— Eye on Everett —

“What a day it was. It was like the longest day”

– The mayor’s Blue Suit talking with Josh Resnek

By JOSH RESNEK

Tuesday was primary day.

The mayor’s Blue Suit and I drove all around to the polling places, checked out the various headquarters, and tried to feel the karma of the day.

In some primary elections, you are able to feel the energy and the vibrancy of local politics.

Yesterday, we tried to feel the day for what it was. Right from the beginning, it was hard to do.

First of all, there didn’t seem to be much energy around the city except for the politicians and their supporters.

That makes sense.

At this time in our national history, politics and primaries aren’t exactly what they used to be.

Participation has plunged. Numbers of voters coming out have taken a dive.

Primaries, and even some elections, have become things unto themselves.

“What does that mean, Josh?” the Blue Suit asked me.

“People just don’t care as much anymore. That’s what it means. Vote totals are lower than expected or slightly higher but with very little variation,” I answered.

We were driving around the city going from polling place to polling place.

“You see all those people holding DeMaria signs?” the Blue Suit asked.

Yes. So what?” I replied.

“Well, most of them are not from Everett. They were brought in by the mayor to hold signs on streets corners.”

In Everett Square, Capone signs dominated. They were all held by Capone supporters from Everett in an obvious sign of how different a grassroots campaign can be from the mayor’s campaign – which relied on money and city employees to do the horrible tasks of holding signs, going door to door, making contributions and on and on.

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Stubborn COVID-19 still a threat

COVID-19 testing is still going strong and with the Delta variant raging Cataldo is available in Everett. (Photo by Jim Mahoney)

Nationally, locally still claiming lives, jamming hospitals

By JOSH RESNEK

COVID-19 cases are numbering about 145,000 a day across the nation, and especially in those states where vaccinations have been lagging for a variety of reasons.

Deaths still number in the many hundreds every day across the nation from COVID-19.

In Massachusetts, COVID-19 cases have spiked but remain under control according to officials from the Department of Public Health.

Numbers of those hospitalized have increased but the hospitalizations have not impacted health care delivery at local hospitals across the state.

Everett’s numbers remain undetermined but are believed to be up.

Testing continues throughout the city at an accelerated rate and at the same time social distancing and plexiglass enclosures remain up in most retail outlets.

Masks are not mandatory in Everett, but a visual count of mask-wearing reveals a great number of men and women wearing masks walking on the streets and shopping in places like McKinnon’s, Walgreens, and Stop and Shop.

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Encore revenues decline in August

Mass Gaming Commission revenue report . (Courtesy of the MGC)

By JOSH RESNEK

Revenues at Encore in Everett soared in July but fell an unexpected $2 million in August.

More than $57 million in gaming revenues made August a success but the expectation industry-wide had been for a broader expansion of gaming revenues.

The $2 million decline was surprising but not unusual for the industry which tends to experience big gains and steep declines from time to time.

Casino analysts said the $2 million downturn was not significant enough to note anything but a month-to-month decline.

They also reiterated that the coming of online sports betting to Massachusetts at some point is going to vastly increase Encore’s revenues.

Slot revenues declined by $1.5 million over July’s, which had soared previously by $4 million over July’s.

Slot revenues came in at $32.4 million.

Table game revenues increased by about $300,000.

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When speculation comes to an end

By JOSH RESNEK

Primary Day does not lie.

The totals may exaggerate situations, but the vote totals are real.

The results aren’t quite automatic but then again, they are.

This is to say, this year’s primary is very likely as good as the election, and the outcome, whatever it is, will not change much on November 2.

This is being written the day before the primary election.

The day before an election is a sobering moment for everyone involved.

Let’s look at all three mayoral candidates.

Mayor Carlo DeMaria has worked hard and done everything right – except for threatening people who do not display his signs in front of their homes or business or forcing those who supported Fred Capone or Gerly Adrien to remove their signs and to replace them with his – or else!

The mayor has put up hundreds and hundreds of signs.

If signs voted, there would be no need for a primary or an election.

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