Council Celebrates Rita Singer’s 90th Birthday

By Adam Swift

Rita Singer, one of Revere’s first female City Councillors, looked and sounded like she was set for another go at the campaign trail as the council presented her with a certificate of commendation in recognition of the former Ward 1 Councillor’s 90th birthday on Monday night.

Singer, joined by family for the occasion, used the opportunity to bang the president’s gavel, take her old seat in the chambers (temporarily displacing At-Large Councillor Marc Silvestri), and speak out against overdevelopment on Revere Beach.

“Rita got involved in politics at a time when it was not really in fashion for women to enter politics,” said Councillor-at-Large Dan Rizzo. “Not only did she enter politics, and not only was she extremely successful at it in getting elected, but I would argue that she left office … in 1993 that the impact she left on this city with her constituents is remarkable. People still talk about the work that Rita Singer did when she was a city councillor, and I think that is an amazing tribute to the work ethic and what you meant to so many people during your tenure.”

Current Ward 1 Councillor Joanne McKenna said Singer has been instrumental in her life since she was 13 years old.

“She has been a great mentor to me over the years and one of the strongest women I know,” said McKenna, embracing Singer at the council podium. “Rita, your reputation precedes you. She was the Ward 1 councillor for 17 years and is a legend in Beachmont. I now walk in your footsteps, and I hope I can make the same impact she has made in this city.”

Singer said she was honored and thrilled by the recognition and that she never thought she would have the opportunity to come back to the city she loves and represented.

“I wish I could see a number of the people that I represented, but now I don’t see them, I see their children,” said Singer. “It’s nice when I come home, and I see someone and they say to me, I know you, but unfortunately I don’t know them. But they say one thing, I remember what you did, I remember what you did for my mother … and I’m glad that they did come up to see me at the time.”

Several councillors spoke to the truth about what Singer remembered about her service for the city.

“Rita, I remember what you did for my mother, and growing up in Beachmont, everyone knew that if you had a problem, Rita was the person to call,” said Silvestri.

Ward 2 Councillor Ira Novoselsky said he believed he was the only current councillor who served with Singer in the 1970s. “We went through the Blizzard of ‘78 together, and I remember her and I walking down Broadsound Ave. with water up to our waists,” he said. “It was a pleasure working with her, we had great councillors back then, we have good councillors now, but working with her was unbelievable. The things she pulled off, nobody will ever pull off again