Governor Deval Patrick meets with members of the Haitian community to commemorate Haiti Earthquake Remembrance Month. (Photo credit: Meghan Dhaliwal / Governor's Office).

Governor Deval Patrick today joined elected officials and members of the Haitian community at the State House to commemorate the two year anniversary of the Haitian Earthquake. During the event, Governor Patrick presented a proclamation to Marjorie Brunache, Ministre Conseiller Responsable du Consulate, designating January 12 – February 11, 2012 as Haiti Earthquake Remembrance Month.

“Two years ago, the people of Haiti were struck by an earthquake, which was also felt here in our vibrant Haitian-American community,” said Governor Patrick. “We were all challenged by this natural disaster to rise to the occasion and today we re-commit ourselves to supporting the nation of Haiti and its community in the Commonwealth.”

On January 12, 2010, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti, causing catastrophic damage around the capital city Port-au-Prince and beyond. The Haitian government estimates more than 250,000 fatalities as a result of the earthquake and that thousands have come to the United States seeking refuge.

Following the earthquake, Governor Patrick called for a swift and comprehensive response from Massachusetts that would address the needs in Haiti as well as the needs of the extensive Haitian population in the Commonwealth.

Many state agencies have worked to address the needs of displaced Haitians who have arrived in Massachusetts, including access to food assistance, emergency housing, medical services, immigration assistance and access to schools. Last year, the Massachusetts National Guard deployed the 125th battalion out of Worcester and the 220th detachment out of Bridgewater to Haiti for water purification infrastructure assistance.

The Everett Team awarded for winning “Best Individual Dish”: Chicken Pesto Salad.

One wouldn’t think of visiting Everett High School (EHS) to get a quality, well-thought-out meal, but – believe it or not – it wouldn’t be so far off the mark to do so.

The EHS Culinary Arts program is flourishing this year under the intensive school-sponsored

An Everett culinary arts student (left) listens intently to some dish tips from Chef de Cuisine Matthew Barros of Market by Jean-Georges on Stuart Street in Boston. Barros has many years of experience in all aspects of culinary work.

program and an innovative, private after-school initiative called Future Chefs.

And so far, it’s been a recipe for success as the EHS team competed on Jan. 21st with other high school teams and took home the award for Best Individual Dish.

The winning dish was a pesto chicken salad that was to die for, according to Future Chefs Program Manager Ann DiClemente.

The competition was part of a larger program on Jan. 21st called Career Exploration Day, where several schools in the program get together to compete and also to listen to professional chefs and food service workers.

DiClemente, who runs the program at EHS after school for 14 students twice a week, said that many of the students in Future Chefs and the EHS culinary program have a passion for food, but may not end up as a chef. Despite that, she says that they emphasize skills that will help students in any future occupation.

“We don’t expect all our students to become chefs, but we do expect them to learn transferrable skills to let them be successful in whatever they choose to do,” she said. “We teach them things like public speaking, professionalism, being on time, working as a team in a kitchen, and interviewing skills. Food service is a job they might start out in because there are a lot of opportunities there for young people. You can learn a lot from working at a CVS, but you can learn a lot more by working in a professional kitchen.”

DiClemente said that the founder and executive director, Toni Elka, has established the program not only to work with current high school students, but also to follow up with graduates of the program who are in college-level culinary arts programs or who are working in the industry.

As a result of the follow-up with former students and innovative partnerships with chefs around Boston, Future Chefs is also able to expose their students to real life kitchen anecdotes.

On Jan. 21st, chefs Bryce MacKnight of Brick & Mortar and Matthew Barros of Market by Jean-Georges spoke to students about their experiences working as a chef, about how they honed their recipes and how they broke into the business.

At the same time, those professional chefs served as judges for the cooking competition.

In the case of the EHS students, the process of coming up with the winning dish was a long one.

DiClemente said that the students worked for months to get their dish tasty and healthy.

“Each school had the challenge of creating a three-course meal that would serve as a school lunch and it had to include pizza and had to follow healthy guidelines,” she said. “The Everett kids came up with an excellent dish. They really spent a lot of time fine-tuning the recipe. They had a lot of ideas and they had to figure out how to create those ideas within the healthy eating guidelines. They wanted to do a creamy base for the pesto dressing, but a traditional creamy dressing is not healthy. So, they had to look to an alternative and they ended up using yogurt. It turned out to be a fantastic idea and they executed it well.”

In fact, DiClemente said that her boss, Elka, is working with the Boston Public Schools to include the Everett kids’ dish on that school system’s district-wide menu.

Beyond cooking and competition, DiClemente said that food service is one area of the economy where young people can find many opportunities – an economy that more and more is closing its doors on young, entry-level workers.

