Page 14 THE REVERE ADVOCATE - Friday, February 8, 2019 Metropolitan Beaches Commission to hold Public Hearings from Nahant to Nantasket he Metropolitan Beaches Commission (MBC) will hold nine public hearings in the winter and spring of 2019 in waterfront communities from Nahant to Nantasket to receive public input about the state of the beaches. The hearing for Revere will be held on Tuesday, April 30. T “The region’s public beaches are important recreational, economic and educational assets,” said State Senator Brendan Crighton, who is Senate Co-Chair of the MBC. “Working together we have made our beaches cleaner, safer and more accessible, and I am looking forward to continuing our work together this year.” The MBC was created in 2006 by the Massachusetts Legislature to make fi ndings and recommendations on ways to strengthen the Boston metropolitan region’s 15 public beaches in Nahant, Lynn, Revere, Winthrop, East Boston, South Boston, Dorchester, Quincy and Hull, which are managed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR). The MBC is comprised of elected offi cials and community, civic, nonprofit and business leaders from Boston and the metropolitan region’s waterfront neighborhoods and beachfront communities. In 2013 the MBC reconvened to examine the impacts of the reforms and recommendations made in its first report and issue additional findings and recommendations to better leverage resources for residents in the future. The MBC was made permanent in 2015. Each year the Commission holds public hearings at the State House and in waterfront neighborhoods and beachfront communities from Nahant to Nantasket, and issues an annual report of its fi ndings and recommendations to the Legislature and to DCR. “As the Commissioner from Revere Beach, the nation’s fi rst public beach, I know how important these resources are,” said State Representative RoseLee Vincent, who is House Co-Chair of the MBC. “Beaches like Revere Beach are premier destinations for millions of visitors from across the Commonwealth and the country, and enhance the lives of the community members who live along their shores.” The MBC will release its third report on the state of the metropolitan beaches in late spring after the hearings are completed. During the last round of hearings more than a thousand people participated, helping the Commission understand what’s working and what could use improvement. “One of the most important lessons we have learned is that the region’s residents really love their beaches and have great ideas about how to make them better. We look forward to hearing from the residents of Hull and all those who love Nantasket Beach,” said Bruce Berman, Director of Strategy and Communications at Save the Harbor/Save the Bay, which has helped to lead and manage the Commission since its inception. Each hearing will give community members and beachgoers the chance to share their thoughts on the state of their beach, and to share their ideas and recommendations to make them even better. The MBC will hold a hearing in late May to review its draft fi ndings with the public before releasing its fi nal report in June. The Commission will hold hearings in Nahant, Lynn, Revere, Winthrop, East Boston, South Boston, Dorchester and Hull between February and May 2019. The MBC held a hearing in Quincy in August of 2018, and the feedback received will also be included in the Commission’s report. The 2019 Metropolitan Beaches Commission hearings will be held on the following dates: • Tuesday, February 12 – Hull • Tuesday, March 19 – Lynn and Nahant • Saturday, March 30 – Dorchester • Tuesday, April 9 – East Boston • Tuesday, April 30 – Revere • Tuesday, May 14 – Winthrop • Saturday, May 18 – Regional Review • Tuesday, June 4 – State House Hearing and Report Release If you love your beach, but can’t attend the MBC Hearing, you can share your thoughts by taking part in the MBC online survey at https://tinyurl. com/BeachesSurvey. Revere CARES announces Mini-Grant Program recipients H ave you ever had an idea for how you could make improvements in our community? So have the applicants for the Revere CARES Mini-Grant program, and this time these ideas are going to become a reality. Every year a group of Revere residents and institutional leaders meet to select the awardees of mini-grants offered to the community through the Revere CARES Coalition in collaboration with Revere on the Move, an initiative of the Healthy Community Initiatives Office at the City of Revere. This year over $15,000 was awarded to individuals, organizations and groups interested in funding to promote healthy eating and active living, to prevent substance use disorders, to improve mental wellbeing and to engage young people in positive activities. The 2019 mini-grant recipients are as follows: Group Therapy Program for “Newcomers” at the Garfi eld Middle School: awarded $378.84 to North Suff olk Mental Health Association in partnership with Garfi eld Middle School to support the creation of a group therapy program in the spring of 2019. The group will be for students who identify as “newcomers” to the country and the Revere community. The group will focus on social skills, positive bonding activities, coping skills and confi - dence-building activities. Public Stair Restoration in Beachmont: awarded $3,076 to the Beachmont Improvement Committee in support of the restoration effort of the public stairs connecting Endicott Avenue to Bellingham Avenue. Beachmont is a walking community, and residents use these stairs at various times of the day to walk from one side of the community to the other. The stairs need structural reinforcement and lighting. Peer Leaders’ Blue Ocean Project: awarded $1,300 to MGH Youth Zone for the creation of the Blue Ocean Project. The MGH Youth Zone Peer Leaders would like to begin an environmental cleanup project for the City of Revere. The project will empower youths to take the initiative and responsibility for protecting the world around them. The project is multifaceted and will include, among other things, monthly cleanups after school in downtown Revere and/or the beach; collaboration with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to assess, collect and report beach trash; participation in Beautify Revere; a fi eld trip with an environmental activist to Rumney Marsh; and an interactive presentation by whale and ocean researcher Ocean Alliance CEO Dr. Iain Kerr. Juice Plus Tower Garden for Seniors: awarded $1,395 to Prospect House to share with seniors the experience of growing healthy food indoors. Programming will include games to learn about herbs and produce, and incorporating the harvested items into recipes for residents. Afterschool STEAM Club: awarded $1,959 to the Beachmont Elementary School to pilot the creation of a new Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM) Club. The afterschool STEAM Club will give students who might not have science and engineering opportunities at home the chance to stretch their minds and enrich their experiences. The Club will collaborate with Northeastern University engineering students. Field Trip for the Garfi eld Elementary School: awarded $840 to the Garfi eld Elementary School Parent Teacher Organization in support of its enrichment fi eld trips. Camping Trip to Mount Cardigan Lodge: awarded $940 to the RHS Outdoors Club for a two-day camping trip to Mount Cardigan Lodge in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. The trip will provide students with an unforgettable experience of hiking and camping – setting up tents and camping equipment, practicing the environmental ethic leave-notrace, engaging in hands-on learning with local fl ora and learning about basic fi rst aid – as well as opportunities for team-building. Revere Youth Soccer : awarded $1,000 to Revere Youth Soccer in support of their eff orts to engage youths of all economic backgrounds. Stress Less Week: awarded $900 to the School Redesign Improvement Team and the Youth Health Leadership Council at Revere High School to organize a weeklong event to help students practice positive coping skills to reduce stress. Activities will include dancing, singing, painting a resilience mural, and a social media and fl yer campaign for handling stress and promoting mental health awareness. Educational Theate r : awarded $3,210 to the SeaCoast High School for Deana’s Educational Theater to conduct performances and discussion that will address issues associated with relationship violence, bystander intervention, and cyberbullying. The project will also include professional development for teachers by the Improbable Players, a theater group lead by actors in recovery from substance use disorders.
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