Greater Boston residents celebrate May Day with march and rally
Jeremy C. Fox for Boston.com
Hundreds of marchers crossed the Andrew McArdle Bridge over the Mystic River.
Hundreds of laborers, union representatives, immigrants, and activists gathered at city halls in Boston, Revere, Everett, and Chelsea on Wednesday and marched together to East Boston’s Central Square in a spirited observance of International Workers Day, also known as May Day.
“Immigration is a human right,” they chanted. “Mr. President, get it right.”
Immigration issues edged out messages about workers’ rights in these communities with large immigrant populations, as this year’s May Day parade occurred against the backdrop of sweeping immigration reform legislation under consideration in Washington but also in the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombings.
The suspected bombers are ethnic Chechens who emigrated from Russia to Cambridge about a decade ago. Even as marchers filled the streets, two Kazakh students appeared in court on charges they disposed of evidence left behind by the younger Tsarnaev brother.
“Everywhere we go, people want to know, who we are, so we tell them, we are the immigrants, the mighty mighty immigrants,” the marchers chanted.
As the crowds passed through the streets of Chelsea and East Boston, chanting such pro-labor and pro-immigrant slogans, and carrying signs, banners, and flags, people along the parade route stopped to clap and cheer them on.
George Mousad, a mattress store owner originally from Egypt, turned a few heads when he stopped on Meridian Street in East Boston, clad in an ivory suit, a light tan straw hat, dark sunglasses, and a lavender tie and dress shirt.
Mousad said he was proud to be a US citizen and said, in an apparent allusion to the Marathon bombers, that in this country only those responsible for an action should suffer its consequences.
“It is the best country of any country on the planet,” he said of the United States. “God bless America forever and ever, amen.”
The crowd only grew as the marchers reached Central Square, where they observed a moment of silence in honor of those killed and hurt in the Marathon bombings, the first responders who helped to save lives, and those who die attempting to cross the border into the US.
During the rally, civic and religious leaders addressed the celebrants in Spanish and English, alongside ordinary workers and immigrants who shared their stories of struggle.
Steven A. Tolman, president of the Massachusetts AFL–CIO and a former state legislator, greeted the crowd in Spanish and then said in English that he and other labor leaders would stand together to fight for immigration policy reform.
“Too often, too many workers are stuck in the shadows of the workplace without any justice because of a broken immigration system in America,” Tolman said. “We are honored to stand with all of you to fight for a pathway to citizenship.”
Longtime activist Mel King told the crowd he hoped to see a day when instead immigrants, newcomers to the US would be known simply as neighbors.
“I want to throw the I-word out. Don’t say it again. Call yourself neighbors,” he said. “You’re my neighbor. You’re Obama’s neighbor. You’re everybody’s neighbor.”
For a gallery of photos from the march and the rally, click here.
Jeremy C. Fox can be reached at jeremy.fox@globe.com.
Follow him on Twitter: @jeremycfox.
Follow East Boston on Twitter: @YourEastBoston.
Boston College High releases list of third quarter honor roll students
The following was submitted by Boston College High School:
For High Honors a Soph., Jr., Sr. must have at least a 3.80 quality point average and all grades '"C+" or higher. Freshmen need a 3.6 quality point average and all grades '"C+" or higher.
For Honors a Soph., Jr., Sr. must have at least a 3.20 quality point average and all grades '"C-" or higher. Freshmen need a 3.165 quality point average and all grades '"C-" or higher.
