The appearance in Chelsea of Senator John Kerry and President Obama’s Drug Policy Director Gil Kerlikowske at ROCA earlier this week attracted an array of local lawmen. Shown above, from left to right, are: Chief Terry Delehanty of Winthrop, Chief Dominic DiMella of Saugus, Chief Jim Holland of Malden, Director Kerlikowske, Senator Kerry, Chelsea Police Chief Brian Kyese, Revere Police Chief Joe Caffarelli and Everett Police Chief Steven Mazzie. Korlikowske is the former police chief in Seattle, Washington.

With five children, Samuel Argueta’s father was left to assume the role of two parents – trying to navigate his children through the tough realities of life in Chelsea.

Regrettably, Argueta slipped away into a life on the streets, and though he has turned his life around now, he shared his darkest days at a public discussion in ROCA headquarters on Monday with U.S. Sen. John Kerry and U.S. Drug Czar Gil Kerlikowske – as well as a plethora of law enforcement and elected officials from Chelsea and surrounding cities.

“There were five siblings and one parent and my father assumed the role of both parents,” Argueta told the large crowd. “We didn’t have the big brother and big sister togetherness in our family, so I turned to the streets and got into gangs, got into doing drugs and got into selling drugs. I ended up in federal prison in 2006. There I learned to become a better man and to live in society the right way. When I got out, I went to ROCA. They helped me and I felt I had to give back. When they want me to go out and encourage someone to get their GED and keep on track, I am right there. Without the support group here that I have and that I had, I don’t think I would have made it on my own.”

Following that moving speech, he told the senator and the top drug enforcement officer in the country that he has a great job in downtown Boston and is looking forward to the birth of a new baby with his girlfriend.

ROCA was the perfect backdrop for the important visit of Kerlikowske, who has been touring the U.S. for the past year in order to get extensive pubic input on what will be the country’s newest blueprint for the war on drugs.

“The president specifically told me that he wanted the voice of the American people in this blueprint,” Kerlikowske told the audience. “So, we’ve gone across the country and heard from everyone, whether it was talking with reintegration program directors, rehabilitation center workers, attending an early morning police roll call in Nashville or speaking with detectives in Providence. We heard from everyone.”

Kerlikowske – who is a former Chief of Police in Seattle – also said that he wanted to remove the stigma of drug abuse and recovery. He said he wanted to enlist greater support and acceptance for those working hard to get back on track at places like ROCA.

“We put way too much of a stigma on people who are in recovery and doing a good job in it,” he said. “We need to take away the barriers. We need to get them living in the community; get them back in the job market…There are no stronger advocates for you and for this than the chiefs, detectives and State Troopers that are here with us today.”

Also involved in the discussion with Sen. Kerry and Kerlikowske was former Boston Celtic Chris Herron – who has been going around the state lately sharing his tragic tale of drug abuse and recovery.

“From my point of view, it’s getting kids at a younger age,” he said. “This really starts at the middle schools. By the time they’re older, it’s too late. There’s already a pattern.”

Sen. Kerry facilitated most of the discussion and asked several questions of the participants – particularly about their family structure and tendency to drop out of school. He was particularly interested in what could have been done to altar their decisions.

He also made several comments about solutions to the drug problem.

“We have been successful in the past, putting things in place like the drug task forces and the ‘Just Say No,’” he said. “We did that all the way up into the 1990s and it was effective. Then we always end up pulling back a bit and then the problem comes back and we’re left scratching our heads. It’s not that complicated. The problem is that we’re often not doing what we know we ought to be doing…We need to get back to reminding people about the drug culture and what it really does to you…We need to get back to reminding people what’s at stake here.”

ROCA Director Molly Baldwin shared briefly that they have concentrated in the last few years – based upon statistical research – on two groups: young men between the ages of 18-24 who are in and out of prison and young single mothers.

She was aided by the comments of ROCA’s Dana Betts, the director of programming, who said vigilance with those in the program is key.

“It really takes relentless outreach,” she said. “Our group does not show up on time and they need to be reminded every single day at their front door that they can change and there is hope for them.”

City Manager Jay Ash said that the meeting came about when he happened to mention to Sen. Kerry that about 75 percent of of Chelsea’s local crime problem could be attributed to drug activity.

That prompted Kerry to organize a meeting with Kerlikowske and a number of other city leaders in the area.

Joining Ash was Chelsea Police Chief Brian Kyes, as well as chiefs from Revere, Winthrop, Everett and Malden.

