Page 20 THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2021 Team Capone continues energetic campaign With the election right around the corner, Team Capone continues to earn votes one day at a time. Team Capone has been hard at work phone banking, door knocking and sign holding. Fred was a recent guest for a podcast interview with the Brazilian Times. (Courtesy Photos) EHS Pearl Harbor trip remains on schedule – for now T By Christopher Roberson he Everett High School Marching Band is still planning to travel to Hawaii to perform at the 80th Pearl Harbor Ceremony in December. “Everything is still scheduled to go 100 percent according to plan,” said Assistant Band Director Mark Sachetta during the October 18 School Committee meeting. Although nine groups from around the country were originally invited to perform, Hawaii’s spike in COVID-19 cases last month compelled seven groups to decline their invitations. However, Sachetta said he expects Hawaii’s current COVID-19 restrictions will be lifted by December 1. He said 65 students have signed up for the trip, which is slated for December 3-9. They will be accompanied by 10 chaperones. Within the total group, Sachetta said, 95 percent of the students and staff have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. However, if anyone tests positive for the virus within 72 hours of leaving for Hawaii, they will be required to remain at home. “It’s a very solid line that we can’t cross,” said Sachetta. “We’re not going to chance it.” He also said contingency plans are in place if anyone tests positive during the trip and needs to remain in Hawaii to quarantine. In addition, Sachetta said the total cost of the trip came in at $204,225. If the high school were to cancel the trip now, he said, 50 percent of the cost would be refunded; however, after November 1, the entire cost will be nonrefundable. Ward 5 School Committee Member Marcony Almeida-Barros said he is leery about moving forward with the trip. “I’m concerned for everyone’s health,” he said. “From what I’ve read, the situation is not that great. I don’t think we should cancel at this moment, but we should keep an eye on it.” School Committee Memberat-Large Samantha Lambert said the trip is scheduled just days after Thanksgiving, adding that COVID-19 surged in Massachusetts during the same time last year. In addition, Ward 4 School Committee Member Dana Murray raised questions about having adequate supervision. In response, Sachetta assured the committee that his students can absolutely be trusted. “We’re talking about the highest flyers in the entire school system,” he said. “The top 10 in the senior class are all band kids.” District enrollment In other news, Superintendent of Schools Priya Tahiliani said the district has 7,057 students as of October 1. Within that figure, there are 2,265 students in preschool through third grade and 2,615 students in grades 4-8. She said the remaining 2,177 students attend Everett High School, representing an all-time high for enrollment. “Our numbers have remained fairly consistent,” said Tahiliani, adding that the greatest decrease occurred last year when districtwide enrollment dipped by 162 students. COVID-19 update Tahiliani said that as of October 14, 20 residents in the 0-19 age group tested positive for COVID-19. “The pandemic continues to be a fact of life in our schools,” she said. Regarding the vaccination rates, she said 58 percent of students ages 12-15 are fully vaccinated while 68 percent of students ages 16-19 are fully vaccinated. Progress continues to redesign Woodland and Hale School parks By Christopher Roberson F our weeks after her initial meeting with residents, Leslie Fanger, senior landscape architect at Bohler Engineering, returned to Everett with a series of proposals to renovate Woodland and Hale School parks. During an October 12 meeting, Fanger presented three proposals for Hale School Park and two proposals for Woodland Park. The first proposal for Hale School Park would redesign the parking lot and do away with the angled parking spaces, thus increasing the number of spaces from 29 to 36. “I think the parking works fairly well,” said Fanger. In addition, she said the first proposal includes a tot lot and a light mist water feature. “Play equipment advances every year,” she said, adding that net climbers have become quite popular. Fanger said the second proposal would keep the current 29-space parking lot without affecting the park itself. “We want to preserve as much park space as possible,” she said. The second proposal would create pods in each corner of the park with seating, a playground combined with a water feature and a pavilion in the center. “Any park needs a place to sit in the shade,” said Fanger. The third proposal depicted significant changes to the park. “This is a complete departure from the other two,” said Fanger, adding that the proposal includes plans for a dog park. In that proposal, the parking lot would be reconfigured to include 48 spaces running the length of the park. “It turns more of Vernal Street into a park-like setting,” said Fanger. PROGRESS | SEE PAGE 28
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