By James David Mitchell

Jmitchell@advocatenews.net

  For the second time in a year, a special city election ward one council race was held and another winner was named to the seat left vacant by the late James Kimmerle.

  Richard Penta, who had held the seat for eight years prior to his loss to Kimmerle, ran away from the field of three candidates in all three precincts with 71% of the vote over second place finisher Michael John Carter, 15% and newcomer Cheryl Whittredge, 11%.

  In precinct one, Penta dominated with 191 votes; precinct 2, 133 votes; and precinct 3, 96 votes.

  For Carter, in precinct one, 33 votes; precinct two, 23 votes; and precinct three, 28 votes.

  For Whittredge, precinct one, 12 votes; precinct two, 11 votes; and precinct three, 41 votes.

  There were zero blanks in precincts two and three, with four blanks and seven write-ins in ward one.

  Despite the high temperatures, the 14% turn-out was exceptionally low “tide” with a total of 592 votes cast of the 4,214 registered voters.
  According to City Clerk Ashley Melnik, Penta is expected to be sworn-in at the next regular city council meeting on Monday, September 20, 2010. 

National Grid rep: “We’ll do a better job with trenching work”

By James David Mitchell

Jmitchell@advocatenews.net

  On Monday evening, the city council met with National Grid representatives to discuss the trenching work along North Shore Road and the Oak Island area that has been cause for concern for many years.

  John Uphan, Coordinator of Economic Development for National Grid stated to the council that he had hoped to have the North Shore Rd. paving finished prior to Monday night’s meeting but work was still being performed for the grid inlay and would provide a more stable patch to cover the street work.

  But Ward Five Councillor John Powers told the utility rep that the road was appalling, saying that he had almost lost control of his vehicle and that North Shore Rd. has become a public safety issue.

  “All the streets down along Wood Island – trenches not sealed properly - they sink, heave, and have ruts,” said Powers.

  Powers stated that Putnam Rd. had been repaved two years ago thanks to city funding and now the road is not sealed properly.

  The councillor asked for a meeting with a representative from National Grid to go over some of the utility companies work off North Shore Rd. area with the hope that the situation can be corrected.

  “The residents of Oak Island are appreciative of the new gas line,” said Powers, “They deserve it.”

  Ward Four Councillor Arthur Guinasso related his experience of hitting a pot hole on Revere Street by Calumet St. where he thought he “broke his car”.

  “The pot holes have a major impact on the community, especially by Bates St. and Elmwood Street. There’s extensive work in a heavily-trafficked area,” said Guinasso.

  When asked if the Revere Street work was complete, Upham stated that he didn’t believe so, which caused Councillor Bob Haas to remark that despite having great luck with National Grid in the past, North Shore Road was pathetic and something had to be done.

  Councillor-at-Large Dan Rizzo added his two cents, saying that the utility company has left their light poles in rusted condition, especially on Revere Beach, where the city has spent so much money.

  “There are maintenance issues,” said Rizzo. Referring to the light poles, Rizzo requested that someone from the company clean the lenses on the street lights in order to “make the city look a little nicer”.

  Upham said that he would mention that to the maintenance people.

  Ward Six Councillor Charlie Patch questioned whether the sub-contractors National Grid hired hurried in their work, leaving a mess and wondered if the company worked with the city when it came to street-opening work.

  Upham said that every year in the fall, National Grid sends out letters asking city and town Dept. of Public Works (DPW) directors and highway superintendents for their paving lists and review their plans.

  “We work very close with DPW directors, said Upham. “And after the contractors are done, I still own that patch.”

Shaun Hart new RHS Athletic Director

By Stephen Martellucci

For The Advocate

   Revere High School has a new athletic director and his name is Shaun Hart. Hart replaced Keith Correia, who held the job the past two years. Hart applied for the job a mid-June, after finding out that Correia was stepping down, and was offered the job in early July.

   "I am looking forward to it," said Hart. "Keith has been a great help to me and I have met with our fall coaches to get off on the right foot."