“We know that food service accounts for approximately 9 percent of the economy in Massachusetts,” said DiClemente. “Really, what we see is this is a pathway for young people. Not all of them will be chefs, but many of them will use these skills as a path to their first jobs. Food service is one area where the entry-level jobs are still very much open to young people.”

Math and Science-focused curriculum putting children from Everett on the path to college

The state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) today approved the renewal of the charter for the Pioneer Charter School of Science (PCSS) in Everett, ensuring the school can remain open for another five years.

PCSS will continue to provide students from Everett, Chelsea, Revere, Saugus and other towns North of Boston, with a rigorous academic curriculum emphasizing math, science and analytical thinking skills balanced by a strong foundation in the humanities in order to prepare students for success in college and in their careers.  As a charter public school, PCSS must get approval every five years, and the BESE bases its decision on numerous factors, including academic achievement.  The 7-12th Grade Charter School has a unique approach to learning and structure.  The school offers students not only extended days/hours but career oriented college preparation, and strong student-teacher-parent collaboration.  It has had a very successful track record over the last few years.

“We appreciate the faith that Commissioner Mitchell Chester and the Board of Education have placed in us to provide a high quality educational option for families North of Boston,” said Barish Icin, Executive Director of PCSS. “This renewal reflects the hard work and dedication of our teachers and staff – and most of all our students and their families.”

In the school’s first five years, it experienced tremendous growth and success. MCAS scores have consistently shown PCSS students surpassing both state and district averages in all subjects and grades.

“We are extremely proud that PCSS has become one of the highest performing public schools not only in the Greater Boston area but in the entire state,” Icin said.

Both the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s review team and Commissioner Chester commended PCSS for establishing “an academically successful program,” and adhering to the terms of its charter.

The school’s most recent MCAS performance highlights its academic success. PCSS:

•  Placed in the Top 25% of schools statewide based on percentage of students who scored proficient or advanced in English in Grades 7 (89%), 8 (97%) and 10 (96%) and in math in Grades 7 (68%), 8 (82%) and 10 (96%)

• 26% more students scored proficient or advanced in English and 37% in math compared to sending district averages (across all grades)

• 41% more low-income students scored proficient or advanced in English and 37% in math compared to low-income students in sending district schools (across all grades)

• Achieved “High Growth” status for Grades 8 and 10 in English and Grades 7, 8 and 10 in math based on the state’s “Growth Model” which measures student academic progress

• Achieved the highest Growth Model score in the state for Grade 8 math

• Was named a “commendation school” by the state for narrowing achievement gaps among low-income and minority students.

PCSS’s success is rooted in its school structure. The school has a 200-day school calendar, extended days (7:30 a.m. – 3:35 p.m.), tutoring until 4:30, homework detention until 5:30 and “voluntary” Saturday classes for students who need extra help. Many of the students excel in this environment. Approximately 25 % of students participate in the Saturday classes on a voluntary basis.  In addition, the school employs data-informed decision making assessing student performance eight times throughout the school year in all core subjects to identify and address weaknesses in academic performance.

In order to help students balance their coursework with extracurricular activities the school offers many different clubs, events, activities and sports. All-school activities include a science fair with judges from the community and local colleges such as MIT and Boston College. The school also holds a MAD science day in which the teachers help set up science experiments and invite the students to participate.

The curriculum itself is unlike any other school. The students must pass 5 math and 5 science classes in order to graduate. They also have available to them college readiness counselor – separate from their guidance counselor – to help students navigate through the steps to prepare for college.  Students must also complete 40 hours of community service.  Bullying awareness programs including cyber safety to  science fairs and programs including a character  education program is what positions PCSS students to excel in the classroom and beyond.

 About Pioneer Charter School of Science

Pioneer Charter School of Science (PCSS) is a charter school serving students in grades 7-12.  The school’s goal is prepare educationally under-resourced students from all backgrounds in Chelsea, Everett, and Revere for today’s competitive world. PCSS will help students develop the academic and social skills necessary to become successful professionals and exemplary members of their community.  PCSS provides students with a rigorous academic curriculum with emphasis on math and science, balanced by a strong foundation in the humanities, a character education program, career-oriented college preparation, and strong student–teacher–parent collaboration. For more information log onto www.pioneercss.org.

There is a problem brewing here and it goes like this: every year, the Everett public schools have been growing in numbers by 300-400 students system wide.

This is nobody’s fault. These kids have shown up on our doorstep. They live here. They play here. They have to be educated here, by law, and in the best manner we can accomplish the task.

The problem comes when the city must deal with paying for all the educational services and attendant services that are mandated by the state of Massachusetts and the federal government.

