News Briefs

Revere Works Coalition Awarded $100,000 by Urban Agenda Grant Program

The Revere Works coalition, led by The Neighborhood Developers (TND), was awarded $100,000 by the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development through the Urban Agenda Grant Program. The funded project’s main goal is to build a continuum of soft skills, computer literacy and computer skills training programs. It will leverage in-kind support from the City of Revere, laptop lending libraries housed at Revere Community School and TND, and funding from the Massachusetts General Hospital and Massachusetts Health Policy Commission.

 This grant is the third awarded to Revere Works through the Urban Agenda program, which helped seed the coalition of City departments, workforce training agencies, and educational providers serving Revere residents through coordinated workforce development planning, programming, and employer and community engagement. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, programing was focused on building the skills needed for employment in the travel and hospitality sector, and has since shifted to accommodate the new, post-pandemic demands of the workforce.

COVID-19 has accelerated the move to virtual hiring platforms, which require job seekers to be computer literate and possess basic English skills—a significant hurdle for the more than 25% of Revere residents who do not speak English fluently. Revere Works will build new bridges between organizations to formalize client referrals from one provider to another, and subsequently into jobs. For instance, job seekers who aren’t eligible for Moroccan American Connections in Revere’s (MACIR’s) IT job training program will be referred to ESOL, computer literacy, or soft skills trainings to better prepare them for future enrollment. After completing these trainings, the job seekers would be referred back to MACIR. Additionally, job seekers could enroll in TND construction and building maintenance pre-apprenticeship program or other advanced training opportunities.

The training continuum includes:

• Women Encouraging Empowerment’s ESOL, English, and job training classes;

• Revere Community Schools’ advanced ESOL and computer skills classes,

• Moroccan American Connections in Revere’s Tech Support Job Program and soft skills training, including internships and IT job placement;

• TND/CONNECT’s soft skills training and one-on-one financial coaching; and

• A formalized referral system to move participants along the workforce development continuum.

The Revere Works coalition includes Women Encouraging Empowerment, Revere Community Schools, Moroccan American Connections in Revere (MACIR), TND/CONNECT, Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Community Health Improvement, and the City of Revere. The City of Revere has recently developed a Revere Works website that serves as a central hub for job seekers and employers. The website can be found at https://www.revere.org/revere-works.

Gov. Candidate Downing Raises $100,000 In A Week

Former state Sen. Ben Downing raised $100,000 in his first week since launching his campaign for governor last Monday, with roughly three-quarters of those donations coming from people in Massachusetts, according to his campaign.

Downing, a Berkshire native who represented the state’s westernmost district for a decade, last week became the first Democrat to officially enter the 2022 race for governor with Republican Gov. Charlie Baker still considering seeking a third term and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito waiting in the wings should Baker decide two terms are enough.

The substantial first-week haul for Downing is a promising sign for Democrats, as the 39-year-old was able to raise in one week nearly a quarter of what the party’s 2018 nominee raised in all of 2017, a full year before the election.

MVES Receives $5,000 Grant for Social Engagement Program

 Mystic Valley Elder Services (MVES) recently received a $5,000 grant from the Everett Citizens Foundation in support of the MVES Social Engagement Program.

“Thanks to the grant from the Everett Citizen Foundation, the Social Engagement Program has been able to reach out to many lonely and isolated seniors in the community and provide them with friendly conversations and feelings of social connectedness which is vitally important during these challenging times,” says Social Engagement Program Coordinator Linda Cornell.

Open to MVES consumers, the Social Engagement Program is designed to help improve the health and well-being of isolated older adults in the community by providing meaningful social connection—whether it be through regular visits (when safe to do so), telephone calls, or email.

“Fostering closer relationships between the City of Everett and local organizations like MVES, who provide direct support and services to our residents, is precisely the reason I pushed for the establishment of the Everett Citizens Foundation. Since its inception, the ECF has provided grants to 50 local organizations and I want to thank the members of the Board for their diligence and our partners at Encore Boston Harbor for their financial support,” said Everett Mayor Carlo DeMaria.

