Watertown News (https://www.watertownmanews.com/page/26/)
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.
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.
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.
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.
Arsenal YardsThe Bluebikes station outside Arsenal Yards.
With Watertown’s contract with the Bluebikes bicycle share company expiring, City officials hope to sign a more favorable agreement.
The Watertown Police will discuss the technology used by the WPD at the event on Jan. 21. Topics will include the cameras that can take pictures of license plates, body cameras, and more. See more info in the announcement from the Watertown Police, below.
More than a dozen open houses in Watertown this week.
Caspian Persian Cuisine opened Jan. 1, 2026, on Bigelow Avenue. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)
A new restaurant has joined the eating scene in East Watertown, with a familiar team behind it. Caspian Persian Cuisine opened at 72 Bigelow Ave. on Jan. 1, 2026 led by the former owners of Molana, the eatery that operated in Watertown Square for more than a quarter century.
The Girls Varsity Basketball Team is young, starting two freshman and a sophomore, and the first off the bench is a freshman. The season is young, as the Raiders have only five games under their belt, yet they are already 3-1 in Middlesex League play and in first place in the Freedom Division, heading into Tuesday night’s game versus Reading. And the year is young, as Tuesday night’s game was the first of nine games in January that will tell a lot about how this team manages growth and development in the competitive Middlesex League. The game was the girls’ first in seven days, but rust was not an issue as the Raiders came out humming to the tune of a 16-2 first quarter on the way to a 43-32 win, getting January off to a great start.
I have a diverse group of entertainments for you this weekend, with an emphasis on international culture, and including with a restaurant recommendation. Have you heard that a wonderful Ethiopian restaurant opened in Watertown Square last year? Start out your Friday exploring that delicious cuisine at Lalibela on Spring Street. On Saturday evening there is a music performance at Restaurant Chulo with Nepali singer Ram Krishna Dakhal. Sunday there is a play at the Mosesian called “The Miraculous Journey of Edward the Rabbit.” Take your young ones and enjoy the play, but there is one unique feature, it’s in Russian! Sunday morning there is a meetup for creatives called The Studio Social for photographers, videographers and content creatures to share ideas, discuss projects and collaborate. They would love to expand their group. Saturday and Sunday afternoons, Mount Auburn Cemetery has an exhibit of work by their current artist in residence, Juls Gabs. Go take in the art in the Bigelow Chapel and then stroll through the winter wonderland of the cemetery at this time of year.
John J. York
A Mass of Christian Burial for Retired Watertown Detective Sergeant John J. York will be celebrated on Monday, January 12, 2026, at 1 p.m. at the Church of St. Patrick, 212 Main St., Watertown.
The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department.