2022 – A Year In Review

  In a razor-thin 6-5 vote, Councillor-at-Large John Hanlon was elected to lead the City Council through 2022.Hanlon has more than four decades of experience as a public official. During that time, he served two years as mayor, 18 years as the city clerk and 22 years on the Board of Aldermen.

  The School Committee vote was much different as Ward 3 Member Jeanne Cristiano was the unanimous choice for chairperson while Ward 6 Member Michael McLaughlin was unanimously voted as vice-chairperson. She urged her colleagues to remember the residents who voted to elect them. “They should form our blueprint,” said Cristiano.

  Mayor Carlo DeMaria outlined the next four years in a State of the City Address.

  · We will keep increasing the availability of affordable housing units so residents will be able to afford to continue to call Everett their home.

  · We will coordinate with all our public and private social and human service partners to make sure that residents have access to the medical, mental health, housing and workforce development opportunities they need to lead healthy, fulfilling lives.

  It appears COVID-19 has reared its ugly head once more, as the recent surge in infections statewide prompted Greater Boston League (GBL) officials to put a temporary hold on all competition, as of Monday, Jan. 3. The suspension of competition and practices is, for now, set to be in place until Saturday, Jan. 8, when practices can resume. All eight member schools in the GBL, of which Revere, Malden and Everett are included, are subject to the suspension.

  As a result of the ongoing surge in COVID-19 cases, Zion Church Ministries announced that the 17th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholarship Breakfast, scheduled for Monday, January 17, has been cancelled.

  The Georgia Bulldogs defeated Alabama, 33-18, in the College Football National Championship, winning their first title since 1980 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Monday night. A former Everett High School defensive standout, Lewis Cine, was honored as the defensive player of the game.

  In the spirit of transparency, School Committee Vice-Chairperson Michael McLaughlin recently suggested implementing a 90-day hiring freeze on positions that are not “classroom-related.” “This is to give us the opportunity to look at where the School Department is going,” he said during the committee’s January 18 meeting.

  The City Council, during its January 24 meeting, voted unanimously to approve a $100,000 transfer to begin the process of replacing the roof at the Webster School. Superintendent of Schools Priya Tahiliani said this was a necessary first step in order for the project to be eligible for partial reimbursement from the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA).

  Michael Mambrino, 18, of Brookline, was arrested on February 8 in connection with starting the two-alarm fire that gutted a vacant warehouse at 69 Norman St. during the late evening hours of January 23. The Everett warehouse had been empty for the past year and a half and was slated for demolition to make way for Artemas, a 398-unit apartment building.

February

  The Stop & Shop at 1690 Revere Beach Pkwy. could be razed to make way for two mixed-use buildings. In other news, the board approved a Neighborhood Plan intended to bolster the growth of the Commercial Triangle Economic Development District.

  Parents aggressively berated school officials and administrators for their lack of transparency and communication regarding the Everett High School lockdown on January 26. During the School Committee’s February 7 meeting, parent Michelle Seward described the emotional trauma from that day and how district leaders were not there in a time of need.

  Ward 1 Councillor Wayne Matewsky spoke once again about his ongoing effort to construct a public safety complex to service Lower Broadway and Encore Boston Harbor. He said that during the past year more than 1,500 emergency calls originated from that part of the city.

  Superintendent of Schools Priya Tahiliani files a complaint with the Mass. Commission Against Discrimination against Mayor Carlo DeMaria after discovering security cameras in the ceiling in the Vine Street office. But according to the security company that placed the cameras during the previous Supt.’s administration, they were disconnected the day after they were installed, long before Tahiliani became superintendent.

  After being on hold since the beginning of the year, the revised plan for East of Broadway was recently presented to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC). During the commission’s February 10 meeting, Christopher Gordon, president of Wynn Development, said the size of the events center has been scaled back from 1,800 seats to 999 seats.

  The City Council, during its February 17 meeting, voted 6-5 to enroll the ordinance sponsored by former Ward 3 Councillor Anthony DiPierro to keep Mayor Carlo DeMaria’s longevity pay at $2,500 per year. “In government, you have to compromise; I believe my ordinance does just that,” said DiPierro. “The current individual serving as mayor has 28 consecutive years of service to this community.”

