Why Revere Firefighters are Standing with Acting Mayor Patrick Keefe:
It’s simple; the safety of Revere is at stake!
Citizens of Revere, my name is Kevin O’Hara. I am the President of the Revere Firefighters Union, Local 926, and I am speaking on behalf of the brothers and sisters of Local 926. We are asking for your help.
Public Safety in this city may suffer as a result of this election. That is why we have endorsed Acting Mayor Patrick Keefe. Acting Mayor Keefe has properly budgeted for the continued building of the Point of Pines Engine 2 fire station. He has approved funding for the purchase of new fire apparatus and continued increasing personnel for proper staffing levels. Staying the course and approving these funds helps protect the citizens of Revere and Firefighters as well.
During Dan Rizzo’s tenure as Mayor from 2012-2015, there were often station closures due to staffing levels within the Fire Department.
When you close stations and take apparatus out of service you affect the safety of residents and the safety of firefighters. Response times can be affected dramatically. Imagine calling 911 for a loved one or a house fire and the response time is delayed due to that station closure –those extra minutes could cost a life or a home.
This is why we, the members of Local 926, are speaking out! In the chart above we have listed the dates under former Mayor Rizzo when stations were closed. Acting Mayor Keefe has continued to hire personnel. He has never closed stations or taken apparatus out of service.
Citizens of Revere help us better serve you! Vote Patrick Keefe on November 7th!
Kevin O’Hara,
President of Revere Firefighters Local 926
Pat Shows Up
A great way to judge a person’s character is how they respond to a crisis. Another great judge of character for public officials is what they do when the cameras aren’t rolling.
In the early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic, when none of us were sure just how bad things would get, I was honored to be part of the group that worked to coordinate and deliver supplies to residents in need, either due to sickness or economic uncertainty.
On the very first day we gathered supplies for COVID response at the Revere Senior Center, Patrick Keefe stood out among elected officials for showing up, being ready to roll up his sleeves and help people – all without any cameras or reporters present.
One of Acting Mayor Keefe’s slogans during his campaign has been that “Pat Shows Up.” I can say firsthand that this is true, and I’ll always appreciate his willingness to show up when the community needed it the most.
Sincerely,
Joe Gravellese
Here’s How We Can Save PTOs
Anyone with children in our schools has probably heard of the acronym PTO. Parent Teacher Organizations (PTOs), are oftentimes a way for parents to get more involved in their children’s education. There are approximately 60,000 PTOs across the U.S. (PTO Today).
As I have gotten to know more families in Revere, I have noticed one common theme—many of their school’s PTOs are run by only a handful of parents. While this might make it seem like only a few parents are truly invested in our schools, I have actually noticed the opposite. Revere families care deeply about their children’s education, including those who cannot be as involved. In fact, even residents without children in our schools care deeply—noting education as the most important part to our city’s growth.
The reality is that in cities like Revere, where many families are working-class, many parents do not have the luxury of being able to give up work. This does not mean that they care about their children’s education any less, it just means that working is their means of providing for their family. So if parents do not have the time involved then who might? Alumni.
I believe one of the biggest areas Revere Public Schools could improve in is alumni involvement. Historically, the way most RPS alums stay involved in our schools is through our teachers. However as our teachers leave, so do our connections to the schools. That is why I would suggest opening up PTOs to RPS alums. I spent nine years as a student at the Garfield School and if they asked me back, I would return in a heartbeat. We would need CORI forms to make this work, of course, but ultimately I think it would mean a lot for Revere kids to see RPS alums still involved in our schools—and it could be a huge help to parents.
Riaz Garcia
Riaz Garcia is an RPS alum and candidate for Revere School Committee. Facebook: Riaz Garcia for Revere School Committee Instagram: @garciaforrevere
Supports Jaramillo for At-Large
Revere’s history is steeped in stories about our waterways and natural habitats. In 1775, the first naval battle of what would become the American Revolutionary War, was fought at Rumney Marsh. Over 100 years later, Revere Beach became America’s first public beach. The historic boardwalk and attractions are memories present in many of our minds and today the vibrancy felt every year during the International Sand Sculpting Festival is a reminder of the valuable asset for our quality of life that our natural resources are.
