Around Town
Spring has sprung. (Photo by Joe Resnek) 
The iconic Mike’s Roast Beef. (Photo by Joe Resnek) 
Encore stands at the entrance to the city. (Photo by Joe Resnek) 
Recent food prices at McKinnon’s. (Photo by Joe Resnek) 
EPS Administration Offices. (Photo by Joe Resnek) 
A kiss at Santili Circle. (Photo by Joe Resnek) 
Woody’s on Route 16. (Photo by Joe Resnek) 
And on and on and on the development goes in Everett. (Photo by Joe Resnek) 
Everett Little League is in full swing. (Photo by Kathleen Mason) 
Nicky Savi (left) takes the first swings in the batting cages with former Everett Little League President and all-time supporter, George Castiello. (Photo by Kathleen Mason) 
Luke Wood, of the Red Sox, topped the Everett T-mobile home run derby. (Photo by Kathleen Mason 
Construction is taking over. (Photo by JoeResnek)
A tale of two cities trying to cope with dramatic change in public spaces
By Josh Resnek
From time to time in the past Revere Beach has experienced violence and a bit of rioting by younger people from Boston who descend on the public beach to celebrate holiday weekends.
What tends to happen as it did several days ago at the beginning of thew long holiday weekend was the gathering of huge crowds of excited younger people who flocked to Revere to listen to loud music, to dance a bit, and sadly, to fight and trade gunshots.
This will not go down well with Revere’s new residents or the owners of the new apartment developments spanning the beach.
Revere Beach is now the home to thousands of new residents in gorgeous waterfront units.
The city has taken great care in revamping the entire place.
But when gunshots ring out and several people are shot, that sends a chilling message.
Revere does not run or manage Revere Beach. That is the job of the State Police and the Department of Conservation and Recreation.
That state agency is now headed by former Revere mayor Brian Arrigo.
You can be sure many intense high level meetings will be taking place this week at Arrigo’s urging between him and acting Revere Mayor Patrick Keefe to tamp down the violence at Revere Beach. You can be sure Arrigo and Keefe will know exactly what to do.Continue Reading
The Everett energy disappearing act into full swing along the waterfront
By Josh Resnek
The mightiness of the Mystic Generating Plant almost a half century ago was something to behold.
The behemoth brick giant with its towering chimneys and huge generators humming inside giant spaces producing energy for nearly all of New England, seemed to be – and was – indispensable.
Without this plant running day and night during heat waves and cold waves, New Englanders seeking comfort and safety could not have lived their lives with relative ease.
As we reported several weeks ago, and during a long negotiation period where it was evident the times were changing, the sprawling plant has been sold for $25 million to Wynn Development.
The giant generators are coming to the end of their usefulness.
The Mystic Generating Plant had become a giant albatross in a rapidly changing worldwide energy scene.Continue Reading
Memorial Day reminds us about bravery, service and sacrifice in a divided nation
By Josh Resnek
America today is divided.
It’s Republicans versus Democrats, and right wingers versus liberals.
Many millions of Americans are split about what they want out of their government and how they want the nation to look at to act.
It is not unreasonable to say that at this time in our national history among our leaders there are no heroes, there is no bravery. There is only division with no one seeming to know the way much less to show us how to act.
That is, except for the armed forces of the United States and the men and women who have signed up to put their lives on the line by signing themselves away tot he United States of America.
Our men and women in uniform here and all over the world, on ships at sea, in submarines, patrolling the skies in jet airplanes and conducting military operations on the ground – these are the heroes. They are about heroism. They are about bravery.
Throughout the centuries, these American heroes have died in wars and engagements here and all over the world.Continue Reading
Could the LNG plant be closing along with Mystic generating station?
By Josh Resnek
A month or two back, Constellation, the giant power company that owned the Mystic Generating Station on Everett’s Mystic River shoreline, sold the property for $25 million to Wynn Development, the owner of the Boston Harbor Casino and Hotel.
In a short while, energy being generated at the Mystic Generating Station will cease completely.
The old brick facilities and their towering chimneys will be torn down.
The land with be mitigated of pollution.
Entertainment development will replace the tried and true generating station.
Now comes word in Monday’s Boston Globe that the LNG terminal next door is the most likely energy producing candidate set for the potential chopping block.
That’s what the Globe’s John Chesto, a Globe business reporter who has written a great deal about Everett’s business community, had to say in a long piece detailing the possibilities for energy production in Everett in the near future.Continue Reading
Click the link for a listen to Joe Rez’s newest single “365” streaming on Spotify, Youtube, and Apple Music today!
Robert Van Campen’s official announcement a call to service
Van Campen’s return to politics creates a stir in the Everett electorate
By Josh Resnek
In last week’s Leader Herald we briefly discussed the return to the Everett political frying pan, Robert J. Van Campen.
The local attorney and former councilor and mayoral candidate has caused quite a stir announcing his return.
Many Everett voters on all sides of the political spectrum are wondering – what is Van Campen up to?
What is he trying to do?
