Picking and choosing who is running and what that potentially means

By Josh Resnek

The Ward 1 race is coming to be one of the more complicated races that will take place.

The longest serving Everett councilor, Wayne Matewsky, is running for sure.

The head of the Everett DPW Jerry Navarra is also running.

A third candidate, Ken Gianelli has also announced.

In general, no one runs against Matewsky.

He has proven to be as durable as a piece of granite, and as impossible to unseat in Ward 1 as it would be to move a mountain.

So what’s up with two candidates running presumably for Matewsky’s seat against him?

First off, Matewsky cannot be beaten – not by Navarra or Gianelli.

The real battle is likely for second place. Matewsky keeps things close to his vest.

There is but the belief he will get re-elected, and sooner, rather than later, he will finally retire to care for himself and his mother. In such a scenario, the candidate who finishes second will step into the seat.

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Power broker democrats line up

Everett Democratic City Committee held its 2023 Caucus on Saturday, June 17 at the Connolly Center to elect delegates and alternates to the Massachusetts Democratic Party convention in September. State Senator Sal DiDomenico and State Representative Joseph McGonagle gave updates on their current work at the State House.

The City Committee also extends its gratitude to Senator Sal DiDomenico for helping defray the cost of the event location and for providing a delicious spread of breakfast items and coffee.

The 2023 elected delegates are in Ward One: Stepanie Smith, Margaret Cornelio and Antonio Cornelio; Ward Two: Michelle Garrity Goudey, Rebecca Garrity, John Goudey, and James Henderson; Ward Three: Tricia DiDomenico, Francis Parker and Katy Rogers; Ward Five: Steven Zeller and Paula Starite; Ward Six: Samantha Lambert and Mary Puleo.

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Public Speakers before City Council Monday, June 12, 2023

Samantha Lambert School Committeewoman

Spoke in support of the $1 million of ARPA funding for the Everett Youth Initiative.

“The projects they are suggesting benefit us all,” Lambert told her colleagues in government.

“The kids have worked hard. They deserve this.”

Kit Bridge

Agreed with Lambert.

“I look forward for the city to work with its youth. Let’s continue the process.”

She said she was In favor of scrutinizing CORI reports for city employees.

She wanted all public meetings to be broadcast live and recorded on ECTV and posted for “posterity.”

John Puopolo

Taxpayers money is being wasted for bad behavior, he said.

He said the city was drowning in wasted energy and expenses with costly law suits. He implored Blacks and Browns to vote

in the upcoming election, “It is more important than ever.”

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The one nagging question about Van Campen’s candidacy he won’t answer

By Josh Resnek

Robert Van Campen’s re-emergence as a candidate in Ward 5 is taking on a new life force as politically savvy people try to determine just what Van Campen is really up to.

The most often asked question about Van Campen is this: is he running to be the Ward 5 councilor or is he running to use the Ward 5 seat as a step- ping stone for another run for the mayoralty?

Van Campen is the kind of Everett lawyer who would most likely like to be mayor of the city one day.

It is in his blood, so to speak.

He tried once before but the time wasn’t right.

The mayor was emerging and expanding his power base. Van Campen was no match for the mayor at that time now many years ago.

He may not be a match for the mayor right now, either.

But he isn’t running for mayor.

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Dell Isola bowing out

By Josh Resnek

Councilor at Large Richard Dell Isola will not be running for re-election he announced last week.

An easy going, affable man from a well known and popular political family, Dell Isola will likely take more time to spend with his family after a long and mostly successful run at public office in Everett over a many year period.

He was already out of the scene after a retirement of sorts when he was the last man out in the 2019 City Election.

But when former at large councilor Peter Napolitano was named assistant city clerk, Dell Isola filled the vacancy as the runner up. At that time, he was quoted as saying in the Everett Independent that he would be pleased to take Napolitano’s seat.

He said he would not only take the seat, but that he would run again for the seat in the 2021 election, which he did, and which he won.

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