THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, AUGUST 27, 2021 Page 9 ~ POLITICAL ANNOUNCEMENT ~ Councilor Powers announces bid for re-election in Ward 5 “My name is John Powers; and it has been my honor to represent the citizens of Ward 5 on the Revere City Council. Today I am proud to announce my candidacy for re-election to the Ward 5 Council seat. I am grateful beyond words for the trust that the citizens of Ward 5 have placed in me; and I humbly ask for your support again, so that I may continue to serve you and your families and we may together continue the progress we have begun in the great city of Revere. For those of you who may not know me, please allow me to tell you a bit about myself, about some of the achievements of which I am most proud, and about some of what I still hope to accomplish in the future. I am a lifelong Revere resident, a homeowner and a taxpayer. Among my many City Council roles, I have been elected by my colleagues to three terms as City Council President. I have also been appointed to four terms as Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, which is responsible for reviewing and approving the annual city budget, and as Chairman of the Public Safety Committee, which provides oversight of the Police and Fire Departments. I especially pride myself for serving as a full-time City Councilor – that is my only job. I truly enjoy spending every day working on important city issues and providing constituent services. If you see fi t to re-elect me, I pledge to remain accessible to all Revere citizens, easily reachable, and unfailingly responsive to anyone who needs my assistance, who has a question or concern, or who just wants his or her voice heard. When last I stood for re-election in 2019, I noted our successes on a number of fronts especially relevant to Ward 5; and I am pleased to say that much progress has been made since then with even more to come: A New Point of Pines Fire Station: This is an issue on which I had long been a vocal and persistent advocate. By 2019, we had secured a commitment from the Mayor and City Council to build a new fi re station on the Lynnway to better serve the Point of Pines, Riverside, Oak Island and Lower Revere Street neighborhoods as well as the city as a whole. Since then, we have approved bond funding for a new stateof-the-art facility, which is now in fi nal design. Demolition of the long-vacant Alden Mills Fire Station is already underway; new construction will begin later this year. The new fi re station should Upgraded Neighborhood JOHN POWERS Ward 5 Councilor be fully operational by late 2022. A New Vision for the Revere RiverFront District: By 2019, we had successfully fought two proposed residential projects for the vacant Riverside Boat Works property on Thayer Avenue that were opposed by the Riverside community; and we then passed new zoning that precluded of any dense multi-family redevelopment of that property. Since then, we have completed a community-based Masterplan for the RiverFront District as a whole that envisions the conversion of the Riverside Boat Works property to a community rowing/educational center, that would be an integral new element of an expanded and more resilient Gibson Park; the residential redevelopment of the former G&J salvage yard with an attractive and accessible waterfront; and a reconfi gured transportation network that will directly link the district to Revere as a whole – eliminating the current need to use Mills Avenue to get to and from Gibson Park. The RiverFront Masterplan was approved by both the Revere Planning Board and City Council; and it is already being implemented in many critical respects, including the prospective city purchase of Riverside Boat Works, which is in the fi nal stages of negotiation with its current owner. Improved Neighborhood Infrastructure: With the full support of the Mayor and his DPW staff , we have continued to repave streets and replace sidewalks throughout Ward 5; and less visibly but at least equally important, we have continued to upgrade our water, sewer, drainage and pumping facilities throughout the district. At long last, with my proactive support, we have fully excavated and restored the Eastern County Ditch, which is vital to fl ood control in Ward 5 and has already resulted in virtually eliminating area fl ooding in major storm events. Playgrounds: With the full support of the Mayor and his Community Development staff , we have continued to improve our recreational facilities in Ward 5 for both our younger and our older residents, with new playgrounds at Gibson and DeStoop Parks and the Paul Revere School, with the renovation of Ambrose Park about to get underway. We are also working with DCR on a senior-oriented renovation of Sullivan Park on Revere Beach Boulevard, which will be linked to the Bay Road neighborhood via the new pedestrian bridge at Sachem Street. New Public Schools: Following-up on our support for construction of the fi ve new public schools including the Paul Revere Elementary School and the Rumney Marsh Middle School, both of which serve children in Ward 5, we are working with the Mayor and the School Superintendent on planning for a new Revere High School. This much needed facility recently received essential initial approval from the Massachusetts School Building Authority, which will underwrite a major portion of its cost; and we are currently in the feasibility planning stage. Municipal bonding will be supported by the property tax proceeds from new development at Suffolk Downs and elsewhere in Revere. RE-ELECTION | SEE Page 16 J& $45 yd. S LANDSCAPE & MASONRY CO. MULCH SALE! Discount Spring Special PICK-UP or DELIVERY AVAILABLE 617-389-1490 Premium Hemlock or Pitch Black BELOW WHOLESALE COSTS LANDSCAPERS WELCOME $4 yd. $40 yd. $3 yd.
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