Still, as the effects of climate change intensify, our relationship to our natural resources must evolve in order to avoid the most disparate effects of a warming planet. For those of us who reside in Point of Pines the increasing risk of flooding and coastal erosion are symptoms of a sickness in the way that we consume energy and dispose of our trash.
Every day, Point of Pines and Revere residents at-large are reminded, by looking east, that if we do nothing, one day the ocean will take back the land we now inhabit, and by looking west, that there are palpable solutions that local and state governments can take to avoid the intensification of the climate crisis. We must close down trash incinerators like Wheelabrator, opt-to move to sustainable waste disposal, and make a fast and aggressive transition to clean energy.
That work takes the bold leadership of elected officials who have a proven record of environmental and climate advocacy. That’s why I am supporting Juan Pablo Jaramillo for Revere City Councillor At-Large this fall. Juan is the only candidate in Revere who has received the endorsement of the Environmental League of Massachusetts and Sierra Club of Massachusetts, the two leading environmental organizations in the state because as the Sierra Club put it in their endorsement “Juan’s experience makes him the environmental and climate champion we must elect at the municipal level.”
Juan’s career is about long-sustained action in support of workers, families, our city and our environment. The future of our city will depend on trusted and experienced leadership of people like Juan in order to solve our toughest issues. Please join me in voting for Juan Pablo Jaramillo for Revere City Council At-Large this November 7.
Carol Haney, Point of Pines Resident
Supports Sawaya for Ward 5
I write to endorse Angela Guarino Sawaya to be the next Ward 5 City Councilor.
I have know Angela for nearly two decades. In all that she has been involved with, she has given it her all. When our children were in school together, Angela served on the parent board and was our volunteer school photographer. She dedicated countless hours to ensure that each school child and family had the best experience they could have expect.
As a community activist, Angela has made her voice be heard in the fight against unbridled development which is overwhelming our infrastructure, flooding our neighborhoods with traffic and overburdening our public safety resources. Angela has proven that she will always side with the residents of Ward 5.
As the president of the Point of Pines Association for the past five years, Angela has worked with her fellow board members to reinvigorate a spirit of community. Most people don’t see the countless volunteer hours that go into these events. Rather than seek praise, Angela seeks to be effective and, frankly, she has been.
The City of Revere is at a crossroads. It is critical that Ward 5 have a new and independent voice to make sure that its concerns and its issue are not left behind. For all of these reasons, I proudly support Angela Guarino Sawaya to be Ward 5’s new champion on the Revere City Council.
All my best,
Jeff Turco
State Representative
19th Suffolk District
A Lot Talk, But Rizzo’s Record Reflects a Different Walk
Dear Editor,
With election season upon us, every candidate will be making promises to the voters. But we should also judge officials by their actions, not just their words.
Dan Rizzo served as mayor from 2012-2016. But based on his campaign, he is running to be the opposite of the Mayor he was while actually serving in office.
As a candidate, Dan Rizzo has focused significantly on opposing new development in Revere, attacking “out of town developers,” and pointing to recent development for related challenges such as traffic and population growth.
As Mayor, however, Dan Rizzo’s administration struck a different tune. Mayor Rizzo oversaw a planning process that called the development of numerous rental units, and hosted a summit designed to “send a strong message to regional and national developers that Revere is open for business.”
In his 2015 State of the City address, he called Revere “a city on the rise in steel and concrete,” trumpeting that “these developments will change the face of Revere for decades to come.” In his office’s 2015 budget, under accomplishments, the Mayor’s office pointed to numerous multi- unit developments under construction from Vanguard; apartments under construction by TA Developers; and additional housing at the former Reardon’s site.
