The incident, identified on September 6, affected the City’s internal network and technology systems and led to the temporary closure of City Hall. Essential services, including Police, Fire, 911, Public Works, schools and libraries, remained operational, while City employees provided basic municipal services from the Connolly Center.

The City was able to contain the incident before it spread further, and only a very small amount of City data was impacted. The City continues to work with its vendors and cybersecurity experts to determine whether any personally identifiable information was involved. That process can take time, and anyone identified as being impacted will be notified directly.

When Mayor Robert J. Van Campen took office in January, the City was operating with significantly aging technology infrastructure. His administration had already begun working to modernize the City’s technology systems and address longstanding infrastructure needs in the months leading up to the incident.

That work included hiring Chief Information Officer Norilyz Valentin in August to lead the City’s technology operations and help guide its ongoing modernization efforts. Since the incident, the City has moved forward with replacing aging hardware and infrastructure and taking additional steps to strengthen the security and resiliency of its systems.

“This was an incredibly frustrating disruption for our residents and our employees, but I’m proud of how our team responded,” said Mayor Robert J. Van Campen. “People worked around the clock to get us back up and running safely while finding ways to keep serving our residents. Now, our responsibility is to learn from what happened and make sure we come out of it stronger and better prepared for the future.”

For Valentin, the incident came just weeks after stepping into her new role leading the City’s technology operations.

“You don’t expect to be responding to a cybersecurity incident in your third week on the job, but it gave me a firsthand look at where we needed to strengthen and modernize our systems,” said Valentin. “We’ve made significant progress in a short amount of time, and there’s more work ahead as we continue building a stronger technology environment for the City.”

City Hall reopened to the public on September 21, with regular municipal services restored at 484 Broadway. The City’s cybersecurity work and investigation remain ongoing

Jared Carrera took his oath of office as new patrol officer in the Everett Police Department.

City Clerk Sergio Cornelio administered the oaths to the officers.

Mayor Robert Van Campen, Police Chief Paul Strong, and member of the City Council congratulated the officers following the ceremony.

More than 1,300 workers have been on strike at the 5-star resort/casino since Sept. 4, 2026.

“About four weeks ago, I got an email from a gentleman about Encore Boston Harbor not negotiating in good faith,” said Pietrantonio. “I’m hoping that we can support Local 25 and 26. We have about 500 workers that live in Everett and are looking for fair wages.”

At the conclusion of his remarks, Pietrantonio received sustained applause from the many workers in attendance at the Council meeting.

Following the 11-0 vote in favor of the resolution, Council President Stephanie Smith proclaimed, “The Everett City Council supports Local 25 and Local 26.”

Ward 1 Councilor Michele Capone thanked Pietrantonio “for putting this item on the agenda.”

The Council also approved a motion by Ward 2 Councilor Stephanie Martins to send the resolution to Encore Boston Harbor officials.

The founders of Freshé expanded their offerings with lines of “Henry and Lisa” tinned and frozen fish. We expanded our stock of pantry treats with offerings from Patagonia Provisions, Costco, Trader Joe’s, Row 34, and Fishwife. We eat our main meal at midday and often enjoy a bowl of rice topped with a selection from our high-protein tins.

Vegetables Too!

In addition to our fishy treats, we have upped our vegetable game with premium tinned and bottled veggies and legumes from Dan Barber’s Row 34 canned selections, Trader Joe’s canned legumes, Jovial Beans, and others. These products all have simple ingredients, great nutrition, and long use-by dates.

Higher Quality/Higher Cost

Many of our choices have a higher price tag than the other offerings on the shelf. However, they also have fewer ingredients, higher standards, higher-quality ingredients, and trusted sources and manufacturers.

In some cases, like canned trout, we stock both Fishwife for eating out of the can or over rice, and Trader Joe’s for making trout pâté or adding to a salad. Both are excellent products, but Trader Joe’s is lower cost, still high quality, and works well as a recipe ingredient.

The Fishwife contains smoked trout, olive oil, garlic, and salt. The Trader Joe’s version has smoked trout, canola oil, and salt, plus possible additional ingredients that may matter for someone with allergies. We use it to make a trout pâté for an appetizer, and we keep it on hand.

