Page 10 THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRiDAy, MARCH 15, 2024 GRANT | FROM PAGE 1 the needs of those who are close to homeownership yet require some assistance to achieve it. “Another important component of the program is the educational aspect. Participants are required to complete a homebuyer counseling workshop, which prepares them for responsible homeownership and equips them with knowledge and resources for informed decision-making throughout the home-buying process. “By promoting homeownership, we’re not just helping individuals and families secure their own homes, we’re fostering community stability, enhancing neighborhood vitality and contributing to the local economy. “I believe that through the First-Time Homebuyer Down Payment Assistance Program, we are making significant strides toward making home ownership not just a dream but a reality for many Everett residents. It’s a step forward in building a more inclusive and thriving community.” “It’s a great program and doable,” Ward 1 Councillor Wayne Matewsky agreed. In other business related to housing, the Council referred a proposal by Councillor-at-Large Guerline Alcy Jabouin and Ward 6 Councillor Peter Pietrantonio to their Legislative Affairs Subcommittee to institute a moratorium on the construction of any new residential developments of four or more units. “We need to breathe,” Jabouin said. “We’re not talking about stopping all building, but we should think of some way to slow it down,” Ward 3 Councillor Anthony DiPierro added. “We’ve got to do something.” Jabouin also off ered a proposal to coat public courts, community parks and school playgrounds with solar refl ective paint as a cooling intervention by the summer of 2024. “It will combat the heat island eff ect in Everett,” she said. GRANT | SEE PAGE 25 SPLASH | FROM PAGE 8 ways popular costume contest, with winners Josette Williams from Dorchester (as a “Sea Goddess”) and Ohana New England Dragon Boat Team (in “Dragon Boat” team costume) each taking home a coveted round trip JetBlue fl ight as their prize. In total, six JetBlue fl ights were up for grabs for biggest fundraiser and biggest team as well as a raffl e for anyone who raised Shown from left to right, Save the Harbor Executive Director Chris Mancini, Rep. Jessica Giannino, and JetBlue’s Donnie Todd hosted the JetBlue Shamrock Splash on behalf of the Better Beaches program and Metropolitan Beaches Commission on Constitution Beach. over $100. “This event would simply not be possible or as fun without our friends and title sponsors at JetBlue, or our event sponsors at Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Dorchester Brewing Company, Renaissance Boston Waterfront Hotel, and FMC Ice Sports,” said Save the Harbor Executive Director, Chris Mancini. “I’m so grateful to the Department of Conservation and Recreation and the Healey/Driscoll administration for their important annual investment in the Better Beaches Grant Program and free beach events all summer long.” Mancini also thanked Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, the Blue Sky Collaborative, Boston Consulting Group, Calamari Fisheries, Coast Cannabis, Comcast, David Nardella, EveryDejaVu, Harpoon Brewery, NamaStay Sober, Voloo Sports, Income Research + Management, Izotope, Jeff Reagan, John Murphy, Kennedy Elsey, Mix 104.1, National Grid, P&G Gillette, the Richard Saltonstall Charitable Foundation, Topo Chico, and Vertex Pharmaceuticals, the Boston Centers for Youth & Families, the YMCA of Greater Boston, Youth Enrichment Services (YES) and the hundreds of people who took part in the JetBlue Shamrock Splash for their support. Proceeds from this year’s Shamrock Splash will be invested in free Better Beaches events and programs on the metropolitan region’s public beaches in Nahant, Lynn, Revere, Winthrop, East Boston, South Boston, Dorchester, Quincy, and Hull. In 2023, this included over 200 free events including Diversity Matters Fest organized by the North Shore Juneteenth Association, the 19th Annual Endless Summer Waterfront Festival hosted by the Hull Nantasket Chamber of Commerce, yoga on Revere Beach hosted by NamaStay Sober, Community Game Nights at the Beach hosted by South Boston en Accion, and more all over our region’s beautiful beaches. More information is available on the Save the Harbor/ Save the Bay website at www. savetheharbor.org
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