2016 Year in Review

January

• Newly elected officials were sworn in at the Cummings School cafetorium following comments from Town Manager James McKenna and Speaker of the House Robert DeLeo. Robert L. Driscoll Jr. was sworn in as the third Town Council President since the town elected to change its charter and embraced a new form of government 10 years ago. The first to serve in the Town Council President seat was Tom Rielly and the second was Peter Gill. Town Clerk Carla Vitale swore in the new leaders. Joining the ranks of newly elected Winthrop officials are Precinct 4 Councilor Heather Engman; School Committee members Valentino Capobianco and Ronald Vecchia, (new member Laura Callis could not attend the ceremony); Library Trustees Thomas Connolly and Donald Sullivan were sworn in, while returning trustee Ronald Bergman opted to be sworn in earlier in the day. For the Winthrop Housing Authority, Richard Honan and Frank Ferrara were sworn in.

• Newly elected officials and committee members were sworn in for their upcoming term. The School Committee welcomed three new members, including Valentino “Tino” Capobianco, Laura Callis and Ron Vecchia. At the bi-weekly School Committee meeting following the swearing in ceremony, veteran member Dawn Sullivan was elected as the new chair of the committee, replacing Gary Skomro who served as chair- man for the past four years. Fellow committee member Brian Perrin was selected to the vice-chair.

• Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) crews have wrapped up construction activities for the winter at Winthrop Beach, but more work is scheduled to be completed in 2016. The DCR said improvements planned for this year include new and wider side- walks, a repaved roadway, a new stormwater system, new stairs near Locust Street, and the repair of concrete stairs and railings by the Highlands. There will also be amenities installed at the entrances of Coral Avenue, Cutler Avenue, Sturgis Street and Charles Street. These amenities will include showers, drinking fountains, benches and bicycle racks

• Town Manager James McKenna hired a new chief financial officer to replace the former CFO Tim Gordon, who left to become the town manager in Holbrook. Michael Perez, of Jamaica Plan, started work at Town Hall last Thursday, leaving his spot as a revenue manager for the City of Boston.

• Construction crews are moving right along with the construction of the newest East Boston Neighborhood Health Center (EBNHC) at 17 Main St. in the Belle Isle Plaza, expected to open this summer. The 8,000 sq.ft. facility, to be known as the Winthrop Community Health Center, will house a full-range of family medical care in an outpatient setting from pediatrics to women’s health and adult care to the elderly.

• Fifth grade teacher Katie Houstle has been recognized for her creative efforts to get students engaged in learning. Using her own songwriting talent and her background in theater and music, Houstle has given the students in her fth grade class a newfound motivation to learn.

 

 

February

• Joseph Boncore, an attorney and lifelong Winthrop resident, has announced that he will be a candidate for the State Senate in the First Suffolk and Middlesex District. Boncore is well known to Winthrop voters who have bene ted from his exceptional leadership on the Winthrop Housing Authority and the town’s Ordinance Review Committee. His father, attorney Philip Boncore, is a popular councilor-at-large and was named the Sun-Transcript Man of the Year for 2015.

• Talk about doing something to the Centre Business District has been going on for years and the Town Council got a briefing on the possibilities that exist for the area and they want to get the community more involved in the plans. Joe Domelowicz, who works on economic development and grants for Winthrop, gave presentation about the possibilities that exist in the Centre Business District and the soon-to-be “old” middle/ high school. Domelowicz said the town has a $50,000 grant to work with. Also lending assistance will be the Metropolitan Planning Council, Mass Development and the Winthrop Chamber of Commerce. He hopes to be able to create an advisory board too.

• It wasn’t so much the snow that caused problems for some Winthrop residents, it was the ocean, giving especially The Point area a one-two punch. Town Manager James McKenna said the berm at Yirrell Beach held in one portion of the beach but was pushed down in another area. The astronomical high tides raised water levels about three feet along a good portion of Shirley Street, flooding sever- al properties. Before high tide on Monday the water level was even with the street near the Winthrop Yacht Club and eventually came over.