Mind you, the city can and does pay its fair share but the funding mechanism is flawed and the to do about getting some free cash from the city in order to meet this year’s financial requirements is not a one off, as the English might tend to call it.

It is a situation that is going to be recurring. Why?

Because the public schools are funded and reimbursed money by the state based on the public school population from the previous year.

The question that must be answered in the light of this is what, exactly, is the city going to do from year to year to fund the nearly 300-400 additional students coming into the system each year?

How are the public schools able to create a meaningful budget based on last year’s population statistics?

Well, the answer is, they can’t.

Recent meetings between the city government and the school department here produced an array of emotions from a variety of people who understand the problem and from those who don’t.

The bottom-line, whether we want to face it or not or change what we do to meet the new challenge is this: Everett can no longer fund the schools at a minimum level.

Every year at budget time, the school department must incorporate the expected number of new students (based upon growth from the year before) and incorporate into that budget the expected cost for all those students to be placed in classrooms with additional teachers and everything it takes to educate them that the city is by law ordered to provide.

If this is done, we won’t have go through the torture of watching school department officials looking like pan handlers in the eyes of some members of the city government who don’t believe the public schools take additional moneys to run.

The Sal Sachetta’s, Mike Marcheses, and Rosemary Millers of this city don’t seem to understand that with all the additional students and the mandates that are forced upon the school system require absolute funding of those mandates or our public school system will lose its accreditation and all the goodwill that comes with it.

The public school’s here are not perfect, but the offerings here for the children of immigrant and working class people are clearly outstanding.

This is why so many new people and families are moving into the city and why so many of those people and their children end up in public school here.

Next year’s budget must have an addendum that identifies the expense for 300 new students which must be met.

To do anything else is to be fooling ourselves.

There were two big stories to come out of Saturday afternoon’s hockey game between Everett and Somerville.

The first was that the Crimson Tide skated to a 5-2 win over the Highlanders to improve to 9-3-2 on the season and move within one point of qualifying for the state tournament for the first time in almost 10 years.

But decades from now, when recollections of who scored the goals and in what game will be just foggy blurs of memories from their youth, there is one thing that every member of the EHS squad will remember about the 2011-12 season: They gave their coach a Mohawk haircut.

With his Crimson Tide team having recorded just one “W” last year, EHS head coach Alex Naumann issued a pre-season promise to his charges: If we make the state tournament, I’ll let you give me a Mohawk.

Entering the contest with Somerville, the Crimson Tide had reeled off four straight victories and stood at 8-3-1, just three points away from punching their ticket for a Journey to the Tourney. One of those losses had come three weeks previously  to GBL rival Somerville, which also was coming into the fray with an identical 8-3-1 mark. Moreover, a share of second place in the GBL was at stake.

So Naumann upped the ante a notch. “I told them that if we beat Somerville, they could give me a Mohawk right after the game,” said Naumann.

Steven Chaves, assisted by Cody Nadeau, gave Everett an early 1-0 lead in the opening period, but Somerville knotted matters in the second frame to leave a 1-1 count showing on the scoreboard entering the final stanza.

“I challenged them a bit between periods, telling them that the Mohawk haircut was on the line in those final 15 minutes,” said Naumann.

Stephen Faia made it 2-1 midway through the period, assisted by Shawn Doyle and James Liberge, but Somerville responded about a minute later to create a standoff once again.

So with six minutes to play, and a big crowd on hand at Allied Veterans Rink, including many alumni who would be participating in a special alumni game right afterwards, the excitement was palpable as the Crimson Tide and their fans anticipated not just a win, but a head shaving never to be forgotten.

They did not have to wait too long. About a minute later, Chaves lit the red lamp after a scramble in front to give the Tide a 3-2 edge, sending the old rink into a state of delirium. Nadeau and Doyle were credited with assists. And at that point, the Crimson Tide began to tap their helmets as they skated past their coach, signaling what they hoped would be awaiting him.

Shortly after Chaves’s second marker, Nadeau found himself alone in front of the Highlander goal after a Somerville defenseman mishandled the puck. Cody zipped the black disk  past the Somerville goaltender for a huge insurance tally.

Somerville pulled its goalie in the waning minutes, but Doyle blocked a shot at the point and raced in for an empty netter for the 5-2 finale.

A slightly surreal scene then enveloped the arena, one that could not have been better choreographed than if it had been a Hollywood movie. The players and their coach crowded into the rink manager’s office and, using clippers brought along for the occasion by C.J. Sylvester’s father, took turns skimming swaths of hair from  their coach’s head. The crowd of parents,  cheerleaders, and assorted fans watched the scalping with delight through the glass which encloses the manager’s office.