Other city leaders in attendance with Ash included Winthrop Town Manager Jim McKenna, Everett Mayor Carlo DeMaria, Malden Mayor Gary Christenson and Saugus Town Manager Scott Crabtree.

“We just aren’t doing enough in our communities to prevent drug abuse and provide treatment and recovery services for those who are addicted,” said Ash. “The days of thinking we can arrest our way out of the drug problems our communities are facing are over. Our prisons are full of drug convicts and yet the situation in our neighborhoods and in our homes isn’t getting any better. We need a more holistic approach to local addiction issues and need our federal government to treat this national crisis as the epidemic it is.”

NOT TOO UNCOMMON 

Over the last two years, the Revere and Chelsea areas have taken particular notice that large quantities of drugs directly from the U.S./Mexico border have shown up in the community.

Just over a year ago, the largest cache of drugs ever recovered in Massachusetts was uncovered in Revere near the Chelsea line. The cocaine contained in that tractor trailer was neatly wrapped and still bore the stamp of a prominent Mexican drug smuggling cartel.

The same holds true for a tractor trailer found in the Chelsea Produce market this year, with massive amounts of bundled and stamped cocaine inside.

All indications are that the chaotic border is coming a little too close for comfort, and U.S. Drug Czar Gil Kerlikowske indicated that is exactly the case.

Kerlikowske told the Record that he has travelled all over the country seeking input for the new nationwide blueprint on the drug war.

He indicated that many cities like Revere and Chelsea have found the “fingerprints” of dangerous cartels in their own backyards.

“I’ve travelled all over and this is not unique,” he said. “The drug cartels have a presence in about 200-plus cities in the country. It doesn’t matter if it’s on the border or not. We’ve doubled the number of border patrol agents and seizures are higher than ever. Still, Atlanta, Chicago and New York – they’re fingerprints are all over these places. It doesn’t even have to be a big city either, as you can attest to here.”

Among the Chelsea Kiwanis who celebrated Cinco de Mayo at the Windham Hotel are, William Carafa, Bob Shoemaker, Laura Assade, Sylvia Ramirez, Paul Swart, Felix Torres, Renne Griffin, Gerry Mcue, Elain Monge,and Don Harney.

More positive publicity will come Chelsea’s way this month when the popular Fox Channel 25 ‘Zip Trip’ morning program visits Chelsea on May 25th.

The program has aired for several years on the Fox 25 Morning Show, where every Friday they visit a different city or town to highlight the area. A few years ago, Zip Trip visited Revere Beach.

City Manager Jay Ash said they had set a tentative date for Friday, May 25th, to have the Zip Trip crew visit Chelsea.

“They toured the city last week and decided to set up the show at the Admiral’s Hill Marina,” said Ash. “I think it will look great.”

Chelsea was featured last year on Channel 5′s popular news magazine ‘Chronicle,’ which was re-run a few months ago.

Treasurer Grossman is shown with Ed Fitzgerald and Larry Andrews executives with The Savings Bank. The Savings Bank made Dockside possible.

State Treasurer Steve Grossman toured the Dockside Restaurant in the Marketbasket Mall Tuesday afternoon. The Dockside was a recipient of a $250,000 loan made by The Savings Bank of Wakefield and leveraged through the Treasury’s Small Business Banking Partnership.

Grossman toured the Dockside, meeting local businessmen and city officials, including Chelsea City Manager Jay Ash.

“All across the Commonwealth we are seeing successful businesses like the Dockside put their entrepreneurial spirit to work through the Small Business Banking Partnership,” said Grossman during brief comments with the businesspeople gathered around him.

“By directing additional deposits into Massachusetts community banks and encouraging them to lend to Massachusetts small businesses, the Partnership puts the reserve resources of the Treasury to their optimal use, creating jobs, opportunity, and prosperity.”

Grossman was greeted warmly by a number of prominent Chelsea businesspeople, including Robert Cashman, President and CEO of the Metro Credit Union, Marketbasket executives, Richard and Steve Clayman, lawyer and real estate developer respectively and former Chelsea School Committeeman, the highly respected Morris Seigal.

Grossman also met and spoke with Councillors Calvin Brown and Leo Robinson as well as many of those dining in the restaurant in the early afternoon.

It was a pass through that had all the trappings of an early campaign stop.

Grossman has been making a series of such stops throughout the state.

Locally, he recently visited an East Boston establishment that received money from the Treasurer’s Small Business Banking Partnership.