• An inspector from the Six City Initiative, which oversees the Tobacco Control Program, visited the Kasbah restaurant on Putnam Street this past Saturday night and cited the owner for the fourth time for violating the state’s smoking regulations. The inspector met with a detective from the Winthrop Police Department around 11 p.m. to respond to the Kasbah to check for continuing violations. A citation was issued. “The Winthrop Board of Health continues to expect full compliance with the Massachusetts Smoke Free Work- place Law which prohibits smoking of any substance in a restaurant,’ said Nick Lo- Conte, chairman of the Winthrop Board of Health
• As area real estate agents get ready for the spring selling season they know that 2015 is shedding a good look on the market. Comparing 2015 sales figures and selling prices show that sales are up and prices are too, especially in the Revere, Winthrop, Chelsea, Lynn, Everett and East Boston. Fueling a hot buyer’s mar- ket in Winthrop is that there is no housing stock. The minute a home is put on the market it sells in days, real estate agent Jim Polino said. They held an open house on Sunday and they needed to have two agents there because of the number of people who came.
• After diligent review and assessing the needs of the district, Superintendent of Schools John Macero is requesting more than $18 million to operate the Winthrop schools next year. This is a four percent increase over last year’s budget. The much anticipated budget proposal meeting was held Monday evening. The fiscal season, which runs July 1, 2016 until June 30, 2017 was broken down by Macero and backed up by his leadership team, High School Principal Matt Crombie, Gorman Fort Banks Principal Ilene Pearson and Arthur T. Cummings Principal Ryan Heraty.
• The Town Council will hold a public hearing on changes to the town ordinance as it pertains to bed and breakfast establishments and transient housing. The change in the ordinance comes from the trend of people renting out bedrooms in their homes through programs like Air B&B and similar home-sharing opportunities. The Planning Board and the Town Council’s Rules and Ordinance Committee have both gone over the revisions. It is proposed that a special permit is now needed for bed and breakfast and transient housing establishments. The Board of Appeals will grant permits, which are good for two years.

March

• In the Presidental Primary race on Super Tuesday, Winthrop voters favored Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders and Republican candidate Donald Trump On the Democratic ticket, Sanders grabbed 1,757 votes while Hillary Clinton took home 1,703 votes . On the Republican ticket, Trump received 1,167 votes with John Kasich receiving 247 votes. Marco Rubio took 231 votes and Ted Cruz captured 147 votes.

• There is little doubt about the need for a new Miller Field and the drainage work that needs to be done in the Lewis Lake area. But the town council is not ready to put a debt-exclusion override vote on the ballot yet. After an hour and half public hearing Tuesday night the council needed a two-thirds vote to put the project on the April 12 State Primary ballot. The vote ended 5-4 with five councilors in favor and four against. The issue is not the project, it’s the amount of detail, like what the proposed $8.4 million project is going to cost each household? And if the town or the school department will bare the burden of maintaining the eld? There was also concern about the time frame for educating the public before the vote.

• With the new Federal Emergency Management (FEMA) Flood Insurance Rate Maps set to go into effect local environmentalists have jumped into action to alert Winthrop homeowners of the upcoming deadline to purchase flood insurance. If a home is in the new flood zone that home or business owner will be required by law to buy additional flood insurance–some for the first time. While this may be bad news for homeowners already struggling with mortgage payments and rising bills, the good news is that if you purchase flood insurance before the new FEMA maps go into effect on March 16, you can establish your coverage at lower rates.
• At a recent meeting of the Winthrop School Committee, the community came out to support the Winthrop School district’s education support personnel (ESP) during a public hearing on the proposed FY17 school budget. It is evident that the 15 ESP’s assigned to the district, are of great value to the students and teachers. Community members and fellow teachers raised questions and voiced their opinions regard- ing the possibility of cutting the budget and the ESP positions. “I’m going to do whatever I can to create magic in order to increase and keep these positions,” said Superintendent of Schools John Macero. “I’m trying to make sure we don’t lose services.” Currently, the cost to retain the 15 ESP positions is roughly $375,000 not including benefits.
• Residents came out in force at the School Committee meeting to voice their opinions on the school choice program. The program, which was established in the district several years ago, offers students from outside communities an opportunity to enroll in the Winthrop school district. While the program offers valuable diversity for current students and has given outside students an opportunity to immerse themselves in the educational environment that may be more fitting for them, the current budget struggle. Superintendent of School John Macero said right now there are 13 school choice students and they have space for 40.

• School Superintendent John Macero received confirmation that he has been nominated as one of four finalists to go forward in the interview process for Saugus school superintendent. Screening Committee Co- chair Peter Manoogian said the process began in November and confirmed Macero was a finalist. While Macero has been a resident of Winthrop since 1992, he was born and raised in Saugus and has deep roots in the town. “I explored the option because Saugus is near and dear to my heart, much in the same way that Winthrop is,” said Macero. “This is an opportunity that I wanted to explore and because I have such history there, it drew me in. We’ve come a long way in Winthrop with the new school opening soon.”

• Several communities in Massachusetts have banned stryrofoam take-out containers and cups, and if the chairman of the Board of Health is persuasive enough Winthrop may also enact a ban. At a recent meeting, Nick LoConte, chairman of the Board of Health, gave a presentation on the ill-effects of Styrofoam and his vision for making Winthrop stryofoam free in restaurants, coffee establishments and the schools. After attending a conference with the Environmental Defense League, LoConte said the topic struck a cord.

• There were two National Grid power outages in town, causing the red warning lights to shut down on the water tower. Typically there is a switch that would have turned on the lights when the power went out. Fire Chief Paul Flanagan said the concern was not so much for large airplanes flying in and out of Logan, but the smaller planes that also use the airport. Dick Bangs, of the Airport Hazards Committee, said the emergency power backup equipment will assure continual operation of the red warning lights on the tower. He added that the new equipment will also provide emergency power to Winthrop public safety equipment also installed at the site.

