YOUR LOCAL NEWS & SPORTS ONLINE. SCAN HERE! Vol. 34, No.46 -FREEwww.advocatenews.net Free Every Friday City, State Officials Honor Veterans’ Day at Special Events 781-286-8500 Friday, November 15, 2024 Mayor initiates longawaited revitalization of a community favorite, McMackin Field After completing demolition and clean-out, construction of a new community space is underway with the help of a $25,000 earmark secured by Representative Giannino Special to Th e Advocate M The City’s Veterans Services Dept. honored Revere veterans with two special events on Monday; a breakfast at the Senior Center, and a dinner dance at the Beachmont VFW. Shown during the breakfast were city offi cals and veterans, from left, city councillors Angela GuarinoSawaya, Bob Haas, III, and Ira Novoselsky, Mayor Patrick Keefe, State Sen. Lydia Edwards, State Rep. Jeff Turco and Councillor Marc Silvestri. See pages 9 & 11 for photo highlights. (Courtesy photo, Julia Cervantes) Council approved public speaking segment during regular meetings By Barbara Taormina R esidents will now have the opportunity to voice their views on issues pertaining to the city council’s agenda at the start of each meeting. City Council President Anthony Cogliandro proposed amendments to council rules at the board’s last meeting. “This is just to make meetings more effi cient and give residents the chance to off er their thoughts with no interruptions on anything on the agenda,” he told fellow councillors. Cogliandro proposed opening each meeting with a public comment segment capped at 30 minutes. “It’s the same thing the School Committee does except I doubled the time,” said Cogliandro. Councillor-At-Large Michelle Kelley asked if the public comment segment would be the only time residents could speak at meetings. Cogliandro explained that it would not apply to public hearings since those include opportunities for proponents and opponents to voice their support or concerns about specifi c issues. According to Cogliandro, residents would be able to look at the council’s agenda and prepare their remarks. He also said it would avoid having people sitting in the council chamber waiting for hours for their item on the agenda to be heard. Cogliandro said if the new system doesn’t work, the council can change it. “If the council is not happy, we’ll put it right back the way it was,” he said. Council Vice President Ira Novoselsky had no objections to creating a public comment segment; however, he did suggest an announcement to turn off cell phones at the start of meetings would be helpful. Councillors voted in favor of Cogliandro’s motion to set aside time for public comment. Bulldozers are shown moving dirt and stone onto McMackin Field recently. (Courtesy of Mayor’s Offi ce) ayor Patrick M. Keefe Jr., in collaboration with the Department of Public Works, is proud to announce the revitalization of McMackin Field, a beloved community staple located on Winthrop Avenue. This project, expected to be completed in Spring of 2026, was championed by residents for a decade, since the field shut down in 2014. Much of the work on the project will be completed in-house, by members of the Department of Public Works. The project is bolstered by a $25,000 earmark secured by Representative Jessica Giannino (D-Revere). One of the key components of the project is ensuring proper infrastructure installation for proper drainage. Prior to park construction, the Department of Public Works will complete land clean-up, excavation, and fill the field with eight feet of mixed stone, gravel, and dirt, to prevent future flooding and add to neighborhood resilience. This past week, the City received the green light from the Licensed Site Professional to begin moving stone into the site, marking the fi rst phase of construction on the land. Over the course of the next few weeks, residents can expect to see a noticeable improvement as the site will begin to rise and fi ll up, with an estimated 14,500 tons of fi ll. Mayor Keefe commented, “When I played youth baseball, I used to be excited to play my All-Star games at McMackin Field, and I know I am not alone. I have heard residents speak of similar fond memories of McMackin, and I know how much the space means to our community.” He continued, “I am proud to say that the team at the Department of Public Works is comREVITALIZATION | SEE Page 4
2 Publizr Home