  The proposed East of Broadway project encountered staunch resistance during the recent public hearing held by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission. It would feature a pedestrian footbridge, a 999-seat events center, 20,000 square feet of retail space and a parking garage for 2,900 vehicles, as well as the possibility of three hotels and seven restaurants.

  For the first time in nearly two years, Everett students can go to school without masks. During the February 28 meeting, School Committee Member-at-Large Samantha Lambert originally suggested that the mandate remain in effect until March 14.

March

  A recent review of certification status showed that nearly all teachers and administrators in the district hold the required license for their respective positions. “We’re on pretty rock-solid ground,” said Superintendent of Schools Priya Tahiliani during the March 7 School Committee meeting.

  To coin a phrase from a well-known Hollywood movie franchise, the Everett High boys’ basketball team came back “fast” – and “furious” – last Friday night, in their opening game in the MIAA Division 1 State Basketball Tournament. Head Coach Stanley Chamblain’s Tide squad finished the season at 16-5 overall, as undefeated Greater Boston League champs (14-0), but disappointed with an early exit in the first-ever, true statewide tournament.

  The City Council recently voted 7-3 against adopting a state statute to provide Paid Medical Leave to municipal employees. During the council’s March 14 meeting, Ward 2 Councillor Stephanie Martins said 1,900 Everett employees, including those in the School Department, would benefit from the statute.

  The Everett High School Boys Basketball team finished the regular season as undefeated Greater Boston League (GBL) Champions with a perfect, 14-0 league record. The Everett High School varsity girls’ basketball team and Head Coach Riley Dunn were honored at the conclusion of the 2021-22 season when at a postseason coaches’ meeting, the Crimson Tide was voted “Team Sportsmanship” Award winner by the league coaches.

April

  With an emphasis on safety, Superintendent of Schools Priya Tahiliani recently submitted the district’s $108.1 million budget request for fiscal year 2023. That amount is $9.1 million higher than last year’s figure.

  In an effort to alleviate the racial tension gripping the city, Ward 2 Councillor Stephanie Martins and Ward 5 Councillor Vivian Nguyen cosponsored a Resolution intended to condemn racism and promote diversity. “The most disgraceful thing we have in this city is the fact that people are unable to listen to the people of color who are speaking,” Martins said.

  The School Committee voted unanimously to allow Superintendent of Schools Priya Tahiliani to submit a Statement of Interest (SOI) to the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) for a new high school. During the committee’s April 5 meeting, Assistant Superintendent of Operations Charles Obremski said the current Everett High School is exceeding its capacity by 387 students.

  On March 31, the Massachusetts Senate voted unanimously to pass legislation sponsored by State Senators Sal DiDomenico and Adam Gomez that would end race-based hair discrimination in the Commonwealth. This legislation was inspired in part by sisters Mya and Deanna Cook, who as teens gained national attention after successfully overturning their school policy which had barred them from taking part in school activities.

  The long-awaited reconstruction of Ferry Street is now underway. During the April 11 City Council meeting, Engineering Director Eric Swanson said the project began one week earlier and will take three years to complete.

  Looking ahead over the next five fiscal years, Assistant Superintendent of Operations Charles Obremski recently outlined a series of capital requests totaling approximately $17.6 million. The largest item in this CIP is a $2 million request to install modular classrooms at the Keverian School.

  Mayor Carlo DeMaria recently met with U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren and fellow municipal and state leaders to discuss the electrification of the Commuter Rail. All the elected officials agreed on the benefits that could be realized across the region with the expansion of Commuter Rail and the addition of infill stations along the corridor.

  Mayor Carlo DeMaria recently announced that the City of Everett will be offering permits for outdoor dining to businesses in Everett.

  The School Committee, during its April 25 meeting, voted unanimously to approve its $108.1 million budget request for fiscal year 2023 and $18.8 million in capital requests through fiscal year 2027. That amount is $9.1 million higher than last year’s figure.

