REVERE
City welcomes new officers - See page 11
ADVOCATE Vol. 27, No. 39
-FREE-
www.advocatenews.net
Revere hosts First Annual Fall Festival
Free Every Friday
781-286-8500
Friday, September 29, 2017
Councillor seeks pot shop ban
Viviana Cataño of Revere Cares is shown addressing the City Council on behalf of a new group: Revere Parents for Action. Cataño said the marijuana industry targets children with products like marijuana brownies and lollipops. (Courtesy photo)
By Sara Brown
T It’s pumpkin time with Isabella Alonso, Thomas and Valentina Stuart at the City of Revere’s 1st Annual Fall Festival, held on Broadway on Saturday, September 23. See more photo highlights inside on pages 12 & 13. (Advocate photo by Al Terminiello)
for a Contact usation g li b No O
Want to know the value of your house in today’s real estate market?
FREE Market Analysis Of Your Home!
he Revere City Council passed a motion forbidding the sale of recreational marijuana in the city. Ward 4 Councillor Patrick Keefe presented the motion at the September 25 City Council meeting saying it was best for the community. However, some councilors were worried about the potential fallout from such a decision. Councillor-at-Large Anthony Zambuto said the law says they can’t prevent it if someone buys a marijuana product from outside of town and transports it to the person’s home in Revere. “All we would be doing is preventing us from getting the 3 percent tax sale from it,” he said. He also worried about whether or not it is legal to ban the sale.
Call United Brokers at 617-461-4238 We accept: MasterCard * Visa * & Discover
3.43 GALLON
$$1.95 GALLON
100 Gal. Min. 24 Hr. Service 781-286-2602 Price Subject to Change without notice
B
Zambuto went as far as reminding his peers of the Moonlight Video court case when the city was punished for changing the zoning laws to prevent an adult video store from staying in business. The city lost the court case and faced a judgment for millions of dollars over a decade ago. However, his colleagues disagreed with him. “If this is something that has to be taken to court, then so be it,” said Ward 3 Councillor Arthur Guinasso. Guinasso said he has heard residents complain about smelling marijuana in their backyard; they feel helpless as there’s nothing they can do about it since it’s now legal. “Society has made some mistakes,” he said. Councillor-at-Large Steve Morabito recalled his motion that attempted to raise the legal
age to purchase tobacco and to ban flavored tobacco in the city. He said it was such an uphill battle since businesses grew to depend on that revenue, stating banning marijuana now would be a proactive approach. Keefe said there are currently 100 communities in the state trying to ban marijuana. “I want to be one of those towns,”he said. Keefe said Revere residents overwhelmingly voted against legalizing marijuana in 2016 despite the state voting in favor of it (cities and towns may opt out of licensing retail marijuana shops). “I’m sick and tired of every off-color business trying to come to Revere,” he said. “This entire law is a joke,” Keefe added.
COUNCILLOR | SEE PAGE 16
Husband ordered held without bail in homicide
OSTON – Vanessa MacCormack’s husband was ordered held without bail at his arraignment on September 27, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said. Andrew MacCormack, 29, of Revere was arraigned on Wednesday in Chelsea District Court on a charge of murder in connection with his wife’s murder inside their Grand View Avenue home. At the request of Assistant District Attorney Ian Polumbaum, chief of the DA’s Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Unit, Judge Ina Howard-Hogan ordered MacCormack held without bail. Polumbaum told the court that evidence collected by State Police detectives assigned to Conley’s office and Revere Police detectives suggests that MacCormack mur-
Andrew MacCormack dered his wife inside their home on Saturday and took a series of actions to cover up his crime, which came approximately one month after Vanessa MacCormack told her husband by text message that she intended to contact a divorce attorney. MacCormack allegedly respond-
ed, “Ur crazy, I will never sign anything.” Prosecutors allege that Andrew MacCormack murdered his wife on Saturday before traveling to a location in Saugus to complete a carpentry job – bringing his baby daughter along with him to the worksite. Reportedly, during the course of the day, MacCormack received phone calls from his wife’s family, who had grown concerned after they were unable to reach her by phone; MacCormack sent text messages to his wife’s phone, which prosecutors say he had with him at the time. Reportedly, he left the worksite after the baby soiled her diaper. Rather than picking up a change of diapers;
HOMICIDE | SEE PAGE 2