“The ability to engage socially is vital to the health and wellbeing of individuals. We are inherently social beings. I am very proud that the Everett Citizens Foundation voted to provide financial support to MVES’s Social Engagement Program,” said Matthew Lattanzi, Esq., Staff Support to the Everett Citizen Foundation.

The Everett Citizens Foundation was established by the Host Community Agreement between the City of Everett and Wynn Resorts that was approved by the voters of Everett in 2013. The Foundation receives an annual payment of $250,000 from Encore Boston Harbor, which is distributed among local groups, associations, and programs with important City initiatives.

If you are interested in knowing more about Mystic Valley Elder Services’ Social Engagement Program or other programs, please visit mves.org or call 781-324-7705.

Revere School Committee Approves Plan for Hybrid Learning

 The Revere School Committee voted to approve a plan for Revere Public Schools to enter a hybrid learning model, which will gradually return students to classrooms beginning the week of March 8. The proposal was negotiated with the Revere Teachers Association and impact bargaining will continue throughout the week. Revere Public Schools students have been learning remotely as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic since March 13, 2020.

“We’ve been working for months to give our students the opportunity to get back in their classrooms, and it feels great to be able to deliver this news to all the families who have been waiting a long time for some relief from the challenges that have come with this extended period of remote learning,” Mayor Arrigo said. “On behalf of the Revere School Committee, I want to thank Dr. Kelly and her team, and the many members of our school community who have contributed to our efforts that have brought us to this point.”

Under the approved plan, families will have the option to allow their children to continue to attend classes in the remote model or transition to the hybrid model. School principals will be communicating specific details to their respective students in the coming days as they prepare plans to begin hybrid learning.

“We know that people have many questions and our team is working on them collaboratively with our teachers during impact bargaining,” said Superintendent Dr. Dianne Kelly. “Despite our desire to share more information, we can’t just yet, and we will be sharing new details as soon as we’re able. I’m thrilled that we have made this progress and parents will now have the opportunity to do what is best for their children – whether that is hybrid in-person learning or full remote.  We are confident that the safety measures we have in place will support as smooth a transition as possible but we also realize that change brings challenges and we will fine tune procedures as we move forward. This is why we are focused on a gradual return.”

Over the summer of 2020, more than 120 community members came together to provide input for a reopening plan for Revere Public Schools, which has served as the foundation for the plan approved today while adapting to the latest guidance from public health officials and the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.  

Beginning on March 1, athletic programming will also resume and extracurricular activities will follow.

TSA Seeks to Hire Over 6,000 Airport Security Screening Officers

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is launching recruitment efforts nationwide to fill over 6,000 Transportation Security Officer (TSO) positions by summer 2021.

“TSOs are a critical first line defense in securing our nation’s commercial air transportation system,” said Melanie Harvey, acting Executive Assistant Administrator for TSA’s Security Operations. “Each day, our officers screen hundreds of thousands of airline travelers ensuring they arrive at their destinations safely. We expect to screen a higher number of travelers regularly by the summer months and will need additional officers to support our critical mission.”

Based on anticipated seasonal travel trends in the months ahead and the progress of COVID-19 vaccinations for the general public, TSA has launched national efforts to recruit new employees in support of screening operations at approximately 430 airports nationwide. Targeted recruitment, virtual job fairs, and opportunities in dozens of cities have already been announced for individuals seeking part-time and full-time opportunities. Benefits include access to medical coverage, vacation and sick leave, and retirement plans. TSA is committed to a diverse, equitable, and inclusive work environment and encourages individuals of all backgrounds to apply, including military veterans and persons with disabilities.

TSA seeks those who want to take the initial step into a rewarding federal career and support TSA’s critical mission of protecting our nation’s transportation systems. A “Day in the Life of a TSO” video is available to learn more about our mission essential security screening position. To view open positions for TSOs around the country, visit TSA.gov/TSO. 

Developer Withdraws Plans for Two Revere Properties

The City Council voted Monday to allow a Wakefield developer to withdraw two proposals that sought the Council’s permission for the modification and change of use of residential properties at 7-9 Dehon St. and 1540 North Shore Road. Attorney Kari-Ann Greene, an associate at D’Ambrosio Brown LLP, represented the two firms, DCM Realty and D and M Development, respectively, on the proposals