Schools

Watertown High School Teacher Named Massachusetts STEM Teacher of the Year

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Watertown High School chemistry teacher Liz Mundy was named Massachusetts STEM Teacher of the Year. (Contributed Photo)

A Watertown High School science teacher was recently honored as one of the two Massachusetts STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) teacher of the year by the New England Patriots. See the announcement from the Watertown Public Schools, below. The New England Patriots have named Watertown High School chemistry teacher Liz Mundy as one of their two Massachusetts STEM Teachers of the Year. Mundy was selected for her unwavering commitment to her students, her dedication to teaching, and her innovative work with CoLAB, a Watertown nonprofit where local life science professionals and high school educators collaborate to inspire students to pursue STEM careers.

Elections

Candidate Papers for Watertown’s 2025 Election Will be Available in Early June

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Charlie BreitroseWatertown residents cast their ballots at Watertown City Hall. The General City Election will be Nov. 4, 2025. Residents planning to run for elected office in Watertown in 2025 will be able to take out papers in the beginning of June, and will have to get the signatures to the City Clerk by mid-July to run in the 2025 City Election, which will take place on Nov. 4.

Around Town

Traffic Advisory for Roads in and Around Watertown, Including North Beacon Street

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Road work on Department of Conservation and Recreation-owned roadways in and around Watertown will lead to lane closures over the coming weeks, beginning on Sunday, May 11. See more details in the announcements from the DCR, below. DCR Traffic Advisory: North Beacon Street in Watertown

WHAT: Beginning on Sunday, May 11, 2025, and continuing through Monday, June 2, 2025, the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) will close lanes along North Beacon Street from Greenough Boulevard to Charles River Road in the City of Watertown from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. to accommodate milling and paving work. Traffic patterns will be clearly marked, and a police detail will be on site.    

WHERE: North Beacon Street from Greenough Boulevard to Charles River Road in the City of Watertown 

WHEN: Sunday, May 11, 2025 – Monday, June 2, 2025, 7 p.m. – 5 a.m. 

DCR Traffic Advisory: Gerrys Landing Road in Cambridge

WHAT: Beginning on Monday, May 12, 2025, and continuing through Friday, June 13, 2025, the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) will close lanes along Gerrys Landing Road from Greenough Boulevard to Mt Auburn Street in the City of Cambridge from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. to accommodate milling and paving work. Traffic patterns will be clearly marked, and a police detail will be on site.

Schools

Watertown High School Earns National Recognition for STEM Education

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The sign for the temporary Watertown High School at PFC Ricard Moxley Field. (Courtesy by City of Watertown)

The following announcement was provided by the Watertown Public Schools:

Watertown High School has been named a Distinguished School by Project Lead the Way (PLTW), a national nonprofit organization aimed at educating and preparing students for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics careers. The PLTW Distinguished School recognition honors schools committed to increasing student access, engagement, and achievement in their STEM programs. To be eligible for the designation, WHS had to meet multiple criteria in the 2023-24 school year such as number of PLTW courses available to students, percent of students enrolled in PLTW, and percent of students taking more than one PLTW course. “We are thrilled to receive this recognition from PLTW,” said Laura Alderson, Career and Technical Education Coordinator for Watertown Public Schools. “WHS has been partnering with PLTW since 2015 for our Pre-Engineering program.

Police/Fire

Four Armed Robbery Suspects Caught by Watertown Police

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Watertown Police took four suspects into custody after an alleged armed robbery on an MBTA bus. See details in the announcement from the Watertown Police Department. On May 6, 2025, Watertown Police responded to a 911 call reporting an armed robbery that occurred on an MBTA bus. Watertown Police officers quickly located four suspects hiding in a backyard on Eliot Street. The investigation confirmed that the robbery took place onboard an MBTA bus within Watertown.

Schools

Hundreds Flock to First Community STEM Night at Watertown Middle School

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Watertown Middle School welcomed parents and students to the first Community STEM Night on April 29. (Screenshot from Watertown Cable video)

Hundreds of parents and students came out to see what the Watertown Public Schools have to offer in the areas of science, technology, math and engineering during the STEM Night at Watertown Middle School. The event, co-hosted by the Watertown Public Schools and the Watertown Business Coalition, took place on the evening of April 29. The WBC said the evening was a success, in the group’s recent newsletter:

“We are still basking in the glow from what was an incredibly successful Community STEM Night held Tuesday, April 29 at Watertown Middle School. In conjunction with Watertown Public Schools and the WBC, more than 160 parents, students and STEM professionals attended to learn more about what STEM opportunities are available in the Watertown Schools.”

Police/Fire

Two Men Detained by Federal Immigration Officials on Watertown/Newton Line

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Two men were detained by several men identifying themselves as federal officers in Watertown near the Newton line on the morning of May 5, according to a report by Newton-based Fig City News. Fig City’s article was based on accounts of eyewitnesses and two videos of the incident seen by Fig City News journalists. The officials, who wore jackets with “HSI” and “Police” written on them, arrived in five unmarked vehicles. HSI (Homeland Security Investigations) is part of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Photos show some of them wearing masks.

Police/Fire

Staffing for Second Watertown Ambulance Recommended by Council Committee

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A Council committee voted to recommend that Watertown’s Fire Department should have a second ambulance after hearing about the alternatives and cost of running the second in-house ambulance. Watertown Fire Chief Ryan Nicholson said having a second ambulance would not just provide quicker response for patients in emergency situations, but would also increase the morale of the WFD’s paramedics. He gave his presentation to the Committee on Budget & Fiscal Oversight on April 29. At a prior meeting, Nicholson told the committee about how calls handled by the contracted private ambulance service, Pro EMS, often does not meet the National Fire Protection Association’s standards of providing emergency medical services within 9 minutes 90 percent of the time. For calls handled by the contracted ambulance, the NFPA’s standard is met 44 percent of the time, Nicholson said in March, while when Watertown’s ambulance responds the standard is met 96 percent of the time.