Then-Mayor Rizzo also supported a multi-unit development that later became One Beachmont – a proposal that was fully residential when he initially supported it; then he changed his opinion during election season in 2015 and pivoted to calling for a full moratorium on residential construction.
Following the demise of the City’s hopes of winning the casino license, then-Mayor Rizzo was quoted in the Revere Journal as having spoken with Somerville Mayor Joe Curtatone about the development of the new Assembly Row project in Somerville, and said “there’s no reason we can’t’ do that at Suffolk Downs, and I have every expectation we will do something like that there.”
Then, as a City Councilor, he voted against the actual proposal to begin an Assembly Row-style development at Suffolk Downs – the same one he was hoping to deliver as Mayor. All that changed was who was in office.
When Dan Rizzo voted against building a new high school at Wonderland, he pointed to the site’s viability for development, and suggested it be a source of property tax revenue instead of a new school. But as the Boston Globe pointed out that same week, any development on that site would likely involve thousands of new housing units.
People have many opinions about the changes in the city, and we are all entitled to those opinions. However, if you are voting for Dan Rizzo on the grounds of opposing the new development in the City, you should ask yourself which version of Dan you will get if actually elected.
This isn’t the only example of an issue where Dan Rizzo’s positions have changed based on who’s in office and whether he is seeking your vote.
Mr. Rizzo points to the new Hill School and sports complexes in the City as accomplishments of his administration – and he should rightly be proud of them, as all three have been tremendous assets to the city.
However, all of these projects involved cost overruns and long-term expenses to the city; at the time, he knew they were still worthwhile. But this year, he voted against building a much-needed state of the art new high school, in part on financial grounds – even though his vote and the delays in the process will likely make the project even more expensive.
When residents vote in a few weeks, they should vote based on the candidates’ records in office – not just what they say, but what they do.
Mr. Rizzo’s record shows that there is a reason why voters chose to replace him in 2015.
He cites his managerial experience, but oversaw a failed casino bid that resulted in Revere sticking itself to a deal that earned it $0 in mitigation funds, despite other surrounding communities like Malden, Medford, Somerville and Chelsea receiving millions of dollars each. He then continued to go “all in” on gambling for the future of Revere’s economy, saying the city would be “well served” by a slot parlor proposal that the voters ultimately shot down.
Mr. Rizzo points to cost of living increases that rightly are a concern everywhere, but under his tenure, water and sewer rates rose every year of his term, before finally decreasing under the following administration.
In his time as a City Councilor and as Acting Mayor, Patrick Keefe has demonstrated that he’s someone whose word can be trusted, and who is willing to work collaboratively with people even when they disagree. This is why his former Mayoral rivals, Gerry Visconti and Steve Morabito, have endorsed his campaign, and it’s why he’s received the support from both long-time Revere residents and newer arrivals.
You can trust that Patrick Keefe will always match his words with his actions, and will work with people of all stripes to make Revere a better place.
Sincerely,
Donald Boudreau
Oak Island resident
Endorsement for Dan Rizzo’s Support of First Responders
I am writing to express my wholehearted endorsement of Dan Rizzo, a candidate who has consistently demonstrated unwavering support for our brave first responders. As a concerned citizen and advocate for the safety and well-being of our community, I believe that Dan Rizzo is the ideal candidate to represent our interests and champion the needs of our local heroes.
In today’s challenging times, it is crucial to have leaders who understand the sacrifices made by our first responders and who are committed to ensuring their safety, well-being, and recognition. Dan Rizzo has consistently shown his dedication to this cause, making him the perfect candidate to represent our community’s interests. Dan Rizzo’s track record speaks for itself. During his tenure as Mayor and City Council, he has consistently advocated for increased funding, resources, and training for our first responders.
Dan understands the unique challenges they face daily and has actively worked to address these issues head-on. His commitment to ensuring that our firefighters, police officers, paramedics, and other emergency personnel have the necessary tools and support to carry out their duties effectively is commendable. Moreover, Dan Rizzo has actively engaged with our first responders, listening to their concerns and incorporating their feedback into his policy proposals.
