City Council Unanimously Backs Carole Tye Legacy Garden in Beachmont

Residents, officials praise former educator and superintendent’s decades of service as neighborhood group plans new public garden honoring her legacy

By Barbara Taormina

The City Council unanimously and enthusiastically supported Ward 1 Councillor James Mercurio’s motion to name a portion of land at the corner of Leverett and Endicott Avenues as the Carole Tye Legacy Garden.

“This will be the easiest decision the council has ever made,” said Mayor Patrick Keefe, who spoke briefly during the public comment segment of this week’s council meeting. Keefe was joined by a group of Beachmont residents who came to voice their support for the legacy garden and their approval that it will be named for Tye.

“We all worked together on this,” said Mercurio. “It’s a fitting tribute to someone who gave so much to the city of Revere.”

Beachmont resident Mathew Terrell said no one embodies the idea of legacy like Tye, who was involved with Revere schools for 65 years, first as a student teacher, then as a substitute, as a teacher, a superintendent and as a member of the School Committee. “Her legacy is found in the students she taught, the families she served and the school system she helped shape,” said Terrell.

The legacy garden project is being driven and funded by the Beachmont Improvement Committee, which has already planted a thousand tulips on the site. The committee sees the legacy garden as an opportunity to create a beautiful and functional public space that fosters neighborhood pride and engagement. And the committee has proven experience. They built Douglas Cummings Park and the Jim Kimmerle Park, and they repaired and rebuilt three public staircases connecting upper and lower Beachmont.

The proposed garden will feature a designed landscape and will include an area of brick pavers inscribed with the names of Beachmont residents past and present. The biographies of residents’ named on the pavers will be available at the Revere Historical Society.

Beachmont Improvement Committee President Kathleen Heiser said the garden will cement Tye’s legacy in the neighborhood. “It’s a promise that the seeds she planted in Revere will continue to grow,” said Heiser, adding that the hope is that the garden will generate more community involvement.

Crescent Avenue resident Ed Deveau said he hopes the Tye garden will plant the seed for other legacy gardens around the city. A shared sense of history helps build neighborhood cohesion and commitment.

Councillors praised Tye and highlighted their connections to her. Several, like Councillor-at-Large Michelle Kelley, were former students; others had parents who were Tye’s students, and others knew her from her tireless work in the community.

“There is no one in this city who deserves this more,” said Ward 5 Councillor Angela Guarino-Sawaya.

Ward 6 Councillor Chris Giannino described Tye’s service to the city as “above and beyond.”

Ward 2 Councillor Ira Novoselsky called Tye a friend and the greatest choice for the legacy garden. “She was a great teacher, a great superintendent, one of the best this city has ever seen,” he said.

“Tonight is a feel-good council meeting,” said City Council President Anthony Zambuto.

After a standing ovation, Tye graciously thanked everyone saying she was overwhelmed. She mentioned how she had been at the Council Chamber podium before to oppose council plans and motions. She said the great thing about Revere is that people could be on opposite sides of an issue, disagree and still go on to work for the city. “Thank you for being the wonderful human beings that you are,” Tye told the crowd.