Burlington: Honors: Edward C. Wetzel ‘16
Everett: High Honors: Samuel Vasquez ’14 and Matthew F. Donohue ‘16
Honors: Igor Campos Carvalho’14
Lynnfield: High Honors: Eric Simonelli ‘15
Malden: High Honors: Delsin David '14 and Danny Nguyen '16
Honors: Ismail Chineye Asongwed '14, Kolby Lavrik Vegara '15 and Kenny Wilson Delino '16
Medford: High Honors: David Gentile ’14 and John M. O'Brien 2015
Honors: Keshler S.G. Charles '15 and John F. Glynn '15
Melrose: High Honors: James F. O'Donnell '14, Daniel Casey '16, Anthony A. Ioffredo '16, Edward J. Kelley '16, Jacob A. May '16, Matthew W. O'Donnell '16, Noah A. Peterson '16
Honors: Samir Aslane '15, Robert A. Brodeur '16 and Andrew T. McCormack '16
Merrimac: High Honors: Liam Maxwell Rich’14
Nahant: High Honors: Matthew C. Ryan ‘14
North Andover: Honors: Emaad Syed Ali '15 and John Roy O’Connor '15
Revere: High Honors: Kenny Builes '14, Michael J. Kelley '14, Matthew S. O’Keefe '14 and Gabriel Drumond Depinho '16
Honors: Walter A. Carrera '14, Sergio Manuel Leon '16 and Alejandro D. Montoya '16
Salem: High Honors: William M. Kraemer ‘15
Saugus: Honors: Christopher J. Kelble '14
Somerville: High Honors: Christien P. Mendoza Exconde '15, Jesse O. Najarro '15 and Alex E. Santos '15
Honors: John W. Dres 2014, John P. Lynch 2015 and Brandon R. Payzant '16
Stoneham: High Honors: David A. Vaccaro’14
Honors: Sean P. Moynihan’14
Swampscott: High Honors: Michael Wade Norcott '14
Honors: Peter R. Amato '16
West Newbury: High Honors: William Callahan Duggan '16
Winchester: High Honors: Thomas X. Pinella '14, Nathan S. Batty '15 and John D. O'Donnell '16
Honors: Alexander J. Farone '15
Winthrop: High Honors: Thomas J. Nee '14, Christian G. Navarro '15, Nicholas R. Triant '15 and Cameron A. DeAngelo '16
Honors: Grant Herbert '14
Woburn: High Honors: Robert J. Ferullo ‘15
Boston College High School is a Jesuit, Catholic, college-preparatory school for young men founded in 1863. The school enrolls approximately 1600 students from more than 100 communities in eastern Massachusetts.
Ten-year-old cancer patient helps Stop & Shop raise money for Jimmy Fund
At right, from left: cashier Tony Eason, store manager, Angela Perkins (Michayla's aunt), and Triple Winner Ambassador, Michayla Mathis with a customer.
Photo: Paul Hortitz
Michayla lives in Roslindale with her parents, Michael and Michelle, and older brother, Michael, 20. She was diagnosed with a brain tumor in April 2012, and her treatment currently includes chemotherapy. She attends fifth grade at Happy Hollow, and recently learned how to sew. She loves fashion and hopes work in the fashion industry when she grows up. She loves dancing and is enrolled in a hip-hop class. Michayla used to do gymnastics and hopes to start again after her treatment is finished.
Everett mayor unveils casino deal with Steve Wynn
Everett Mayor Carlo DeMaria Jr. today announced details of an agreement with Las Vegas casino developer Steve Wynn that is expected to generate millions of dollars in new tax revenues.
The agreement calls for a one-time $30 million payment to a Community Enhancement Fund -- which would be paid during construction of the 19-story, gleaming bronze resort casino proposed for a former factory site on the Mystic River. The one-time $30 million payment will likely be spent on capital improvements, such as police and fire stations, the mayor said.
Other payments include: $25.2 million annually to the city -- $20 million in real estate taxes, $5 million for a community impact fee that would go to police and fire services, and $250,000 to support community groups.These payments will increase by 2.5 percent each year, according to a summary of the agreement released by the City of Everett.
DeMaria said the $25.2 million annual revenues will increase the city's tax collections "by pretty close to 1/3."
"We're excited to bring this to the residents,'' DeMaria said in brief remarks this afternoon. "We think we've struck a good deal for the community."
Wynn has also agreed to pay for $50,000 worth of vouchers to Everett restaurants and other local businesses that would be distributed free to patrons of the casino, the outline states.
