Your Local News Source for Over 30 Years! r Local News So e for Ov r 30 Years! Vol. 31, No.32 -FREEwww.advocatenews.net Free Every Friday City mourns passing of former School Committeewoman Ann Raponi By Adam Swift F ormer School Committee Member and current Conservation Commission member Ann Raponi was remembered this week as someone who represented the best in public service and giving to the city of Revere. Raponi, 93, died on Sunday, August 7. said City Councillor and former Mayor Dan Rizzo. “She will leave a positive legacy for her work towards this end.” Raponi served on the School Committee during the tenure of former mayor and current Chelsea City Manager Thomas Ambrosino. “I’m very sad to hear of Ann’s death,” said Ambrosino. “She was a valued colleague and friend to me during my time in Revere and a dedicated public servant.” Raponi was raised and educated in East Boston and went on to work in the insurance business, owning the A.M. MacDonald Insurance Agency in Newton for over 25 years. School Committee Member Carol Tye remembered Raponi as someone who cared deeply about the children of Revere. ANN RAPONI She was first elected to the School Committee by a joint convention of the City Council and School Committee in 2002 to fi ll the unexpired term of Peter A. Martino. She was then elected for four terms and served through 2009 on the School Committee. “Ann Raponi, in addition to having a distinguished career in local politics, was a staunch advocate for the Youth of our city through her involvement with reading to school children, and doing whatever she could to ensure their long-term success,” “That was the principle that guided all her decision-making,” Tye said. “She had a strong work ethic, was analytical about every situation, and served with empathy for all members of the school community.” Longtime City Councillor John Powers praised her work in the schools and on the Conservation Commission. “Ann was a great person, she was very active in the community and very involved,” said Powers. “She was the type of person you want to see as a citizen in Revere. She loved Revere and took her activity very seriously.” As the councillor for Ward 5, which has a number of environmental concerns, Powers said he MOURNS | SEE Page 20 781-286-8500 Friday, August 12, 2022 Mayor, school supt. host public safety forum with police and fire officials ners the school department has with police and fi re departments. “People often think that schools are institutions unto themselves, but the work that we do with this team is invaluable in making sure that our students and our staff are all safe on a day-to-day basis,” said Kelly. Mayor Brian Arrigo and Supt. of Schools Dr. Dianne Kelly spoke about the cooperation between the schools and the public safety department. (Advocate photo by Adam Swift) By Adam Swift I n the wake of the recent school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, Mayor Brian Arrigo and school and public safety offi cials hosted a school safety community forum at the West Revere School Complex on Wednesday night. The overriding theme of the night was the close cooperation between all city departments to ensure school safety, and the need of parents and students to stay involved to help prevent an incident before it happens. “We have the best people in uniform who are in charge of public safety,” said Arrigo. “Between our police department and our fire department, we have unbelievable people who live and breathe making sure we are all safe.” Superintendent of Schools Dr. Dianne Kelly said she wants to emphasize the incredible part“The two chiefs – the police chief and the fi re chief – and I are fortunate to be on the mayor’s cabinet, so we have weekly meetings that we are all in the same room together where we talk about what’s happening and what we are worried about and what we are hearing in the community and what things each of us should be focused on to ensure that safety at all times.” In addition, Kelly said the School Committee has a subcommittee focused solely on safety led by School Committee Member Susan Gravellese. Fire Chief Christopher Bright said the public safety departments have the training and tools to handle any situation, but he added that parents and students also need to be involved in the process. “I think this comSAFETY | SEE Page 17 Finally: Groundbreaking ceremony for new Public Works facility a long-awaited reality GROUND | SEE Page 16 Joining the mayor in breaking ground were Water and Sewer Superintendent Donny Ciaramella, City Council President/Councillor-at-Large Gerry Visconti and State Rep. Jessica Giannino.
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