He recognizes the importance of collaboration and open communication between our elected officials and those on the front lines, ensuring their voices are heard and their needs are met.
Dan Rizzo’s dedication to supporting first responders extends beyond mere rhetoric. He has consistently fought for fair compensation, improved working conditions, and access to mental health resources for our heroes. His commitment to their well-being is a testament to his genuine concern for their welfare. In addition to his support for first responders, Dan Rizzo has a proven track record of effective leadership, community engagement, and a deep understanding of the issues that affect our community. His experience and dedication make him the ideal candidate to represent our interests and ensure that our first responders receive the support they deserve. I wholeheartedly endorse Dan Rizzo for Mayor. His unwavering support for our first responders, coupled with his proven leadership abilities, make him the best choice to represent our community’s interests. I urge you to support Dan Rizzo and encourage others to do the same.
Thank you for your time and consideration. Should you require any further information or have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely,
Joe Rizzuti
President Lodge# 20 Northeast Wellness
Fraternal Order of Police
Supports Rizzo for Mayor
I am proud to endorse Dan Rizzo to once again be the Mayor of Revere.
Experience matters in the office of Mayor.
In his previous term as Mayor, Dan literally weathered both an historic winter of snow, the most in Massachusetts recorded history, and the first ever tornado in Suffolk County that wreaked havoc on our City. Despite these natural disasters, under Dan Rizzo’s leadership the City of Revere flourished.
Mayor Rizzo made tremendous investments in our children. Under Dan’s leadership, the City purchased, transformed and expanded the St. Mary’s baseball fields and at the same time rebuilt Harry Della Russo Stadium and the adjacent basketball courts. These bold actions demonstrated Dan’s commitment to the children and families of Revere. These bold actions also represent the commitment to our children that Dan Rizzo will once again bring to the City of Revere.
Mayor Rizzo recognized that a flourishing City required nationally recognized public schools. During Dan’s four years as Mayor, the Revere Public Schools were indeed nationally recognized as the top urban school districts in our country. Sadly, the Revere Public Schools are no longer the recipients of national recognition. As your new Mayor, Dan Rizzo will work to rebuild and restore our Public Schools to once again be a source and pride and honor for our City.
Mayor Rizzo was confronted with an influx of non English speaking families. Dan Rizzo took action. Under Dan’s leadership, for the first time ever, the City funded the Revere Community School to assist our new residents with ESL, citizenship preparation, and job training. Just this year, the Revere Community School celebrated 10 years of successfully making Revere a more welcoming community after helping hundreds of new residents. Real leadership benefits everyone.
For over 10 years, Mayor Rizzo has consistently worked with our State Legislative delegation in the fight to close the Win/Waste incinerator and landfill. For Dan Rizzo, this fight has never been about politics; it has been about environmental justice and the quality of life of our residents. As Mayor of Revere, Dan will continue to fight to bring an end to this injustice once and for all.
Mayor Rizzo understands that public safety is critical to the future of Revere and the safety of our residents. We were all shocked this summer with the indiscriminate shootings on Revere Beach. The simple fact is that the ranks of the brave men and women of the Revere Police Department have not kept up with the explosion of our population and the new level of crime facing our City. As Mayor of Revere, Dan Rizzo will prioritize Revere’s public safety services, Police, Fire and DPW, because we deserve no less.
Revere is truly at a crossroads. In the past ten years, our population has exploded with the addition of over 10,000 new residents. With new development projects already approved Revere’s population will likely exceed 70,000.00 residents by the end of the decade. Dan Rizzo is the only candidate who supports a moratorium on new large scale residential development so that Revere residents are prioritized over the profits of out of town developers.
With your vote on November 7th, you will determine Revere’s future. I respectfully urge you to cast your vote for Dan Rizzo to be Mayor of Revere.
Respectfully,
Jeffrey Rosario Turco
State Representative
19th Suffolk District
