Schools

WHS Class of 2024 Overcame Many Obstacles to Become a Group of ‘Great Human Beings’

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Watertown High School’s Class of 2024 celebrates graduating on Friday at Victory Field. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

The journey to graduation day for the Class of 2024 was filled with obstacles and hardships, but Watertown High School’s senior class navigated through the challenges and emerged as seasoned scholars, athletes, performers, and “great human beings.” The seniors celebrated the end of their career in the Watertown Public Schools during the graduation ceremony at Victory Field on Friday evening. High school started not in the halls of WHS, but in their bedrooms sitting in front of computers during COVID. Sophomore year they returned to school, but did behind N95 masks.

Schools

Congrats to the Watertown High Graduates! See the Class of 2024

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Members of the Watertown High School Class of 2024 embrace after receiving their degree Friday. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

Congratulations to the 156 members of the Watertown High School Class of 2024, who celebrated their graduation Friday evening at Victory Field. (+ Cum Laude Society/National Honor Society, ^ National Honor Society, * Seal of Biliteracy, % Seal of Biliteracy with Distinction, # Pre-Engineering Pathway)

Noah Amin Affany

^ Susan Allakhverdov

Armani Antonio Alves

Desiree Tshiela Ambila

Jenna Mohammad Atiyyat

+ Halle Gilda Aufiero

Katherine Theresa Aufiero

Nushik Avetisian

Iseoluwatobi Olubiyi Banjo

Alec Vasilis Banosian

^ Erin Mary Beggan

+* Lana Bekdash

+* Maximilian Ferrante Bennett

Kayla Marie Bernier

Julia Marie Biagiotti

^# Laura Rae Biagiotti

# Alistair Joseph Burke

Katey Maureen Cabral

Sean Patrick Calleva

Watertown High School seniors look into the stands as the enter the field for the graduation ceremony. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

Dilara Merve Canca

Ricardo de Oliveiro Candido

* Noah Joseph Capello

Leanne Elizabeth Centola

^ Aidan William Chapron

John Dylan Clark

^ Tracy Cledomin

* Angel Manuel Colon Castillo

Timothy Philip Connelly

+ Mairead Alexandra Connolly

Jordan Michelle Cornier

Kaio Henrique Lima Da Silva

+* Randy William Delgado

Aislin Elizabeth Devaney

Christopher Andrew Devaney

+* Noor Abbas Dia

* Gustavo Lucas Alves Dias

Thomas James Dicker

Jamal Ud Din

* Leandro Gabriel Do Lago

* Nayara Lopes dos Reis

Dylan William Caggiano Driscoll

^ Molly Grady Driscoll

* Fabiana Yarisa Duarte

Devon Christopher Dyer

# Panayioti George Eliopoulos

James Barrett Erickson

+ Naomi Rei Fandetti

Alex Servare Faria

^ Vivian Jackson Flan

# Robert Charles Fuller-Jimenez

* Maya Maria Gabriel

Emma Lucia Garapetian

+ Celia Xianlu Gilbert-Sartori

Danial Goljamali

Members of the Watertown High School Class of 2024 listen to a speech during graduation (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

* Cesar Gonzalez Jimenez

Kendal Aldahir Gonzalez Rodas

Giuseppe James Guarino

Isabela Cardoso Guimaraes

Edward Gukasyan

* Isthar Guzman Torres

+ Sidney Somersault Hackett

% Lyubka Mehmedova Hadzhieva

Robert Hynds Haggerty

Edward Lee Hammonds

^* Ava Grace Hayward

Abigail Lucinda Hendrick

Jeffrey Scott Herbin

* Kimberlyn Dayana Hernandez Jimenez

Aiden Ryan Hernandez

Reagan Elise Hoffer

* Viktoriia Hryhorchuk

^ Rebecca Eileen Hughes

Ava Yvonne Husson

+% Krikor Iskenderian

+ Rosha Jalalian Saeb

^ Mishma-Theresa Victory Janvier

+ Chloe Rita Johnson

Michael Petar Jokic

+ Connor Julian Jones

Dairy Yamileth Juarez Lopez

The Class of 2024 graduated at Victory Field on Friday. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