  Ward 4 Councillor Jimmy Tri Le made a mad dash for the Malden District Court parking lot to avoid press cameras following his April 28 hearing on charges of indecent assault and battery filed by a female councillor. Le has pleaded not guilty.

  Ward 2 School Committee Member Jason Marcus recently presented a citation to Everett High School Varsity Softball Coach Stacy Poste-Schiavo in recognition of her 300th career win, which took place during a victory at home against Somerville on April 18. “It’s about the kids,” she said. “It’s been a great run and I hope I can get 100 more.”

  Lewis Cine hasn’t stayed put for too long during his 22 years, so moving to a new city to play for whichever team picks him in the NFL draft figures to be an easy transition. That city will be Minneapolis as he was selected in the first round with the 32nd pick by the Minnesota Vikings.

  This spring the City Council has been mired in controversy over Ward 3 Councillor Anthony DiPierro’s racist behavior through social media and in a leaked video that included Everett Director of Communications Deanna Deveney. On Monday, DiPierro announced his resignation.

June

  In what could be called a bombshell to the Philbin newspaper venture the Everett Leader Herald, which published, according to Everett Mayor Carlo DeMaria’s defamation lawsuit filed on October 7, 2021, two stories in Sept. of 2021 prior to the primary election claiming Everett City Clerk Sergio Cornelio made accusations that the mayor extorted him after partnering in a commercial property deal, Cornelio has testified to the contrary. A judge ruled that the lawsuit can expand back to 2017 when Philbin bought the newspaper.

  The Everett City Council on Monday appointed Darren Costa – replacing former Ward 3 Councillor Anthony DiPierro.

  The School Committee voted not to extend the superintendent’s contract to 2026 during their meeting on Tuesday at Everett High School. “I love my job,” Superintendent of Schools Priya Tahiliani said. “I am respectfully requesting that you vote tonight to approve my extension.”

July

  Councillor-at-Large Irene Cardillo addressed some allegations made about her character during Monday’s council meeting at City Hall. “Last meeting, two weeks ago, I was caught off guard very hurt and upset,” Cardillo said during a point of personal privilege. “I don’t like bullies – I was bullied.”

  Planning Board members on Tuesday considered development proposals that could result in hundreds of new housing units being built in Everett. The proposals include tearing down an existing residential structure and detached garage at 52 School St. and building a five-story 71,035-square-foot residential building. This structure would contain 55 residential units, 31 parking spaces and accessible open space The applicant is proposing that nine of the units be designated as affordable housing.

  Everett High School Athletic Director Tammy Turner has been named a 2022 Commonwealth Heroine by the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women (MCSW). Turner was nominated by State Representative Joe McGonagle for her service to Everett athletics and the community at large, as well as for being a great role model for women and girls everywhere.

  City councillors voted to install a bench in honor of former City Clerk and Common Council Member Michael Matarazzo during Monday’s meeting at City Hall. Councillor-at-Large Richard Dell Isola, who grew up on the same street as Matarazzo, said the late city clerk was friends with all of the council members.

  The City Council members voted 7-3 to reappoint City Clerk Sergio Cornelio to a five-year term during Monday’s Special Meeting at City Hall. Originally scheduled to be held in executive session, the decision came after a 7-3 vote to go back to the City Council floor.

  In his ongoing effort to clean up the city’s “doorstep” along the Boston/Everett city line, Mayor Carlo DeMaria this week expressed his support for future development at Constellation Energy’s 43-acre Mystic Generating Station property at 173 Alford St., Boston, which would complement the Encore Boston Harbor site with the possibility of such additions as hotels and restaurants to Bio-Tech startups and Life Science companies. “We have local zoning already in place that is designed to prevent new development that would be as objectionable as what is there currently,” DeMaria said.

August

  Attorneys from the law firm of Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr LLP representing Mayor Carlo DeMaria won approval from the Middlesex Superior Court Judge Sarah Weyland Ellis on Aug. 18, 2022, to allow the expansion of the lawsuit against the owner and reporter of the Everett Leader-Herald newspaper, including City Clerk Sergio Cornelio and Andrew Philbin, Sr. The complaint points to Resnek’s admissions under oath that he, on behalf of the Leader Herald Defendants fabricated defamatory articles about Mayor DeMaria accusing him of criminal conduct, knowing that they had no basis in fact and were, indeed, “fiction” and “BS.”

