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The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department. Oct. 20: Two cars were broken into on Riverside Street. A wallet with credit cards, a license, and $100 in cash was taken from one car; and a wallet with a license, credit cards and $120 in cash went missing from the second. They were parked in the driveway and were likely left unlocked.
A view from the stage of the new theater in the new Watertown High School. A group toured the building on Oct. 29, 2025. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)
A wide expanse of gym space, a theater that features a main stage and a black box theater, a two story media center, and large classrooms are some of the highlights of the new Watertown High School building that is about six months away from opening. School and City officials and employees toured the construction site on Columbia Street on Oct.
The winners in the Nov. 4, 2025 Watertown Election did not always win the most precincts, and voters in different parts of town preferred different candidates. City Councilor
In the Councilor At-Large race, the candidate with the highest vote total did not win the most precincts, and the support varied by section of town. Incumbent Tony Palomba won the most precincts, with six, but finished with the second most votes, 3,389. He won precincts 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 7.
There will be one new face on the City Council, one on the School Committee and two on the Board of Library Trustees after Tuesday’s Watertown Municipal Election. Watertown voters re-electedJohn Gannon with 3,418 votes, Tony Palomba (3,389), and Caroline Bays (3,030) in the race for Councilor At-Large, and first-time candidate Theo Offei (2,999) won a seat. Former Auditor Tom Tracy also challenged for a seat and got 2,232 votes. Vincent Piccirilli won another term with 1,042 votes for District C City Councilor. He defeated challenger Andres Guzman (307).
Charlie BreitroseMiddlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan met with Watertown Police to focus on the rise in shoplifting in the area. Here she is pictured at an event where spoke at the Watertown Senior Center. Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan joined a regular meeting between Watertown Police and security from local stores to find ways to curb the amount of shoplifting in town, and to prevent incidents from becoming more serious. Since 2022, the number of shopliftings in the City has steadily risen, with the vast majority occurring at the Watertown Mall and Arsenal Yards. In 2022, the WPD responded to around 400 shoplifting incidents, and in 2024 the number rose to 774, according to statistics collected by Watertown Police.
Watertown Middle School (Courtesy of Watertown Public Schools)
The City Council drilled down on what factors would determine whether to do a full renovation/rebuild of Watertown Middle School, or to do more basic repairs now and a bigger project later. After more than two hours of deliberation on Tuesday night Councilors had not made a decision and some key questions remain unanswered. The City Council heard from City and school officials, as well as Watertown’s project management firm for school building projects. City Manager George Proakis outlined the financial implications of each option, and some of the hurdles that lay in the paths of even the lowest cost options. In 2024, the City Council had a similar discussion, and decided to make a new Middle School a priority.
With a freeze on SNAP benefits set to start Nov. 1, 2025, food drives for local food pantries are being planned. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)
Starting Nov. 1, 2025, nearly 2,500 Watertown residents who receive federal food assistance funds will likely lose hundreds of dollars in SNAP benefits. Food pantries, non-profits and other groups in the City are gearing up to try to fill the gap.
Vitoria Regia said “Charles River and the Joseph Thompson Bridge” was inspired by an area of the river she finds very soothing. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)
Six new banners like the fence line around a former industrial property on the Westside of Watertown. The images were created by local artists and will be displayed around for the foreseeable future. “Transitions” by Cynthia White is an abstract piece which she thought fit into the theme of A Pleasant Landscape. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)
The project was organized by the City of Watertown to make the area look a little nicer, said Liz Helfer, the City’s Public Arts & Culture Planner.