Page 10 THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRiDAy, JunE 20, 2025 BOARD MEETING | FROM PAGE 1 his three-month anniversary as a new Everett business owner. He opened up his establishment in the same neighborhood that he grew up in on Ferry Street. Crimson Liquors is located at 358 Ferry Street, while his family home was just down the street at 334. Last Thursday night, ParJ& • Reliable Mowing Service • Spring & Fall Cleanups • Mulch & Edging • Sod or Seed Lawns • Shrub Planting & Trimming • Water & Sewer Repairs Joe Pierotti, Jr. sons was at the city’s licensing board meeting, along with the other liquor store owners in the city, to state their case against banning the popular single use bottles. AltogethS LANDSCAPE & MASONRY CO. Masonry - Asphalt • Brick or Block Steps • Brick or Block Walls • Concrete or Brick Paver Patios & Walkways • Brick Re-Pointing • Asphalt Paving www.JandSlandscape-masonry.com • Senior Discount • Free Estimates • Licensed & Insured 617-389-1490 Designing and Constructing Ideas that are “Grounds for Success” Landscaping er, a total of approximately 50 supporters and detractors of the ban were on hand. The three-member board of Chairman Phil Antonelli, Phil Arloro and Mike Dantone presided over it to hear the people’s concerns on both sides of the issue. Ultimately, it’s up to the board to determine the fate of these bottles. “We had a public hearing [last week] to let the people speak in favor or against nips. The room was 50/50,” Antonelli said. “The board didn’t take a vote, but all three of us gave our opinion, stating we are against banning nips for multiple reasons. I said to Councillor [Katy] Rogers if she wants a vote taken, she should request another meeting in September. We also spoke about Senator [Sal] DiDomenico’s bottle bill that will make the nip bottle be refundable like soda bottles are currently.” Councillor-at-Large Katy Rogers introduced the measure to ban the bottles, and it was seconded by Ward 2 Councillor Stephanie Martins. In a statement that Rogers presented to the licensing board last Thursday night, she said, “The sale of miniature liquor bottles, known as nips, fuel public intoxication, litter and public safety concerns in Everett. These small, inexpensive bottles – often sold for under $2 – are easy to conceal, abuse and discard, contributing to a cycle of litter and neglect that burdens our community. Cities like Chelsea, Newton, Falmouth, Wareham, Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard, and Mashpee have demonstrated that banning nips leads to immediate a positive impact, cleaner streets, safer public spaces and reduced strain on city resources without crippling local businesses.” Days later after the meeting, Rogers told The Advocate that in the span of a few weeks she collected more than a thousand nip bottles while walking around Everett. She made a note of their proximity to schools, public parks and the Malden River. “Indisputably, neighborhoods closest to businesses that sell nips are most heavily impacted by nip-related litter,” she added. “The decision on a local nip ban is not within the city council’s authority, it (still) falls under the Licensing Board’s (jurisdiction) since it pertains to the sale of alcohol. The board expressed that they would prefer to see a statewide solution rather than a local ordinance.Since the meeting, I spoke with Senator Sal DiDomenico, who agreed to attend an upcoming city council meeting (to) share information on his efforts to address this problem by updating the Bottle Bill to include nips. Everett residents are passionate about this issue, and I remain committed to pursuing solutions.” But those oppose to banning the bottles, like Parsons, also had their say before the board. Parsons said, “less than two percent of the (state’s) communities have banned them, and nearby Revere and Winthrop have since reversed their ban on them, while adding, “I’m a small businessman in this city, and you’re killing me in pushing to ban (these bottles).” Also speaking to The Advocate afterwards, he said, “Katy has been fighting for the ban for several years, and she has expressed anger with the board, claiming they don’t live in the city. But I say neither do the police and fire commissioners.” Parsons also said that councillors Peter Pietrantonio and John Hanlon spoke at last week’s meeting against banning the bottles. Ward 4 Councillor Holly Garcia, who didn’t speak at the meeting, had also expressed her thoughts against the banning. He mentioned that Councillors-at-Large Guerline Alcy Jabouin and Stephanie Smith are on the no ban side, as well. “Rogers has this little group called “Clean up (Everett) Litter,” said Parsons. “They have been championing a cause that has been going nowhere for several years. They would go around to the city parks picking up maybe two or three bottles, before heading to one of their cars and grab a plastic bag filled with empty nip bottles to dump them in that area in order to take photos for evidence of the (alleged) litter abuse. Several liquor store owners even went with them once, and all of that played out in front of them.” But, once again, according to Antonelli, this issue should resolve itself in September at another meeting of the board.
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