Governor Appoints Revere Mayor as Conservation & Recreation Commissioner

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BOSTON — Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca L. Tepper announced the appointment of Revere Mayor Brian Arrigo as Commissioner of the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR). 
 
Arrigo will officially resign as Mayor on April 21 and start in the Healey-Driscoll Administration on April 24.  
 
"Policymaking is about more than laws and budgets – it's about building happy, healthy communities for our residents. Mayor Arrigo understands, as I do, that DCR is central to those efforts," said Governor Maura Healey. "He has extensive experience transforming Revere's waterfront and managing public lands. I know he will work tirelessly so everyone in our state has access to well-maintained green spaces and fun activities for all ages." 
 
Brian Arrigo has served as Mayor of Revere since 2016. During his tenure, he implemented reforms and initiatives to professionalize and modernize the city's government to ensure city services were provided in an equitable and efficient manner. Under his leadership, the City developed its first master plan in over 40 years – Next Stop Revere. Other initiatives achieved during his time in the Mayor's Office include the creation of a 311-constituent service office and a Human Resources Office, constructing a new Department of Public Works facility and a new Point of Pines Fire Station, and ushering in hundreds of millions of dollars in public and private investment along Revere Beach, Shirley Avenue, and Suffolk Downs. In 2023 Arrigo was elected President of the Massachusetts Mayors' Association. Prior to being elected Mayor, Arrigo was a City Councillor and held various positions with the MBTA, the City of Somerville, the District of Columbia's City Council, and the Massachusetts Senate Committee on Ways and Means. A graduate of Suffolk University, Arrigo resides in Revere with his wife Daveen and their two sons Joseph and Jack.  
 
"I'm honored to join the Healey-Driscoll Administration at this pivotal time for our public lands," said Mayor Arrigo. "I believe DCR lies at the nexus of the climate crisis, economic competitiveness, public health, and equity. Access to well-maintained, healthy outdoor space promotes tourism, builds healthy families, and helps us nurture the next generation of environmentalists. We did this in Revere, and I'm looking forward to stepping up our tree planting efforts, improving park maintenance, and ensuring that every Massachusetts resident can access our beautiful natural resources." 
 
 
 
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Pittsfield City Council Weighs in on 'Crisis' in Public Schools

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff

A half-dozen people addressed the City Council from the floor of Monday's meeting, including Valerie Anderson, right.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — After expressing anger and outrage and making numerous calls for accountability and transparency, the 11 members of the City Council on Monday voted to support the School Committee in seeking an independent investigation into allegations of misconduct by staff members at Pittsfield High School that have come to light in recent weeks.
 
At the close of a month that has seen three PHS administrators put on administrative leave, including one who was arrested on drug trafficking charges, the revelation that the district is facing a civil lawsuit over inappropriate conduct by a former teacher and that a staff member who left earlier in the year is also under investigation at his current workplace, the majority of the council felt compelled to speak up about the situation.
 
"While the City Council does not have jurisdiction over the schools … we have a duty to raise our voices and amplify your concerns and ensure this crisis is met with the urgency it demands," Ward 5 Councilor Patrick Kavey said.
 
About two dozen community members attended the special meeting of the council, which had a single agenda item.
 
Four of the councilors precipitated the meeting with a motion that the council join the School Committee in its search for an investigation and that the council, "be included in the delivery of any disclosures, interim reports or findings submitted to the city."
 
Last week, the School Committee decided to launch that investigation. On Monday, City Council President Peter White said the School Committee has a meeting scheduled for Dec. 30 to authorize its chair to enter negotiations with the Springfield law firm of Bulkley, Richardson and Gelinas to conduct that probe.
 
Ward 7 Councilor Rhonda Serre, the principal author of the motion of support, was one of several members who noted that the investigation process will take time, and she, like Kavey, acknowledged that the council has no power over the public schools beyond its approval of the annual district budget.
 
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