The very ambitious state treasurer may very well be aiming at higher office.

For the meantime, he is pleased and satisfied being the state treasurer, he said.

The war against drugs moved its forum to Chelsea earlier this week with a visit to the ROCA facility on Park Street by Massachusetts senior Senator John Kerry and President Obama’s Director of Office of Drug Control Policy Gil Kerlikowske.

Both men appeared before a large crowd of younger people and local officials and ROCA leaders, primarily among them, Molly Baldwin, to discuss the current initiatives underway in the war against drugs.

The tour of the ROCA facility and the Chelsea stop in general was a tour de force for Kerry and the President’s top drug control policy director.

The war on drugs is alive and well at ROCA everyday where the combined effort of all its dedicated employees and members is to keep young people focused and drug free with something to do with their lives.

What Senator Kerry and Director Kerlikowske witnessed at ROCA was an average day in the life of an institution dedicated to helping people and to stemming drug use as well as picking up a lot of the pieces for many young people when they decide to straighten out.

No one does better or with more energy and understanding than what ROCA does for young people heading in the wrong direction.

We trust and we hope that Senator Kerry and Director Kerlikowske enjoyed their stop at ROCA earlier this week.

It was a notable visit by very important people to one of the most important agencies in this city on the front line in the war against drug use.

The Dockside Restaurant at the Marketbasket Mall hosted a meeting between businesspeople and State Treasurer Steven Grossman Tuesday afternoon.

The early afternoon visit by the state treasurer gave him an opportunity to mix with Chelsea businesspeople such as Robert Cashman, president of the billion dollar Metro Credit union, Chelsea city manager Jay Ash, who knows something about business, and with executives Larry Andrews and Ed Fitzgerald of The Savings Bank, headquartered in Wakefield, which extended a loan to the Dockside to fund the working capital, equipment, and start-up costs associated with the new location.

About 25 people came out to meet the treasurer, who touted the benefits of his office’s Small Business Banking Partnership.

The treasurer also met members of the Chelsea city government like councilors Calvin Brown and Leo Robinson.

In addition, he spoke briefly with the Clayman brothers, attorney Richard and real estate developer Steven and their entourage.

The treasurer has been making numerous local visits in Chelsea and East Boston and wherever his office and its lending program has had impact on small business.

Grossman is showing a true interest in people and in the economy by doing so as well as becoming familiar with the needs of small business.

In brief remarks to the assembled group at Dockside, Grossman praised the Urbaczewski Family, owners of the Dockside and several other successful eateries.

Forty jobs were created with the opening of Dockside, which the treasurer praised.

The treasurer was met by interested businesspeople at the Dockside.

We thank him for coming to Chelsea.

The Chelsea High girls track and field team remained undefeated with an 80-56 triumph over Mystic Valley last week. Coach Kim Huffer’s Lady Red Devils now stand at 4-0 on the season

Chelsea standouts included Thien-Ly Che, who finished first in the 400 low hurdles, breaking the CHS school record for the second meet in a row.  Her time of 75.89 broke her previous mark by almost a second.  Ly also finished first in the triple jump and second in the 100 high hurdles behind teammate Shuly Sejour.

Sejour enjoyed a banner day with a trifecta of first place performances. Shuly brought home the gold in the 100 hurdles, the 200 dash, and the high jump. She also finished second in the long jump behind teammate Stephanie Moni.

For her part, Moni finished second in the 100 dash to go along with her first place effort in the long jump.

Arandeni Ramos won the two mile, improving her time by almost 30 seconds, with a clocking of  13.36. Quinnee Valenzona won the 400 meter dash and ended the day with a pair of second place finishes in the triple jump and 400 hurdles.  Quinnee also had a third place finish in the javelin.

Zuleima Castillo had her best throw in the javelin to capture first place. Teammate Shanice Hernandez won the shot put and also had a third in the discus.

Other Chelsea athletes who finished in the top three included: Andrea Umana (second place in the 400); Tatyana Almeida (second in the 800 and third in the triple jump); Crystal Rodriguez (second in the javelin); and  Rebeca Torrento (second in the discus).

“This was a great meet for us,” said Huffer. “The girls really stepped up to the challenge of facing a tough Mystic Valley team.  We ended the day with the girls reaching 29 personal bests as a team.  Many of our girls are running, jumping, and throwing further than they imagined at the beginning of the season.  It’s exciting to see the smiles on their faces when they see their improvement.  I’m hoping they can carry this momentum into the last two weeks of the season.”