An estimated $2.5 million in meals and hotel/motel rooms taxes would be generated, the agreement states. Wynn's plans call for a 550-room hotel, plus upscale restaurants.
An unspecified amount of payments would also be made to the city for utility upgrades, zoning and land use permitting, and an election for a voter referendum on the project, the outline states.
Wynn has also agreed to invest at least $1 billion, and spend an unspecified amount on traffic improvements to the development that would be accessed by routes 16 or 99, two of the most congested roadways in Greater Boston.
Wynn also has committed to a single opening, and one that is not phased in. Everett residents will be given preference for an estimated 8,000 construction and permanent jobs at the facility.
The developer will also make a ''good faith" effort to hire Everett contractors, the outline states.
Public access to the waterfront, and supports for local arts programs is also promised.
In exchange, the City of Everett has agreed to support the project through state and local permitting, petition the state's gambling commission for funding, and develop a harbor plan, work to amend zoning and other land-use regulations.
DeMaria released economic details of the plan during a 5 p.m. news conference at Everett City Hall. A community meeting was planned afterward at the Connelly Center, where the public will learn more details, a city official said earlier today.
Everett voters would get a chance to weigh in with a ballot referendum on June 22.
"The mayor had one chance to strike a good deal, and I believe he did that," said Ward Six Common Councilor Michael McLaughlin, who would not provide specific amounts.
In past Globe interviews, DeMaria has said the proposed $1.2 billion resort casino proposed for an old, industrial site on the Mystic River, could generate up to $35 million annually in fees, taxes and other revenues.
Wynn last month released renderings of the19-tower resort casino designed in the style of his signature Las Vegas properties, such as Wynn Encore. The development would also have upscale shops, restaurants and public access to the waterfront.
A community host agreement, a key element of the state's gambling law, is required to offset any negative impact a massive casino development may have on a community, such as traffic, crime, and addictive gamblers.
Wynn could be the first of three developers vying for the sole resort casino license available for Greater Boston to negotiate a host agreement, said Elaine Driscoll, spokeswoman for the state's gambling commission.
"We are not aware of any additional completed host community agreements," Driscoll wrote in an e-mail to the Globe.
Before a license is awarded, the law requires a community to hold a referendum, to allow residents to vote if they want a casino located in their community. The Everett Common Council and Board of Aldermen voted unanimously to authorize the city to hold the referendum on June 22, according to the city solicitor’s office.
The state's gambling law requires background checks on developers to be completed before the election can be held, Driscoll said.
However, a referendum may be held before the background checks are completed, under a so-called “emergency regulation” recently approved by the gambling commission, Driscoll said.
"They will need to have a formal vote among the mayor/city council to approve holding a referendum," Driscoll wrote in the e-mail. "They will also have to create an education campaign to alert voters to the fact that the commission has not yet determined the applicants suitability."
"We're very optimistic about this development for Everett," DeMaria said today.
Everett city officials to announce casino deal with Steve Wynn
EVERETT, Mass. (AP) — Officials in Everett are ready to take the next step in their bid to bring a casino to the city.
Mayor Carlo DeMaria plans on Thursday to announce details of a host community agreement reached after negotiations with representatives of Las Vegas casino operator Steve Wynn.
The agreement will require approval by city voters in a referendum.
Wynn has proposed a $1.2 billion resort casino at a former industrial site on the Mystic River. A rendering of the plan released last month showed a 19-story hotel and casino with restaurants and retail shops along a riverwalk.
The proposal would be in competition with the Suffolk Downs racetrack in East Boston and a group hoping to build in Milford for the sole eastern Massachusetts resort casino license.
Ten-year-old cancer patient and Jimmy Fund partner to visit Stop & Shop for fundraising game
Wounded Vet Run to honor injured servicemen, first responders
Andrew DelRossi Biggio was near the Lenox Hotel with a fellow Afghan War veteran when he heard the Marathon bombing explosions.
“As soon as I heard them, I knew exactly what it was,” he said. “Me and my buddy looked at each other and our hearts dropped.”
