The Advocate - A household word in Revere for 30 years! Vol. 31, No.8 -FREEwww.advocatenews.net Free Every Friday Revere Beach Partnership announces dates of annual Sand Sculpting Festival Festival is themed “Wonders of the World” from July 22nd through July 24th Advocate Staff Report T he Revere Beach Partnership, in coordination with the City of Revere and the state Department of Conservation and Recreation, is excited to announce that it will be hosting the 18th Annual Revere Beach International Sand FESTIVAL | SEE Page 12 781-286-8500 Friday, February 25, 2022 Mayor Arrigo, Clark highlight $18M bridge overpass project By Adam Swift L ast week, Assistant Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Katherine Clark joined Mayor Brian Arrigo and other state and local offi cials at the Andrew A. Casassa Overpass to highlight the $18 million investment from the federal infrastructure law that will be used to renovate and replace the bridge. The overpass was built in 1931 and was the fi rst overpass built in Massachusetts. Prior to addressing the gathered offi cials, Clark was given a quick tour of the leaky, battered overpass by Don Ciaramella, Revere’s chief of infrastructure and engineering. “The Andrew A. Casassa Overpass is one of the 472 bridges in Massachusetts in great need of repair,” said Clark. “This bridge is a main transportation link for the city and its residents, and yet, this 91-year-old bridge – the fi rst overpass built in MasBRIDGE REPAIR: City Engineering Chief Don Ciaramella pointed out wear and tear under the overpass to Asst. Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Katherine Clark, Mayor Brian Arrigo, City Councillor Gerry Visconti, and State Rep. Jessica Giannino this past week. (Advocate photo by Adam Swift) sachusetts – is at the end of its reliable life.” Clark said that when infrastructure is allowed to deteriorate, traffi c and commute times BRIDGE | SEE Page 11 The 18th Annual Revere Beach International Sand Sculpting Festival will be held from July 22-24. The theme this year will be “Wonders of the World.” (Advocate File Photo) Despite council protest, parking meters will remain at Central Ave municipal parking lot By Adam Swift T he parking meters will stay in the Central Avenue Municipal Parking Lot for now. During last week’s Traffi c Commission meeting, the commission decided not to move forward with a public hearing on the request to remove the meters submitted by City Councillors Joanne McKenna and Al Fiore. McKenna said she was not upset that the meters will remain in the lot after hearing the reasoning from city officials, but said she was upset that, as ward councillor, she was never contacted during the decision process to install the meters. Although the meters were not installed in the downtown lot until 2021, City of Revere Finance Director Richard Viscay stated that the vote to allow 144 meters in the lot was actually taken nearly four decades ago in March of 1983. In 2021, Viscay said, the city decided to install the meters in an eff ort to clean up the parking lot and provide more parking opportunities for Broadway business owners and patrons. Viscay also noted that PARKING | SEE Page 11 Councillor McKenna requests permit parking on Haddon Street By Adam Swift W ard 1 Councillor Joanne McKenna has requested that Haddon Street be changed to 24/7 permit parking for the street’s residents, but the city’s parking clerk said he is afraid the move could dilute Revere’s overall permit parking program. During last week’s Traffi c and Parking Commission meeting, the commission voted to table the request to give more time to study the issue. “A couple of years ago, we got Victoria Street to residential parking, and it’s made a world of difference because they only had one-side parking down there,” said McKenna. “It’s the same thing with Haddon; Haddon only has one-sided (overnight) parking, and what happens is that people from Winthrop Avenue and all the other streets are parking on Haddon Street, so what happens is that they don’t have parking.” McKenna said it would relieve some of the pressure for Haddon Street residents if it went from JOANNE MCKENNA Ward 1 Councillor overnight to 24/7 parking by permit. But Parking Director Zachary Babo said the original intent of 24/7 permit parking was to limit it to areas near MBTA stops. “I totally understand the councillor’s concerns and sympathize with the residents of the area; we just have to be careful we don’t keep going and changing it street by street to where we get closer to having full, citywide 24hour permit parking,” said Babo. “Going forward, if we continue to change, we’re going to dilute this program and cause diffi culties enforcing and monitoring the rules and regulations.” McKenna noted that the permit parking program has already become diluted with the addition of 24-hour permit parking in sections of the Point of Pines and Riverside. “To deny this is not right, but we have opened up a can of worms because Point of Pines has resident parking and they are not near a T station; they are near a bus station, but not a T station,” said McKenna. The councillor said she is not certain where the additional parked cars are coming from on Haddon Street, but she said she has heard that some people do park on the street early in the morning and then use a nearby MBTA station. “There is a T stop after Victoria, and after 6 a.m., anyone can park there if they go to fi nd a spot, and they can park there until 11 or 12 at night,” McKenna said. Police Chief David Callahan recommended the commission table the matter so it could take a closer look at what is causing the parking issues on the street. increase and the quality of life goes down. “That’s why the Bid
2 Publizr Home