Huffer and her crew were set to travel to Shawsheen yesterday (Wednesday) and travel to Whittier (along with PMA) for a rain date make-up meet on Monday. They also have to make up a meet against Northeast Regional.

CHS boys team gets back on track

The Chelsea High boys track team defeated Mystic Valley, 93-43, to even its record at 2-2. “Winning this meet has given us some confidence after a tough previous week in which we lost two meets back to back,” said CHS head coach Don Fay.

Luis Hernandez contributed mightily to the Red Devil cause with three first place finishes and a  third place effort to account for 16 points on the day. Luis ran a 64.5 in the 400 hurdles; turned in a 16.9 in the 110 meter high hurdles; and high jumped 5-6 for his first place showings.  He also added a third in the long jump with a leap of 18-8.

Zavier Martin won the 100 meters in a time of 12.45 while Oscar Erazo was second in the 100 in 12.50.

Kevin Ortiz ran a smart race and ended up winning the 800 meters in 2:17, while Anthony Santiago was second in 2:19.  Kevin Luu won the 200 meters in 25.5 and Erazo took third in 26.1.

Brian Pliego was a double winner, capturing the javelin with a chuck of 122-2 and the shotput  with a heave of  36-8.  Ronny Gomez won the discus with a personal record (PR) throw of 116-8  Brendan Horn won the triple jump with a distance of 34- 7.

Second place finishers for Chelsea were: Wilfredo Leiva in the 400 meter hurdles in 67.4 and the triple jump with a distance of 33-9; Joseph Arroyo in the mile in 5:20; Brandon Rath in the 400 dash in 56.86; Brian Jimenez in the javelin with a throw of 101-0; and Anthony Carrasquilla in both the shot put with a toss of 33-8 and the discus with a twirl of 93-0.

Third place efforts that added one point to the Chelsea score sheet came from: Tony Nguyen in the two mile in 12:02; Leiva in the 110 high hurdles in 19.4 and in the high jump with a leap of 5-0;  Horn with a 60.1 time in the 400 meters; Peter Vo with a shot put throw of 33-1; and Jeffrey Estrada who triple jumped 33-3.

Red Devils top Lynn Tech, 13-0

The Chelsea High baseball team received a complete game shutout from Carlos Vega and offensive contributions from throughout the lineup to roll to a 13-0 romp over Lynn Tech Friday on the CHS diamond.

Vega turned in a superlative performance on the mound, allowing just five hits (all singles) and fanning 13 enemy batters in his seven innings of work. “Carlos was great,” said CHS head coach Alan Beausoleil. “He was in complete command from start to finish.”

Among the hitting stars for the Red Devils were Brandon Morales, who had a double, a single, and two RBI; Odonys Urbaez, who scored three runs, singled, was hit twice by a pitch, and stole three bases; Ryan Motta, who scored twice and produced a two run double; and Peter Marmolejos, who had two base hits, scored two runs, and delivered an RBI.

“It was a solid team effort,” noted Beausoleil. “Everybody made a contribution either at the plate or in the field.”

The day before, the Chelsea nine traveled to Northeast Regional to take on a Northeast team which had soundly beaten the Devils in their first meeting, 9-0, behind a no hitter by Northeast’s ace pitcher.

However, Chelsea gave an indication early on that the second time around would not be repeat of the first encounter, striking for solo tallies in the second and third frames to grab a 2-0 lead. In the second, Urbaez singled, stole second, and flew home on a base hit by Juan Encarnacion. In the third, Manny Ferrer and Luis Geurrero drew walks, with Ferrer eventually scoring on a grounder by Dan Velastegui that was misplayed by the Northeast third baseman.

Tech tied matters in the fifth with a pair of markers, but Chelsea threatened to retake the lead in the top of the sixth when the Northeast hurler walked three Red Devils in a row to fill the sacks with Red & Black with none out. However, three straight strikeouts ended the potential for  a big rally.

Northeast then pulled ahead in the bottom of that frame. With two outs, a pair of walks and a pop fly that fell in accounted for the winning tallies.

“We battled them much better than in the first game,” said Beausoleil. “Brandon pitched a very strong game for us,” added the coach, referring to Morales’s six innings of work in which he allowed just four hits and fanned seven.

The Red Devils, who now stand at 6-5 on the season, are scheduled to host Maimonides this evening (Thursday) under the lights at 7:15. They will entertain Greater Lowell next Wednesday.

