Around Town

City Manager Shares Thoughts on Winter Parking Ban Related to Public Safety

By |

Following the discussion about potentially removing Watertown’s Winter Parking Ban at a City Council meeting, Watertown City Manager George Proakis wrote the first in a series of responses to the issue. See the first piece provided by the City of Watertown, below. Part 1: Public Safety

By City Manager George Proakis

Recently, a group of Watertown residents signed a petition to seek a public hearing in front of the City Council. The topic of the petition and the hearing was our long-term ban on overnight parking that we enforce each winter. The Council hosted this hearing in January.

Around Town

Charles River Food Co-op Seeks to Fill 2 Contract Positions, Volunteers

By |

The Charles River Food C0-op announced that it seeks to fill two contract positions, and outreach coordinator and a grant researcher. The group looking to start a food store that will be owned and operated by members also seeks volunteers. See the information provided by the Co-op below. We now have two open contract positions for paid part-time work for the co-op. Please contact info@charlesriverfood.coop for more information or if you are interested in applying.The Outreach Coordinator will play a vital role in expanding and deepening the CRFC’s relationship with the local community.

Around Town

New Home for Watertown Summer Recreation Program, Registration Open

By |

Watertown Recreation’s summer program will be in a new location for 2025. See more information in the announcement from the Recreation Department below. We’re excited to announce that the Pequossette Summer Recreation Program will be held at Lowell Elementary School for summer 2025! With Victory Field just a short walk away, plus on-site fields and playgrounds, campers will have even more opportunities for creative outdoor play and activities. We can’t wait for another amazing summer — hope to see you there!

Weather

Weather Forecast: Cold Weekend Followed by Warmer Temps

By |

After a cold start to the weekend, temperatures will gradually climb as we head into early next week. Friday will bring gusty northwest winds as a coastal low passes southeast of New England. Expect dry conditions through Monday with a steady uptick in temperatures. However, uncertainty remains for mid-week as another coastal low could bring rain or snow to the region. Stay tuned for updates as we track this potential storm.

Around Town

Wada Hoppah Looks to Start Water Shuttle This Spring & Has Bigger Goals Beyond the Charles

By |

A drawing of the shuttle boat being designed for Wada Hoppah to take people from Watertown to Boston. (Courtesy of Wada Hoppah)

A small version of the Wada Hoppah electric water shuttle may be carrying passengers from Watertown to Boston and back this spring, and the man behind the effort has plans to create a whole e-boat building industry in the Boston area. Drew Rollert’s goal is to have the first shuttles sailing on the Charles River by the time of the Boston Calling music festival on Memorial Day weekend. “We’re gonna do a smaller version while we work on the bigger electric boat, because I’m just sick of not having anything and just waiting for the large thing,” Rollert said. “So we started building (the smaller boat).”

Around Town

OP-ED: Housing Group Recommends Steps to Address Housing Discrimination in Watertown

By |

Last week, the WestMetro HOME Consortium, a partnership of 13 regional communities of which Watertown is a member, released the results of a fair housing audit study that it conducted from March 2023 to January 2025. The Consortium worked with Suffolk Law’s Housing Discrimination Testing Program to test the prevalence of illegal race- and income-based discrimination in the housing market, pairing an applicant with a white alias with another with a “racially identifiable” Black, Hispanic, or Asian alias, or an applicant who posed as someone offering to pay market rate with one who posed as a housing voucher recipient. The study’s results are sobering, to say the least. In 65 tests of race-based discrimination (conducted across the Consortium’s 13 communities), applicants of color experienced discrimination 22 percent of the time. In 69 tests of income-based discrimination, voucher holders experienced discrimination a whopping 35 percent of the time.

Around Town

Watertown Savings Bank’s 26th Annual Customer Choice Awards Supports Local Non-Profits

By |

For the 26th year, Watertown Savings Bank invites customers to support their favorite local non-profit in the Customer Choice Awards. See the announcement from WSB below. Watertown Savings Bank’s 26th Annual Customer Choice Awards is underway. Local residents and WSB customers are invited to vote for their favorite local non-profit organizations in Arlington, Belmont, Lexington, Newton, Waltham, and Watertown. As part of this Awards program, Watertown Savings Bank will donate a total of $100,000, with the top prize being $15,000.