Letters to the Editor

Shorebirds making a stop in area

Dear Editor:

Shorebirds. They’re all over our beaches and coastal mudflats right now. Many have arrived from northern Canada and are headed to Central or South America. Some like Semipalmated Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper, Semipalmated Plover, or Black-bellied Plover winter around the southern US, in Mexico and Central America, or in northern South America. But when you see a Sanderling running around the beach, or if you’re lucky and find a Red Knot, White-rumped Sandpiper or Hudsonian Godwit, these are birds that go far south along the coast of South America or inland to the Pampas of Argentina.

These epic travels generally start in Arctic or near-Arctic Canada and often include long non-stop flights between feeding stops. So a small (one-ounce in the case of the Semipalmated Sandpiper) shorebird might fly for five or six days the distance of 3,000 miles to get here to our shores. Winthrop, Revere and Nahant, and the mudflats in Boston Harbor are major stopping places for these hungry birds because they offer vast acreage of feeding habitat at low tide. Shorebirds feed furiously and fatten up here for one or two weeks before heading south again, this time to the shores of the Caribbean. The ones heading to southern South America strike out over the Atlantic Ocean on a southeast heading.

But while here they have another requirement: A safe place to roost and rest at high tide. During low tide shorebirds are scattered far and wide over the feeding sand or mudflats, but as the tide comes in, they gather into tight flocks and head to traditional roosting spots. This happens twice a day. So at high tide we might see them at places such as the wrack-line at Nahant, or in the salt pans at Rumney Marsh or Belle Isle Marsh, on the Five Sisters or Roughan’s Point breakwaters, at Snake Island, or on the old narrow-gauge railway embankment near Fishermans Bend.

Many of these roosting places, such as the breakwaters, are reasonably safe places for sleeping birds because people and other mammals are kept away by the surrounding water. It’s important that we understand what is going on with these birds — that they need food and safety — and give them their space to accomplish their programmed migrations. They have evolved to use our planet in amazing ways as described above; their continued survival is at stake. In my lifetime, I have seen drastic drops in the numbers that migrate through our region and the population trend for many species is still downward.

Winthrop is among the top places in the state to see these birds in large numbers for the few weeks that they are here with us. Let us enjoy them, and let us avoid harassing or harming them. They are our family, friends and neighbors; we wish them a long life and many happy returns.

Soheil Zendeh

Lexington

 

THANK YOU FOR VOTING

Dear Editor:

I want to take this opportunity to thank and congratulate every single person, no matter the party and no matter who you voted for, who took the time to do their civic duty on Tuesday, September 4.  Our republic only works, indeed can only thrive, if informed citizens participate.

I’m truly humbled and honored that 64 percent of those who voted in the Republican Primary selected me to be the Republican nominee.  I want to congratulate Dr. Louis Kuchner, my primary opponent, for running a spirited campaign that took the high road and focused on issues. He has graciously endorsed my candidacy and pledged his support. I am truly grateful. Having Dr. Kuchner as a primary challenger has made me a better candidate.

I’m running, quite frankly, because I’m sick tired or hearing people complain about the way things ought to be, but never doing anything about it. I’m just an average working-class citizen, struggling to pay my bills. I’m a taxi dispatcher. I’m sure you’ll hear that from my opponent’s campaign at some point. What can I possibly know about being a legislator? The answer is simple I have live with and under the laws, pay the taxes, and deal with consequences of what legislators do – just like the average voter in our district. But most important, I love my country and I don’t believe that Katherine Clark’s vision of America and policy views are consistent with what the vision and policy views espoused by the hard-working people, struggling to make ends meet in our district.

America is bulwark of freedom. The Constitution protects and guarantees that freedom, primarily from the government. Our free-market economy affords Americans the best hope for liberty, opportunity, and prosperity. Free market capitalism, although not perfect, has done more to elevate people from poverty than any well intentioned government programs, which often times institutionalize poverty for generations.

I want to congratulate Katherine Clark and invite her to debate the issues. I believe there are stark differences in our philosophy of government. Let’s debate them.
The hardworking people of the 5th Congressional District deserve no less.