James Stevens

Auto Mechanic, Member of American Legion 

James E. Stevens of Chelsea died on May 3. He was 60 years old.

A US Army veteran who served in Viet Nam, he was an auto mechanic and a member of the American Legion Post 19 in Somerville.

He was the husband of the late Patricia A. (Barry) Stevens; devoted father of James Stevens and his fiancé, Belinda J. DeHetre, both of Chelsea; beloved son of Gloria M. (Stevens) Sullivan of New Hampshire; loving grandfather of Patrick J. Stevens; dear brother of Kathy Bowen of New Hampshire, Linda McMillan of Lowell, Marilyn Sullivan of Florida and the late William Sullivan, John Sullivan and Alan Kane.  He is also lovingly survived by many cousins, nieces and nephews.

A Memorial Service will be conducted at the William R. Carafa & Son Home For Funerals, 389 Washington Ave., Chelsea on Friday, May 11 at 12 Noon.  Visiting hours will precede the service from 10 a.m. to 12 noon.  Services will conclude at the end of the Memorial Service.

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Edward Lewis

Member of Chelsea Irish American Club and Beachmont VFW

Edward Lewis of Revere, formerly of Chelsea, died on May 5. He was 85 years old.

He was a member of the Merchant Marine and a member of the Laborer’s Union Local 22, the Chelsea Irish American Club and the VFW Beachmont Post in Revere.

He was the husband of the late Angelina (Guarino) Lewis; beloved father of Edgar “Ed” Lewis of Manchester, NH and James F. Lewis of Salem; son of the late Edgar and Sadie Belle (Lambert) Lewis; dear brother of Theresa Zardas and her husband, George of Saugus, Frederick “Fred” Lewis and his wife, Lorraine of Saugus, Mildred Thompson and the late George Levy, Robert Levy, Thomas Levy, Viola Moffette, Mary Cunio and Elizabeth Goodrich.  He is also lovingly survived by many nieces and nephews.

Funeral arrangements were by the William R. Carafa & Son Home For Funerals, Chelsea. Burial was in Puritan Lawn Memorial Park in Peabody

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Robert Pierce

Retired Mechanical Engineer, Decorated Veteran

Robert Pierce died at the Haverhill Crossings in Haverhill on May 6. He was 90 years old.

A US Army veteran, he was a bombardier in the Army Air Force, having served in the most severe combat missions in the European Theatre of Operations during World War II. He received many commendations, including the Silver Star, Army Air Medal and the Purple Heart. A mechanical engineer for the Hood Rubber Co., retiring 35 years ago, he was a member of the Army Bomber Squadron Group 44.

He was the husband of the late Rose C. (Massarelli) Pierce; brother of the late John Pierce, Andrew Pierce and Jane Pierce and dear uncle of Andrew J. Pierce of Atkinson, NH.

Funeral services will be conducted in the William R. Carafa & Son Home For Funerals, 389 Washington Ave., Chelsea, today, Thursday, May 10 at 12 noon. Visiting hours will precede the service from 10 to 12 noon. Burial will be in Woodlawn Cemetery in Everett. Donations in his memory may be made to the Wounded Warrior Project P.O. Box 758517 Topeka, KS 66675 or www.woundedwarriorproject.org.

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John Lewis, Sr.

Revere Resident

John R. Lewis Sr. of Revere died on April 25.

He is survived by his children, John Jr. and Melissa and their mother, Carol Loucks. He was the beloved son of Angela Lewis and the late Kenneth; dear brother of Steven and David of Chelsea and the late James, Kenny and Tommy; grandson of Joan Silverman and the late Eric.

Funeral arrangements were by the Paul Buonfiglio & Sons-Bruno Funeral Home. For guestbook visit www.buonfiglio.com

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Barbara Pineau

Former Day Care Chef

Barbara A. (Sharpe) Pineau died at her Revere home on May 2 following a long illness. She was 81 years old.

Born in Chelsea, she was a resident of Revere for most of her life and a 1948 graduate of Revere High School. For more than 12 years, she was the chef for the Day Care Nursery at First Congregational Church of Revere where she had been a most active member and patron. She was an outstanding craft worker, especially in knitting and crocheting and through the years, she was most generous with her crafts for the church.