• The science wing at the new middle/high school will be rightfully named in honor of Richard “Doc” Tacelli. Tacelli who dedicated sever- al years of his life as a high school biology teacher, educating Winthrop students on the importance of being environmentally friendly long be- fore it was trendy.

 

April

• Town Manager James McKenna said it best at the annual Spring Forum when he said, “Winthrop is worth it, and we’re proving it.” As McKenna explained, the Spring and Fall forums are required by the Town Charter. The Spring forum typically focuses on budgeting and other spending matters. The Fall forum focuses on the delivery of town services. Department heads followed McKenna with updates on work. Mike Perez, the new chief financial officer, said the FY17 budget is a work in progress at this point. The total budget is approximately $57.16 million with $46.6 million in the general fund or 82.4 percent, $9.9 million in Enterprise funds and $153,000 in revolving funds.

• Winthrop attorney Joseph Boncore prevailed over a strong held of candidates to win the First Suffolk and Middlesex State Senate Democratic Primary Tuesday. Boncore, chairman of the Winthrop Housing Authority, received 4,013 votes to de- feat six other candidates in the special election to ll the seat previously held by Anthony Petruccelli. Revere Mayor Dan Rizzo was second with 3,626 votes, followed by State Rep. Jay Livingstone (2,807), Lydia Edwards (2,280), Diana Hwang (2,085), Steven Morabito (607) and Paul Rogers (175).

• Recently a truck traveling to the MWRA site on Deer Island drew the ire of residents when observers noted the chemical sign number on the truck for one chemical, but of cials have stated that it was another chemical being trans- ported. According to Ria Convey, spokesperson for the MWRA, said the truck headed for Deer Island at 8 a.m. on April 7 was carrying sodium bisulate and not isobutyl methacrylate. This chemical is used to de-chlorinate the efluent before it’s discharged through the outfall tunnel to Massachusetts Bay. “The number identity observed by the resident, 3671, does not match anything that has ever been delivered to Deer Island,” Convey said in an email, adding that the MWRA receives this chemical at the plant about 26 times a year.
• School Supt. John Macero received the news that he will not be appointed as the Superintendent of the Saugus school district, and he is very happy with the outcome. “I learned a lot during this exploration and realized how happy I am in Winthrop,” said Macero. “I wish Saugus the best of luck moving forward.” Macero was one of four finalists who made it to the final round of interviews.
• After a deep discussion at Tuesday night’s meeting, the Town Council voted in favor of holding a Special Local Election regarding the Miller Field /Lewis Lake Project. The election, which will be held on June 21, 2016 will give residents the option to vote on the project. If it receives voter approval, the project will include tide gate improvements, lake dredging and expansion, and additional storm water storage within the drainage area of Lewis Lake, and further including the demolition and removal of existing facilities at Miller Field and the design engineering, permitting, construction, furnishing and equipping of a new track and eld and related facilities at Miller Field.

May

• Town Manager James McKenna presented the town council with the proposed general fund and operating budget fiscal year 2017, which begins July 1. The proposed budget is roughly $56.71 million. The budget is balanced with general fund expenditures supported by revenues of $46,652,447. The remainder of the budget comes from enterprise funds for the harbormaster, water and sewer, the ferry, recreation and the ice rink. A public hearing on the proposed budget will be held at the May 17 town council meeting. Revenue is up four percent over last year with $44,839,044 for FY16 and $46,652, 447 recommended for FY17. This is the seventh budget McKenna has been involved with.
• When it comes to combating the opioid crisis in Winthrop, there is a group of people working hard to make sure more people don’t die from opiates, that families get the support they need and others are educated about the perils of becoming an addict. Last Wednesday, Gergerian and Police Chief Terence Delehanty, recovery coach Danielle Fernekees, Leigh Ann Eruzione of CASA, Amy Epstein, director of CASA, Winthrop Public Health nurse Meredith Hurley, recovery coach Chip McHugh and Town Manager James McKenna, went to the State House to update the Speaker of the House Robert DeLeo, who is also a Winthrop resident. The group spent over an hour sharing how the Winthrop Recovery Model is working. The model includes recovery coaches contacting those who have broken the law because of their addiction. Now the town’s recovery coaches can meet people in East Boston’s Drug Court and Suffolk County jails instead of having to wait three months before they can be seen.
• A campaign that began with hope and optimism ended in triumph as attorney Joseph Boncore was elected state senator for the First Suffolk and Middlesex District that includes his hometown of Winthrop. Boncore was unopposed in the general election after finishing ffirst in a field of seven candidates in the April 12 Democratic primary. With no Republican candidate on the ballot, the final election was a coronation and then a step in to the history books for Boncore as the first state senator elected from the town of Winthrop.
• Residents came out to voice their opinions on the state of Winthrop Beach’s renourishment and restoration project. The $25 million project that was launched to provide storm protection and recreation for the shore- line, has resulted in an unappealing rocky beach. Recently, the DCR (Department of Conservation and Recreation) has hired Tetra Tech Inc., an engineering consultant rm, to review past studies, reports and permitting to assist in the design of the project. The firm is currently working on findings that they will present at the May 31st meeting. The majority of residents aren’t happy about the state of the beach and demanded an answer for the lack of movement on the project.
• It took town officials a couple weeks to determine the best number for the Miller Field debt-exclusion override vote set for June 21 – now voters will say yes or no to keeping the project capped at $9.8 million.