Having spent 2011 on a team advising the Afghan highway patrol, Biggio, 25, had encountered more improvised explosive devices than he wanted to remember.
“It’s a scene and it’s a sound that a lot of people are looking to put behind them when they come home, and then you see this right here in your hometown,” he said. “To see it happen in Boston was just a complete nightmare.”
As the area was evacuated after the blasts, Biggio returned home to Winthrop, where he struggled with emotions the attack evoked. On Saturday, he and other veterans will stand alongside police, firefighters, and paramedics at an event celebrating bravery and sacrifice.
Biggio organized the Third Annual Wounded Vet Run, a motorcycle ride from Everett to East Boston, to honor and support veterans injured in Iraq and Afghanistan, but the event’s purpose expanded after the Marathon attacks.
Officers from the Watertown and State Police are set to attend, Biggio said, and other police, fire, and medical agencies have been invited.
One of three veterans who will benefit from the fundraiser, Jake Murphy, also participated in the Marathon. A West Point graduate and Army captain, Murphy lost parts of both legs when he stepped on an IED in Kandahar Province on July 23, 2011.
Money raised by the ride will help Murphy and his wife buy a Volkswagen Jetta. Currently, they share a car and must install equipment that allows Murphy to operate the pedals with his hands each time he gets behind the wheel, then remove the apparatus each time his wife needs to drive, Biggio said.
State Representative Carlo P. Basile said last year’s Wounded Vet Run raised more than $80,000, and he expects this year’s event to attract more riders and raise more money.
“Everybody wanted to be part of this, which is great,” Basile said. “It’s going to be a good time, but especially the most important part of this is being able to hand over the money to the vets, saying we’re going to fix your house up to your needs.”
Basile, who is the House chair for the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs, has introduced a bill that would require the state to pay up to $75,000 to modify the homes of wounded veterans to address their mobility issues. He said Wednesday that he will amend the bill to include those injured in the marathon bombing.
Basile said his role on the committee provides an opportunity to reach out on behalf of veterans and encourage people to donate to support them.
“For me it means a lot, helping veterans,” he said.
The Wounded Vet Run will also benefit Nick Eufrazio of Plymouth, a Marine lance corporal wounded in Afghanistan’s Helmand Province on Nov. 21, 2010, when an enemy grenade exploded near his head, Biggio said.
Family members took months off work to be with Eufrazio in the hospital as he struggled to recover, Biggio said, and his father spent about $30,000 out of his own pocket on housing modifications for his son, selling his own motorcycle and putting about $10,000 on credit cards, which he hasn’t yet been able to pay off.
Biggio said he plans to use funds raised Saturday to reimburse the family for those expenses, though they are unlikely to keep the money.
“Already they want to donate it back to other charities. They’re very selfless,” Biggio said.
Winthrop resident James Crosby will also benefit. The Marine lance corporal was partially paralyzed in Iraq on March 18, 2004, when a Katyusha rocket shot into the base where he was stationed and exploded a few feet away, damaging his spinal cord, Biggio said.
Despite his limited mobility, Crosby will participate in the ride, on a three-wheeled cycle that he operates using only his hands. His portion of the money raised will go toward a down payment on a home he hopes to buy in a nearby community using a Veterans Administration home loan.
Also riding will be the wounded Marines honored in last year’s ride, Sergeant Greg Caron and Corporal Evan Reichenthal. Both are moving on with their lives despite their injuries, Biggio said, with Reichenthal nearing the end of his freshman year at Assumption College in Worcester.
“We built a whole apartment for Evan on the first floor of his house — bathroom, kitchen, everything,” Biggio said. “He’s living quite comfortably.”
Caron, a native of Connecticut, is awaiting a new, accessible home currently being constructed by another veterans organization. He and his wife were able to buy a car using money raised by last year’s ride, Biggio said.
“They’re doing the best that they can in their situation,” he said of Reichenthal and Caron.”