She was the beloved wife of the late Arthur A. “Pinky” Pineau who died in January of 1992 and the devoted mother of Nancy R. Pineau of Revere, Susanne Rodgers of Groton, Matthew D. Pineau and his wife, Carla A. of Revere and the late Allen A. Pineau and the late Mark S. Pineau; the dear sister of June Sheldon of Lynnfield, Dorothy Malcolm of Peabody and the late Clifford, John and James Sharpe. She is also lovingly survived by 13 grandchildren, 14 great grandchildren and by many nieces and nephews.

Family and friends are invited to attend a Memorial Funeral Service on Saturday, May 12 at 11 a.m. in the First Congregational Church, 230 Beach Street, Revere. Burial will be private. In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to the Food Pantry at First Congregational Church, 230 Beach St., Revere. Arrangements are in the care of Vertuccio & Smith Home for Funerals of Revere.

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Marie ‘Chickie’ Faretra

Former Proprietor of “Before & After Ladies’ Apparel” of East Boston

Marie “Chickie” (Falzarano) Faretra died unexpectedly at her East Boston home on May 5. She was 85 years old.

“Chickie” was born and educated in Chelsea and lived in Revere for many years before moving to East Boston more than 25 years ago.

During her working career, she wore many hats – as a clerk at the “Old Racket Store” in East Boston, as a bar maid in several of the local cafes and finally in ladies’ apparel. She worked as an associate at Tello’s of East Boston before opening her own dress shop “Before & After” of East Boston which she operated for 12 years.

She was the daughter of the late Giovanni and Rita (Terino) Falzarano, founders and operators of Rita‘s Flower Shop in Chelsea for more than 65 years; wife of the late Pasquale “Pat” J. Faretra and the mother of the late Pasquale “Pat” Faretra and John M. Faretra; beloved mother in law of Rita M. Faretra of West Peabody; cherished grandmother of Lisa M. Kieran and her husband, Timothy of Wilmington and Ilia L. Faretra of West Peabody; dear sister of Lena Buttiglieri of Beverly, Joanne Dobson of Oakland, California and Regina Falzarano of West Peabody and the late Frank B. “Gypsy Joe” Falzarano, Rose Ciampolillo and Louise Faretra and is also lovingly survived by her great grandchildren, Antonia, Bella and Lex and by many nieces, nephews, grand nieces and grand nephews.

Funeral arrangements were by the Vertuccio & Smith Home for Funerals, Revere.  Burial was at Holy Cross Cemetery, Malden.

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Ernest Arsenault

Retired Plumbing and Heating Contractor

Ernest M. Arsenault, a lifelong resident of Chelsea, died on May 4 at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. He was 85 years old.

A lifelong member of the French Club, he worked as a plumbing and heating contractor and also worked for the City of Chelsea Building Department.

He was the devoted husband of the late Janet (Gallant); beloved father of Ernest Arsenault and his wife, Brenda of Easton, Bryan Arsenault and his wife, Donna and Karen Arsenault, all of Chelsea; brother of Dorothy Tillinghast of Revere and the late Edward Arsenault; cherished grandfather of Tarra, Christopher, Joseph, Steven, Rennee, Brandon, Cassandra and the late Justin. He is also lovingly survived by his great grandson Chase Matthews with an additional great grandson due in September. He also leaves many nieces and nephews.

Funeral arrangements were by the Smith Funeral Home, Chelsea. Burial was at Puritan Lawn Memorial Park, West Peabody. To send a message of condolence to Ernie’s family, please visit www.smithfuneralhomes.com

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Sylvia Morgan 

Retired Bookkeeper 

Sylvia E. (Bloom) Morgan of Chelsea, formerly of Sharon and Revere, died on May 1.

Born in Chelsea, she was raised in Revere where she was a long time resident and a graduate of Revere High School, Class of 1936. She was a retired bookkeeper and a member of Temple B’nai Brith, the Brandeis College Women’s Auxiliary and New England Sinai Hospital Auxiliary.

She was the beloved wife of the late Moe Morgan; the devoted mother of Arlene Margie and Vicki Wairi; mother in law of Brian Margie and partner Lynne Butters. She was the loving daughter of the late Edward Bloom and Ida (Kaplan) and the loving grandmother of Scott, Daniel, Josh, Mark and Jeffrey.

Funeral arrangements were by the Torf Funeral Chapel, Chelsea. Burial was in Sharon Memorial Park Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to the Fidelco Guide Dogs Foundation, 103 Vision Way, Bloomfield, CT 06002. Visit website for memorial guest book: www.torffuneralservice.com.

