The Revere License Commission held its regular monthly meeting on Wednesday, June 21, in the City Council Chamber in Revere City Hall. All three of the commission’s members, Chairman Robert Selevitch, Linda Guinasso, and Daniel Occena were on hand for the session.
The meeting was a fairly short (40 minutes) affair, with the commissioners addressing a myriad of routine matters. The commissioners granted a number of one-day licenses for an array of celebratory events taking place in the city in the coming months. Those included:
— A request by American Legion Post #61 for six, 1-day Malt/Wine and Common Victualler Licenses to be exercised at Veterans Memorial Park (formerly the American Legion Lawn) at 249 Broadway from 5 p.m.–7 p.m. on the Sundays of July 9, July 16, July 23, August 6, August 13, and August 20 (with rain dates of August 27 and September 3) that will feature a beer & wine garden with hot dogs, hamburgers, sausages, and chips to accompany the city-sponsored Sunday night concerts.
William J. Chisholm, the event manager, presented the application to the commission. “We would like to hold a small beer garden that will be roped-off,” said Chisholm, who added that members of the Post who are TIPS-certified will serve the beer.
Ward 2 City Councillor Ira Novoselsky spoke in favor of the application.
“This is something we have been doing for the past few years,” said Novoselsky, who is a member of the Post. “This is a fundraiser for the group and everyone looks forward to it.”
“These concerts are a great event that the city holds every summer,” said Guinasso, who noted that she looks forward to attending them.
There were no opponents and the commissioners unanimously approved the application.
— A pair of requests from the Revere Beach Partnership (RBP) in connection with the International Sand Sculpting Festival to be held on the last weekend of July at Revere Beach. The first was for a 1-day license for All Alcohol to be exercised on Saturday, July 29, from 6 p.m.–9 p.m. for the annual VIP Party with an expected attendance of 450. The second was for three, 1-day Licenses for Malt/Wine to be exercised on Friday, July 28, from 1 p.m.–8 p.m., Saturday, July 29, from 1 p.m.–9 p.m., and Sunday, July 30, 2023 from 1 p.m.–6 p.m. for a Beer Garden with a capacity of 750 persons.
Charles Giuffrida, a resident of 150 Beach St. who is the Treasurer of the RBP, presented the applications. He said that the RBP will hire an outside vendor for the VIP party, which is a ticketed event to honor the Sand Sculpture participants, that will serve beer and a specialty drink that will be contained in a fenced-in area in the sand.
Giuffrida noted that the beer garden will represent a new source of revenue for the RBP that will be sponsored by Sam Adams.
“The Sand Sculpture Festival does not turn a profit,” said Giuffrida, who noted that two previous sponsors, Global Oil and Amazon, are not backing this year’s event. “The city provides a subsidy for the event, but we are hoping to introduce new ways to wean off this subsidy.”
He said the DCR and State Police have been involved with the planning for the beer garden.
Novoselsky spoke on behalf of the applications, noting that “this is a great event” that will be closely-monitored by the State and Revere police.
There were no opponents and the commissioners unanimously approved the applications.
— The application of The Neighborhood Developers Sandler Square for a 1-day entertainment license to be exercised at Sandler Square on Saturday, September 23, from 1 p.m.–4 p.m. for the annual Shirley Ave. Cultural Festival with an expected attendance of 100-200 persons.
Jasmin Bach, the event manager, presented the application. “This will be the 10th annual festival featuring food and dancing that will celebrate the cultural diversity of the Shirley Ave. neighborhood,” said Bach. “It is free to the public and is a family-friendly event.”
“I have been involved with this event since day one, 10 years ago,” said Novoselsky. “Everybody enjoys it and it is a great event that celebrates all cultures.”
There were no opponents and the commission unanimously approved the application.
— An application by the New England Friends of Bosnia & Herzegovina for a 1-day license for Malt/Wine, Common Victualler, and Entertainment to be exercised at Griswold Park on Sunday, September 24, from 1 p.m.–7 p.m., (with a rain date of Sunday, October 1) for a festival celebrating the culture of Bosnia & Herzegovina with an expected attendance of 500.
Azem Dervisevic, the event manager, presented the application. He said that his group has sponsored similar events in Cambridge for the past seven years and was encouraged by former Mayor Brian Arrigo to conduct a festival in Revere, which has one of the largest Bosnian and Herzegovinian communities in the state.
Dervisevic said that the alcohol-service area will be fenced-off and tended to be a large group of 50 volunteers, who are highly-experienced in serving beer and wine, along with a licensed bartender.
The commissioners had no questions and there were no opponents.
Giuffrida, who is the assistant director of the Revere Parks and Recreation Commission, spoke in favor of the application.
“It means a lot for this festival to be held here,” said Giuffrida, who noted that he was in middle school when the first wave of immigrants from that area of the world came to Revere.
Revere native Dzeneta Velic, a 2014 Revere High grad who won a Posse Scholarship to Centre College and has earned an MBA from Suffolk University and who is the secretary of the New England Friends of Bosnia & Herzegovina, also spoke in favor of the application.
“I grew up in the city of Revere. This is an event we have been doing for the past seven years in Cambridge,” she said. “We have folk dancing, entertainment, and we bring together generations from our community. We are looking forward to bringing it to Revere for the first time.”
— An application from Las Parceritas for a 1-day license for entertainment to be exercised on the grounds of the Beachmont School on Sunday, July 23, from 12 p.m.–5 p.m. for a cultural event celebrating Colombian Independence Day with an expected attendance of 400–500.
Diana Cardona, the event manager, presented the application.
“This celebrates culturally the independence day of Colombia,” said Cardona, who noted that the ambassador from Colombia supports the event and that no alcohol will be served. “This showcases our culture with dancers and singers.”
Giuffrida noted that Revere has the second-largest Colombian community in the state and that the Parks and Rec Dept. fully supports the event.
There were no opponents and the commission unanimously approved the application.
The commission also approved an application for a change of officers for the local Lodge of Elks. James Hannon, the club’s manager, presented the application on behalf of Revere Lodge #1171 of the B.P.O.E. of U.S.A., Inc., 198 Shirley Ave., for a change of officers/directors to reflect the latest election of club officers.
“Every year we have elections and every year we have new officers and directors,” said Hannon.
Novoselsky spoke in favor of the application.
“I’ve been a member there for 35 years,” said Novoselsky. “They run a good show and we had a good election and we’re looking forward to it continuing.”
There were no opponents and the commissioners unanimously approved the application.
The commission also approved an application from Mahavir Enterprises, Inc., d/b/a Convenient Market & Deli, 270 Broadway, Hardik Patel, manager, for changes of manager, officers/directors, ownership, and transfer of stock, from Rajendrakumar Patel to Hardik Patel for a Malt/Wine Package Store license.
Attorney Elizabeth Pisano of the Boston firm of Upton, Connell, and Devlin succinctly presented the application to the commission. She explained that Hardik Patel is the son of Rajendrakumar Patel, who is retiring and selling his interest in the business to Hardik. Pisano noted that Hardik has been assisting his father with the operation of the business for many years and is familiar with the laws regarding the sale of alcohol and is TIPS-certified.
The commissioners had no questions, there were no opponents, and the commission unanimously approved the application.
The commission received two communications, which were as follows:
1. Communication from Ward Councillor Serino concerning noise complaints from neighboring residents of Scalzi Hospitality Corporation d/b/a Casa Lucia.
2. Notification from Massachusetts Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission (ABCC) of the approval of a change of officers/directors for 99 West, LLC d/b/a 99 Restaurant & Pub.
The commission then adjourned until its next meeting, which is scheduled for July 19.