June

• One-and-thirty-seven graduates of the Winthrop High School Class of 2016 will receive their diplomas at commencement ceremonies Friday night inside the Larsen Rink at the Michael Eruzione Center. The class will be the last to graduate from the “old” Winthrop High School. Students have been attending classes at the former Winthrop Middle School building on Pauline Street while a new, state-of-the-art $80 million Winthrop Middle/High School has been under construction. The spectacular building will open for the 2016-17 school year.
• Winthrop Beach topped the list as one of the cleanest beaches on the North Shore with a perfect score of 100 percent in 2015. For the year, overall water quality on all of the Boston Harbor Region’s public beaches was down from a high of 96 percent in 2014 to 92 percent in 2015, primarily as a result of frequent summer storms. Though total rainfall was actually up slightly from 2014, in 2015 there were more than 30 summer days with some rain, which adversely affected water quality on beaches in Lynn, Revere, East Boston, Dorchester and Quincy.
• Call it a Christmas gift, just six months early. That’s what it felt like Tuesday evening when officials from MassPort presented the town of Winthrop with a check for $2.5 million for a non-profit foundation. Speaker of the House Robert DeLeo and Thomas Glynn executive director of MassPort, announced they had been working together to try and find a way to help with the Miller Field project that the town will vote on next Tuesday, June 21. The payment helps pave the way for improvements to the town’s athletic field. The $2.5 million will be placed into a non-profit charitable trust to support local projects and organizations. The Winthrop Foundation will be comprised of an appointed Board of Trustees that will determine where funding goes.
• The year was 1909. The town planted a Great Red Oak on Town Hall property. Over the years it grew and grew with a girth only to be guessed by passerbys – 100 inches around? More, less? This all cam to an end on Sunday, June 12 at 4:11p.m. when the persistent winds of the mostly sunny day blew over the Great Red Oak that once stood to the left of Town Hall. The gust blew the tree into Hermon Street, luckily no one was driving by or walking on the sidewalk.
• Winthrop has proven once again that investment made in the community is certainly worth it! On Tuesday, voters went to the polls and approved a $9.8 million debt-exclusion override to fund the replacement of Miller Field and associated drainage issues with Lewis Lake. The vote was 1,807 yes, and 949 no. There were 12,066 eligible voters for this vote. The cost to the average homeowner would be an additional $130-$155 per year. The project will include: • State-of-the-art regulation track and synthetic turf eld with a life expectancy of 10-12 years and the capability of the town to host sporting events • New bleacher system with a visitor seating for 500 and home seating for 750, the opposing sides allowing for easier crowd control Modern energy efficient lighting system, appropriate for multiple uses • Upgraded track and field drainage, which provides health benefits for the community . • Home and visitor locker rooms and public bathrooms • Concession stand and large storage area with garage entrance for eld equipment • A new eld house, built by the vocational school, sav- ing over $500,000 in taxpayer dollars
• A massive number of concerned residents turned out to talk about the potential use of the old Gov. Winthrop Nursing Home at 142 Pleasant Street as a methadone clinic. Councilor Russ Sanford set up the meeting after rumors came to a head about the use of the old building. Due to the higher than expected turnout of concerned residents, the meeting was moved from the EB Newton School to the Arthur T. Cummings school cafeteria to accommodate the crowd. The old nursing home has been vacant for at least 10 years. In 2011 a proposal for condominiums was turned down. The offices of Speaker of the House Robert DeLeo and State Sen. Joe Boncore have confirmed that no application has been made nor has any permit been approved by the state related to operating a drug or other substance abuse related treatment at the property.
• Peg Tiernan Lyons is a woman with a compassionate heart and a keen sense of getting to know people from all walks of life. Last week Lyons, the head of the Winthrop Housing Authority, received a 2016 Unsung Heroine award from the State House and Speaker of the House Robert DeLeo. Nominations come from legislators and from the community. The Unsung Heroines are women who don’t always make the news, but truly make the difference. They are the women who use their time, talent and enthusiasm to enrich the lives of others and make a difference in their neighborhoods, cities and towns. They are mentors, volunteers and innovators who do what needs to be done without expectations of recognition or gratitude. These women are the glue that keeps a community together and every community has them.