We also watch for sales on many of our tinned pantry items. We stock up on Fishwife, Row 34, Jovial Beans, and Patagonia when they are on sale online or in the supermarket. So we save when we can. However, we strongly believe that these products are worth the cost. The quality is outstanding, and when we turn to our tinned-treat shelf for a quick supper, we know we are having a special meal, so we slow down and enjoy it.

Simple to Serve

We have to admit that since Ed loves to eat at the kitchen sink, he will sometimes pop open a can and eat it as is, without leaving the kitchen. Penny is happiest with tinned fish over brown rice. (And, by the way, that brown rice is the frozen packets from Trader Joe’s cooked for three minutes in the microwave.)For a fuller meal, you can combine some of the offerings into a salad or a combined plate. A good tin of smoked salmon pairs well with Jovial Cannellini Beans and some Row 34, Badger Flame Beets. We also find our stash a great way to enhance a meal of leftovers. Often, protein is the missing element that balances a meal. Tinned protein gives you plenty of options.

Beyond feeding us at home, our tins can also be added to picnics, roofdeck suppers, or as a cool item to introduce to friends at a potluck. We discovered Trader Joe’s tinned trout when a neighbor brought a trout pâté to a roof deck gathering.

When you consider the cost of dining out or takeout when you’re tired, our pantry options boost all our budgets: food, energy, and time.

Do you have a question or topic for Fresh & Local? Email Penny@BostonZest.com with your suggestion.

Several classmates turn 75 this year, the, 57 years after their graduation from Everett High School.

Under the leadership of chairperson John DiNapoli, the guests enjoyed a delicious buffet luncheon, a special 75th birthday cake, and other desserts – but more importantly it was an opportunity to celebrate a happy and momentous occasion alongside Everett friends with whom they share wonderful memories.

“I am honored to receive this award alongside my chief of staff, and it was a joy to celebrate with the advocates, parents, educators, and experts who fought for years to make these needed literacy changes a reality,” said Senator Sal N. DiDomenico, Senate Chair of the Conference Committee and the lead Senate bill sponsor. “I could not have gotten this bill passed without Christie, who worked tirelessly to draft this bill, lead it through the legislative process, and work out the final details in the conference committee. This new law will ensure all our students learn the essential skills of reading and writing, and early literacy curriculum will be evidenced based in every community throughout the Commonwealth.”

Mass Reads is a powerful statewide coalition of educators, parents, literacy experts, and policy advocates, driving the movement to ensure every child in Massachusetts reads on grade level. State Representative Simon Cataldo and State Representative Danillo A. Sena, who lead on this bill in the House, were also recognized at the event.

EHS boys soccer

The Everett High boys soccer team got on the winning track with a pair of victories over Malden and Lawrence last week.

The Tide shook off a 5-1 loss to Greater Boston League (GBL) rival Chelsea last Tuesday. “We had a great first half, creating many opportunities, but the half ended 0-0,” said EHS head coach Rodney Landaverde. “In the second half we got our first goal of the season by Saymon Coelho.”

Chelsea quickly tied it off a breakaway and scored four more after a red card left the Tide shorthanded the rest of the way.

However, Everett traveled to GBL foe Malden last Thursday and turned in a totally different showing, dominating in possession and shots on net, for a 2-0 victory.

Coelho opened up the scoring by converting a penalty kick. Later on, junior Daniel Henriquez netted his first goal of the year off a deflection.

Benjamin Lopez stepped up in net and earned a shutout in place of senior Diego Teixeira, who was out with injury. Senior Lucas Hercules also stepped up and managed most of the 80 minutes in the midfield with senior captain Rene Lainez out of action with an injury.

On Saturday, the Tide hosted non-league opponent Lawrence at Everett Stadium and had a great day of dominating possession and creating multiple opportunities while rotating a lot of players in a 3-1 triumph. Goal-scorers were Christopher Lopez Rivera, Daniel Henriquez, and Saymon Coelho.

Freshman Samuel Rengifo earned his first varsity assist, Sophomores Ziad El Bribri, Merlin Christailin, Mateus Callahan Bueno, and Calleb De Souza also stepped up and played valuable minutes.

Senior Luca Cruz (sibling of EHS 2022’ grad and GBL all-star Luan Cruz) also got some minutes on defense alongside senior Sebastian Styl.

