Page 2 THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2021 ANGELO’S FULL SERVICE Regular Unleaded $2.959 Mid Unleaded $2.999 Super $3.119 Diesel Fuel $3.079 "42 Years of Excellence!" 1978-2020 KERO $4.65 DEF $3.49 9 Diesel $2.799 9 HEATING OIL 24-Hour Burner Service Call for Current Price! (125—gallon minimum) DEF Available Open an account and order online at: www.angelosoil.com (781) 231-3500 (781) 231-3003 367 LINCOLN A A DA T Schools address bus issues By Adam Swift he School Department is taking steps to address the bus shortage that has hit the state and the country in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the past several weeks, administrators have worked to consolidate bus routes and bring in several drivers from the National Guard to help alleviate transportation problems. “We have experienced some challenges with transportation as we opened the school year, and that’s not unique to Revere,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Dianne Kelly. “That’s a trend that’s been experienced across the Commonwealth and across the country.” In Revere, there were several factors that led to the transportation issues, according to Assistant Superintendent of Schools Ricard Gallucci, including the inability to double up on bus routes as in past years, and a higher ridership than initially expected. www.eight10barandgrille.com We Have Reopened for Dine-In and Outside Seating every day beginning at 4 PM “We thought we would need 25 buses to cover the district,” said Gallucci. “From the fi rst week of school, we quickly discovered that that was not the case, that we needed probably close to 31 buses to cover all the schools and riders at all the schools.” A variety of steps were taken to alleviate some of the issues, including consolidating buses for some of the elementary schools. Gallucci said the schools were able to drop the number of buses at the elementary schools from eight to four. As in other surrounding communities, the National Guard has stepped up to help with some routes. Gallucci said the district should quickly fi nalize an arrangement where three school vans are being driven by members of the National Guard. “I think what we have learned from this is that the process of preparation has to be a lot more extensive and lot tighter so we can go right into the school year knowing what our ridership is and understanding who is taking the buses and really giving families more information ahead of the school year,” Gallucci said. Gallucci said he is working with the district’s communications director to help improve how the bus information is communicated to families. In addition, Gallucci said the district is working on several longer term solutions to help improve the bus situation, including hiring more drivers and bus monitors and implementing new scanning technology that makes it easier to track the students taking the buses. School Committee Member Michael Ferrante asked how short the district is on drivers and monitors. “I wouldn’t say we are extremely short, but we have a healthy amount of hiring to do,” Gallucci said. He said the district could use seven or eight new monitors and at least three new bus drivers. Several School Committee members also raised the possibility of providing CharlieCards to middle and high school students so they could use public transportation. Kelly noted that discounted student-rate CharlieCards are available at the middle and high schools. School Committee Member Carol Tye said that once the current transportation situation calms down she would like to see the district look into the possibility of providing free CharlieCards to students, as is done in the Boston schools. ~ LETTER TO THE EDITOR ~ Councillor Rotondo blames state and Boston officials for mistreating seniors Dear Editor: This is a heartless act and WE'RE OPEN! 8 Norwood Street, Everett (617) 387-9810 STAY SAFE! total disregard for those with Substance Abuse Disorder. In the midst of a healthcare crisis. As a Registered Nurse and public offi cial in Revere, this is a horrifi c miscarriage of equity in health care for our most needy. Dumping Boston’s sick and vulnerable, unscreened for COVID-19 into Revere hotels instead of treatment programs is an atrocity. We should be getting vast amounts of state assistance to treat these poor people abandoned and dropped in our hotels by the state and city of Boston. Revere welcomes newcomers from around the world, but this is heartless. Revere needs to build a new high school, help our seniors now we are given the added task of caring for Boston abandoned patients stricken with Substance abuse disorder. Total lack of leadership, inhumane treatment of those in crisis and no outrage by Boston’s Public offi cials is shocking. Imagine, Boston is the mecca of medicine and addiction treatment and instead of treating substance abuse disorder they dumped these poor people in the city of Revere. This is an outrage. Mayor Arrigo, I stand shoulder to shoulder with you on this malpractice and injustice by Boston and state offi cials. Cheryl Fiandaca, this is an utter disgrace! Sincerely, George Rotondo PO BOX 128 Revere, MA 02151 781-248-6972 Prices subject to change FLEET
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