^ Marwa Kabir

+ Nikolas Anargiros Karalis

Abbas Khan

+ Cyrus Zane Kiani

+ Elena Mae Kiani

* Nick-Ary Lafortune

+ Lily Grace Lambo

^ Lindsay Marie Leitner

Lucas Alexander Li Vargas

+ Anna Lee Runyan Lonergan

^Emma Jane Macomber

Phrog Linette MacVeigh

+ Malac Hasan Mahmoud

+* Nadeen Makhzomi

Logan James Marifiote

Denise Cassandra Martinez

%^* Ima Simone Massey

+ Colin James McClellan

* Mario Jose Mejia Gavarrete

* Kevin Misael Mendez

Nikolaos Michael Michaelidis

+ Luka Misic

Stephanie Ann Mixco

Andre Avedis Monteiro

Sarah Elizabeth Morrissey

* Felipe dos Santos Mota

Landon Brian Murphy

Grace Nanziri

Owen James Newlon

^ Roy Nicolas Nicolas

Lucas Ryan Nitschke

Matthew Aiden O’Grady

Darragh James O’Mahony

* Ani Ohannessian

Valentina Ortiz

* Aidalyss Ninette Ortiz-Vasquez

+ Ryan Carter Pacis

+* Nina Michelle Paquette

^ John Nickolaos Pavlidis

A graduating senior holds up his diploma at the Watertown High School Class of 2024 graduation.

Around Town

Town Wide Yard Sale is This Weekend, See a List of Participating Homes

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The following announcement was provided by the City of Watertown:

Watertown Community Education’s 2024 Town Wide Yard Sale is Saturday, June 8, 2024 & Sunday June 9, 2024, rain or shine. There will not be a rain date. Come & find your neighbors’ hidden treasures! Household Items, Children’s Items, Furniture, Antiques, Clothing, Jewelry, Toys, Collectibles, Records, Vintage Goods, Handmade Crafts, and more! See the list of participating houses.

Schools

Milestone Celebrated in Creation of a New, Net Zero Watertown High School

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The final beam is bolted into place at the new Watertown High School. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

A steel beam, with a small tree on top and an American flag flying from it, was lifted hundreds of feet into the air by a crane and bolted into place marking the topping off of the new Watertown High School project. The ceremony marked the finish of the construction of the frame for the new school, said Superintendent Dede Galdston, which is going up on the site of the old high school. “As I stand here before this impressive structure, it is essential to reflect on the journey that brought us to this moment,” Galdston said. “The vision for this new school building was born out of a shared commitment to fostering an environment where our children can thrive academically, socially, and emotionally.”

Police/Fire

Police Log: SWAT Team Arrests Man in Connection with Shooting, Two Bikes Stolen & More

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The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department:

May 29, 6 a.m.: A NEMLEC (Northeastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council) SWAT team came to Watertown to serve a warrant obtained by Randolph Police related to a shooting in that community on April 28. They served it at a home on Warren Street. During the search, six firearms were found, including one on which the serial number had been defaced and three that had been reported stolen. Shamere Ross, 33, of Watertown, was arrested on charges of possession of firearms, as well as for his involvement in the Randolph shooting. May 29, 1 p.m.: A man went into Nike carrying a shoebox.

Around Town

Take a Trip Down the Charles River on the Proposed Water Shuttle Route, Grant Being Sought

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Drew Rollert, right, and Will Congram hope to be making trips down the Charles River from Watertown Square to Beacon Hill in Boston on a water shuttle. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

On a sunny spring day, the two men behind the effort to create a water shuttle from Watertown to Boston hopped on a small motor boat to give Watertown News a preview of what a trip down the Charles River would be like. Drew Rollert, who came up with the idea after being stuck in traffic trying to get to Fenway Park from Watertown as the waters of the Charles River remained quiet, hopes to start a pilot shuttle by the fall of 2024. The company, called Wada Hoppah, has applied for a grant to get the electric-powered shuttle sailing. The Watertown Yacht Club with the Arsenal on the Charles behind it.

Government

City Manager’s Zoning Presentation TONIGHT! See How to Tune-in and Participate

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Ahead of the June 13 Watertown Square Area Plan meeting, City Manager George Proakis will be speaking about what zoning can and cannot do in Massachusetts during a live broadcast with a Q&A time on Monday at 6 p.m.

The City provided the following information about the event:

Watch City Manager George Proakis present about zoning live at 6 p.m. on June 3, 2024, on Watertown Cable Access! City Manager Proakis will present about how zoning works, how it can benefit and shape the community, its limitations, and much more! Following the presentation, he will sit down to answer questions with the WCATV team before answering questions submitted directly by the Watertown residents! You can watch the presentation live online. You can submit any questions you have about zoning.