  State Representative Joe McGonagle is out and about campaigning for reelection ahead of primary day, which is Tuesday, September 6. “It’s great to be out here seeing our community and letting them know I want to continue to fight for them on Beacon Hill,” said McGonagle.

  The Everett Public Schools (EPS) will open its doors to students for the first day of 2022-2023 on Wednesday, August 31, as administrators and educators look forward to an academic calendar free from the restrictions, apprehension and caution that have characterized much of the past two school years. “Anticipation for the start of any school year is sky high,” said Superintendent of Schools Priya Tahiliani.

  State Senator Sal DiDomenico joined his colleagues and community leaders for the signing of The CROWN Act by Governor Charlie Baker in his State House office. Special guests included Mya and Deanna Cook – the sisters who were the inspiration for this legislation that prohibits the denial of employment and educational opportunities in places of work, schools and school-related organizations because of hair texture or protective hairstyles, such as braids, locks and twists, used by people by color.

  MBTA officials on Wednesday announced a dramatic move that they said would lead to improved “service, safety and reliability” on one of its most heavily used transit lines. Riders are being encouraged to work from home during this historic, unprecedented 30-day total shutdown of the MBTA’s Orange Line as the agency moves to address long overdue maintenance. The MBTA announced the shutdown beginning at approximately 9 p.m. on Friday, August 19 through September 18, with service resuming on Monday, September 19.

  On Monday, August 1, Rep. Joe McGonagle, along with his colleagues in the Massachusetts Legislature, passed An Act regulating sports wagering – authorizing and regulating sports betting in the Commonwealth. The legislation authorizes the Massachusetts Gaming Commission to grant in-person licenses at gaming establishments, including casinos, racetracks and simulcast facilities, as well as mobile licenses through mobile applications or digital platforms.

  Dennis Lynch, former Albert Parlin School principal, will lead Everett High School this academic year. He previously served as a probation officer for several years.

  State Rep. Joseph McGonagle celebrated his State Primary victory at his home on Tuesday night. He defeated challenger Guerline Alcy by 636 votes and will now face Councillor-at-Large Michael Marchese, an Independent, in the November election.

  During Wednesday’s School Committee meeting at Everett High School, the School Committee voted 5-4 to send a letter to the City Council recommending that the former Pope John XXIII High School be converted into a space for the Everett Public Schools. Superintendent of Schools Priya Tahiliani said she views this property as ideal; however, she added that it must be a collaborative decision. During Monday’s meeting at City Hall, City Councillors recommended favorable action for the administration to provide an update on the disposition on the former Pope John HS site and suggested councillors take a walk through the former school.

October

  On September 28, State Senator Sal DiDomenico was invited to the first White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health in over 50 years. During the summit, President Joe Biden announced an ambitious goal of eliminating hunger and tackling diet-related and preventable diseases in the United States by 2030. Senator DiDomenico has prioritized expanding access to nutritious food and combatting food insecurity for the entirety of his Senate career and has helped create food and nutrition programs in Massachusetts that are now being pointed to as ideas the rest of the country should adopt. “I was honored to be invited to join leaders from across the country for this historic White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health,” said Senator DiDomenico, who is Assistant Majority Leader of the Massachusetts Senate.

  Two architects who asked to appear before the City Council and school administrators appeared before Tuesday’s City Council meeting at City Hall. Architect Frank Tedesco, principal of Mount Vernon Group Architects, estimated rehabilitation costs would be $76 million, including inflation and soft costs, according to a feasibility study.

  On Saturday, October 8, Mass Badge hosted a Black-Tie Gala at the Seaport Hotel in Boston to commemorate the organization’s 25th Anniversary. State Representative Joseph McGonagle presented the organization with a special citation for their momentous occasion.