“The Somerville win was a total team effort. We did all of things we work on in practice and it paid off,” said Naumann, who cited the tremendous goaltending of Vin Sottosanti, who turned aside 30 Somerville shots.

“I’m very proud of this team, which is now on the brink of accomplishing something that hasn’t been done in our program for almost 10 years,” added the coach. “They’ve been a credit to themselves and their school this year. We’ll be looking forward to continue working hard and improving over the final third of the season.”

The Crimson Tide host Cambridge Wednesday at 8:00 in what hopefully will be a tourney-clinching contest. They then will travel to first place Medford Saturday.

EHS girls top Waltham, 57-48

The Everett High girls basketball team received 16 points each from Taylor Sweeney and Amanda DeSouza to come away with a 57-48 win over Waltham last Tuesday.

DeSouza also was a force off the boards, pulling down 18 rebounds to record a powerful double-double.

However, Sweeney and DeSouza were not the only major contributors to the Lady Crimson Tide cause. Tori Cyrus hit for double figures with 11 points, while dishing out six assists and making six steals. Spressa Ramadani likewise scored 11 points, made two steals, and grabbed seven offensive rebounds, quite a feat for a backcourt player.

Savannah Spinney rounded out the EHS scoring with two points,

“It was a total team effort,” said EHS head coach Tammy Turner.

However, the Lady Crimson Tide did not have as much luck the following night against Lynn Classical. Everett held a 21-15 lead at the half, but Classical employed a half court trap after the intermission that led to eight Everett turnovers in the third period. By the time the third buzzer sounded, Everett’s halftime advantage had turned into a 38-31 deficit.

“We were able to beat their trap the first time we played them,” said Turner. “So it was very frustrating not to have been able to handle it the second time.”

Although the Lady Crimson Tide cut down on their turnovers in the final frame, they were unable to make a run at Classical and fell by a final score of 53-47.

Sweeney led the point parade again with 14 points, followed by Cyrus with 12 and Ramadani with 11. Jess Wade hit for six points and snared seven offensive rebounds. “Jess came up big for us and kept us in the game,” noted Turner.

Spinney and Mimi Febles scored two points each. DeSouza had another nice night on the boards, grabbing 11 rebounds.

The Lady Crimson Tide then journeyed to Somerville Friday for a showdown with first place in the Greater Boston League at stake. However, Somerville sprinted out to a quick lead of 6-0 and never was headed. Everett picked up the pace and made it a 16-12 contest by the end of the opening quarter, but Somerville enjoyed a wide scoring margin in the second frame to grab a 30-17 lead at the intermission, a deficit from which the Lady Crimson Tide never recovered.

Sweeney topped the point chart for Everett with 12 points, followed by Cyrus with nine, DeSouza with seven, Spinney and Wade with three each, and Ramadani with two.

The Lady Crimson Tide, who now stand at 7-6 on the season, will face a crucial stretch this week as they hope to solidify their hold on second place in the GBL and pave a path to the state tourney.

Turner and her crew were set to host Malden last night (Tuesday), No. Quincy tonight, and Cambridge on Friday.

EHS boys track team tops Medford

The Everett High boys track team earned its first win of the season, defeating Medford 49-36 last week.

The Crimson Tide took first place in four of the nine individual events: Henry Maldonado sprinted to victory in the 55 yard dash in 5.9 seconds; Andres Tejada sped past the field in the 300 dash in 36.3; Jefrey Perez won the two mile run in 12:26.5; and Heiu Vo-Tran captured the high jump with a leap of 5-2.

However, superior depth proved the difference in the meet, with the Crimson Tide taking second place in six of the nine events. Vo-Tran in the two mile in 14:02.9 l (to give Hieu a team-high eight points on the day); Trevor Freeman in the hurdles in 8.5; Jonathan Mendez in the 300 in 37.4; Carlos Duran in the 600 in 128.9;  Jason Mendoza in the 1000 in 2:54.8; and Dan Plunkett with a shotput heave of 34-.25.

Adding single points to the Everett scoresheet with third place performances were: Steven Garrity in the hurdles in 8.9; Edwasner Ambroise in the dash in 6.2; Malcolm Alexis in the 600 in 1:29.4; Luis Franco in the 1000 in 2:56.3; Ricardo Perez in the mile in 5:42.6; and Brandon Conde with a shotput toss of 32-0.

Kernan, Steeves win for girls track team

Maeve Kernan and Katie Steeves turned in first place performances for the Everett High girls indoor track team in last week’s meet with Medford.