One might well ask such a question.
Where is he heading with this candidacy for a ward seat? The Everett political world Van Campen is attempting a return to is a far different place than it was when he left it more than a decade ago.
His run for mayor was futile in the Everett political world when the present mayor was rising to his place of prominence as an impossible candidate to beat.
The city has changed dramatically although the politics remain recognizable.
There are many new faces inside city hall and on the various boards and commissions as well as on the city council and the school committee.
Those who follow the life and times of this city, and of most cities like it, seem to believe that every five years the city is basically a new place.Continue Reading
— Eye on Everett —
Josh Resnek and the Blue Suit discuss Josh’s trip to Croatia last week…and everything that happened. It was quite the trip with some twists and turns the Blue Suit got out of Josh that reveal magical excursions to gorgeous faraway places sometimes comes at a very high price.
I showed the Blue Suit the above photograph of a guy sitting on the ferry as it made its way across the Adriatic from the former Greek and Roman ancient place called Split to Vis in the nation of Croatia. I took my family there for a wedding last week. It was quite a week.”
“What made it quite a week?” the Blue Suit asked me.
“First off, on day one when we got to London, one of my daughters lost her passport, her debit and credit cards and all her identification. She couldn’t travel with us. All our flights were cancelled – which we had already paid for, and three more flights had to be paid for me, my wife and my daughter who didn’t lose her passport. Then we had to put my daughter up in London as we made our way to Croatia for a family wedding. The new flights were about $800. The cancelled flights were about $800. Another $800 was added on for the air bnb we found for my daughter who couldn’t leave the country and for eating money because she’d have to be in London to go to the US Embassy to get a replacement passport just to be able to go home! We made many calls, frantic calls to the US Embassy. We arrived there like good soldiers at 8:00am in the morning the next day as were instructed to do only to find the embassy was closed on Monday – more trains and busses and Ubers and meals and wasted time on calls and … you just have to know that vaping and playing games on a cell should not be allowed to translate into losing your passport and everything else.”Continue Reading
Around the city…
A million for kids
The city council is about to hand over $1 million to a group of Everett High School students from the city’s $47 million ARPA Fund bonanza account.
Theta’s the money given to the city to compensate for what was spent and what was lost during the COVID-19 crisis.
This is a big step for the city but it is an even bigger step for high school students here who have learned how to be empowered by speaking out, doing their homework, and working with public officials to step up to the plate with their ideas of how to make Everett a better place.
This is an amazing moment…and the kids understand this and are motivated by it.
Modular classroom spaces
In a perfect world, the former Pope John High School might already have been about half renovated and enough new classroom space made available to take the rough edge off the city’s public school overcrowding crisis.
But this isn’t a perfect world.
The powers at be wants modular classrooms and that’s what are coming.
Something like $14 million has been set aside and plans are underway and that is what is going to happen. This writer recently visited and spent some time in a modular classroom at Lynn English High School.
The result?
The modular there are pretty nice, spacious, well lit and constructed and altogether conducive for learning. Not much natural light from several smaller windows, but overall comfortable and sturdy spaces.Continue Reading
Everett plays host to T-Mobile 2023 Little League Home Run Derby
T-mobile and Everett Little League teamed up for the first time and had a ball this weekend at Sacramone Park.
Since 2019, T-mobile set out to enhance the little league experience across the country, setting up shop and putting on a show in the form of a home run derby with the host communities youth athletes.
“The T-mobile Little League Home Run Derby has been an incredible opportunity for children all across the United States to step onto the field and swing just like their heroes. Thanks to this unique opportunity, children now get to experience the Little League program in a unique and different way,” said Stephen D. Keener, Little League President and CEO.Continue Reading
Undefeated Foppiano fight set for June
Undefeated Everett boxer Shayna “Hollywood” Foppiano will be entering the ring again really soon.
At the IBEW Hall in Boston, MA June 24th, Foppiano will enter the ring to defend her undefeated status against Micaele Norge.Continue Reading
Editorials
The Boston Celtics
With official beginning of the summer now under our belts, and as we move on with our lives, there is the matter of the Boston Celtics losing the 7th game of a rather incredible series.
For those of us who have occasionally been down in our lives, coming back is always the dividing line, the defining bit about our lives, between the men and the boys or the girls and the women.
The Celtics comeback after nearly being beaten to death by the Miami Heat in three consecutive losses was nothing a modern day sensation.
Actually, it was a miracle.
The 7th game was to have been the triumph of all triumphs, the comeback of all comebacks.
Regrettably, it wasn’t.
Instead of triumph, the Celtics failed.
In the biggest moment to confront them during this dramatic season, the Celtics chose not to show up.Continue Reading
Everett Crimson Tide Baseball Senior Night
Crimson Tide Baseball’s graduating class was honored alongside coaches and family during Senior Night at Glendale Park on Friday, May 26. On that day, the Crimson Tide also enjoyed an 8-1 victory over Mystic Valley, cementing a 2023 MIAA tournament berth. (Photos by Amanda Gil)
