Your Local News in 6 Languages! Scan Here to Subscribe! Vol. 32, No.30 -FREEwww.advocatenews.net Free Every Friday City officials: Pump station needed to redirect flood water on Asti Avenue 781-286-8500 Friday, July 28, 2023 ~ ELECTION 2023 ~ Public safety, new high school and overdevelopment key issues in Dan Rizzo’s campaign for mayor By Barbara Taormina H Shown from left to right: On Tuesday afternoon Acting Water Supt. Christopher Ciaramella, City Engineer Nicholas Rystrom, Weston & Sampson Team Leader Paul Greco, Acting Mayor Patrick Keefe Jr., Chief of Infrastructure and Engineering Don Ciaramella and Asti Avenue residents Rocco Falzone and Sean Ridings discussed where to divert water during heavy fl ooding along Asti Avenue. (Advocate photo by Tara Vocino) By Tara Vocino O n Tuesday afternoon, city offi cials and Asti Avenue residents gathered for a meeting to discuss where to divert water during heavy rainstorms. “I’ve considered moving because of it,” said Asti Avenue resident Sean Ridings, who has lived there since 1999. “We have flooding up to our knees on WATER | SEE Page 22 Firefighters honor former Revere Jake on his 103rd birthday By Neil Zolot M HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Former Revere Firefighter Maurice DiBlasi waves to Saugus fi refi ghters as they drove by to celebrate his 103rd birthday. (Advocate photo by Tara Vocino) aurice DiBlasi turned 103 on June 20. That’s right, 103. He was born in 1920. “I never thought I’d make it this far,” he confessed. He now lives in Saugus, but spent many years in Revere, living near downtown and working over 35 years as a fi refi ghter. “He loved being a fi refi ghter,” his daughter Joanne DeLisio, HONOR | SEE Page 17 e’s been there, done it, and Councillor-At-Large Dan Rizzo is looking to be the mayor of Revere again come November. It’s a four-man race of sitting city councillors, with Rizzo competing against Acting Mayor Patrick Keefe, Councillor-AtLarge Gerry Visconti and Councillor-At-Large Steven Morabito. Veteran mayoral candidate Cheryl Whittredge is also in the race. Rizzo served as mayor from 2012 to 2016 and was defeated in his bid for reelection by Brian Arrigo. He has plenty of accomplishments to tout from that term but at the top of the list are strides in public safety. “Back then, we had 84 police offi cers in the city,” said Rizzo in an interview with The Advocate. DAN RIZZO Candidate for Mayor “I brought that up to 104, and we had a signifi cant reduction in crime.” But today, Rizzo feels the police department is “dangerousCANDIDATE | SEE Page 18
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