Kernan outdistanced the field in the mile in 6:02.3, while Katie S. outsprinted the competition in the 300 dash in 43.1, just edging her closest Medford competitor by 0.8 of a second.

Other Lady Crimson Tide performers who turned in fine efforts with second place finishes were: Elspeth Colson in the hurdles in 9.1; Luana DeMenezes in the 600 in 1:55.7; Faith Pinho in the 1000 in 3:34.1; Jessica Mangan in the mile in 6:11.1; and Corina Reason with a high jump of 4-4.

Everett girls who put one point into the scoring column with third places were: Emily DeSouza in the 1000 in 3:59.5; Kathy Pham in the high jump with a leap of 4-2; and Tricia McQuade with a shotput throw of 24-9.

Laurence Curtis, Jr.

Employee of Bond Brothers of Everett

Laurence J. Curtis, Jr. died unexpectedly on January 28 at his home in Everett. He was 50 years old.

The loving father of Nicholas and Anthony Curtis, both of Revere, he was born and raised in Everett and was a graduate of Everett High School and worked for Bond Brothers in Everett.

He was the son of Nancy (Girard) Curtis of Everett and Laurence Curtis, Sr. of Florida, former co-owner of the Elm Street Market in Everett. Mr. Curtis also leaves his devoted sister, Cheryl Ann Curtis of Everett and his former wife, Cindy Staff of Revere. He is also survived by many aunts, uncles, cousins and friends.

His funeral will be held from the Bisbee-Porcella Funeral Home, 549 Lincoln Ave., Saugus on Friday, February 3 at 9:30 a.m. followed by a funeral mass at Blessed Sacrament Church, 14 Summer St., Saugus at 10:30 a.m. Relatives and friends are invited. Visiting hours are Thursday, February 2 from 4 to 8 p.m.For directions and condolences: www.BisbeePorcella.com.

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Alice Harrington

Active at Immaculate Conception Parish, Retired Candy Maker 

Alice P. Harrington of Everett died on January 28 at the Sawtelle Family Hospice House in Reading having been in failing health. She was 87 years old.

She was born in Castletownbere, County Cork, Ireland on May 24, 1923 and emigrated to America at the age of 24.

She came to make Everett her home and worked at Schrafft Candy in Charlestown as a candy maker.

She was a devoted and extremely active parishioner of the Immaculate Conception Church and was involved in every activity in the church. A member of the Ladies’ Sodality and Catholic Daughters of America Court 324, she served as its regent.

She was the daughter of the late Michael and Johanna (Sullivan) and sister of the late Mary O’Keefe, Anna Murphy, Margaret Paquette, Cecilia and Eileen; the beloved aunt of Dolores and her husband, Charles Breen and great aunt of Charles and his wife, Kathy, Tracey Birchall and her husband, Paul, Scott and his wife, Sharon, Cindy Langevin and her husband, Peter and Todd and his wife, Michelle. She is also survived by six great great nieces and nephews.

A Funeral Mass will be held today, Wednesday, at 11a.m. in the Immaculate Conception Church. Burial will be in Woodlawn Cemetery. Arrangements are by The Murphy O’Hara Funeral Home, 519 Broadway, Everett. Memorial Contributions may be made in her name to Children Hospital 300 Longwood Ave. Boston, MA 02115

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Deborah Moore

Cape Cod Resident

Deborah (Gateas) Moore of Cape Cod died on January 26. She was 58 years old.

The beloved wife of the late John, she was the mother
of the late Jessica Beth Moore; daughter of the late George and Jean (Pascarella) Gateas and sister of Cathy, Paul and George. She is also survived by
nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be held in the Salvatore Rocco
& Sons Funeral Home, 331 Main Street, Everett, Saturday, February 4 at 12 noon. Relatives and friends are kindly invited. Visiting hours are on
Saturday only from 10 a.m. to noon.
www.roccofuneralhomes.com

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Selina Strong

Eastern Star and Glendale Methodist Church Member

Selina Strong of Malden, formerly of Everett, died on January 23 at the Melrose-Wakefield Hospital. She was 95 years old.

She was born and raised in Newfoundland, Canada and traveled to the United States when she was just 20 years old. She settled in Everett where she lived for the rest of her life. For over 40 years, she worked as a repair technician at the Schick Electric Company in Boston. She retired in 1979 at the age of 62 and had the opportunity to enjoy more than 30 years of retirement.

She enjoyed knitting and teaching others how to knit. She was an excellent baker and would help with many of the dinners held at the Glendale Methodist Church in Everett where she was an active member of the Church until her health did not permit her to attend services. She was a member of the Glendale Women’s Circle and a member of the Order of Eastern Star.

