Around Town

Wada Hoppah Charles River Ferry Boat Has Hit the Water — See a Video and Photos

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The first moments on the water for the Wada Hoppah Charles River ferry boat. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

An idea formed three years ago took to the waters of the Charles River on July 11, 2026 when the Wada Hoppah ferry launched at the Newton Yacht Club. Watertown’s Drew Rollert hatched the idea after a thwarted attempt to attend a Boston Red Sox game in July 2023 by roadway, and he saw an empty Charles River. He decided then to create a ferry service from Watertown Square to Boston. Over the past year and a half, the electric ferry boat has been under design in Concord at Inriver Tank & Boat.

Government

City Council Moving Out of City Hall for July 14 Meeting

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The Parker Annex Building (Courtesy of City of Watertown)

The City Council will not be meeting it the usual place on July 14. The meeting will be held in the Parker Building at 7 p.m. The meeting includes a votes to set next year’s water and sewer rates, on proposed changes to the Noise Ordinance, and a presentation about the City’s Hazard Mitigation Plan. See more information provided by the City, below. Due to scheduled maintenance in the Watertown City Hall Council Chambers, the Watertown City Council Meeting on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, will not be held at City Hall. The meeting will instead take place at Parker Building in the Community Meeting Room, 2E.

Around Town

Mutual Aid Group Delivers Air Conditioners in Watertown During Heat Wave

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Eddy Cole installs an air conditioner provided free by the Watertown Neighbors group. (Courtesy of Eddy Cole)

As the temperatures rose to dangerous levels in the first week of July, a group in Watertown leapt into action delivering air conditioners to those who need them, and which had been donated by other residents. The air conditioner redistribution is a project run by Watertown Neighbors, a mutual aid effort of the Watertown Rapid Response Network. Last year, members of the RRN — that formed to assist immigrants in town — looked for areas where the group could make a difference and fill a need in the community, said Watertown resident Allison Eck. “We thought that basically AC units was a place where we could provide real value and fill a real need, which is the goal of mutual aid,” Eck said.

Entertainment

Watertown Woman’s Film About the Pressures of Parenthood Showing at Several Film Festivals

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An image from “Late Fall.” The film was made by Watertown’s Abigail Jean Lucas, left, who acted in the film along with her son, Leander. A short film shot during the Pandemic, whose cast includes a Watertown filmmaker and her son, made its world premier in Ireland in May and will be part of several film festivals around the United States. Bringing “Late Fall” to the screen has been a long, meandering journey for Abigail Jean Lucas. The 18-minute film focuses on a young couple with a toddler facing the challenges of parenthood while making ends meet.

Around Town

A Celebration 250 Years in the Making: Watertown’s Treaty Day 2026

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The 2010 Reenactment of Signing of Treaty of Watertown at the Edmund Fowle House. (Courtesy of Historical Society. of Watertown)

In the days after the former 13 colonies declared their independence from Britain 250 years ago, Watertown had a moment. The town outside Boston became the center of government in Massachusetts, and two historic firsts took place right near Watertown Square. However, these occasions got lost in the ether somewhere between George Washington and George H.W. Bush.

Entertainment

Local Artists & Musicians Coming to Pair of Art Pop Ups in Watertown Square in July

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The Watertown Arts Market is still about a month away, but on two weekends in July there will be pop-up arts markets in Watertown Square featuring local artists and musicians. The Watertown Business Coalition, the City of Watertown and the Watertown Cultural Council teamed up to put on the Art Pop Ups in the heart of Watertown Square. On Saturday, July 11 and 25 from 3-7 p.m. several artists will have tables, and musicians will play on Merchants Row, the space next to CVS (27 Main St.)

Local visual artists will have original artwork for sale, and live acoustic musicians will entertain. The Art Pop Ups are free and open to all. “This pop-up experience is the perfect way to spend a summer afternoon!”

Around Town

Woman Donates Hospital Wing, Dedicates it to Memory of Her Mother Who Lived in Watertown

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Marsha Moeller, center, cuts the ribbon at the Helen Caloggero Women’s and Family Center in California. The center is named after her mother who grew up in Watertown. (Photo from Providence St. Joseph Hospital)

A health center in California that provides services to women and families was dedicated to and named for a woman who grew up in Watertown. Marsha Moeller donated funds to build the Helen Caloggero Women’s and Family Center at the Providence St.

Around Town

Watertown Woman Creates Historic Boston Book from Her Huge Postcard Collection

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With a collection of tens of thousands of historic post cards, Watertown’s Kathryn Alpert had a wealth of choices for her new book “Lost & Found: Historic Boston in Post Cards.” Watertown News spoke with Alpert about the creation of her book. Alpert worked in public relations for years, and was able to get a piece about one of her biggest clients, Tweeter, on the front page of the Wall Street Journal in the 1990s. Then she started a greeting card company in the early 2000s. She is also a member of the Ephemera Society, which focuses on historic items, mostly paper items.

Her 206-page softcover book contains more than two-hundred colorful vintage postcards of historic Boston.