  On October 12, Mayor Katjana Ballantyne hosted Senator DiDomenico, Representatives McGonagle and Ryan, along with dozens of elected officials and agency staff, to celebrate collective efforts to protect coastal cities along Greater Boston’s Mystic River from sea level rise and extreme coastal storms. Senator DiDomenico worked with Representatives McGonagle and Ryan, along with other state legislators from the Mystic Watershed communities, to secure millions of dollars in bonding authority to support the development of these critical coastal resilience projects.

November

  The School Committee voted 6-4 to notify the superintendent in writing before December 1 whether or not it plans to commence negotiations for a successor agreement with the Superintendent during Monday’s School Committee meeting at Everett High School. School Committee Chairperson Jeanne Cristiano, who represents Ward 3, read a memorandum received from Attorney Robert Galvin, Esq. to the School Committee dated Monday – “I’m offering this memorandum that the committee has the discussion and that the committee should have written notice that it wishes to have contract negotiations,” Galvin wrote.

  Like nearly every district across the state, the Everett Public Schools Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment (MCAS) results took a dive between 2019 and last year, 2021, the first testing administered during the pandemic. While some showed some improvement during this past year’s 2022 MCAS, Everett schools did not, and in some grade levels actually declined from 2021 to 2022.

  The School Committee voted 7-1 to approve a settlement agreement between the Everett Public Schools and the SEIU, a custodian union, during Monday’s School Committee meeting at Everett High School. Ward 2 School Committee Member Jason Marcus suggested that a two percent raise over a three-year term wasn’t enough to live on.

  Out of 22,564 registered voters, 8,232 ballots were cast, resulting in a 36.48 percent voter turnout during Tuesday’s State General Election. State Representative Joseph McGonagle topped the ticket with an impressive landslide victory with 4,629 to 1,946 votes over his opponent, Michael Marchese, an Everett Councillor-at-Large.

  Recently, an Everett Youth Commission board member and local pastor received The President’s Lifetime Achievement Award, signed by President Joseph Biden. Pastor Chaplain Myreille Daniel said she was the only Everett resident to receive this prestigious honor in 2022.

    A public hearing on a free petition, in accordance with Section 8-1 of the Everett City Charter, requesting a five-year moratorium on new housing developments in the city greater than three families and strict enforcement of current city ordinances regarding building and conversation of one-, two- and three-family properties was discussed at length during Tuesday’s Special City Council meeting at City Hall. The city’s Land Use Attorney, Jonathan Silverstein, said he suspects if the five-year moratorium was challenged, it would be successful.

December

  Councillors voted 10-0 to adopt the minimal residential factor in setting the city’s Fiscal 2023 tax rate during Monday’s Special City Council meeting at City Hall. The council set the residential factor at $11.78 for residential and $25.36 for commercial, industrial and personal properties, effective January 1, according to Chief Financial Officer Eric Demas.

  Everett Leader Herald former photographer and newspaper layout designer James “Jim” Mahoney met with attorneys for Mayor Carlo DeMaria on Dec. 16, 2022, at the Boston law offices of Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr LLP to provide testimony in the ongoing lawsuit. Mahoney, who worked for the newspaper under the direction of corrupt editor Joshua Resnek and owner Matthew Philbin, stated under oath that Philbin was truly in charge of the newspaper’s content from cover to cover during the years he worked from February 2020 to July 2022.

  Approximately 44 people attended Tuesday’s virtual meeting to assess the feasibility, utility and cost of extending the Silver Line into Everett. According to MassDOT Project Manager Doug Johnson, out of 141 panelists, they were least likely to use Alternative 1 to Malden Center by Ferry Street; Alternative 2 – Wellington by Route 16 and Sullivan by Broadway; and most likely to use Alternative 3 from Chelsea to Sullivan.

  The School Committee approved Superintendent Priya Tahiliani’s evaluation, 9-0 (with Mayor Carlo DeMaria abstaining from voting), during Monday’s School Committee meeting at Everett High School. During public comment, Lynn Street resident Nancy Cianchetta, who doesn’t support an extension of the superintendent’s contract beyond June of next year, said residents have always been unified, but she hasn’t felt that the city has been a community recently.