The sister of the late Joseph Strong, Hector Strong, Ethel E. Bursey and Druscilla Isaacs, she is lovingly survived by her niece Joyce Roberts of Newfoundland and cousins Nancy A. Wilhelm of Norton and Jack Janes of Everett. She was the aunt of the late Burt Strong and cousin of the late William Janes.

Funeral arrangements were done by the William R. Carafa & Son Home For Funerals, Chelsea. Burial was in Woodlawn Cemetery in Everett.

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Anthony Oddi

North End Resident

Anthony F. “Tony” Oddi of the North End of Boston died on January 28.

He was the beloved husband of Dolores “Dolly” (Avellis) Oddi and loving father of Carlotta “Candy” and her husband, Anthony Coppola and Cynthia Oddi and her companion, John Wood, all of the North End of Boston; loving brother of Michael Oddi of Everett, Ausunta Petrigno of Medford, Tina Frangiamone of Burlington, Margaret D’Arcangelo of Wakefield, Teresa Iannaco of Everett, Alfredo Franciosa and Rose Sisti, both of Florida and the late Donato Oddi and Raphaelle Franciosa. He is also survived by several nieces and nephews.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend a Funeral Mass in the Sacred Hearts Church, North Square Boston (North End) today, Wednesday, February 1 at 9:30 a.m. Burial will be in Holy Cross Cemetery, Malden. In lieu of flowers, contributions in his memory may be made to the Pine Street Inn, 444 Harrison Ave., Boston, MA 02118. At Tony’s request, visiting hours have been respectfully omitted. Funeral arrangements are by the Cincotti Funeral Home Medford, Mass. 781-395-4638

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Sandra McFall

Malden Resident

Sandra L. (Thistle) McFall of Malden died on January 27. She was the beloved wife of the late Timothy S. McFall; devoted mother of Daniel R. DuPlease of Everett, James M. DuPlease and Sharlene M. DuPlease, both of Malden and the late Brian W. DuPlease; cherished sister of Carol Nee of Malden, John Thistle of Rhode Island, Dorothy Wlasuk of Peabody, Maureen Cataldo and Carl Cataldo, both of Florida, Jerry Cataldo of Las Vegas and Amarino Cataldo of Salem; proud grandmother of Deanna, Colin, Brian, Brandon and Brendan DuPlease and Arayah Wooden-DuPlease.

A memorial service will be held at the Weir-MacCuish Golden Rule Funeral Home, 144 Salem St., Malden today, Wednesday, February 2, at 11 a.m. For obituary and directions, www.weirfuneralhome.com

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Mary Singer

Longtime Eagle Bank Receptionist

Mary A. (Sabatino) Singer, a lifelong resident of Everett, died at the Everett Nursing and Rehabilitation Center on January 27. She was 84 years old.

Born in Everett and a longtime receptionist at the Eagle  Bank in Everett, she was the beloved wife of the late Harvey M. Singer, the daughter of the late Alfred Sabatino and Filomena (Ragucci); dear and devoted mother of Richard S. Singer of Everett and the late George Singer; sister of Minnie Sabatino of Everett and the late Frank Sabatino and Angelina Frazier and is also survived by several loving nieces and nephews.

Her funeral service will be held in the Cafasso & Sons Funeral Home, 65 Clark St. (Corner of Main St.) Everett today, Wednesday, at 10 a.m.  Relatives and friends are respectfully invited.  Burial will be in Glenwood Cemetery, Everett.  In lieu of flowers, contributions in her memory to the Everett Nursing and Rehabilitation Center “Activity Fund,”  289 Elm St. Everett, MA 02149, would be sincerely appreciated.

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Leo Jameson

Retired Everett Firefighter

Leo R. Jameson of Everett and Hillsboro Beach, FL, died on January 27 at the Cedar Hill Health Care Center in Randolph.  He was 80 years old.

Born in Everett, he was a US Army veteran and a retired firefighter for the City of Everett who was appointed in 1967 and retired in 1995, He also served as union president for the Everett Firefighters Union Local 1656 for all but one year of his entire firefighter career

He also worked in the 1960’s  for Northeast Airlines and was elected as president of the Transport Workers Union.

He was the son of the late Frank and Alice (Ryan) Jameson; beloved and devoted father of Kelly Hamwey and her husband, Steve  Jr. of Norwood; loving and adoring grandfather of Dylan and Caitlyn Hamwey; former husband of Janet (Jameson) Richardson; cherished cousin of Peter and Laura Flynn of Saugus; dear friend of Elizabeth “Lisa” Bolinger of Port St. Lucie, FL; brother of the late Frank Jameson, Alice Trickett and Helen Tivnan.  He is also survived by several nieces and nephews.  Funeral arrangements were by the Cafasso & Sons Funeral Home, Everett.

