##VIDEO ID:jLOAXjsygMk## e good evening I'm going to go ahead and call the Rivier cultural council meeting to order um if you guys don't mind standing and saying the Pledge of Allegiance I pledge of allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all all right Savannah Carlson here Rocky Graziano here um I'm Lonnie Stevens Samantha Harrington and Joe heich should be joining us um just a little bit later just to go through our topics for discussion for tonight we're going to be discussing the fiscal year 25 Grand proposals um in this meeting we're just going to Simply go over a yes um a maybe or a partial and then a no um So within each of the 31 applications that we've received we'll just be discussing um if we will be granting the full amount or a possibly a partial amount we won't go into the details of how much that is um and then after that I think that we just have one quick R Beach um Miss R Beach update for our proposal and then we'll go ahead and open it up to the public okay so to start with the applications we received we received 31 applications and the total amount requested of all 31 of those was 189,190 and Lonnie how much money are we allocating for 25 um so the amount are you asking about the amount available for granting yes the amount that we have available for granting is application see here please excuse my less Beachmont is a mess right now okay this is for a project titled Ramadan ifar dinner and the project overview is the proposed project for the riv Ramadan dinner is a community event aimed at fostering cultural understanding and unity by celebrating Ramadan it will bring together diverse groups including Muslim residents and other non-muslim community members to share a meal when learn about Ramadan traditions and promote inclusion the dinner will provide a platform for dialogue cultural exchange and strengthen Community bonds and rever they have requested an amount of $10,000 towards this and the estimated number of people served is 200 with this project thoughts so so last year they did this project I talked to the person whose idea it was they this project and it was out of pocket so they did pocket it whoever's coming the planners paid out of pocket to have the sim a similar event um a friend of mine did attend this as a jack sat house so it's a similar event so there is a need for it it was open to the whole Community not just uh people of Middle Eastern descent or musl and um but it was open to the whole Community to go to um so you have that kind of that's been been done before but not with funding so they're looking U primarily for funding um so the idea of it right now is uh a great idea what we have to decide as a committee is also we have 31 proposals here is whether you know what monies we have um for each proposal um because if we give too much to one proposal and this is the first proposal but this is kind of an overview if we give too much to one then we don't have as much for the others so we're kind of looking at that kind of overall budget in the back of our our heads um so that's that's the considerations for uh this one I think the idea is good it's just the amount um that we have should we get through all the proposals and find that we have maybe excess then we can go back and reassess um if we're going to give a little bit more or a little bit less but the idea here is not to um necessarily discuss the amount because we have to go through all of them um but whether we're kind of moving forward with these proposals so and correct me if I'm wrong and this one sounds like a yes but um maybe maybe consideration to to the funding so maybe a partial that is correct so this is one of our more expensive of all our proposals so if we start out with spending the most expensive then we don't have as much for the ler one so it might be one that we come back to so we all agree that it's a great idea um but that we said we want to try and make it so we get the most we serve the biggest part of the community um and that's that's the thing if we put all our programming into one thing we better make sure that that's the best thing possible and that number of people is definitely coming I think it's a great idea I think it meets what our what our priorities are for the year um same I think we should we're not discussing money so it's it's it's a yes for me but I I still think we need to consider what the what the dollar amount is agreed with partial all right um do you want to go ahead and move on to the next one one um do you want me to read this one okay Rocky do you want we can alternate too we can just we can all we can all take turns so no one gets tired um this is our second project it is um the kopia New England which is a multidisciplinary initiative that seeks to document the global spread of I apologize for mispronouncing this I know that I'm mispronouncing this um capera thank you dance it's a dance and mixed martial arts kind of thing it's from Brazil okay thank you so we have a large Brazilian population so hence we're a great place to fund yes that makes sense um and expand this art formed by a capo Roa performance and a photography exhibit with a specific focus on the New England region encompassing the Six States within it this project explores the rich diversity of kaware practitioners a fight / dance form known for its intricate movements symbolism and rituals all perform to the rhythm of Music in a communal setting practiced in over 160 countries capoa has become a significant vehicle for promoting the Portuguese language as its movement and song lyrics are often retained in their original form this research and documentary project will delve into this art recognized as afro Brazilian born on Brazilian soil by enslaved Africans and honored in 4 by UNESCO as a intangible cultural heritage of humanity once again it hits on three cultural groups so you have African Brazilian and then anybody else who practices it there are studios in that not everybody is aware of what it is because they haven't seen it or they've seen it and not realized what it was so it's great to bring that cultural aspect to it I have seen people practice it so so I think it is a good thing in principle once again we come down to how much they're they're asking in regards to all of the proposals that we're going through tonight so we're not voting on money tonight I would say yes on the proposal in general but like said the money amount we might not agree on we might give them more we might give them less um the other thing consideration on this one is they said they're documenting it so it's do the doc if any project the documentation does it serve to Comm our community in large or is it serving their Community purposes in large so they could document it have zero people see it and still use that product to do something so the key thing is to evaluate the Pro app be before the program after the program um that would be my consideration of it um and like I said that's that's it um I would like further clarification actually from this uh applicant it's the location where the project is taking place and is in hyanis um and at The hyanis Cordial Eye Gallery as well and it also says other venues I would like to know if they have a venue within R in mind that they would like to perform this capera um I understand that we do have a large Brazilian demographic however I want to make sure that any monies we allocate go directly to to Riv residents and are going to impact the city of Riv before we head down to the cape so I would like clarification from the applicant ditto ditto on that um like I said how willing