July

• Two men are in custody and a third is in critical but stable condition after a physical confrontation at a Winthrop party ended in an overnight shooting, Winthrop Police Chief Terence Delehanty and Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said. Andrew Guilfoyle 31, the resident of the Winthrop home, and Jared Damelio, 28, of Revere, a partygoer, are both charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and were arraigned in East Boston Municipal Court on Tuesday.
• House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo (D-Winthrop) and Senator Joseph A. Boncore (D-Winthrop) joined their col- leagues in the Massachusetts Legislature to pass a $39.145 billion budget that prioritizes the needs of municipalities and protects funding that supports those most in need, especially individuals grappling with addiction, homelessness and the Commonwealth’s children.
• The Town Council on Monday night discussed the issue of the former nursing home on Pleasant Street whose owners have applied for an SDOD (Special Development Overlay District) zoning status. The change of zoning means that the owners can move forward with development that has yet to be determined. The subject is expected to come up on August 2 with a joint public hearing with the Town Council and the Planning Board at the senior center on Harvard Street. The Planning Board will meet again on August 8 and the council will then meet on August 16. A couple of weeks ago almost 250 people showed up to a hearing when they heard rumors the old nursing home was going to be turned into a methadone clinic. Anthony, Louie and Rita Roberto own the property. The family has tried to work through the SDOD process three times in 2011, 2015, and 2016. The SDOD process encourages the re-use of unused proper- ties. More recently the SDOD zoning process was granted to The Arbors, which had been the site of old Winthrop Hospital, and the old Playmakers/church building on Hermon Street, which will become condos.
• After months of working, the Ordinance Review Committee has completed its report regarding the revisions to the Town’s charter and ordinances. The next step is to have the Town Council vote on the re- visions at its next meeting on Aug. 2.

The ordinances will be voted on by the Town Council because of the way the local election schedule is for the year. The Ordinance Review Committee is assembled every five years to review the charter and ordinances.

• Effective January 1, 2017, Polystyrene, also known as Styrofoam, will be banned from food service institutions in Winthrop in an effort to protect the environment and health of residents. The material, commonly used as disposable takeout containers in restaurants, contains carcinogens that are hazardous to human health much in the same way cigarette smoke is. A component of polystyrene known as benzene, is a carcinogen that enters the body via skin contact and the respiratory system. A recent study found that the migration of styrene to Styrofoam cups into hot drinks was above the EPA’s (Environmental Protection Agency) levels. Exposure of the styrene vapor can cause irritation in the eyes, nose, throat and skin as well as poisoning of the liver. Neurological impairment is a possible result of exposure to the material, as it acts as an intoxicant on the central nervous system. The material also causes a vast amount of rubbish in cities and can be dangerous to marine wildlife.
• The Planning Board will vote on whether to allow or not the property at 142 Pleasant St. to be given the (Special Development Overlay District) SDOD zoning designation so the old nursing home property could be turned into a condominium project.
• At the Senior Center about 100 residents packed in to hear what the Town Council, the Planning Board and developers had to say. The former Gov. Winthrop Nursing Home on the corner of Pleasant St. and Woodside Avenue, has been abandoned for 10 years and under discussion for development for at least seven years. The owners, the 142 Pleasant St. Trust comprised of the Roberto family have tried three times to do something with the property. One proposal was for a methadone clinic. The agreement between the Roberto’s and the clinicians has been dissolved according to Attorney James Cipoletta, who represents the trust. Now the trust would like to develop the property into 12 condo units, not the same 20 units as proposed years ago. The building is about 20,000 square feet on a 31,000 square foot lot.

