Police/Fire

Names of a Dozen Accused Customers of Busted Brothel Ring Revealed at Court Hearing

By |

The identities of 12 of the men accused of being customers of an interstate prostitution ring which used apartments in buildings, including in Watertown and Cambridge, were released on Friday in Cambridge District Court. One of the apartment building used by the prostitution ring was Blvd & Bond apartments located in Arsenal Yards in Watertown. Other places used by the ring were located in Cambridge, Dedham, Virginia, and California. The accused were identified about 16 months after the bust of the high-end commercial sex ring which operated in Massachusetts and Virginia. At the hearing, Cambridge District Court Clerk Sharon Casey said she would file charges against all of them, according to a report by Boston 25 News.

Around Town

Watertown’s Winter Park Had Ended for 2025

By |

The City of Watertown announced the end of the Winter Parking Ban effective Friday, March 14, 2025. The announcement, sent via the City’s Everbridge system, adds that “If there is a snowstorm, it will go back into effect.” Watertown’s Parking Ordinance does not allow parking overnight all year, but the City enforces the ban during the winter, typically from the Monday after Thanksgiving to April 1. Earlier this year, the City Council held a special hearing after a group seeking to end the Winter Parking Ban submitted a petition with several hundred signatures. Read about the meeting here.

Around Town

City Manager Talks About Life Science Sector, Federal Funding, Future of Watertown Square & More in His City Update

By |

Watertown City Manager George Proakis covered a variety of topics in his City Update on Tuesday. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

Watertown’s economic prospects remain promising, despite a downturn in life sciences and uncertainty in future funds from Washington, City Manager George Proakis said during his City Update at an event hosted by the Watertown Business Coalition on Tuesday. During the event at the Hampton Inn & Suites, he also spoke about the possible reuse of the former Police Station property, how the new Cultural District could help the local economy, and the redevelopment of Watertown Square. Life Science Sector

While the lab boom of the early 2020s has waned, Proakis said that the industry still remains solid. “We have 4 million square feet of lab space now, and while vacancies are currently high, indicators are the industry is still growing, with job growth outpacing layoffs, and I think that last thing that is the key is the industry built very aggressively in the lab field of the last couple of years,” Proakis said.

Around Town

Watertown Boys & Girls Club Names Youth of the Year, Awards Scholarship in Memory of Former Winner

By |

Watertown Boys & Girls Club’s 2025 Youth of the Year Jenna Houjazy and the judges: Jaqueline Sullivan, Stephanie Venizelos, and Carey Conkey-Finn. (Contributed Photo)

The Watertown Boys & Girls Club recently celebrated the achievements of several club members and awarded the 2025 Youth of the Year. Also, for the first time the club presented a scholarship award for the club’s aquatics program named for a former Youth of the Year winner who passed away last year. See more details in the announcement from the Watertown Boys & Girls Club. Watertown Boys & Girls Club hosted its annual “Rising Stars” Youth of the Year celebration on Wednesday, March 5, 2025, recognizing the outstanding achievements and leadership of some of its youth members.

Sports

Watertown Wrestlers Make History at New Englands, One Finishes Second

By |

Watertown Senior Tessa Master made history by finishing second at the New England Wrestling Championships. Here she won the MIAA Div. 3 State Tournament. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

Senior Tessa Master made more history for the Watertown High School wrestling program by becoming the school’s highest finisher at the New England Wrestling Championships — improving on her junior-year performance. She was joined in Providence, Rhode Island, by fellow senior Brady Gleason, the first Raider boys wrestler to make the regional meet.

Government

City Manager’s Thoughts on Winter Parkin Ban, Part 3: Long-Range Planning

By |

In the third piece on the question of lifting the Winter Parking Ban permanently, Watertown City Manager George Proakis focused on how it would impact the City’s long-range planning. By George Proakis

Recently a group of Watertown residents signed a petition to seek a public hearing in front of the City Council. The topic of the petition and the hearing was our long-term ban on overnight parking that we enforce each winter. The Council hosted this hearing in January. 

Our winter parking ban requires individuals who have a car and a driveway to ensure their car is in their driveway or garage each night. Most residents meet the requirements of the ban by relying on their own driveway, garage or apartment building parking lot.