News Briefs

Ward 4 Community Meetings

Councilor Patrick Keefe is pleased to announce continued ward 4 Community Meetings.

Our committee is focused on continuing to bring city hall to the residents and have their concerns heard, As always direct communication and collaboration works best.  I think the ability to meet with residents face to face will not only give them the opportunity to be heard but also bring the community even closer together and give everyone a form of inclusion.  I am happy to announce that Saturday Dec. 8, at 10am, will be our committee’s fourth quarter community meeting at Luberto’s Bakery on Broadway. We look forward to seeing everyone for an informative gathering.

 

Mystic Valley Elder Services Seeks Volunteers for a Variety of Services

Mystic Valley Elder Services (MVES) is seeking volunteers who have a passion for giving back to the community, and the skills, knowledge and temperament (empathy, compassion and patience) to volunteer in their program of choice.  MVES volunteers donate their time to perform a variety of tasks such as serving nutritious meals to elders, helping young students improve their reading skills, and acting as money management and SHINE counselors.  Volunteers are essential to the success of MVES, helping older adults and adults with disabilities live independently.

For more information on current volunteer opportunities at MVES, please call Volunteer Program Manager, Leah Mulrenan at 781-388-2375 or visit mves.org/volunteer.

Located in Malden, Mass., Mystic Valley Elder Services is a non-profit agency that provides essential home- and community-based care and resources to elders, adults living with disabilities, and caregivers who reside in Chelsea, Everett, Malden, Medford, Melrose, North Reading, Reading, Revere, Stoneham, Wakefield and Winthrop. Agency services include coordination of home care, transportation, Meals on Wheels, and information and referrals. For more information, please call (781) 324-7705 or visit www.mves.org.

 

In the Spirit of Giving: Drivers Needed For Road To Recovery

This holiday season, and all year long, if you have a car and few hours to spare, you can make a difference in the life of a cancer patient as a Road To Recovery driver. The American Cancer Society is now recruiting volunteers throughout Massachusetts, especially in the western part of the state, to ensure all cancer patients have transportation to and from their treatments. Whether you are available once a month or once a week, even for an hour, you can be a Road To Recovery volunteer.

“Every driver has what it takes to help save lives,” said Michele Dilley, program manager for mission delivery at the American Cancer Society. “We’re urgently asking drivers to volunteer to take cancer patients to treatment. One cancer patient requiring radiation therapy could need between 20 to 30 trips to treatment over the course of six weeks. A patient receiving chemotherapy may need weekly treatment for up to a year.”

Many cancer patients don’t own a vehicle or can’t afford the extra gasoline. Some patients may be elderly and unable to drive or have no family members or friends who are able to provide regular assistance with transportation. Some patients don’t have access to transportation at all, and public transportation is not ideal for those who are in treatment and who are fatigued, sick, and often at risk of infection.

Gary Royal, a Tyngsboro resident, started volunteering as a Road To Recovery driver in 2014 after his retirement. He said he was searching for a meaningful way to give back to his community and found the program’s sign-up and training very easy. He now drives cancer patients in an approximately 25-mile radius around his home about twice a week, and he sees his hundreds of rides given in a year as his donation to the Society.

“Driving with Road To Recovery is so rewarding because lots of people need it, especially folks who are going to daily treatments,” said Royal. “I love making connections with people; most of them are hopeful and optimistic. It’s just so easy to make a difference.”

Volunteer drivers donate their time and the use of their vehicles, so patients can receive the cancer-related treatments they need. To volunteer, you must have a valid driver’s license, a safe and reliable vehicle, and proof of automobile insurance. Drivers must be at least 18 years old and have a good driving history. They arrange their own schedules and can commit as many or as few hours or as many hours as their schedule allows. The American Cancer Society provides free training to drivers and conducts criminal background, driving record and vehicle checks.

“Even the best treatment can’t work if a patient can’t get there,” said Dilley. “Access to care is a big problem in our country, with low-income and minority persons and those living in outlying communities suffering the most from disparities. Transportation programs are vital for these patients to get the treatments they need and deserve.”

For information about the Road To Recovery program, to volunteer as a driver or to request a ride, call 1-800-227-2345 or visit cancer.org.

The American Cancer Society is a global grassroots force of 1.5 million volunteers dedicated to saving lives, celebrating lives, and leading the fight for a world without cancer. From breakthrough research, to free lodging near treatment, a 24/7/365 live helpline, free rides to treatment, and convening powerful activists to create awareness and impact, the Society is the only organization attacking cancer from every angle. For more information go to www.cancer.org.

 

Gate Residential Signs Deal with Top Restauranteurs

Gate Residential announced that it has signed a lease with restauranteurs John and Michael Aldi to open a 5,000 square-foot establishment located on the Revere Beach waterfront.

The contemporary restaurant and bar concept – located at Gate Residential’s 305-unit, mixed-use project under construction at 500 Ocean Ave. – will feature outdoor plaza seating, a creative menu and cocktail program and a lively oceanfront dining experience. The planned restaurant and bar adds to the growing economic momentum currently underway in Revere, which includes the development of three, new waterfront hotels and new luxury residential housing.

