Jeremy C. Fox for Boston.com

Hundreds of marchers crossed the Andrew McArdle Bridge over the Mystic River.

By Jeremy C. Fox, Town Correspondent

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.

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.

 

By Kathy McCabe, Globe Staff

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, 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.

By Jeremy C. Fox, Town Correspondent

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.

The Wellesley native was one of several wounded veterans traversing the 26.2 miles using hand-crank tricycles, Biggio said, and crossed the finish line about an hour before the explosions.

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.

“They had to remove an eighth of his brain, and half his skull is actually plastic,” Biggio said. “He can’t walk; he’s wheelchair bound right now. They’re hoping he can start walking again. He’s still learning how to talk again, too.”

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.

“He’s in constant pain still to this day,” Biggio said of Crosby and his 9-year-old injury. “He can move his feet a little bit, but he can’t move his legs.”

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.

The following is a press release from Middlesex District Attorney Gerry Leone:

A Revere man pleaded guilty today to a charge of manslaughter in connection with the death of Joseph Ronan, 22, of Reading, Middlesex District Attorney Gerry Leone informed the public today.

John Burke, 26, of Revere, pleaded guilty in Middlesex Superior Court to charges of manslaughter and illegal possession of a firearm. Woburn Superior Court Judge S. Jane Haggerty sentenced the defendant to 18-20 years in prison on the manslaughter charge to be followed by 4-5 years in prison on the gun possession charge.

“With this plea, the defendant has taken responsibility for shooting the victim, resulting in his death, over what appears to have been a dispute about money,” District Attorney Leone said. “I commend the Massachusetts State Police assigned to the District Attorney’s Office and the Reading Police for their thorough investigation which brings this case to an end, holds this defendant accountable, and brings the family of the victim some measure of justice today.”

According to authorities, at approximately 1:08 p.m. on Monday, August 15, 2011, Reading Police responded to reports of shots fired at a residence at 3 Lawrence Road in Reading. Upon their arrival, police located Joseph Ronan, 22, evidencing obvious gunshot wounds. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene.

State Police assigned to the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office and Reading Police commenced an immediate investigation into the circumstances of the death. Through that investigation they learned that the defendant arranged to meet the victim under the pretext that he wanted to purchase a Percocet pill. Shortly after the defendant arrived, he shot the victim three times because he believed the victim was involved in a robbery at his Revere apartment in April 2011.

An autopsy was conducted by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (ME), who determined the cause of death to be multiple gunshot wounds and the manner of the death to be homicide.

Burke was arrested in Reading on August 20, 2011 on charges of murder and illegal possession of a firearm. He was arraigned on August 22, 2011 on those charges in Woburn District Court where Judge Timothy Gailey ordered him held without bail. The defendant was indicted by a Middlesex County Grand Jury on November 18, 2011.

The Assistant District Attorney assigned to the case is Elizabeth Dunigan. The Victim Witness Advocate is Danielle DeMeo.

By Matt Rocheleau, Town Correspondent

Buses will replace subway service on the Blue Line between Wonderland Station and Airport Station on Saturday, April 6 and Sunday, April 7, while crews perform work on a project at Orient Heights Station, according to the MBTA.

Shuttles, which are accessible to people with disabilities, will stop at Wonderland and Airport stations as well as at the five stops between them, the T’s website said.

T officials have estimated that shuttles will replace trains between Airport and Wonderland stations on 13 weekends between this spring and next fall as work is done on a project to overhaul Orient Heights Station. Dates for those weekend diversions are expected to be announced incrementally, as they are finalized.

Orient Heights Station closed for renovations on March 23. It will remain closed through mid-October. Trains can bypass, but not stop at, the station during the shutdown.

For more information, contact the MBTA Customer Communications Department at 617-222-3200, TTY: 617-222-5146.

E-mail Matt Rocheleau at mjrochele@gmail.com.
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Because of the upcoming storm, the Department of Conservation and Recreation has issued a parking ban on Winthrop Shore Drive and Revere Beach Boulevard.

It starts at 11 pm Wednesday and will remain in effect until further notice.

"During the emergency, parking is prohibited on these two DCR roadways. State Police will ticket and tow vehicles violating the parking ban,'' the DCR said in a release.

Click here for more information.

By Andy Metzger, State House News Service

BROCKTON, MASS., FEB. 27, 2013…..Open-road tolling is an inexpensive prospect for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation to put in place, but the ease with which it can be implemented could spell more tolls for drivers outside the Interstate 90 corridor, according to Transportation Secretary Richard Davey.

“While it might not happen in my time,” Davey told lawmakers Wednesday, the launch of open-road tolling – which requires no tollbooths or toll collectors – in Massachusetts will “set the table” for potential tolling on new roads.

“All electronic tolling we really think holds out a promise. And we mentioned this in our plan, potentially for future tolling in and around the state. It is certainly an equity issue in this Commonwealth when it comes to folks paying,” Davey said, referring to the tolls along the Massachusetts Turnpike.

Davey told lawmakers Wednesday that open road tolling would begin soon, “starting with the Tobin Bridge later this year.” Spanning the Mystic River from Charlestown to Chelsea, the Tobin Bridge has tolls on inbound side. “The Tobin Bridge is a very easy place to do it,” Davey said.

Addressing members of the House and Senate Ways and Means committees at a budget hearing, Davey said, “Although we need the federal government’s approval if we wish to toll other interstates in the future – 93, 95, 84, 91 – one of the hurdles that has been said in the past is you have the cost of construction.”

That is not an issue with open-road tolling, which uses EZ-pass technology, or cameras and a billing system, rather than toll booths. “Open road tolling is not expensive,” Davey said.

He said the state’s 1960s-era tollbooths would need to be rebuilt anyway, and the funds for switching to open-road tolling can come out of toll revenues.

One hitch is negotiations with the toll collectors, and Davey said he is hoping to find them new jobs in MassDOT or the private sector, though the negotiations have “been declared at an impasse.”

Speaking about tolling gave Davey a chance to sound off on the neighbors to the south.

“The number one toll scofflaws are Connecticut residents. Unfortunately we can’t collect yet with Connecticut residents because we don’t have an agreement with the state of Connecticut,” Davey said.

He said the state has an agreement with Maine and New Hampshire to collect tolls unpaid by drivers in those states.

In addition to lessening congestion and improving air quality, the Patrick administration estimates its all-electronic tolling plans could eventually reduce operating costs by $50 million a year, in part by replacing toll collectors.