John Puopolo – Page 2 – Everett Leader Herald

I Have Questions About Work Not Completed on Highland and Herbert

You should have the same questions as it concerns wasting taxpayer money

By Jon Puopolo

Hi all, I am writing to bring to your attention the waste of taxpayer’s funds for the reconstruction of Highland Ave and Herbert St. I am familiar with street reconstruction and construction project management. I base my comments on what I have come to know as the lack of efficiency, oversight and financial waste for the rework at this project.

Back in 2020, Highland Ave, approximately 100 yards long, was on the street replacement list. Herbert Street was added in 2021, when the mayor was campaigning and door knocking, and listening to street disrepair complaints. He said then he was committed to get both the deteriorated streets completed by year end 2021.

Guess what?

That didn’t happen, yet. well that didn’t happen, yet.

The gas company started the project replacing their main lines and every home connection on Highland Ave during 2020. Their work was delayed and ran into the winter which of course delayed opportunity for sidewalk and asphalt work. When they completed their work, the street was in total disrepair with temporary patches end to end.

Then in 2021, new sidewalks were in- stalled on both Highland and Herbert. This took only a few weeks, but no street repavement work was started in 2021. Why?

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Overcrowding Above All Must Be Mitigated For The City To Hold Its Head High

By John Puopolo

As we all know, Everett’s housing over development has resulted in a significant capacity issue for our school facilities, and it’s growing.

Everett has paid pathetic little attention to affordable housing. In neighboring Chelsea during the past five years thousands of affordable housing units have been built.

Here, where thousands of new units have been built, almost no affordable housing worth noting has come to be part of the housing scheme here.

We need affordable housing but we badly need more classroom space and facilities to serve the public school children of this city.

As a resolution, residents would love to see our underutilized High Schools be the solution to overcrowding. Either one or both can be modified to accept entire grades to resolve the overcrowding quickly and to meet the need indefinitely. In fact, modifications could have already been completed if it was not for the administration’s indecision.

This overcrowding issue did not sneak up on any of us. It’s been a known issue just not properly handled.

As you all know, the newer of the two schools that would require less work to accommodate our students is Pope John High School complex.

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John Puopolo On Pope John

Guest Editorial By John Puopolo

School Capacity is a major crisis. I hope you had time to watch the School Committee meeting.

As of tonight our mayor provides NO solution or path forward for school capacity relief. He is here for approval for yet another housing development, proposing to tear down Pope John, a turn key school that is a near term solution for capacity.

Tonight the mayor will be pitting the school capacity crisis against affordable housing, veterans and the elderly, while the Mayor will try to have you all believe PJH is NOT an option to help school capacity. He couldn’t be More wrong!

His divisiveness for pitting one against the other as he tries to sell you a totally illogical idea given the city’s current educational dilemma is ludicrous.

The HS is over capacity by 600, Parlin 400, both growing exponentially. Student enrollment levels are not sustainable now or in the future. He offers no capacity solution. A New HS at $500M with the mayors 25% guaranteed over run is 10 to 15 years away you started today. But NO new HS is in motion.

You will hear from school committee member DeMaria who will vehemently defend giving Pope John away for FREE to a developer and saddling residents with the $10M debt. So How can providing unsatisfactory learning conditions be the position of a school committee member? Should be NO seat for him!

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Extend Tahiliani’s Contract

EDITOR’S NOTE:

John Puopolo, one of the leaders of the political uprising against the DeMaria Administration’s excesses has written to all the members of the School Committee pleading with them to vote to keep Superintendent Priya Tahiliani and to extend her contract. The following is his message and two responses. – JR

Good Day All,

I am writing to you in support of Superintendent, Ms Tahiliani, receiving a contract extension. She has proven to be extremely well qualified for the job she holds. She has assembled an excellent staff with her hires. The Superintendent has led her staff through some of the most challenging times anyone has faced in Everett even while others were working against her.

Coming into Everett’s education system, which has been in turmoil for many years do to the prior superintendent who you all know is embroiled in law suits because of his bad behavior, was no easy task. Ms Tahiliani has performed admirably under such circumstances. The culture has needed and continues to need significant change which she has proven she is up to the task and will continue to effectuate change as she already has.

Almost upon arrival she met Covid, a situation never experienced by anyone in her roll. With no road map for what to do in a pandemic, she quickly created her own road map with her Team to successfully maneuver through the un- precedented situation.

She is clearly considered above average by her peers as she was named the top superintendent in Massachusetts an extremely prestigious award. She is moving our education system in the right direction and must be allowed to continue to finish what she has started. She is very good for Everett.

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Malden Transportation Drops Gasoline Surcharge Request

By Josh Resnek

An effort by Michael McLaughlin to allow Malden Transportation to speak before the School Committee about receiving a 4.5% fuel premium added to the price of their contract was rejected by the School Committee wholeheartedly by a 7-2 vote.

McLaughlin said he felt he was caught in a political crossfire – and he was right in that assessment.

During the public speaking session at the start of the meeting, John Puopolo delivered resounding remarks condemning McLaughlin’s efforts to do a favor for the mayor’s friends who own the bus company.

“The attempt here to adjust the contract by 4.5% is outrageous and an insult to Everett’s taxpayers,” Puopolo said.

“When you take into consideration that this is a “significant” donor to the Mayor this increase does not pass the red face test no matter how anyone in this room tries to spin it,” he added.

Puopolo’ swords resonated with the School Committee.

What a difference a few days makes.

The announcement Friday that the city and the mayor are being investigated by the US Attorney’s office in a wide ranging probe affected the outcome of McLaughlin’s effort to allow a favored vendor and major contributor to the mayor’s political campaigns to bargain for an additional payment.

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