August

• Town nurse Meredith Hurley has accepted the position of high school nurse, a role that is fitting for her pediatric background. Having been a nurse for 13 years, Hurley dedicated much of her time working in the inpatient neuroscience unit at the Children’s Hospital, along with time spent in pediatric home care nursing, before starting her position as town nurse in February 2014.
• Town Manager James McKenna has an ear to ear smile over the collaboration between the Winthrop Ferry and the city of Quincy. In just three days the ferry revenues have grown from $500 a day to triple that amount. “Folks are excited about this,” said McKenna at Tuesday night’s Town Council meet- ing. Adding the link to Quincy began on Aug. 1 when people in Quincy were able to take the ferry from Squantum Point Park, next to Marina Bay to either Rowes Wharf, Spectacle Island or Winthrop. The 90-day trial could be extended. Quincy residents haven’t had ferry service since 2013, when the MBTA closed the terminal at the former Fore River Shipyard.
• The East Boston Neighborhood Health Center (EBN- HC) opened its new facility, “Winthrop Neighborhood Health” in the coming weeks. EBNHC is holding a Ribbon Cutting event to celebrate the completion of the newly renovated building on Tuesday, August 16th from 10:00 to 11:00am. Located at 17 Main Street in Winthrop, the new facility owned and operated by EBNHC will house a Family Medicine Primary Care Department as well as various specialty services including Dermatology, Podiatry, Ear Nose and Throat and an expanded Sports Medicine practice. Boston Medical Center will also be offering both Physical and Occupational Therapy at the facility. “We are excited to finally be opening after a long, but very successful renovation, said VP of Operations for the Health Center,” Jeff Schuste
• East Boston Neighborhood Health opened an office in Winthrop.
• Crews from Northeast Mosquito Control have sprayed the town once in the last week after mosquitoes carrying the West Nile Virus were detected in the Lewis Lake are of town, according to Fire Chief Paul Flanagan. Residents were advised to close their windows when spraying is done.
• Town officials are seeking to rent out the old Middle School at 151 Pauline St. and are seeking proposals from firms and individuals to lease portions of the old Middle School (which also brie y served as the high school.) The property contains three buildings totaling more than 100,000 square feet of space and is being offered on a short term, interim basis. The formal process of transferring ownership from the School Board to The Town will be on Sept. 1 after the new high school-middle school is completed. The town is taking proposals on the site until September 12 and is offering the space as an as-is condition basis. The proposal asks for a minimum description of the amount of space needed and the contract is not to go longer than one year. The proposed cost to rent will be based on a square footage and rented per month.
• Business owners, committee members and interested citizens gathered for a neighborhood meeting on the town center, French Square and the surrounding areas. Town Manager James McKenna explained that everyone wants to see a comprehensive look at the center and its future. “The planning process is underway.” McKenna said. “And the plan is out on what and how we want to do things.”
• Over a year ago the Town Council called for a way to regulate “Air BNB”-type establishments and other similar room sharing arrangements Last Thursday night the Zoning Board of Appeals is- sued a special permit to Ken Goodwin and Jesus Magarinos who own a home on30 Tilestone Street. They have two extra bedrooms that they rent out on a short term basis. This is the first time that the Town has granted this permit under the new town ordinance passed several months ago for room sharing type programs such as Air BNB, which Goodwin and Magarinos use. The intent of the ordinance is to provide a legal and safe, sanitary room for a guest. The two had been in the practice of hosting guest and worked with the Ordinance Review Committee to craft the ordinance.

September

• The Winthrop Ferry has been doing well. A tourism video has been created showing a couple with bicycles leaving Rowe’s Wharf. When they arrive in Winthrop after 20 minutes on the ferry, they get on their bikes and drive around the bike path at Deer Island. Also shown are sever- al sights of the living by the water as well as the the Deane Winthrop House and several award winning restaurants. Town Manager James McKenna said the ferry video was made by Pamela Aronoff an Evlyn Ordonario. McKenna said the ferry is moving in the right direction. He said acquiring the Quincy stop was key. Ticket sales have been good. From April 19 to May 5 there were 544 tickets sold. From May 6 to July 31 there were 2,350 tickets sold and from August 1 to Sept. 6 there were 2,263 tickets sold.
• In a joint meeting, the Town Council and the Planning Board voted to grant to the owners of 15-17 Walden St. a Special Development Overlay District (SDOD) designation intended to rehab or reuse a property that no longer is serving its original use. Unlike other SDOD properties that have been recently approved, developers have shared some idea of what the project might entail. The Planning Board will work with the owner Jack Anderson and his attorney David McCool.
• The town is moving forward with a Belle Isle Marsh Marine Ecology Park and Marsh Walk. On Tuesday night, the town council’s DPW subcommittee held a meeting to update residents of the Morton Street and Banks Street about the project. The $1.2 million project of the only great urban salt marsh in the state will upgrade walking areas and improve the areas to enhance public use, said Town Manager James McKenna. All of this is being done keeping in mind the senitivity off the marsh. The Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) owns and manages the marsh. Five years ago the DCR constructed the Kilmartin Walkway and Footpath. The next step is to develop an ecology park and marsh walk. McKenna said there is a vi- sion an “outdoor laboratory” that will bring students and visitors to to learn about the Great Urban Salt Marsh. Funds for the $1.2 mil- lion project are coming from grants from Seaport Economic Council funding. State Senator Joseph Bon- core earned 918 votes in an uncontested race. In the race for Sheriff for Suffolk Country Steven Tompkins took 615 votes and challenger Alex Rhalami garnered 429 votes in Winthrop. Tompkins went on to win the Suffolk County seat with 24,764 votes and Rhalami garnered 7,440.

• They are the first to admit that they aren’t getting any younger, in fact they are literally the oldest members of any committee in Winthrop government. Members of the Air Pollution, Noise and Airport Hazards Committee have an average age in the mid-80’s and incredible senses of humor. The youngest member is in his mid-70s. The committee is seeking new members and so far four have come forward.
• The town’s compost pile behind the DPW yard on Kennedy Road is “beyond full” according to DPW head Steve Calla. He told the town council there are a couple of issues with the pile and it is not bio- degrading like it should. One factor is that there’s not a town employee stationed there to turn over the compost pile and water it regularly. Calla said the compost station may have to be closed, and residents may have to find an alternative and different ways to dispose of yard waste. The one-acre site was opened in 1997 and now there is about 25,000 cubic yards of uncomposted material there now.
• Any establishment that serves food has a grease trap in its plumbing system and if it is not cleaned out back ups can occur inside and outside the establishment. Thirty places in town have grease traps. The Winthrop Health Department and the Department of Public Works have had to deal with the headache. Now the Board of Health is taking action to ramp up the enforcement of cleaning grease traps.
• It’s only natural that someone with a background in health would want to serve on the Board of Health and that’s what Prospect Road resident Susan Maguire is doing, replacing former board member Tracy Honan who has resigned.