  Hart, 38, was at Westford Academy the past ten years where he was a physical education teacher and head coach of the Grey Ghosts girls’ lacrosse team.

 "The coaches work hard here (at Revere) and the goal is to bring back the tradition that Revere had in the past," said Hart, who has become an AD for the first time.

  It was a tough year for the Patriots teams last school year as the only team to make the playoffs was the girl’s basketball team, under rookie head coach Diana DeCristoforo, as they made the states for the first time since 1998.

  Hart, who lives in Westford with his wife and two kids, made his number-one goal clear.

  "I want to meet and work with the youth organizations here in Revere," he stated, knowing that the feeder program is vital to success at the high-school level. "We have to keep our kids here and stop losing them to the Catholic schools."

   One of the other primary goals for Hart is to update the facilities.

  "We are getting new bleachers for the field-house and someday I would like to have field turf at Della Russo Stadium," said Hart, about the Patriots football field.

  With the field turf surface, which many schools including most recently Everett now have, it would serve several purposes. Not only would the Patriots football team play there, but it would open the door for the Patriot soccer teams and field hockey team to play there as well since the field won't wear out like a natural grass surface.

  The third goal is something near and dear to Hart and that would be to establish a boys and girls varsity lacrosse program.

  "There are some things on the table," said Hart, about getting lacrosse started. "It gives the kids another option and keep them busy. We didn't have a youth lacrosse program in Westford when I started coaching there and eventually we did."

  If Revere does get lacrosse, that is another sport that can be played at Della Russo if they get the field turf surface.

  With the things that have happened as far as league changes the past couple of years across eastern Mass., Hart feels that the Northeastern Conference is a comfortable fit for now for Revere and he will see what happens with his teams before he thinks the league might not be a good fit for the school any longer.

  Revere used to be part of the Greater Boston League several years ago before departing to the NEC.

STATE POLICE INVESTIGATING DOUBLE MOTOR VEHICLE FATALITY 

 
  State Police are investigating the deaths of two men in a motor vehicle collision at the intersection of routes 16 East and 145 in Revere early Friday morning.

   A preliminary investigation by the Suffolk County State Police Detective Unit and State troopers assigned to Troop A suggests that a 27-year-old Lynn man operating a 2005 Toyota Corolla traveled into the intersection against a red light and at a high rate of speed at about 1:25 a.m., crashing into a 1995 Toyota Corolla operated by a 65-year-old Revere man.

  Both men were ejected from their vehicles. The Lynn man was transported to Whidden Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead of his injuries. The Revere man was pronounced dead at the scene.

  A short time before the collision, Chelsea Police were called to the area of Eastern Avenue and Cabot Street for a report of an alleged assault during a traffic dispute. During that response, the female motorist who had reported the incident directed the officers’ attention to the Lynn man’s Corolla, identifying it as the car whose operator had threatened her.

  Chelsea officers attempted to stop the car, which accelerated toward and onto Route 16 East at a high rate of speed.

  Chelsea officers followed the vehicle with active lights and sirens until they were directed to disengage their pursuit near the Revere border. That direction was broadcast in light of the suspect vehicle’s high rate of speed. Officers acknowledged that instruction, ended their pursuit, and decreased their speed as they entered Route 16 East. The officers at that time lost sight of the Corolla.

  All of the officers deactivated their emergency lights with the exception of the lead cruiser, which maintained its lights for safety reasons. As the cruisers continued along Route 16 into Revere with the intention of reversing direction, they came upon the crash site.

  A preliminary examination of the scene indicates that the Lynn man’s vehicle collided with the Revere man’s vehicle at a high rate of speed. Investigators also noted the strong smell of alcohol inside the Lynn man’s vehicle.

  State Police investigate all fatalities on Massachusetts roadways. The Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section have begun an examination of the crash scene to determine the sequence of events and possible contributing factors. State Police detectives, assisted by the Crime Scene Services Section and uniformed troopers assigned to Troop A, are undertaking interviews and pursuing other investigative avenues to determine all other facts and circumstances surrounding the collision.