Schools

Congrats Grads! — See Photos from the Class of 2026

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A member of the Watertown High School Class of 2026 gets a hug after receiving her diploma (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

The 175 members of Watertown High School’s Class of 2026 celebrated their graduation at Victory Field Friday afternoon. See the list of graduates and photos from the ceremony. Watertown High School Class of 2026

(+ Cum Laude Society, ^ National Honor Society, * Seal of Biliteracy, % Seal of Biliteracy with Distinction, # Pre-Engineering Pathway, £ Pre-Medical Assist Pathway)

Sofia Alejandra Aedo Figueroa

Jafar Raad Al Hilfy

Arianna M Alvarez

Samuel Alves Cerqueira

Aiden Lukas Anker

Manal Anwar

Monika Arakelyan

Eduard Christopher Askaryan

Mazen Mohammad Atiyyat

A 2026 graduate grabs a selfie after receiving her degree. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

Kevin Augusto

Houria Awan *

Tobalashe Opeyemi Banjo +^*

Ryder Joseph Barenholtz ^

Abel Killian Barker

Stefano Aldo Barresi

Davit Gevorg Barseghyan *

Gerver Isaac Boteo

Ariana Araxi Boyajian ^

Brixton Panda Brandt

Lucas Joseph Bray

Gabriella De Freitas and Sofia Rojas sing “Dreams” during the graduation ceremony.(Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

Cameron Edward Burke

Marissa Rose Cabral

Mariajose Calderon Castellanos %

Nicholas Daniel Calidonna

Christian Alberto Calix

Joshua Carias Coronado

Danilo Chaves Carvalho

Luciana Castro Guevara ^*

Mia Ann Caterino +^*

Anastasia Chernikova *

Berat Cinar

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Angelina Luz Colon ^

Theresa Helen Corbett

Joshua Sevelle Crespo

Gustavo Ferreira Da Silva

Karina Daldemian ^

Edmond Augustine Daly

Ana Beatriz Lima DaSilva %

Gabrielly Ferreira De Freitas +^%

Ketly Carla De Oliveira

Isaac Gabriel Demelo

Hannah Oliveira Dempsey

Ixchel Mayan Tankard Diaz

Aysha Din +^

Vanessa Sandra Duenas

Almc Elwagia %

Principal Joel Giacobozzi speaks to the Class of 2026 during graduation at Victory Field. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

Ned Elwagia *

Arthur De Albuquerque Ferraz +^%

Moya Nicole Flanagan +^

Tyler Joseph Flynn

Danica Erin Foley +^

Gavin Robert Foley

Evelyn Johnson Follett ^

Higor Franca Camara

Joshua Rennan Ferreira Freitas

Arianne Yailyn Galdamez

Tristan Gabriel Galeano Gordillo

MacKenzie Erin Gilligan ^

Yensi Angelly Giron +^%

Jake Ryan Gobbi

Nash Macabee Goldstein

One of more than a dozen groups of students gave a welcome in their home language at the 2026 graduation ceremony.

Police/Fire

Police Log: Rabbi Harassed, Teens Suspected of Setting Small Blaze at Home Depot

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The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department. May 20: Loss prevention at Target spotted a man who they recognized from previous incidents. Police were called and arrived as the suspect left the store. He said he was told by an unidentified friend to walk out with merchandise, and that he thought the items were paid for. The suspect did not have the items with him, but officers were able to locate $309 worth of merchandise behind a wall at the Residence Inn by Marriott.

Business

Family-Run Company Has Created High Tech Medical Parts for Decades in Watertown

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Father and son, Paul (right) and Taylor Heanue, run High Tech Turning, which manufactures parts for medical device manufacturing. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

The Charles River has been a center of manufacturing for centuries, and the tradition continues today. A 40-year-old company that makes millions of parts each year in its facility that sits just a block from the river. High Tech Turning, located at 16 Bridge St., creates thousands of tiny parts used in high-tech medical devices. The company has moved around a few times in its four decades — to Waltham and the other side of the river on California Street — and has called Bridge Street its home for the past quarter century, said President and CEO Paul Heanue, who founded the company.

Around Town

City May Explore Leasing DCR Pool, Park Along Charles River

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The DCR’s Dealtry Pool in Watertown. Watertown officials may seek to lease the Dealtry Pool and Cannalonga Park and increase the staffing and improve maintenance of the facilities along the Charles River. During a visit to the City Council by Watertown’s House members on May 26, State Rep. John Lawn raised the possibility that the City of Watertown may be able to work out an agreement with the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) to lease the Dealtry Pool and Cannalonga Park. The pool is located near the Watertown Dam off Pleasant Street and has a swimming pool, a wading pool and locker rooms. Cannalogna Park has a parking lot near the Riverworks building, and has tennis courts that have become a popular spot for pickleball, a pavilion, and an area of trees and natural landscape. The DCR had a listening session about the park in 2022.

Around Town

New Public Art Opens in Area of Watertown Facing Years of Road Construction

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“Transitions” by MASARY Studios, one of the new art installations in Coolidge Square. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

Coolidge Square, the heart of East Watertown, will be a construction zone for the next few years, but the area has a pair of new public art pieces to bring a little joy to the area that will endure the chaos of road and sidewalk replacement. https://youtu.be/Yud2pRsSWrU

The project, called “Open for Business,” includes “Transitional,” which incorporates materials you might find in construction — sheets of aluminum and the white and yellow reflective tags used on roads — to create a piece that changes as you look at it from different angles. The piece was created by MASARY Studios, which also produced the Solstice light show at Mount Auburn Cemetery. “Transitional” is on the wall on the side of Coolidge Hardware, on Kimball Road at the corner of Mt.

Around Town

Charles River Ferry Taking Shape — Wada Hoppah Will Soon Take to the Water

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Drew Rollert, founder of Wada Hoppah, standing on the nearly completed Charles River ferry. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

CONCORD — Three years of dreams and a year-and-a-half of design and labor is coming together in the form of the first modern ferry built to navigate the Charles River. Drew Rollert, founder of Wada Hoppah, recently showed Watertown News the nearly completed boat at Inriver Tank and Boat’s production facility in West Concord. The idea of a water service from Watertown to Boston came three years ago when he and a group’s effort to get to Fenway Park by reasonably priced Uber or MBTA bus for a Red Sox game were thwarted. With the idea hatched, Rollert needed a boat.

Government

City Council Passes Budget, Now Await Legislature’s Decision on Tax Relief

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Watertown City and State officials appeared before a joint committee at the State House on Jan. 27, 2026. Pictured, from left, Steve Owens, George Proakis, John Lawn, Earl Smith, and Mark Sideris. The City Council approved the Fiscal Year 2027 budget, but the City’s financial future could be darkened if the State does not approve a tax relief legislation submitted by the City. The Council unanimously approved the $226.21 million budget on Tuesday night without any changes from the one presented by City Manager George Proakis in April.

Sports

Gold Kings Hockey Will Face New Foes Next Season, League Gets New Name

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The Boston Gold Kings will host a pair of new additions to their league at John A. Ryan Arena in 2o26-27. (Courtesy of the Boston Gold Kings)

The Boston Gold Kings made it all the way to the finals for the second year in a row in 2025-26, this time falling in the last round. The Watertown-based hockey team will have more competition in 2026-27, as the league expands. Gold Kings General Manager and Director of Hockey Cameron Labrecque said the team followed its 2024-25 Championship season with another strong performance, falling to the Hudson Valley Reapers in the finals. “I think this was a very successful year.