Around Town

The Evolution of Watertown Pride 2022 to Today, Celebration Planned for June 1

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The following piece was provided by the Watertown Pride Committee:

In June 2025, Watertown Pride will kick-off its fourth consecutive year of celebrations, fostering unity and diversity in Watertown and beyond. With a parade, festival, and much more planned throughout June, Watertown’s celebration this year would not be possible without the hard work and insights of all those involved in the years prior. In 2022, the staff of the Watertown Free Public Library (WFPL) wanted to respond to the longing people were feeling for connection, especially as we all were slowly coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, and ready to see our neighbors face to face. The city’s LGBT+ community were not immune to these feelings, not only coping with feelings of social isolation, but also facing the unfortunate reality that Boston Pride had been cancelled that year. WFPL is a major catalyst in the community, and part of its mission is to create connection and community through its services, materials, programs and more.

Around Town

Drivers Will Have to Start Paying to Charge Electric Vehicles at City’s Charging Stations

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The City of Watertown announced changes to the policy of charging EVs at City-owned charging stations. Starting on May 1 drivers will have to pay to charge at the stations located in City and school lots. See the details below:

Parking at an EV Charging Station

Beginning on May 1, 2025, users of the City of Watertown’s EV charging stations will be charged a rate of $0.25 per kWh to charge their vehicle. The City of Watertown owns 29 EV charging stations across the city for public use, located at:

Watertown Free Public Library parking lot – 4 plugs

Howard Street Parking Lot – 6 plugs

Lowell Elementary School – 1 plug but restricted to school staff during the day

Cunniff Elementary School – 3 plugs but restricted to school staff during the day

Hosmer Elementary School – 6 plugs but restricted to school staff during the day

Department of Public Works – 8 plugs (open to public 5pm – 6am)

The income gathered will go toward the City’s sustainability goals in the future. The EV charging stations at the three elementary schools (Lowell, Cunniff, and Hosmer) will be open to the public outside of school hours, from 6pm – 6am.

Police/Fire

Watertown Police Arrest Boston Man for Trafficking Fentanyl

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Courtesy of the Watertown Police Department. Police arrested a Boston man for allegedly dealing fentanyl in the Watertown. See the announcement from the Watertown Police Department below. On April 22, 2025, Watertown Police, working with the Suburban Middlesex County Drug Task Force, arrested Wilkims Soto-Suazo for selling fentanyl to Watertown residents. Mr. Soto Suazo was arraigned [April 23] at Waltham District Court for Trafficking Class A Fentanyl over 36 grams (44.4 grams located).

Government

Council Update: City Logo Not Going Ahead, Capital Projects Funded, Support for Community Media Bill

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On April 22, 2025, the City Council voted to approve funding for capital projects, heard from the City Manager about the City logo, heard about the re-organization plan, set limits for revolving funds, and supported a bill on Beacon Hill about Community Media Programming. See the highlights of the meeting provided by Municipal Policy Analyst Doug Newton. City Council Newsletter 

Please see below for the city council’s newsletter for its meeting on April 22, 2025. You can view the video recording of the meeting here. President’s Report

The council president informed the council and the public that four visioning sessions have been held discussing what might be needed in designing the middle school which have been very informative.

Business

New Restaurant Opening in Former Fit-Z’s Spot

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A new Irish and American bar will replace a neighborhood favorite on the Westside of Watertown. The facade of the former Fit-Z’s Bar & Grille has been repainted and now displays “West on Main,” and a Guinness sign hangs next to it. An advertisement on social media from West on Main says:

“West on Main blends the best of an Irish and American bar, creating a welcoming neighborhood spot in Watertown, MA. Serving comfort food, rotating specials, and a traditional Sunday roast, it’s the go-to place for great food, drinks, and live sports.” Boston Restaurant Talk shared a Bluesky post with a photo of the new look for the space at 451 Main St., Watertown.

Police/Fire

Proposal to Add Staff for Second Ambulance Will be Discussed by Council Committee

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The Watertown Fire Department has requested adding enough paramedics to run a second ambulance. Currently, the Fiscal Year 2026 budget does not include the money for the eight paramedics, but the request will be discussed by a City Council committee. On Tuesday, April 29, the City Council’s Committee on Budget & Fiscal Oversight will continue its discussion of the proposal to add eight paramedics. The meeting will begin at 6 p.m. in the Third Floor Conference Room in City Hall and will also have remote participation. See the agenda and links here.

Around Town

Water Service Restored After Pipe Break in East Watertown

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Water service was restored to residents of the East End on Tuesday afternoon several hours after a water main break near Coolidge Square. The announcement from the City about the water supply main break went out at about 10:40 a.m. on April 22. The break occurred at Elton and Nichols avenues. Repairs were completed by the Department of Public Works Tuesday afternoon, with the announcement going out at about 3:30 p.m.

The City advised residents that their water may be impacted by the break, including being discolored. “If your water is discolored, it is recommended to run your cold water through a faucet until it clears up,” the announcement from the City said.

Sports

See How Watertown Runners Fared in the 2025 Boston Marathon

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More than 30 Watertown residents will be running the 2025 Boston Marathon on Monday, April 21, 2025. The fastest resident was Michael Creedon, and the fastest female runner was Kimberly Dixon. Creedon was the 256th fastest man with a time of 2:32:14. Dixon finished in a time of 2:56:06, and she was the 227th fastest woman. The second fastest man from Watertown was Erik Hinrichsen, who had a time of 2:36:06, and Dennis McDuffie’s time of 2:46:33 was the third fastest for local runners.