The Third Annual Wounded Vet Run is scheduled for Saturday, April 27, with a rain date of May 4. The ride will begin at 1:30 p.m. at Boston Harley Davidson, 1760 Revere Beach Parkway, in Everett, and end at Suffolk Downs racetrack, 111 Waldemar Ave., in East Boston.
For more information, visit theyfoughtweride.com or the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/bostons.vetrun. Or contact Andrew Delrossi Biggio at itamvets@gmail.com or 903-340-9402. Donation checks may be made out to “Wounded Vet Ride” and mailed to Italian American War Veterans Post 6, 60 Paris St., East Boston, MA 02128.
For photos from last year’s ride, click here.
Jeremy C. Fox can be reached at jeremy.fox@globe.com.
Follow him on Twitter: @jeremycfox.
Follow East Boston on Twitter: @YourEastBoston.
Brief power outage sets off alarms in Medford
In the midst of a manhunt for the remaining Boston Marathon bombings suspect that put the entire greater Boston region on edge, power outage reports came in from all over Medford early Friday afternoon, Deputy chief Steve Howe said.
Power was restored in most of the city within minutes of the reports, which came in at about 12 p.m., but the Medford Fire Department sounded all of its station alarms to respond, Howe said.
"Numerous alarms were sounded, there were some people stuck in elevators," Deputy chief Steve Howe said. "It was a full response."
Some people had to be helped out of elevators stopped as result of the outages, but there were no serious issues, Howe said.
A National Grid outage map showed there were also power issues in parts of Malden, Melrose and Everett Friday.
The cause of the outage had not been determined, Howe said.
Jarret Bencks can be reached at bencks.globe@gmail.com. Follow him on twitter @JarretBencks.
Everett Common Council reprimands Matewsky
The Everett Common Council on Tuesday voted unanimously to reprimand Ward One Councilor Wayne Matewsky for misconduct related to a dispute last month at Texas Roadhouse restaurant.
The council's ethics committee, after a hearing on April 9, determined that Matewsky misued his official position, and should apologize to staff at the restaurant, located at Gateway Shopping Center on Route 16.
On Tuesday, the full council approved the reprimand with little discussion.
"What we're voting on tonight, is to have this matter closed," said Ward Five Councilor Lorrie Bruno, who is a member of the council's ethics committee.
Matewsky, who is also the city's new state representative, joined his colleagues in the 15-0 vote. He blamed the incident on politics.
"This was an effort derail my candidacy for state representative," Matewsky, 54, told councilors. "It was unsuccessful. I'm happy the voters of Everett are a little smarter than some people think."
On March 6, the night after he won the Democratic nomination for state representative in a special election primary, Matewsky visited Texas Roadhouse with two friends. But a manager at the restaurant told Matewsky to leave, after he complained about being seated near a special needs child celebrating her seventh birthday.
"At some point, he said, ‘I would like to be moved away from this [expletive] child.’ He raised a ruckus," Travis Doster, a spokesman for the Kentucky-based chain, told the Globe in an interview published April 14. He added that Matewsky, did not pay his $60 bill, and threatened to have the city's health department shut down the restaurant.
Matewsky has strongly disputed the restaurant's version of the incident.
"This was a table request, gone awry. Nothing more," Matewsky said, his voice rising angrily. "I've never bothered anybody, let alone a handicapped child."
The incident became public after a patron at the restaurant spoke about it to the common council on March 11.
Matewsky said he returned to Texas Roadhouse about a week later to apologize to staff.
He said the incident has been hard on him and his elderly parents. "My mother cried two weeks ago. Enough is enough," Matewsky said.
A member of the common council for 32 years, Matewsky is the city's longest serving elected official.
On April 2, he was won a special election to replace ex-state representative Stephen "Stat" Smith, who on April 9, was sentenced to four months in federal prison, and fined $20,000, for admitting to absentee ballot fraud.
Matewsky, who was Smith's legislative aide for the past year, expects to be sworn into office soon.
"The people of this city elected me as their state representative," he said. " I'm going to do the best job I can possibly do . . . I'm moving on."
Local organizations team up for fourth annual Mystic Community Earth Day
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