Landaverde and his crew, who now stand at 2-3 on the season, were scheduled to take on GBL rival Revere yesterday (Tuesday) and former GBL foe Arlington on Friday.

Girls volleyball

defeats English

The Everett High girls volleyball team earned a 3-1 victory at Greater Boston League (GBL) rival Lynn English last Monday. The Tide dropped the opening set, 25-18, though they played well, leading by a score of 18-17 late in the set, thanks to senior Kiana Flores’s second ace in a run of five serves. However, a couple of lapses in the Tide’s passing game allowed the Lady Bulldogs to take the set.

Everett responded well in the second set, with co-captain Melissa Meirelesh serving an ace and delivering a kill to help propel the Tide to a 5-0 lead that they never relinquished. Junior outside hitter Elora Phillippe had three kills, and Flores served the final three points of the set for a 25-18 win.

Meireles served Everett to a 7-1 lead to start the third set. The Tide kept their momentum, as fellow co-captain MJ Cardenas had three kills and three service points, and captain Cassandra Tayag had two aces and two kills. Junior Naima Fleurima and senior QiongQiong Chen each had a kill in the 25-22 win.

Everett rode that momentum into the fourth set. Flores had two aces and four points, Phillippe had five kills, and Tayag had five serves, two aces, a block, and a kill. Sophomore setter Yahaira Pineda had six serves and an ace as Everett closed out the match with a 25-17 win.

The Tide dropped its next two subsequent contests with GBL adversary Lynn Classical last Wednesday and non-league foe Lawrence last Thursday.

“We played strong teams who serve tough, and one mistake steamrolled into another in each of the losses,” said EHS head coach Michael Fineran. “Against Classical, we could not muster much of an offense, and we let their servers push us around.

The first set was back-and-forth early on. Flores served with Everett down 8-7, but in a blink, Classical ran away for a 25-8 win. The second set was over even faster, with the Lady Rams taking a 25-6 victory.

The Tide put up more of a fight in the third set. Phillippe had four service points, an ace, and two kills. Tayag had a block and a kill. Junior libero Giyanna Desamours and junior setter Abigail Falkowski each had two serves to pull Everett close, 19-17, before falling 25-19.

In the match the next day with Lawrence, Falkowski had her best game yet with team-highs in serves (11), aces (2), and kills (4). Junior Jane Maharjan hit all four serves in, staying perfect for the season. Junior CeCilia Da Silveira had four serves in and a kill, and freshman Maria Cunha had her first career serve in, as well as her first kill.

“We dropped the match, but we got better as it went on,” said Fineran. “We are going to need to put the bad plays behind us and build on the good things we did.”

Fineran and his crew, who stand at 2-2 on the season, were scheduled to take on GBL opponents Chelsea this past Monday, Somerville today (Wednesday), Medford next Monday, and Medford next Wednesday.

EHS boys cross

country wins pair

The Everett High boys cross-country team is off to a 2-0 start after winning its opening two meets of the season in decisive fashion.

In the season-opener vs. Lynn Classical on the Tide’s home course at Rivergreen two weeks ago, Chris Portillo finished in first place with a time of 18:16. Teammate Domicicio Delle Rose was next across the line in second place in a clocking of 21:24. Praytush Darai (4th place in 23:09), Michael Lemus (5th place in 23:43), and Tuen Nguyen (6th place in 23:45).

Also turning in strong performances were Brahesh Maharjan (7th, 25:51) and Jad Lahssan (10th, 32:26). Ethan Ngo (11th, 32:59), William Le (12th, 37:33), Arnob Barua 13th, 43:28), and Tenzin Ngodop 14th, 47:06) also competed for the Tide.

Last Wednesday, coach Brendan Hahesy and his crew traveled to Lynn English and returned home with another “W” by a score of 24-33.

Portillo once again was the fastest runner, capturing first place in a time of 19:44, which was 1:29 faster than the second-place Bulldog. Delle Rose (3rd in 21:14), Nguyen (4th, 22:58), (Lemus, 7th, 24:54), and Maharjan (9th, 25:57) completed the scoring for the Tide.

Lahsaan finished 10th with a clocking of 31:09, followed by teammates Ngo (11th, 32:09), Le (13th, 35:16), and Barua (14h, 35:57).