October

• The Town Council voted to petition the Legislature to make the position of deputy police chief exempt from civil service law. Police Chief Terence Delehanty asked the council for the creation of the position in order to have a stronger structure in the police department. Under the plan being formulated, the chief will have someone working closely with him who will be able to take over in the event he is not present. The idea was accepted by Town’s Rules and Ordinance Committee and now will go to the Legislature. There is no word yet on when the position will be created.
• A team from Blue Wave Capital was at Monday night’s School Committee meeting, to share their insight on Winthrop’s solar potential. The company is known for developing environmentally responsible energy projects and has completed successful projects on several properties in Brookline and Melrose. And if all goes well, their next stop will be placing solar panels on the new high school. Due to the high school’s location, it has an ideal roof for solar panels, which has the potential of saving the town a lot of money on utilities. So far, the company has assessed the location and ensured that the site has appropriate solar access and the availability of sufficient ground for the pan- els. Incentives are available for the Town, and according to engineers and the team at Blue Wave, the new high school is the perfect spot for the Town to work toward solar goals.
• The Miller Field Committee just met to formalize their proceedings and spent much of the first meeting discussing a small portion of the $9.8 million project. Suffice to say that there are some passionate people on the committee with differing opinions. The committee opt- ed to select co-chairs for the committee with James Letterie and Vin Crossman sharing the duties. Dave Girard, who served on the School Building Assistance Construction Commit- tee, questioned why relocating the existing tennis courts near the Golf Course to Ingleside Park was part of the overall project but was bid out separately and before an operation project manager or construction manager had been hired.

• At the school committee meeting CASA (Community Action for Safe Alternatives) shared updates on a recent Prevention Needs Assessment. The survey, which was taken by students in grades 6-12, was executed to determine where the majority of action is needed among Winthrop’s youth. Questions involving drug and alcohol usage, violence, bullying, sexual behavior, and mental health were included in the survey. Out of 1,032 students enrolled at the high school/middle school, 805 participated in the survey, the majority of them being in grades 6-9. The topic that is receiving the greatest concern is mental health. According to survey results, nearly 16 percent of students have seriously considered suicide. While the number has dropped slightly from the 2013/2014 school year, it is still higher than the state aver- age. In addition, 25 percent of the students reported that they have felt sad and hopeless for a period of at least two weeks. Over the last eight years CASA has worked closely with the police department, the Town and the school department, on a mission to prevent drug and alcohol use among teens. According to survey results, 55 percent of students have consumed alcohol. This number is a decline in the usage com- pared to previous years and it is below the state average, however; Winthrop is above the state average by 2 percent when it comes to binge drinking. Binge drinking is defined as consuming five or more alcoholic drinks within a couple of hours.
• Just after winding down the $25 million Winthrop Beach re-nourishment project, the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) has announced another $10 million project that focuses on the road and the sidewalks at the Highland or upland area of the beach.
• The Robert DeLeo Women’s Health Forum brought out members of the community last Wednesday evening. The high school cafeteria was filled with tables that offered all aspects of health education, from free flu shots to breast cancer awareness information. Students enrolled in the new medical careers program at the high school, greeted guests at the door and offered free blood pressure readings. After guests checked out the many health service tables, they were invited to attend presentations in the new auditorium. Speaker of the House Robert DeLeo introduced the many speakers including the Dr. Jackie Fantes from the East Boston Neighborhood Health Center; Nancy Slamet and Paula Nolan from HarborCOV; Nancy Williams from the DeLeo Senior Center; Dr. Gary Pransky from Hallmark Health; and key- note speaker and Professional Women’s Hockey Player Jillian Dempsey.