In a stunning development, Robert Kraft and Steve Wynn, vying with Suffolk Downs for a casino license, have pulled out of the competition following the town wide vote taken in Foxboro Monday.

In Monday’s election,  Foxboro, voters elected two candidates to the town’s Board of Selectmen who did not favor considering casino development, bringing the total to four out of five selectmen opposed to the casino project.

The news that Kraft and Wynn pulled out electrified casino proponents in East Boston and Revere.

Both Kraft and Wynn commented separately on the matter saying that the people of Foxboro had spoken and they would abide and respect the decision of the townspeople.

The outcome of the vote in Foxboro was considered a big victory for the Suffolk Downs forces.

However news that Kraft and Wynn have pulled out of the competition is a more extraordinary conclusion to the voting saga than was expected.

“This isn’t a time to gloat,” said Revere Mayor Dan Rizzo. “We will all continue to work carefully to make sure a casino at Suffolk Downs is exactly what it should be when all is said and done. We welcome a casino and we believe it will be of benefit to Revere and to Boston,” he added.

The Foxboro vote was a landslide for the winners.

In one of the mostly closely scrutinized small town elections in recent Massachusetts history, the two candidates who spoke out against siting a casino in Foxboro won easily by wide margins and took two seats on the town’s governing board.

Incumbent Selectman Lorraine Brue and newcomer Ginny Coppola were elected over incumbents Larry Harrington and School Committee member Martha Slattery. Both Brue and Coppola bested their opponents by more than 1000 votes.

Nearly 60% of the voters in Foxboro turned out for the election, which many locals considered a referendum on casino gambling in that town.

Their respective statements conceding to the wishes of the people of Foxboro has apparently ended their quest for a casino license in Foxboro.

Huge projections of tree silhouettes and giant walking signs have showed up at night on the old Coastal Oil Farm tanks in preparation for what will be an innovative new working industrial area and public recreation space. Demolition on the tanks is to begin next week, and projections onto the tanks will remain until all the tanks are gone. A third round of projections is forthcoming, project designers said.

For some time now, Chelsea has been projecting a new image of itself, but at the anticipated PORT site on what is now an old oil tank farm, such projections are happening in the most literal sense.

As a prelude to the upcoming development – for which demolition of the tanks will begin next week – the PORT design team has been projecting large-scale images of landscape-themed designs on the old tanks during the night hours.

Anyone who has driven by after dark has seen three-story tall tree silhouettes lighting up the old, white tanks, or even gigantic projections of the ‘walk’ sign commonly featured at crosswalks.

It’s all part of a prelude to the coming development, said designer Dan Adams.

“In preparation for the demolition we’ve been working with Eastern Salt/Rock Chapel Marine to install a series of large scale light projections on the tanks that will continue throughout the period of demolition,” said Adams. “These changing projections are themed by ideas of what new activities will occur at the site. The first projection installations were large-scale tree silhouettes, which referred to the future plantings at the PORT area. The second installations, entitled ‘Giants,’ allude to the future improvements to the streetscape and PORT space, which will hopefully encourage more people to come down to the waterfront to the new landscape. We are still deciding what the next projections will be.”

The PORT has been seen throughout Greater Boston as an innovative way to accommodate public recreation on the waterfront alongside an expanding active industrial seaport. The PORT will accommodate brand new park space where the oil tanks now sit, and in return for that space, it will also allow the old salt pile to expand. Additionally, during the summer months when there is less salt on site, the PORT park will grow to accommodate basketball courts and walking tracks on a concrete surface.

Adams said that one of the most innovative features of the PORT is that it will rely heavily on recycling and re-using existing industrial features.

“Next week the demolition team will begin the demolition of the actual tanks themselves, and nearly all of the material of the tanks will be recycled either off-site or re-used in the new park space,” said Adams. “For example, steel from the dikes around the tanks will be used as planter walls in the park, and the tank roofs will become shade trellis’s over areas of the landscape…Nearly all of the former site architecture will be recycled, the steel structure of the buildings will be recycled at the Everett scrap yards, and the brick and concrete will actually be broken down and used as fill agregates on site to help re-grade the site for better drainage.”

Already, demolition crews have started cleaning up and taking down old buildings that were on the site, formerly used as offices and to store asphalt.

It is expected that the old tanks – long a barrier between residents and the waterfront – will start to come down one-by-one over this month.