The Crimson Tide are scheduled to run at Medford today (Wednesday) and at Chelsea next Wednesday.

EHS girls run

to two victories

The Everett High girls cross country team is off to a fast start, winning their opening two meets of the season vs. Lynn Classical (15-44) and Lynn English (20-40).

The quintet of Shashi Pokhrel (24:29), Lena Serra (25:54), Natalia Dos Santos (29:51), Ana Maciel (29:55), and Eve-Lynn Joseph (32:35) took the top five spots vs. Classical to ensure the shutout,

Aliesha Thelus, Crus Lormistolis, Bao Nguyen, and Carolina Bernardina finished 9-12 and Berthy Muscade and Princika Humagain finished 14th and 15th.

In the win over English, Pokhrel (25:45) and Serra (26:18) once again finished 1-2. Maciel grabbed fourth place, Joseph took sixth, and Nguyen came across in seventh to round out the Everett scoring.

Taina Lopes finished eighth and Thelus came across the line in 10th.

The Lady Crimson Tide are scheduled to run at Medford today (Wednesday) and at Chelsea next Wednesday.

Two victories for

EHS girls soccer

The Everett High girls soccer team earned a pair of victories last week over non-league opponents East Boston and Lawrence.

“Our 2-1 over East Boston was a wild, hard-fought, nail-biting game,” said EHS head coach Dom Persuitte. “We started flat and just couldn’t make connections on the ball and adjust to the way East Boston played. I’ll give all the credit to East Boston, as they pressured and were relentless in pursuing the ball and the game’s first goal.”

The Lady Jets took a 1-0 lead with about 10 seconds left in the first half after Everett conceded a penalty kick. However, once the second half started, the Tide did not let up the gas.

“Everyone was working together as a team, and it looked great,” said Persuitte. “We moved the ball from one side to the other effortlessly. It was such a 180 turnaround, and it was great to watch.”

The goal scorers for Everett were Brianna Santos and Odalis Sandoval. The first goal came when Sandoval delivered the ball into the 6-yard box. There was a massive scramble, and Santos got her foot to it first.

The second goal came from Sandoval, assisted by captain Sofia Arana-Quintanilla from a quick corner by Tiffany Aguilar. Aguilar played a short corner kick to the top of the 18-yard box. Arana-Quintanilla kicked it to the back post where Sandoval was there for the easy putaway.

“It was great to see the team come together after a flat start,” added Persuitte, who highlighted the efforts of Mel Ribeiro and Mel Arana-Quintanilla on defense, Kayla Andrade and Tiffany Aguilar in the midfield, and Bella Mitrano and Odilas Sandoval on the wings. Julianna Rivera played superbly in net and made countless saves in the last 6 minutes to preserve the win.

The Lady Tide came up short in their next contest by a score of 4-2 at GBL foe Chelsea. “It was a very tough game,” said Persuitte. “We could not find our footing. Chelsea, just like Lowell, plays a very high defensive line, and we struggled in dealing with that. Simple little mistakes were our big issue.

“However, some positives that came out of the game were that we are starting to move the ball around a lot more compared to past years, and we are using our outside wings and building up plays, something we could never really do,” Persuitte said.

Goal scorers were Norma Chavez Velasquez (Sofia), who was assisted by Kayla Andrade on a pure hard-work effort type of play. Johanna Flores scored the second goal, assisted by Odalis Sandoval, who has really stepped into a playmaker role this season.

Persuitte noted the efforts of a number of his players, “Sofia Arana-Quintanilla has been playing cool and calm under pressure,” said the coach. “Bella Mitrano has shown vast improvement from the previous season and is one of the reasons we can play out to the wingers. Kayla Andrade is filling in any place we need her, and she thrives at it, especially in the forward position. Lastly, Brianna Santos has an aggressive, full-throttle, being able to body people off the ball style of play.”

The Tide bounced back from that defeat in a big way with a 9-0 win at Lawrence. Everett started fast and netted four goals in the first 15 minutes. Six different players scored in the win: Brianna Santos got two, assisted by Johanna Flores and Melany Arana. Johanna Flores also netted two goals, assisted by Kayla Andrade, with her second goal unassisted when Johanna intercepted a pass that she put in the back of the net.

