The City and 31 Department of Public Works (DPW) employees are preparing for what will likely be a long legal battle over alleged overtime wage violations that could go back decades. Nearly every unionized employee of the DPW, from the everyday workers to key supervisors, are part of the federal lawsuit that is currently...
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Officials Discuss Loan for Federal Mandate
The City is preparing to engage in another round of multi-million dollar borrowings to continue the work required under the federal government’s signed Consent Decree with Revere for historic violations of the Clean Water Act. The Council has scheduled a Public Hearing this month to consider $7.55 million in borrowings from the state’s Clean...
Sandcastle Countdown: Fenway Comes to Revere Beach ; Sculptors to Build Replica of Park
Master sculptors at the upcoming Revere Beach National Sandsculpting Festival are preparing to hit a home run with what could be their most popular centerpiece sculpture ever. Meredith Corson of Sanding Ovations told the Journal that the centerpiece sculpture at this year’s festival would be a gigantic version of Fenway Park, in honor of...
Granddad Claims That He Was Falsely Arrested
Making an incredible allegation of false arrest on Revere Beach, a 55-year-old Revere resident filed a lawsuit in Boston’s Federal Court against a State Trooper who allegedly arrested him while he was trying to teach his granddaughter not to play with fireworks. The State Police did not return a communication from the Journal in...
Smith Snubs City Officials over Violations
The king of no-show will apparently now have to show up at a Chelsea courthouse, as Revere fire officials filed a criminal complaint in Chelsea District Court on Tuesday against Everett State Rep. Steve ‘Stat’ Smith in the ongoing saga over his illegal apartments on Yeamans Street. After Smith allegedly dragged his feet for...
Cafarelli Named Permanent Chief
Over the strong objections of one city councillor, the City Council followed the desire of Mayor Dan Rizzo and pushed through the permanent, five-year appointment of Acting Chief Joe Cafarelli on Monday night. Rizzo had taken swift action in February to appoint Cafarelli as acting chief and to demote former Chief Terence Reardon. At...
Local Unemployment Rate Continues to Fall
The city’s unemployment rate has followed a state trend and plummeted more than 2 percent since January, resulting in a rate of 6.8 percent for Revere in May. The entire labor force for the city was at 24,730 people in May, and 1,670 were unemployed, resulting in the 6.8 percent rate. The statewide rate...
From RHS to Harvard: Ferrante Becomes Second in Family to Attend Storied University
When Revere High School (RHS) 2012 Valedictorian Michael Ferrante was in second grade, he helped pack up his brother’s belongings and drive them over to Cambridge. He carried boxes and computers across Harvard Yard and took in everything in the old buildings as his brother, Frank T. Ferrante, nervously acclimated himself to the campus...
Preliminary City Budget Taking Shape for Review
Mayor Dan Rizzo said this week that his first stab at setting a City Budget proposal was a rather tough one, given the limited funds coming into the City, but said he got through it without any layoffs or catastrophic actions. “We aren’t going to have any layoffs, that’s for certain,” Rizzo said of...
Commission Reaffirms Host Status: Revere Officials Question Casino Host Status After Erroneous Email
Something that has never before been questioned is whether or not Revere is absolutely a host city if a casino is built at Suffolk Downs. After much discussion, that foundational question and resulting local controversy seems to have settled. Revere is a host city. But in the last 24 hours, that designation appeared to...
Saugus Man Sues
A Revere Police officer has been hit with a federal civil rights lawsuit this week from a Saugus man who was arrested at the 2007 Columbus Day Parade in the wake of the Officer Dan Talbot murder. Pat Starkey, 37, has filed suit with Attorney Myong Joun of Arlington in Boston Federal Court against...
Remembering Veterans: Memorial Day Exercises Draw Largest Crowd in Many Years
One of the largest crowds in years turned out on Monday for the Memorial Day exercises on the American Legion Lawn as sunny skies overhead helped set the tone for a solemn remembrance. While attendance to the exercises was down for many decades, it has steadily grown over the last three years. However, this...
Student Ideas Will Be Part of Shirley Ave. Gateway Project
A re-design of the Shirley Avenue gateway at the Revere Beach Train Station has featured the unique convergence of professionals and students – and the combination is producing some interesting results. The Neighborhood Developers (TND) has recently initiated an effort to redesign the gateway to Shirley Avenue at the Station, and they have scheduled...
New Look for Police Cars
There’s no excitement about seeing the inside of a police car, but there’s certainly been some excitement in the community and in the Revere Police Department for outside of the new-look police vehicles. Trading in the old white and dark blue striped vehicles that bore the City Seal prominently on the door, the RPD...
Beachmont Home Goes Solar
With frustrating electric bills in hand and the environment on their minds, William and Scott Frye of Beachmont had a bright idea. They decided to go solar. The Beachmont couple is one of the first homeowners in Revere to install photovoltaic solar panels to the roof of their home in order to provide for...
Appointments Catch Some Off-guard
In a move that came as a double surprise to some at Monday night’s Council meeting, Mayor Dan Rizzo called for the re-appointment of several key department heads – all leftovers from the Ambrosino administration – and the Council quickly approved all of them without comment. Those re-appointed were Department of Public Works (DPW)...
Brown Not on Board Ethanol Trains Here Recalling War Service
Some 70 years ago in the South Pacific, an enemy sniper spied a group of American soldiers and suddenly opened fire. The sound of the machine gun tore through the silence and Revere’s Albert Pierni hit the dirt. A bullet whizzed just above his head, narrowly missing him, but hitting the man right behind...
Measuring Success in Pounds and Inches
After one year in business, Millions of Muscles owner Jodi Reath is measuring her success in pounds and inches. Judging by the success of her start-up fitness business on Revere Beach, that’s no small loss. “Since last May when we started with the boot camps on the Beach, we’ve gained a lot of business,”...
Carol Sinclair
The death of Carol Sinclair, who died over the weekend from the ravages of bone cancer, brings to an end the life of one of this city’s most outspoken activists. She was only 71. Carol Sinclair was a true fighter and a studious expert at local public policy. For many, many years, she was...
No Snow Means Money in City Snow Accounts
The mild winter is reaping even more benefits this week as City officials find themselves with a significant surplus in the snow and ice removal account. In beginning to close out the books on the fiscal year, which ends on June 30th, the City’s financial departments have found themselves with more than $350,000 in...