City Manager Jay Ash said he will be happy just to see the water again from that vantage point, something he hasn’t been able to do all of his life.

“Getting the oil tanks down, which had asphalt being stored in them, is a big enough deal,” he said. “I used to drive down there as a kid and had no idea the water was on the other side of those tanks. With those tanks down, I’ll be able to see more than just the water; I’ll be able to join hundreds and thousands who will recreate in what promises to be a spectacular waterfront park, the likes of which I bet people from around the region and world will want to come and see. That’s what the McNamee’s and their architect, Dan Adams, have set out to do for Chelsea. I am sure the results will be unbelievable.”

There’s no discounting the conditions of Washington Avenue these days.

Right now, it’s darn near impassable, but thankfully, not for much longer.

The Washington Avenue Reconstruction Project – already underway right now – will become more disruptive beginning next week, but City officials say it will be for the right reasons.

Starting on Monday, portions of Washington Avenue will be closed to allow for the “full-depth” reconstruction of the roadway to begin. Once completed, in 10-weeks, today’s bumpy road surface will sport a smooth binder coat that will relieve motorists, and their shock-absorbers, from the rattling that has occurred with the preparation work last June.

“Frankly, it’s not a moment too soon,” said City Councillor Christopher Cataldo, who represents much of the area that has been under reconstruction.  “We all know we’ll be pleased with the results – a smooth driving surface, reconstructed sidewalks and more reliable water and sewer lines – but the wait to get to that point has been driving people crazy.”

DPW Director Joe Foti sympathizes with Cataldo and the many others who have been pleading for the project to level out Washington Avenue.

“The problem,” explained Foti, “is that Washington Avenue should have been reconstructed 20-years ago. Since then, the roadway base has deteriorated so badly that there’s almost nothing left to hold up what we’ve been putting down as a temporary patch.

“We’re now ready to rebuild that base. By the middle of July, Washington Avenue, from Cary Square to Revere Beach Parkway, will look as good as new.”

To get there, though, Foti says that street closures will be necessary.

The City’s contractor, Marchese Inc., will need to close portions of Washington Avenue for daytime construction. Foti advises that the closed sections of Washington Avenue will then reopen in the evenings and on the weekends.

“We’ll start from Cary Square to Spruce Street, which will take us about 2 weeks of daytime closures,” he said. “Once we complete that section, we’ll next move from Spruce to Carmel Street for the next three weeks.  Then, we’ll go from Carmel to the Rt. 1 Bridge over four weeks. Finally, we’ll do from the Rt. 1 Bridge to the Parkway in 1 week.”

During the closures, Marchese crews will dig up the existing roadway and base, re-grade, and install a new base.  On top of that, a binder coat, which is a 4.5-inch thick layer of asphalt, will be applied. That binder coat will be allowed to sit a season, and then a 1.5-inch finish coat will be applied next spring.

“The binder will be smooth because the base underneath it will be totally reconstructed,” said Foti. “For many, it will feel like they’ll be driving on a final coat, but we do add one more coat after any settling takes place.”

Following the binder coat being placed, sidewalks will be repaired, so, by the beginning of the fall, that portion of Washington Avenue will be almost finished. As that work on reconstructing the base happens, Washington Avenue, from Cary Square to Heard Street, will have water work completed.  Once that is completed, then the process of reconstructing the base, placing down the binder, and pouring new sidewalks will occur on that stretch of Washington Avenue. Reconstructing that base should begin in August and be completed by the first snowfall.

“This is a massive roadway project that we are undertaking in sections to increase the access the residents and businesses have during the reconstruction,” said Foti. “It is certainly inconvenient at times, but we have scheduled the work in such a way to reduce those inconveniences as much as possible. It will only be a little while longer before all the sacrifice becomes a memory.”

Foti encourages anyone wishing to follow the progress of the project to stay in touch with the City’s website, www.chelseama.gov. There, a weekly schedule will be posted on the main DPW page.  During the reconstruction, detours will be set up and busses rerouted.  Access will be maintained to all businesses.  Limited parking bans will occur, so parkers should observe temporary signage that is posted in parking areas.  The City’s website will have all of that information as well.

“The Washington Avenue Reconstruction Project is a $6m capital improvement that we are so pleased to be able to undertake,” said Foti. “The City Council, City Manager Jay Ash, and our State legislators deserve a great deal of credit for marshalling the resources in these tough times to allow us to not have to ignore this roadway for another 20 years. I guarantee that the final product will not disappoint.”