Odalis Sandoval mirrored Flores’s second goal by taking on a Lawrence defender and adding another tally to the scoreboard. Freshman Mahiya Begum got her first varsity goal by heading one past the Lawrence goalie.

“Mahiya showed the team how a little extra effort can go a long way on a ball that most would have thought out of play,” Persuitte noted. “Begum had herself a great game.”

Kaylay Andrade scored, assisted by co-captain Sofia Arana from a well-placed free kick. Santos would have had a hat-trick, but an unlucky bounce off a Lawrence defender resulted in an own goal. Sofia Arana got herself up on the scoreboard after dribbling through the entire midfield and slotting it to the back of the net.

“Overall, the girls played great, and everything is starting to click,” said Persuitte. “It feels great to see that happen on the pitch. The start of the second half was great; everything we mentioned at half time and girls did effortlessly.

“Tiffany Aguila and Rosa Romero held their own in the midfield and are worth noting for their play. Goalies Kaylin Rivers and Juilanna Rivera both got their first clean sheet of the season; although they were not tested as much, they still did their job when called upon,” added Persuitte. “Freshman Bertha Flores, sister to Johanna Flores, made a goal-line save with her head when Lawrence got a shot on net and went past the goalie on an awkward cross from the touchline.”

Persuitte and his crew were scheduled to travel to Revere yesterday (Tuesday) and to Lynn Classical tomorrow (Thursday). They will host O’Bryant High next Monday and Revere next Wednesday.

The Webster Extension hosted a special first-day celebration for the occasion. Families gathered in front of the school to meet teachers, while students walked down a red carpet as the Everett Crimson Tide Marching Band and cheerleaders performed. Mayor Robert J. Van Campen, Superintendent William D. Hart, Massachusetts Secretary of Education Dr. Stephen Zrike, and community leaders joined students, families, teachers, and staff for the celebration.

“It was a really exciting first day of classes for students at the Webster Extension and the Adams School,” said Mayor Robert J. Van Campen. “I’m grateful to Massachusetts Secretary of Education Dr. Stephen Zrike for joining us as we welcomed students for their first day and took a tour of the Webster Extension. The Adams School and Webster Extension are truly incredible places to learn with exceptional teachers and staff.”

“There is something special about the first day of school, and Everett certainly knows how to make its youngest students feel welcomed and excited to learn,” said Education Secretary Steve Zrike. “The expansion of full-day pre-kindergarten at the Webster Extension and Adams School is an important step in giving more children a strong start, and I’m grateful to the educators, staff, families, and community partners who helped make it a reality.”

Following the celebration, Mayor Van Campen, Secretary Zrike, and Superintendent Hart toured the Webster Extension, led by Principal Laurie Ann Stokes.

“I echo the sentiments of Secretary of Education Dr. Stephen Zrike, who called it a festive occasion and noted that ‘Everett does it right’ when it comes to staging a signature event like last Wednesday’s opening of full-day pre-kindergarten,” said Superintendent William D. Hart. “It was great to celebrate the historic occasion with not only Secretary Zrike but Mayor Van Campen, School Committee Chairperson Samantha Hurley, Vice Chairperson Marcony Almeida Barros, and the faculty and administrators who made full-day Pre-K a reality at the Adams and Webster Extension.”

Research from the University of Minnesota has found that children enrolled in full-day pre-kindergarten programs are better prepared for kindergarten, showing greater gains in literacy and language development, math skills, socioemotional development, and physical health compared to their peers in half-day programs.

The celebration marked the start of an exciting new chapter for Everett’s pre-kindergarten students, who begin the school year in a full-day learning environment for the first time.

Discover the Freedom Trail in a new light – after dark – on the official Freedom Trail Lantern Tours. Freedom Trail Foundation announces the return of the unique Lantern Tours, offering visitors and residents the opportunity to experience the sinister history and mystery of the Freedom Trail by lantern-light! The annual Lantern Tours will be offered on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 6 p.m. until October 30, and Wednesday, October 28. Official Freedom Trail historic sites’ evening Crypt Tours at King’s Chapel and Old North Church also return this fall.

