Business

Housing Secretary Tells Chamber Crowd That MBTA Communities Act is Key to a Strong Economy

By |

Ed Augustus, Massachusetts Secretary of Housing & Livable Communities, spoke at the Charles River Regional Chamber’s Spring Business Breakfast. (Courtesy of Charles River Chamber)

NEEDHAM — Building more housing is key to maintaining the local economy and preventing people from leaving the state, the Massachusetts Secretary of Housing and Livable Communities told the audience at last week’s Charles River Regional Chamber’s Spring Business Breakfast. Secretary Ed Augustus urged people at the event held at the Needham Sheraton to support the MBTA Communities Law in their communities, as well as pushing the Legislature to support the Governor’s Affordable Homes Act. He cited the example of a 24-year-old woman who moved home with her parents to save money while getting her graduate degree, and still has not been able to move out — despite having a degree and a good job — because she can’t find a place that she can afford. “Now this woman’s story might be simply unfortunate, if it was unique, but it’s not.

Around Town

New Spray Pad Will Keep Kids Cool at East Watertown Park

By |

Children enjoy the new spray pad at Filippello Park in East Watertown. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

On a warm afternoon, dozens of children waited patiently for City officials to declare the new and improved spray pad at Filippello Park open so they could run through the cooling streams of water. Friday’s ribbon cutting marked the official opening of the new feature that has 15 spray features, including geysers, an aquadome, a lunar cannon and a palm tree on 2,500 sq. ft. of non-porous rubber play surface.

Schools

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

By |

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

By |

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

By |

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

By |

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.”