian American. The Palestine Committee of Watertown Citizens for Peace, Justice and the Environment is offering a series of documentary and feature films that explores the history and culture of the Palestinian people and provides a picture of their life under Israeli occupation. “Palestine 1920” relies on historical research, witness accounts and archival material to challenge the notion that Palestinian-Jewish relationship in the early 20th century reflected “a land without a people and a people without a land.”

Our work is supported, in part, by Survival Education Fund, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY MAY 10. 2026

TIME: 6:30 p.m.

LOCATION: The Church of the Good Shepherd, 

                    9 Russell Ave, Watertown, MA 02472

ADMISSION: Free

MORE INFORMATION: watertowncitizens@gmail.com

* The church is located at the corner of Russell Ave & Mt.

Transportation

Nightly Closures on Soldiers Field Road, Storrow Drive for Next Few Months

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The following information was provided by MassDOT:

The Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) are announcing an updated schedule for ongoing overnight closures of Storrow Drive eastbound and Soldiers Field Road eastbound from North Harvard Street to Mugar Way in Boston. Closures will now be in place nightly, seven days a week, from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. the following morning, beginning Monday, May 11, and continuing through August. These closures are required to accommodate interim concrete ceiling repairs for the Storrow Drive tunnel maintenance project.  

Work restrictions will be implemented as necessary to minimize impacts during significant local events, such as concerts and events at Fenway, TD Garden, as well as during the FIFA World Cup and MA250 celebrations. 

A detour will be in place from North Harvard Street over the Anderson Bridge to Memorial Drive in Cambridge, and into Boston using the Longfellow Bridge. 

For more information on the Storrow Drive tunnel maintenance project, please visit the project website. Appropriate signage, law enforcement details, and advanced message boards will be in place to guide drivers through the work area.  

Drivers who are traveling through the area should reduce speed and use caution.  

The schedule for this work is weather dependent and is subject to change without notice.  

For more information on traffic conditions, travelers are encouraged to:  

Download the Mass511 mobile app or visit www.mass511.com to view live cameras, travel times, real-time traffic conditions, and project information before setting out on the road. Users can subscribe to receive text and email alerts for traffic conditions.  

Dial 511 and select a route to hear real-time conditions.  

Follow @MassDOT on X (formerly known as Twitter) to receive regular updates on road and traffic conditions.  

Around Town

Watertown Playground Named for Soldier Killed in Vietnam Will be Upgraded

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Drawings of plans for renovating the Lt. Paul Sullivan Playground. (Source: City of Watertown)

A playground named in honor of a Watertown man who died in Vietnam will be getting an update, with new play structures and paving. The City Council received a report on the Sullivan Playground project at the April 28 meeting. The playground located at the corner of Mt. Auburn and Arlington streets was dedicated in honor of Lt. Paul Sullivan in 1969, a year after he died in Vietnam where he served in the U.S. Army Rangers.

Around Town

DPW Saves Family of Ducks from Storm Drain in Watertown

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A distraught mother duck was reunited with her ducklings with a helping hand from the Watertown Department of Public Works. On April 29, the City’s Animal Control office received a call from two residents on Arsenal Street who spotted the duck pacing around and calling for help, according to the report on WBZ Radio. The ducklings had fallen into a storm drain, according to the City of Watertown’s social media post. “DPW and Animal Control responded and, after some effort, were able to remove the drain cover and rescue all 13 baby ducks! They rejoined mom and waddled away,” the City’s social media post said.

Around Town

Watertown Hosting Poppy Social With Wreath Laying Ceremony, Open House

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As part of the Memorial Day celebrations, the City of Watertown will hold a Poppy Social, with a wreath-laying ceremony and open house at the Commander’s Mansion. See more information from the City’s Events Team, below. Poppy Social: Open House & Wreath-Laying Ceremony

Friday, May 22, 2026 | 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Commander’s Mansion

440 Talcott Avenue, Watertown, MA 02472

We are pleased to welcome all Watertown Veterans and the general public to join us for the annual Poppy Social! The Watertown Veterans’ Services and City Events Team will host an Open House at the Commander’s Mansion including light refreshments and guided tours of the historic residence located in the Arsenal on the Charles complex. Be sure to arrive by 10:30 a.m. for the Honor and Color Guard wreath-laying ceremony!

Around Town

Sidewalk Work, Lane Shifts and Parking Restrictions on Mt. Auburn Street This Week

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Construction of the Mt. Auburn Street Project this week includes work on sidewalks, but business entrances will still be accessible. Also, expect require lane shifts and parking restrictions. See details in the announcement from the City of Watertown, below. Traffic Line Striping – Overnight Work

Traffic line striping is scheduled for Wednesday, May 6, 2026, beginning at 8:00 p.m. and lasting approximately four hours.

Food

Restaurants Won’t be Allowed to Automatically Include Plastic Utensils Under New Ordinance

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Restaurants in Watertown will not longer be able to automatically include packets of plastic utensils with takeout or deliver orders. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

A new ordinance approved by the City Council prohibits restaurants from automatically including plastic utensils with takeout orders, however customers can request these items when they order or pick up their food. The Council considered the Skip the Stuff ordinance at Tuesday’s City Council meeting. “Watertown Skip the Stuff ordinance is designed to reduce unnecessary plastic waste in our community,” said City Councilor Nicole Gardner. “Under this simple, common sense policy, restaurants and food businesses will no longer automatically include items like plastic utensils, straws and condiment packets with takeout or delivery orders.”

Around Town

Watertown Elected Leaders and Community Activists Endorse Daniel Lander for State Senate

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Daniel Lander. The following announcement came from the Landers for Senate Campaign:

Daniel Lander announced that his state senate campaign had been endorsed by a slate of elected and community leaders in Watertown. These leaders include elected school committee members, labor activists, and democratic party leaders. They are supporting Daniel’s vision for a more progressive Massachusetts that will take on the status quo and fight the affordability crisis while standing up to the Trump administration. “I am so grateful to have earned the trust and support of so many amazing leaders in Watertown,” said Daniel Lander, Candidate for State Senate, “These leaders and so many others in Watertown have organizing to take on our some of our state’s most pressing issues: building affordable housing, protecting our immigrant neighbors, and making sure every child gets an incredible education.