Around Town

Man Who Was Arrested for Drug Trafficking in Watertown Had 500 Grams of Fentanyl

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The U.S. Attorney’s office in Massachusetts provided the following announcement about the New York man arrested in the parking lot of the Watertown Home Depot for allegedly selling drugs to a federal informant. Members of the Watertown Police assisted in the operation. See the announcement below. A New York City man has been arrested and charged for allegedly distributing multiple kilograms of fentanyl in the greater Boston area that he transported from New York. Cesar Nunez Lopez, 42, was charged with three counts of distribution and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.

Around Town

Watertown’s Winter Parking Ban to be Temporarily Lifted

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Watertown’s overnight winter parking ban will be temporarily lifted starting the week of Christmas. See more information in the announcement from the City of Watertown, below. Effective December 23, 2024 enforcement of the All Night Parking Ban will be temporarily suspended – barring any snowfall that would require plowing or sanding. Should there be a snow event please refer to the City’s website for available off-street parking locations. All homeowners are encouraged to continue using available off-street parking during the overnight hours.

Around Town

New Assistant Director Hired for Watertown Recreation Department

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The City of Watertown announced the hiring of a new Assistant Director in the Recreation Department. See the details, below. The City of Watertown is excited to introduce Jon Kazanjian as the Department of Recreation’s new Assistant Director of Recreation! Jon joins Watertown after eight years with the Town of Littleton, most recently serving as the Town’ Recreation Supervisor, and previously in the role of Parks and Recreation Program Coordinator. A Certified Park and Recreation Professional (CPRP), he comes to Watertown with an impressive career in building and managing successful recreation programs. This includes the respected Camp Tahattawan, where he oversaw 400 campers and 55 staff for 10 weeks each summer, as well as his Adult Recess program, which received the 2024 Regional Agency of the Year Award for Program Outreach from the Massachusetts Recreation and Park Association.

Around Town

Toys Delivered to 100s of Watertown Families in Need by Police & Firefighters for the Whooley Foundation

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Some of the toys collected for the 2024 Sonny Whooley Foundation. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

The mission given to 40 Watertown police officers and firefighters Tuesday morning was to fill boxes full of gifts, and then deliver them to more than 150 families around the Community. They had their choice of hundreds of toys, games, balls, even bicycles that filled the Community Room at the Watertown Police Station. All were donated to or purchased with funds given to the John “Sonny” Whooley Foundation, named after a former Watertown Police officer who would raise money and give it to families in need during the holidays. Watertown Police Justin Chief Hanrahan looked over the hive of activity as people packed boxes with gifts.

Around Town

Local Podcast: Meet a Local Cookie Maker & the Director of Watertown Cable

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Elan Rohde

Podcast host Matt Hanna spoke with the woman behind one of Watertown’s favorite cookie makers, and also caught up with the executive director of Watertown Cable. Find out more about these episodes of Little Local Conversations. In “Little Local Conversations,” discover the people, places, stories, and ideas of Watertown. Hanna has conversations with various businesses owners, community leaders, creatives, and other interesting folks in Watertown to learn about what they do and get to know a bit about the people behind the work. 

Elan Rohde

Meet Elan Rohde! She’s the owner of Campolongo Cookie Company right here in Watertown.

Weather

Weather Forecast: Watertown Will Get Some Chilly Weather Leading Up to Christmas

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Watertown will experience a chilly stretch from December 19 to 26. Thursday starts with rain in the morning, followed by a sharp drop in temperature and gusty winds in the evening. Snow showers are likely overnight Friday, potentially making roads slick, so be cautious. Saturday will be very cold with temperatures in the teens by evening. Sunday will bring even colder conditions with highs near 20°F.

Around Town

Council President Calls for Recognition of Watertown’s Efforts to Create Housing

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City Council President Mark Sideris speaks at the 2024 Inauguration. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

Watertown City Council President Mark Sideris recently wrote a letter to the Boston Globe asking for recognition of the City’s effort to allow housing, going above and beyond the state’s requirements. The letter was published by the Globe on Dec. 14. He wrote it in response to an article the paper ran about how Lexington met the requirements of the MBTA Communities Law and has about 1,000 units in the pipeline to be constructed.

Around Town

Coming to the Mosesian Center: Live Music, Classes, Call for Artists

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Mosesian Center for the Arts has live performances as well as classes on writing, and preparing for your audition coming up. Also, a call for artists. See more information below. Mosesian Arts Live, Art of Jazz: SheGrooves

This Wednesday, December 18 at 7:30 PM, Art of Jazz brings a powerful group of women musicians dedicated to elevating and celebrating the female experience. SheGrooves is an eclectic mix of pop, rock jazz and r&b, and for this performance, they will showcase holiday favorites and more! Click here for tickets

Call for Artists

The year 2025 marks the 100th anniversary of the time when Armenian American artist Arshile Gorky lived in Watertown, and the Mosesian Center for the Arts will be a part of town-wide events honoring Gorky’s work.