Duels, the grave of a ruthless pirate, punishments of convicted witches and more: all real and explored on the Freedom Trail Lantern Tours. Investigate the ghoulish side of Boston’s iconic red-lined-path and hear historic tales too dark and macabre for daytime. Join Freedom Trail Players, darkly garbed with lanterns, and bring true accounts of appalling crimes, spies and assassins, to life on these 90-minute walking tours.

Lantern Tours start from the Boston Common Visitor Information Center plaza and illuminate the Granary and King’s Chapel burying grounds as the final resting places of convicted pirates and others connected to Boston’s less-illustrious past. Locations such as the Boston Massacre Site and the former site of the Old Gaol (Old Jail), adjacent to the Old State House and home to many of old Boston’s most infamous criminals, are also featured along the way on the Freedom Trail.

Led by 18th-century costumed guides, Freedom Trail Foundation walking tours are $17 for adults, $15 for seniors/students, and $8 for children 12 and under. Purchase of a ticket includes a $1 donation to the Freedom Trail Foundation’s Preservation Fund, which helps support preservation projects at official Freedom Trail historic sites. Tickets may be purchased at the Boston Common Visitor Information Center (8:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.) or online at TheFreedomTrail.org. Lantern Tours may also be scheduled as a private group tour year-round. For more information about the Lantern and Crypt Tours, please contact the Freedom Trail Foundation at 617-357-8300 or visit TheFreedomTrail.org.

The city of Everett is hosting this career fair, with the support of local unions and AEC firms, for two very simple reasons. First, we need more people entering the skilled trades. For every five people who retire from a career in the trades, only two people enter the field. There is a talent shortage and the need for skilled workers is only growing. And second, we need to ensure everyone who seeks a job that will pay them fairly for their hard work can find one. Entry-level jobs in the trades pay significantly more than non-trade entry-level jobs, and provide opportunities for training and skill-building that do not require going to a four-year college.

Here in Everett and the surrounding area, every new school, hospital, housing development, laboratory, and hotel depends on skilled workers. The projects shaping Greater Boston’s future cannot be delivered without electricians, plumbers, carpenters, sheet metal workers, masons, painters, HVAC technicians, and equipment operators.

The Building Trades unions and companies like Suffolk are always looking for hard working people to build with us. Many of the jobs we need to fill do not require a four-year degree. That does not mean the work is easy or that training is unnecessary. It means there are multiple ways to get started and build from there.

Apprenticeships are one of the clearest examples. In the building trades, apprentices combine classroom instruction with paid, on-the-job training. They learn from experienced tradespeople, develop technical skills and gain a foundation in safety, quality and teamwork. Union pathways can also provide access to structured training, strong benefits, fair wages and opportunities to advance.

A person does not need to arrive knowing exactly which trade is right for them. They need curiosity, a willingness to learn and the commitment to show up, work safely and contribute to a team. Over time, a craftsperson can become a foreperson, estimator, superintendent or project manager or build a business of their own.

From Suffolk’s perspective as a construction manager, this workforce is essential to the success of every project. The workforce of the future will pair hands-on expertise with the ability to adapt to new tools and new ways of working. That combination is already helping us build more safely, efficiently and predictably.

A career decision is easier to make when people have clear information and can speak directly with those who know the answers. Sometimes, all it takes is one conversation with someone who can explain the path and help a person see themselves in it.

The Everett “Careers in the Trades” Fair will create exactly that opportunity. Unions and AEC firms will be there to talk with students, families, career changers and anyone curious about what comes next.

Attendees can learn about the many pathways into the industry. They can ask questions, compare options and begin to understand what a future in the trades could look like without having to make a decision that day.

We encourage Everett residents to come, ask questions and explore whether a career in the trades could be right for them. These careers offer the chance to earn a good living, develop valuable skills and take pride in work that strengthens our communities.

The path may begin with an apprenticeship, a training program or an entry-level opportunity. What matters most is a willingness to learn, work hard and keep growing.

For anyone ready to take that first step, the Everett “Careers in the Trades” Fair is a place to start.

Everett “Careers in the Trades” Fair

Thursday, Oct. 1, from 4 p.m. – 7 p.m.

Everett High School

100 Elm Street, Everett

Pat Lucey is the President, Northeast, and National Centers of Excellence at Suffolk, and Brian Doherty is the Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the Greater Boston Labor Council and General Agent of the Greater Boston Building Trades Unions.