Page 10 THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2021 Northeast Metro Tech dismissed due to propane leak, no injuries reported WAKEFIELD — Superintendent David DiBarri and Wakefi eld Fire Chief Michael Sullivan reported that Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational High School was evacuated shortly before the start of school on Thursday, September 9 due to a propane leak. No injuries or illnesses were reported and there was no fi re or damage to the building. However, classes were canceled for the day as a precaution. The Wakefield Fire Department received a call at 7:09 a.m. that an odor of propane had been detected in the building; the school operates with propane gas. Upon arrival, fi rst responders determined that the odor was coming from the area where metal fabrication classes are taught. First responders removed staff from the building and kept arriving students outside. Propane connections were shut off and the building was vented. Students were moved to nearby Wakefi eld High School. The source of the leak is still under investigation. Clean out of Beachmont Fire Station first step toward creating arts center By Adam Swift I t’s not exactly the Louvre on Revere Beach yet, but the city’s new Public Arts Commission is moving forward with plans to transform the unused Beachmont Fire Station into a public arts center. Since the Public Arts Commission formed in the spring, one of its top priorities has been considering a new use for the Beachmont station. While it will take some time before the old firehouse potentially hosts art shows and provides loft space for artists, the building could be looking a lot sharper and cleaner inside and out pretty soon. “At the moment, I’ve reached out to the DPW to clear out the grounds, and hopefully they will get that done in the next week or two,” said Elle Baker, the city’s open space and environmental planner and a member of the arts commission. “I have requested an estimate to do a clean out of the inside of the Beachmont Fire Station so that we’d be able to bring some people in to give us some proposals.” Once the inside of the station is cleaned out, Baker said, it would be possible to bring in the members of the Public Arts Commission to take a closer look at the property and discuss ideas about its potential development. After that, Baker said, the next step would be to put out a request for proposals for an architectural fi rm to do a conceptual design for an arts center at the station. Those conceptual plans would be based on what the commission would like to see in the space and the types of uses it could accommodate. The conceptual plans would also help determine the cost of redeveloping the building, Baker said. “From there, we would have to seek funding for the plans, and ultimately, funding for the construction,” she said. Baker said the clean out of the inside and outside should happen pretty quickly, allowing for the next steps of the process to move forward. The commission has discussed using the building to host art galleries and events and provide loft space for artists. “It really is a beautiful building,” said Ward 1 Councillor and arts commission member Joanne McKenna. Spa owner indicted on human trafficking charges By Christopher Roberson G eralda De Matos Garland, 57, of Revere, was indicted on September 2 for allegedly using her business, Crystal’s Day Spa, as a front for a lucrative human traffi cking operation. Garland was arrested in April and held on $50,000 bail. According to Attorney General Maura Healey’s Offi ce, Garland ran the illegal enterprise by “recruiting victims and off ering sexual activity between victims and buyers in exchange for a fee.” Garland also allegedly posted online advertisements for commercial sex. She then reportedly arranged commercial sex appointments with the buyers and collected the fees as well. Garland is now facing two counts of Traffi cking of Persons for Sexual Servitude, Keeping a House of Ill Fame and Money Laundering. If convicted, Garland could face up to 28 years in prison and fines of up to $275,000. One of Garland’s employees, Lucas Sobreira, 29, of Everett, is accused of sexually assaulting an individual at the spa in 2018. Sobreira has been charged with Assault and Battery as well as Indecent Assault and Battery on a Person over 14. If convicted, he could face up to seven years in prison and a fi ne of up to $1,000. Earlier this year, another one of Garland’s employees, Giacomo Neto, 41, of Lynn, was reported to have sexually assaulted two individuals on diff erent occasions at the spa. Neto has been charged with two counts of Indecent Assault and Battery on a Person over 14 and two counts of Assault and Battery. If convicted, he could face up to seven years in prison and a fi ne of up to $1,000. The three defendants will be arraigned in Suffolk Superior Court at a later date. The spa is closed until further notice.
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