“Today’s announcement is another indication of the tremendous economic growth underway in our city, and the growing recognition of Revere as a destination with so much to offer,” Revere Mayor Brian Arrigo said. “We can’t wait for Revere residents and visitors to have access to this new dining experience — the location, ease of transit and natural beauty of our waterfront really can’t be matched.”

John and Michael Aldi are investors and operators of several premier restaurants in Connecticut and Massachusetts, including two restaurants at Mohegan Sun in Connecticut, The Reel House in East Boston, Pier 6 in Charlestown and MIJA Cantina & Tequila Bar in Faneuil Hall.

“Revere Beach is a one-of-a-kind location and one of the most storied beaches in America, and this restaurant and craft bar will offer customers great dining in a beautiful setting,” said John Aldi. “We think the space will be a great new amenity that will attract residents and individuals throughout the area.”

The Aldis’ restaurant will be conveniently located on the MBTA Blue Line, easily accessed by those living along the Revere Beach corridor, including at Gate’s other 195-unit luxury community, One Beachmont, which is currently pre-leasing.

“We’re thrilled to announce what we know will be a tremendous addition to the entertainment and dining scene in Revere,” said Damian Szary, a principal at Gate Residential. “Beachfront dining experiences are highly sought after, and we’re pleased that this exciting restaurant will be opening at American’s oldest public beach next year.”

As a leading Boston-based developer, Gate Residential creates vibrant apartment communities in targeted urban areas near highly desirable employment and university markets that are easily accessible by public transportation. Founded in 2010, Gate Residential Properties, LLC is the multifamily development and investment arm of Redgate Holdings, LLC.

 

Arrigo Announces Holiday Parking Ticket Amnesty Program

The new holiday Parking Ticket Amnesty program proposed by Mayor Brian Arrigo and approved by the City Council Monday night will give parking scofflaws the chance to make things right–and do a good deed at the same time.

Under the Mayor’s “Toys for Tickets” program, people who owe fines and fees for past unpaid parking violations have until Dec. 21 to donate an unused toy to the City of Revere Parking Department.  In exchange, the City will waive charges of $30 per individual ticket for each toy donated on up to five tickets.  The toy should be new, unwrapped, of similar value, and brought to the City of Revere Parking Department at 300 Broadway, Post Office Building, Suite 2.

Toys collected through the program will be donated to needy children enrolled in the Revere Public Schools system.

“This is a great opportunity for people to clear up pending, overdue fines and bring happiness to a child who might otherwise have a dismal holiday,” said Mayor Arrigo.  “It’s a way for the City to remind those children that we care about them.”

Mayor Arrigo noted that amnesty programs have been successful in communities across the country in clearing up long-standing debts owed to communities.  “The chance to combine an amnesty program and the administrative benefit of clearing up old debts was particularly appealing,” said the Mayor.

Describing how the $30 waiver figure was determined, Mayor Arrigo said “based on the information we could gather, the average amount owed on unpaid parking tickets was approximately $30, so the $30 figure seemed a logical point to set the waiver amount,” said Mayor Arrigo.

The waiver will reduce any amount owed on a single unpaid ticket by $30.  For example, a $15 ticket that has accrued and additional $15 dollars in late fees for a total of $30 would be cleared in exchange for a suitable toy.  Two similar violations could be cleared for the donation of two toys. Where a single violation generated a $25 fine that has accrued an additional $25 in late fees for a total of $50, a toy plus payment of the $20 balance would clear the ticket.

“We estimate that in many cases, a single $30 waiver will clear the violation altogether,” said Mayor Arrigo, “but this is a chance for someone who has accrued a substantial number of unpaid parking violations to get a break of as much as $150 waived from the total amount owed, and at the same time contribute to child’s enjoyment of the holidays.”

The holiday amnesty program became effective upon the Council’s approval and will continue through Dec. 21.  The amnesty applies to fines owed to the City of Revere regardless of age but does not apply to surcharges imposed by the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles in situations where the RMV already has recorded a non-renewal of license or registration order based on unpaid parking violations.

 

Mayor Arrigo and Superintendent Kelly Announce Grant Funding Opportunities

The City of Revere’s Educational Technology Program (ETP)  is now accepting online applications at http://etp.reverek12.org. The City has a long-standing agreement with local cable access providers to share a portion of operating funds the station pays to support public access programing.

Among the common use of ETP funds are for educational purposes to ensure that students that attend Revere Public Schools have access to state-of-the-art technology, community applications and equip students with technical literacy following graduation.

Any Revere organization can apply for the potential funding opportunity and benefit from the publicly funded program within the following parameter; the proposal must be for technology endeavors that relate to the cable TV system and  benefit all cable TV subscribers.

“The ETP online portal will open the doors to civic participation” said Mayor Brian Arrigo. “We encourage organizations to participate in the opportunity to invest in meaningful projects that will benefit our community.”

The ETP  Oversight Committee, chaired by Mayor Arrigo and Dr. Dianne Kelly, has three primary goals; facilitate community participation, improve educational opportunities, and improve city services. Meetings of the ETP  Committee will be held on the 15th of February, May, August, and November each year. All proposals must be submitted 10 business days prior to a particular meeting date in order to be considered at that meeting.  For more information on the program and how to apply, visit http://etp.reverek12.org.