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George Coviello

Of Revere, formerly of the North End of Boston

George D. Coviello of Revere, formerly of Boston’s North End, died on January 22.

A former employee of H.W. Powers Candy Company, he was the beloved husband of Nancy (Palermo); devoted father of Steven Coviello of Methuen and Kenneth Coviello of Revere; dear brother of Richard of Lynn, Rosemarie Steph of Reading, Fredrick of Whitman, Charles of Saugus, James of Stoneham, Kathleen Sorace of Revere, David of Everett and the late Patrick and Gloria Giglio. He is also survived by two loving grandchildren, David and Matthew and many nieces and nephews.

Funeral arrangements were by the Paul Buonfiglio & Sons – Bruno Funeral Home, Revere. Burial was in Puritan Lawn Cemetery. For guest book, please visit www.Buonfiglio.com

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Peter MacKinnon, Sr.

Middlesex Court House Retiree

Peter A. MacKinnon, Sr. of Melrose (Retired assistant clerk magistrate at Cambridge Middlesex Court House) died suddenly on January 25.

He was the loving husband of the late Suzanne M. (Masci) MacKinnon who passed away on September 28, 2011; beloved father of Kelly-Ann Manuel and her husband, John of Weymouth and Peter A. MacKinnon Jr. and his wife, Jennifer of Lynn; cherished grandfather of Connor Manuel, Drew and Cole MacKinnon; brother of Paul MacKinnon and his wife, Kate Foley of Holden; son-in-law of Marie (Thomas) Masci of Arlington; brother-in-law of Elaine Cowie of Billerica and Anthony and Denise Masci of Arlington. He is also survived by many nieces, nephews and friends.

Funeral arrangements were by the Gately Funeral Home, Melrose. Burial was at Glenwood Cemetery in Everett. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Peter’s name to St. Joseph’s Parish, 173 Albion St. Wakefield, MA 01880. To send a message of condolence please visit www.gatelyfh.com

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Mary Bertolami

Of Everett and New Hampshire

Mary G. (LaSpina) Bertolami of Everett and Seabrook Beach, NH died on January 22.

The wife of the late Salvatore Bertolami, she was the mother of Louis J. Bertolami and his wife, Camille of No. Reading, Maryann F. Boyd and her husband, Robert of No. Andover; sister of Rose DiPaolo of North Andover, Eleanor Ippolito of Norwell and the late Lena Calderone and is also survived by three grandchildren and seven great grandchildren.

Funeral arrangements were by the McDonald Funeral Home, Wakefield. Contributions may be made to Beacon Hospice, 350 Main St. Haverhill, MA 01830. For obit and guestbook, www.mcdonaldfs.com

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Concetta Cali

Everett Resident

Concetta M. Cali of Everett died suddenly on January 21. She was 88 years old.

She was the beloved daughter of the late Rocco and Maria Cali; sister of the late James V. and Salvatore Cali and aunt of the late Ronald V. Cali, She is survived by her sister in law Joan Cali, her loving nieces Rosemary Melzer of Everett, Judy Barbato of Florida and her nephew James A. Cali. She is also survived by a great niece Nicole Hildebrant and a great nephew Shawn Cali. Funeral arrangements were by the Rocco-Carr-Henderson Funeral Homes. Burial was in Holy Cross Cemetery, Malden. roccofuneralhomes.com

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Margaret Fitzpatrick

Everett Resident

Margaret T. (McDermott) Fitzpatrick of Everett died on  January 19.

She was the beloved wife of the late John C. Fitzpatrick; dear and devoted mother of Deborah A. O’Neill and her husband, Kevin of Everett, Kevin M. of Everett, Paul of Florida, John E. of Peabody and Michael J. of Everett; sister of Winifred Coppola of Peabody, Delia Penzo of Quincy and Joseph McDermott of Dorchester. She is also survived by 11 loving grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

Funeral arrangements were by the Cafasso & Sons Funeral Home, Everett. Burial was in Woodlawn Cemetery, Everett. In lieu of flowers, contributions in her memory to The Community Family Adult Day Health Center, 106 Wyllis Ave. Everett, MA, 02149, would be sincerely appreciated.

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Elvira ‘Vera’ Alterio

Everett Resident

Elvira “Vera” (Committo) Alterio of Everett died on  January 28. She was 103 years old.

The beloved wife of the late Sebastian “Sam”, she was the loving mother of Anthony V. Alterio and his wife, Claire of Nashua, NH, and Ann Centrella and her husband, Joseph C. of Arlington; sister of Florence Ward of Florida and the late Romeo Committo and Amelia Alterio. She is also survived by six loving grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren.

