News Briefs

Applicant Withdraws Plan for Changes to Property at 727 Revere Beach Parkway

The City Council voted to accept the decision of developer Robert Inello to withdraw his application for the reconstruction and modification of the building located at 727 Revere Beach Parkway.

Inello was seeking permission from the Council to reconstruct and modify a pre-existing non-conforming structure and use, which would be a two-story building utilized as two commercial units for electrical contracting companies or similar businesses with professional offices, including indoor parking and indoor storage of equipment and supplies at 727 Revere Beach Parkway.

Attorney Kari-Ann Green of D’Ambrosio Brown law offices represented Inello at Monday’s Council meeting. It was not revealed at the meeting whether Inello intends to re-submit the application at a later date.

Required Triennial Review at Northeast

Superintendent David DiBarri reports that during the week of April 12, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Office of Public School Monitoring (PSM) will conduct a Tiered Focused Monitoring Review of Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational High School.

The Office of Public School Monitoring visits each district and charter school every three years to monitor compliance with federal and state special education and civil rights regulations. areas of review related to special education include student assessments, determination of eligibility, the Individualized Education Program (IEP) Team process, and IEP development and implementation. Areas of review related to civil rights include bullying, student discipline, physical restraint and equal access to school programs for all students.

In addition to the onsite visit, parent outreach is an important part of the review process. The review chairperson from the Office of Public School Monitoring will send all parents of students with disabilities an online survey that focuses on key areas of their child’s special education program. Survey results will contribute to the development of a report. During the onsite review, the Office of Public School Monitoring will interview the chairperson(s) of the district’s Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC). Other onsite activities may include interviews of district staff and administrators, reviews of student records, and onsite observations.

Parents and other individuals may call Moses Nduati, Public School Monitoring Chairperson, at 781-338-3707 to request a telephone interview. If an individual requires an accommodation, such as translation, to participate in an interview, the Department will make the necessary arrangements.

Within approximately 60 business days after the onsite visit, the review chairperson will provide the Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational High School with a report with information about areas in which Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational High School meets or exceeds regulatory requirements and areas in which the Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational High School requires assistance to correct or improve practices. The public will be able to access the report at www.doe.mass.edu/psm/tfm/reports/.

MassDevelopment, MAPC Award MVES $50,000

MassDevelopment, in partnership with the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC), has awarded Mystic Valley Elder Services (MVES) $50,000 in funding to help the agency increase its transportation service capacity through contracts with taxi & livery companies. The funding is through the Taxi, Livery, and Hackney Transportation Partnerships Grant Program, an operational subsidy program aimed at expanding transportation service capacity through contracts with licensed taxi or livery businesses.

MVES will use this award to contract with Malden Taxi and Suburban Taxi to facilitate transportation to medical appointments and grocery stores for seniors and adults living with disabilities who are isolated in their communities. It will also help MVES’ Vaccine Transportation Program which provided free transportation to COIVD-19 vaccine location to individuals age 60 and over.

“Transportation can be a big challenge for older adults and adults living with disabilities who want to maintain a heathy, active life. Accessible transportation services are vital for enabling older adults to live independently,” explains Lauren Reid, Director of Community Programs at MVES.  “Our transportation experts are here to help you craft a transportation plan to fit your needs. We can make sure you get to your appointments and remain connected to your friends and community.”

 MVES provides assistance in accessing community transportation resources that are provided by Councils on Aging, the MBTA’s The RIDE, and through providers that MVES directly contracts with including taxi services. In addition, MVES can help people access services through the MassHealth program along with other local resources. The transportation department can also schedule transportation to medical appointments for consumers enrolled in our various state funded homecare programs who require assistance.

MassDevelopment and MACP awarded $2,543,883 in funding to 47 cities and towns, municipal agencies, regional transit authorities, nonprofits, and health and human service providers through the Taxi, Livery, and Hackney Transportation Partnerships Grant Program.  Administered by MAPC, these grants will help communities supplement existing transportation options, create new programs to transport individuals to work, grocery stores, non-emergency medical appointments, and other destinations, and facilitate delivery of essential supplies such as food and medicine to residents in need. The Taxi, Livery, and Hackney Transportation Partnerships Grant Program is funded by MassDevelopment’s allocation from the Commonwealth’s Transportation Infrastructure Enhancement Trust Fund.

“Getting the most fragile Massachusetts residents to work, grocery stores, medical appointments, shelters, and other critical destinations and creating new business for taxi and livery companies makes these grants special in the time of COVID-19,” said MassDevelopment President and CEO Dan Rivera. “MassDevelopment is proud to put resources from our allocation of the Transportation Infrastructure Enhancement Trust Fund to work to benefit both the taxi and livery industry and our communities, and we thank the Metropolitan Area Planning Council for partnering with us to administer the program.”

“The pandemic has stressed many transit systems, senior shuttles and other shared rides,” said MAPC Executive Director Marc Draisen. “These grants will provide a critical resource to help municipalities and human service organizations to fill the gaps and ensure that people can get to work, shop for food and attend medical appointments. We are so pleased to have the folks who drive cabs and livery vehicles step up to provide these critical services, especially in these difficult times.”

To learn more about MVES transportation services, please call us at 781-324-7705 or visit www.mves.org

Public Art Commission Members Appointed

The City Council approved Mayor Brian Arrigo’s appointments to the newly formed Revere Public Art Commission.

The charter members of the Commission are: Naomi DeMauro, Rob Zierten, Jason Barletta, Kirsten Greene, Brian Harkins, Erin McCarthy, and Ward 1 Councilor Joanne McKenna.

BHCC Language Institute Awarded Five-Year Accreditation

Bunker Hill Community College (BHCC) Language Institute and its Intensive English Program have been awarded by the Commission on English Language Accreditation (CEA) an initial five-year accreditation that extends through December 2025. The full-time Intensive English Program is designed to provide a pathway for international students to acquire a higher level of English proficiency needed to enroll in a BHCC certificate or degree program.

“Normally, the Commission grants a one-year provisional accreditation, so we are very excited and grateful that we have been granted the five years,” said Kristen McKenna, Dean of Workforce Development. “This achievement was a collaborative effort across many departments at BHCC and an important announcement for the recruitment of international students.”

Students in the Intensive English Program study in blocks of 7-week sessions and engage in this preparation right before enrolling into either academic ELL or a degree or certificate program. The Intensive English Program’s mission is to support English Language Learners in their educational, professional, and personal goals by providing rigorous multi-level English Language instruction and accommodating the needs of both traditional and non-traditional students through affordable access to language instruction.

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