I invite you the voters to visit www.johnhugo.com to read more specifics about what I believe and what priorities will be as your congressman.

Respectfully,

John Hugo

Candidate for Congress

Massachusetts 5th        Congressional District

 

THANK YOU REVERE RESIDENTS

Dear Editor:

This past May, neighbors, residents from around the city, city/elected officials, corporations, organizations, and businesses all combined efforts in a community playground build in North Revere.  Harmon Park officially opened in July and is used by many children every single day.  This letter serves as a thank you to anyone who contributed.  We have listed those we could by name as we believe everyone deserves recognition for their role in making this happen.

North Revere Neighborhood Group would like to acknowledge and thank the many contributors who range from corporate donations to single people providing gift cards or labor.   Each gift was no more needed or appreciated than the next.   Some corporations provided their employees some type of bonus for volunteering their physical labor.  Some examples of this were Jet Blue – who we were lucky to be set up with via Marcy Tango, Carpenters Union Local 328 – who we were lucky to get help from through Michael Biasella, and Laborers Union Local 22.  Other volunteer participants included our very own Norma Tango with her delicious meatballs, Rose Damelio providing rolls and cooking, Fran and Sonny Citro who worked tirelessly all along and served food/ran the grill, Gerry Visconti coming in clutch with pizza for the hungry workers, Michael and Danielle Zaccaria with Action providing men and trucks.  A list of other volunteers and contributors: Anthony Chianca Sr. – without this man, NONE of this would have ever happened, JC Chavez who came from the other side of the city just to help out, and he worked all day long!  The Tango men, Marc and Devin, mixing and pouring cement, and Mr. Tommy Feely.  Carl Svendsen, working alongside all of us from beginning to end.  Corrie O’Neil, unwrapping, moving, and putting together the equipment with Councillor Steve Morabito working all day.  Revere Police Department represented by Michael Mullen and Gerry Salvati among others.  Clean Joe provided help with his guys and we received help from other groups around the city.  Those groups are, Revere Chamber of Commerce, Revere on the Move via Dimple Rana, Beachmont Improvement Committee, The Gibson Gardeners, The Rumney Marsh Burial Ground Restoration Committee, Revere Public Schools, The Revere DPW, Revere Parks and Recreation, and The Quality Inn.  We received individual help from the local and state politicians that meant so much to us and the residents of North Revere.  Some of these individuals are:  Mayor Brian Arrigo, Senator Joseph Boncore, Speaker Bob DeLeo, and State Rep. Rosa-Lee Vincent to name a few.  The neighbors are the most important factor here.  Some have already been mentioned but I will list them again.  Some donated time, two years actually – sitting through the meetings and bringing this idea to life.  Some donated gift cards and/or labor.  North Revere Neighborhood Group is so very grateful to these people who supported us:  The Rossi Family, Michele and John Dewling, and JJ Jones.

Bob Mahoney with Mahoney Construction, Pricilla Nickerson, her brother in law Bob Armstrong, Dr. Chris from Cambridge Health Alliance, Elle Baker and her friend, and Miranda Dewling (who also donated a gift card to Market Basket) all worked with me to spread mulch.  You cannot ever realize how much mulch is in a playground until you are moving, spreading, and filling it in 18” deep throughout a huge space like that.  It was hard work and those that put in their backs, felt it.  Lots of Kudos due.

North Revere Neighborhood Group is led by our Neighborhood Organizer Elle Baker.  Elle kept us on track over these last two years, made and awesome pasta salad on build day and hustled on our behalf on days before and after from funding to final touches on the park.  Anthony Chianca Sr – the man with the plan from the beginning, Norma Tango, Rose Damelio, Ginny Mullen, Philip Deoliveira and Fran and Sonny Citro.  This is the group of die-hards of North Revere.

A heart-felt thank you to everyone who participated, volunteered, contributed and helped in any way.  We could not have done this without you.

Letter written by Vanessa J. Biasella on behalf of North Revere Neighborhood Group

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