Her Funeral will be held from the Salvatore Rocco & Sons Funeral Home, 331 Main St., Everett on Thursday, February 2 at 9 a.m. followed by a Funeral Mass at St. Anthony’s Church in Everett at 10 a.m. Relatives and friends are kindly invited. Visiting hours are today, Wednesday, from 4 to 7 p.m. (Complimentary valet parking Wednesday at Main Street entrance.) Burial will be at Glenwood Cemetery in Everett. Memorial donations may be made to the Wounded Warrior Project, 4899 Belfort Rd, Jacksonville, FL 32256. www.roccofuneralhomes.com

January 23

Evaldo Da Silva, 43, 442 Broadway, Everett, was arrested on a warrant.

Robert Dwyer Jr., 54, 44 Maplewood Ave., Everett, was arrested for larceny of property, possession of burglarious tools.

Marvin Rivas, 23, 23 Russell St., Everett, was arrested for threat to commit a crime, assault with a dangerous weapon.

January 24

Tiffany Gonda, 23, 78 North St., Somerville, was arrested for illegal possession of Class B substance.

Ramiro Gonzalez, 42, 108 Concord St., Lowell, was arrested for manual distribution of Class B substance, possession with intent to distribute near school zone, possession with intent to distribute near park, failure to stop for police, possession of Class A substance with intent to distribute, possession of Class B substance with intent to distribute.

Marvin Rivas, 23, 23 Russell St., Everett, was arrested for assault with a dangerous weapon, threat to commit a crime, receiving/buying stolen property, operating motor vehicle with revoked license.

January 25

Aldo DiFranco, 24, 39 Winthrop Ave., Revere, was arrested for shoplifting, and on warrants.

January 26

Nesuh Gebrechristos, 27, 136 Reed Ave., Everett, was arrested for receiving/buying stolen property, resisting arrest, multiple warrants and failure to stop for police.

January 28

Franklin Ortiz, 24, 33 Center St., Woburn, was arrested for assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (4 counts) and mayhem.

January 29

Crystal Choruzek, 28, 154 Russell St., Everett, was arrested for domestic assault and battery.

Franklin Ortiz, 24, 33 Center St., Woburn, was arrested for assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.

The Everett Chamber of Commerce joined BNY Mellon in presenting a breakfast meeting Tuesday morning at BYN Mellon’s Glendale Hall.

Marzie Galazka, director of Mayor Carlo DeMaria’s Office of Community Development, delivered the keynote address (see her remarks on page 16) at the meeting.  Galazka, who is in her fifth year in the position, focuses her efforts on grant writing ($17.5 million-to-date), business and economic development, open space development, transportation initiatives, and assisting public social services and housing development.

Galazka received her Bachelor’s of Science Degree from Salem State University and her Master’s in Public Administration from Suffolk University.

Vincent Panzini of Ameriprise Financial was the program chairman for the breakfast and introduced the speakers.

Louis  Mauiri, executive vice president of BNY, welcomed the large crowd to the breakfast. Carol Churchill of Distrigas/GDF SUEZ, president of the Everett Chamber of Commerce, brought the official greetings of the Everett business organization.

Mayor Carlo DeMaria delivered the opening remarks. The city’s chief executive talked about his office’s accessibility to local businesses, the important role that businesses play in the city, and the resources that his office can provide to businesses to so that they can succeed in the city.

“I think it’s very important to have a good relationship with the business community,” said DeMaria. “I want to thank Carol Churchill for her work at the Chamber of Commerce. It’s nice to have someone who on a daily basis wants to work with you.”

Rich Pellagrini, Greater Boston regional director for the Massachusetts Office of Business Development, and Michael Corcoran, supervisor of operations of the Workforce Training Fund, also spoke at the meeting. Corcoran said there are many grants available for business owners in the state.

State Sen. Sal DiDomenico and State Rep. Steven Smith brought the official greetings from Beacon Hill.

Mayor Carlo DeMaria Jr. and the entire Board of Aldermen flank Ward 2 City Councilor Joseph King and share in the Mayor’s birth­day wishes. Councilor King recently celebrated his 85th Birthday. Mayor DeMaria honored the veteran councilor with a citation noting the event.

Mayor Carlo DeMaria Jr., Alderman at Large Joseph McGonagle and Chief of Police Steven Mazzie welcome Patrolman Patrick Cassidy. The Board of Alderman unanimously appointed the new officer to the Department. Pictures of the swearing in ceremony and Officer Cassidy with elected officials, Chief Mazzie and Cassidy’s family.