Schools

Congratulations to the Watertown High School Class of 2025 – See Photos & the Grad List

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Watertown High School seniors hug after graduating at Victory Field on Friday night. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

The 190 members of the Watertown High School senior class celebrated their graduation at Victory Field on Friday evening. Congratulations to the Class of 2025! Watertown High School Class of 2025

(+ Cum Laude Society, ^ National Honor Society, * Seal of Biliteracy, % Seal of Biliteracy with Distinction, # Engineering Pathway)

Nabila Abenaou

Majd Al Hady *

Rafat Alananzeh

Amra Bibi Ali

Aleks Alvandyan

Caroline Meredith Andrade ^

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Watertown News (@watertownmanews)

Evily Ketely Silva Andrade

Melissa Augusto *

Gagik Avakian

Lori Avakian ^*

Mkrtich Badalyan +^*

Sila Basboga ^

Uendel Gabriel Batista Santana

Iris Berati %

A 2025 WHS graduate holds up his diploma. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

Gabriel Goodwin Berkowitz

Emilio Raphael Berndt ^

Marwa Bibi

Safa Bibi

Sawera Bibi

Isaiah Schimith Bomfim *

John Manuel Brennan ^

Jack James Brisson

Noah Geoffrey Broadstone

Jessica Camara ^

Devyn Canfield

Ava Mary Ann Caulfield ^

A Watertown High School senior gets a high five from a teacher as the seniors enter Victory Field.

Government

Council President to Call for Eliminating Position, Use Money for Ambulance Staffing

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Watertown City Hall

The adoption of the Watertown City Budget typically is an uneventful agenda item for the City Council, but this year a significant change will be proposed by City Council President Mark Siders. At the end of the third and final Fiscal Year 2026 Budget hearing on June 3, Sideris said he plans to ask the City Council to consider removing the Assistant City Manager for Finance position from the City administration and move the funds to the Fire Department. The proposal will take place at the June 10 City Council meeting

“I’m going to be … basically removing this position — the Manager (George Proakis) and I have been discussing this five times a day for the last two weeks — and moving the money into the Fire Department budget to accelerate the operation or the beginning staffing of the second ambulance, which was a major issue for the City Council, and we all approved moving forward,” Sideris said. Sideris said he does not believe the position, currently filled by Ari Sky, has been working out.

Police/Fire

Watertown’s First Police Officer of the Month Driving the WPD’s First Electric Police Car

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Watertown Police Chief Justin Hanrahan stands next to the new Mustang Mark E electric vehicle, which is being driven in June by Officer Mike Hill. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

There’s a sleek new Watertown Police cruiser on the roads these days: an all-electric Ford Mustang. The Mustang Mark E is the first EV in the WPD’s fleet, said Police Chief Justin Hanrahan, and he is giving the opportunity to be the first drivers to the Watertown Police Department’s Officer of the Month. For the month of June 2025, the Mustang is being driven by Officer Mike Hill. “It’s sporty,” Hill said.

Sports

Boston Renegades Beep Baseball Team is Like a Family, Calls Watertown Home

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The Boston Renegades have been practicing beep baseball for years at Watertown’s Filippello Park. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

Watertown has become the home training spot for the Boston Renegades, a beep baseball team. The sport allows players with vision impairments to continue to play and be part of a team. The team marks its 25th anniversary in 2025, and for most of that time Watertown has been its home. Each Sunday, the Renegades take the field at Filippello Park to prepare for upcoming tournaments, including the NBBA Beep Baseball World Series.

Around Town

See Photos from Watertown’s 2025 Pride Parade & Event

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The 2025 Watertown Pride Parade. (Photo by Natalie Nigito)

Watertown showed its pride on Sunday with the fourth annual Watertown Pride celebration. The day began with a parade from the temporary Watertown High School on Moxley Field, down Main Street to Saltonstall Park. Face painting at Watertown Pride 2025. (Photo by Natalie Nigito)

Entertainment was provided by DJ Zeneida Ramos and The Femmes.

Police/Fire

Police Log: Shoplifter Arrested After Pushing Over Officer, Man Charged with Pulling Pellet Gun on Another Driver

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The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department. May 22: Watertown Police responded to a call from Ulta in Arsenal Yards about a shoplifting that had just occurred. The store clerk said a man left five minutes earlier after grabbing a cologne and sweatshirt, and setting the alarm off when he left without paying. He left in a white vehicle. Police got the plate number and located it outside Nike.

Police/Fire

Watertown Fire Department Seeking Transfers to Fill Openings for Paramedics

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The Watertown Fire Department has added a new strategy to fill openings for paramedics — hiring candidates who transfer from other departments. Traditionally, Watertown hires people off the Civil Service Exam list, said Fire Chief Ryan Nicholson, but recently the WFD put out a call for lateral transfers from other departments. The Fire Department has several openings after the City Council approved funding to run a second Advanced Life Support (ALS) ambulance. “We are looking for transfers now, because paramedics are becoming increasingly difficult to hire,” Nicholson said. “So we’re doing the standard route that we’ve used before, and calling for the list from Civil Service.