November

• Voters on Election Day chose between the teams of Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine; Gary Johnson and William Weld; Jill Stein and Ajamu Baraka; or Donald Trump and Mike Pence. For the first time every community in Massachusetts has been offering early voting as a way to accommodate people’s daily schedule, and reduce lines at the polls on Nov. 8. In Winthrop, Town Clerk Carla Vitale said over 2,000 voters have taken advantage of early voting. On the first day voters were in line at 8 a.m. Monday, 300 people voted early and volunteers were putting in eight hour days. Last Thursday the volunteers had taken 628 voters for early voting.
• It was standing room only when over 50 adults and children packed the town council meeting pleading for a solution to the rental of the old middle school gym soon Pauline Street. Over the weekend social media was buzzing about rental fees, who was using the gym, and why can’t the Park and Recreation stay there? Since the new high school was open in September, the school department transferred ownership of the of the old school on Pauline Street over to the Town. The Town also sent out RFP’s (request for proposals) for anyone interested in renting space in the school. The school has two zones, one for the school and one for the gymnasium and auditorium. The gym has been in use and there are many other wishing to rent the gym.
• With a 77 percent voter turnout from 12,574 registered voters, Winthrop went with Hillary Clinton and Tim Kane with 5,193 votes over Donald Trump and Mike Pence who garnered 3,851 votes in Winthrop. Of course, much of the rest of the country backed Trump, who will be the 45th President of the United States. Voters across the Commonwealth and in Winthrop 5,291 voters rejected Question 1 which would have petitioned the Gaming Commission for a license for a slots parlor casino off Revere Beach Parkway. Voting “yes” were 3,636 Winthrop voters. On the other three ballot questions, 6,064 Winthrop voters said “no” to charter school expansion in Ques-ion 2 and 3,419 voted “yes”. School Committee chair Dawn Sullivan said, “it’s time for us all to work together to raise the consciousness and offer all children high quality public school education.” On Question 3 to improve conditions for farm animals, 7,656 voted in favor and 1,777 against; and Question 4 to legalize marijuana passed in Winthrop with a vote of 5,070 for and 4,435 against.
• Town Manager James McKenna is more than happy with the improvement in the Town’s bond rating and he is even more excited that the the savings is something that goes back to the taxpayers. Standard & Poors recently upgraded the town’s rating to AA from AA-. According to Standard & Poors, the upgrade is a reflection of the Town’s “strong budgetary performance and improved budget flexibility” as well as “improving financial management practices and stronger budgetary planning and forecasting.”
• It’s been well over five years in the making and now the Metro North Regional Emergency Communications Center, the regional dispatch center for Revere and Winthrop is now online taking emergency calls and dispatching public safety personnel.
• In an attempt to bolster the health of Winthrop, Chelsea and Revere the communities have banded together to form a health collaborative and hire a regional public health director who will work on policy, reports and more. The person hired will take a regional look at trends and work with local Boards of Health. A signing ceremony will take place in Revere next Tuesday, Nov. 15 at Revere City Hall. “This allows us to pool resources and tackle complex and common challenges that don’t stop at our boarders, such as opioid addiction,” said Winthrop Board of Health Chairman Nick LoConte.
• Winthrop been selected to be the first school district in the Commonwealth to test out a new homeland security grant, which will provide tourniquet training to all teachers in the district. After September 11, an Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) was put in place to raise awareness and ensure that public employees obtain the training they need to be proactive in the event of an emergency. This special grant was developed in conjunction with the Devalle Institute and will provide 250 tourniquets to each school, along with a staff training that will educate faculty members and prepare them in the event that there is an active shooter in the build- ing. “Hemorrhaging is the leading cause of death,” said School Nurse Meredith Hurley, who submitted the proposal for the $15,000 training grant. Realistically, tourniquet application is a skill that could be utilized in many real-life applications beyond school threats and acts of terrorism. Bystander application of tourniquets saved lives after the Boston Marathon bombings and recently a Boston police officer’s life was saved due to tourniquet application after a shootout.
• The Miller Field Committee met with the principal of Northeast Metro Tech High School in Wakefield to discuss details of how her students will be able to work on the Miller Field project. Carla Scuzzarella, principal of the tech school said, her students can build the eld house at the new Miller Field. “This will be a big project for us. A lot of pride,” Scuzzarella said. The project for the students would begin in the classroom with computer aided design, drafting plans for building. Then the Miller Field Committee would approve the plans – which will include a snack bar, bathrooms and lockers. Students will then work on-site under the supervision of their teachers, who are all licensed in their trade. The students do it all, from framing to electrical and plumbing to HVAC and metal work. The concrete pad the eld house is built on will be poured by the main contractor and all utilities will be started.

December

• On the advice of the Board of Assessors, the Town Council has set the tax rate at $14.41 per $1,000 in valuation for fiscal year 2017 compared to $15.37 in fiscal year 2016.
• The Winthrop Middle School Drama Club is gearing up for its first performance of the year, “Shrek the Musical” and they are very ex- cited about it. There are a lot of firsts for the club this year, as it will be the first time that Shrek the Musical is performed at the new school and the first time that the club performs in the new auditorium.
• About 20 members of the 100-year-old Winthrop Golf Club packed the Town Council meeting room Tuesday night to hear about the next lease for the golf course The group met with officials the night before going over the Miller Field work that also involves part of the course. The club also submitted its financial information for the next 10 to 20 years. The Town Council voted to have Town Manager James McKenna negotiate a lease with the club. Club president Joe Ferrara said the contract with the Town expires in March of 2017. The club will also be celebrating it’s 100th anniver- sary. There are 220 members. Ferrara added that the club now pays about $15,000 a year in rent and also pays for water and property tax. He is confident that negotiations will go well. The council also asked if McKenna may be able to wrap the contract up in January.