are they to just do something so maybe it might be the sand castle contest or something show us a little bit of it um and then refer to it um but the big thing is it would be nicer to have something in the community than to pay for something that's going to be taking place outside of the community we discuss that kind of issue last last year as well um so anybody can get on YouTube and look at it up what it is um or see it we want we want some live action kind of things and bringing that experience the community where people community members can identify with it in person and say yes I remember that I remember Nana used to dance cup or wherever um we want that personal connection as opposed to that distancing with the Blinder on and just I could look up that on my phone why do why are you paying x amount of dollars to for programming out of rever some will work some won't work we'll find out I'm on board with the the project I I think it meets again I I I everything that I looked through was does it meet the priorities um the one that's missing here is is it going to impact rev so I'd be on board with partial it looks like um because there's a bud budget here and then they they ask for significantly less than what the budget is so I'm assuming they're asking other cultural councils or getting funding somewhere else um I would entertain a partial but if they're not going to be uh benefiting this community regardless of the demographic then this would be deprioritize for me um for the other projects that are impacting Riv in general or presented by Riv residents um I had the same thoughts as um you too or as all of us I think that it was a little bit concerning that they didn't have a project location in rier um and it seems like they have flashed out project locations at other places um so I think until I would be until they would be able to produce a ReRe location um this would actually be a no for me until they they were able to produce a revier location um I do think that it's a great project but I just think with the with our limited funding This was um oh like like Rocky said one of my lower priorities I do REM remind the council that we do have a lot of dance studios in revier so they might host something like this um so this grant organization could approach one of them we'd give the funding we'd put a banner out or something or advertise or somebody would advertise that it's in one of these dance studios it gives more attention to that dance studio in rever and you know it also gives them more attention to their program maybe somebody will want to sign up maybe they'll have a program in R where people can learn it personally so that's also what we're looking for extensions of these programs not just we give you money you do one program we're looking also at some programs that might be here every year or setup base or setup shop here as new people come in they can also partake in these events are we moving to the next one all right yes we'll email this applicant for clarification excellent all right looks like we're getting all of the large requests up front so the next one is uh from the Boston dialogue Foundation Incorporated uh they are asking for $65,000 for a project entitled Global Harmony a multicultural Summer Academy the project aims to provide attendees with a comprehensive and engaging educational experience primary goal is to spark a passion for learning while broadening their cultural awareness Beyond traditional classroom activities we will offer a variety of Club options including dance music technology and language these clubs act as a gateway to deeper cultural understanding through dance attendees will explore the rich traditions of various cultures gaining insights into their histories and Customs music activities will Foster creativity and an appreciation for the artistic contributions of different Societies in summary our project not only makes learning fun but also enhances attendees cultural knowledge through diverse Club activities helping them develop a wider perspective on the world um this is a Rivier resident and a or a nonprofit that is based out of Rivier um I do want to draw the council's attention to the full I don't know if we're looking at the spreadsheet but I'm also looking at the project overview itself in the portal and there was a couple of things I just wanted to make note of as I was taking look at it I think the project is aiming to provide or aiming excuse me the target audience was not listed in that in that blurb that I read so I do want to read it out loud the specific individuals we are hoping to attract are K through five students who are first generation immigrants from a variety of cultural backgrounds and represent different economic classes including those from lower income families I'll start it I think it meets all of our mission and goals right I think what the sticker shock is the dollar amount um I do want to withraw the council's attention again they do have a very detailed budget in the if you go into the document they they've broken everything down um I have some questions um in particular the salary fees in administration I think whenever we go to nonprofit that's the first thing that I look at and that makes makes up 50% of what the ask is so I would need some clarification as to what that consists of who are these people why why is this you know I'm not going to say why is the salary so high because everyone deserves to be paid but what are we what are we what are we paying for I guess would be would be my question but other than that I think that the mission and the target audience all meet our our priorities for 2025 I agree with you Rocky um and getting clarification on the the teachers and the educators uh I would agree with yes my um other concern is the number of youths at serving is a 100 so it's $65,000 to serve a hundred youths uh in R uh however they're asking for a $220,000 travel and transportation budget is is that to bust the kids from rier to the program I would like clarification on that as well or are we also bringing in are we busing in other children of that 100 from other communities I also had a question about that because I think that the 100 was the number of people that were served and it served 50 youths so um I'm not sure who the other 50 are in this case I don't know if they did highlight that question for protocol as this is my my first season do we invite some of these IND individuals to come like for our next meeting and maybe they could answer some of these questions live is that something that we've done in the past because I think reading it there is a lot of information here but at at when you when you don't have the context you we we're looking at it just looking at it at face value and I'm sure the person might be able to answer some of these questions for us that we have because I think we have a lot because it's a big ask and it is a great project but we want to make sure that we're that's that's a huge portion of our of what we have available oh last year we did not um have any of our clarification applicants attend a meeting however I think that's a great idea and in emailing for clarification we can invite them to the next meeting to discuss uh I mean I would I know our next meeting is to allocate the monies so if we could get clarification via email and then they could come in also discussed that would be preferable the other thing that we can get them to do in Chambers or wherever we're discussing it is to amend their proposal in front of us so instead of spending time email well we want 7,000 5,000 and trying to do a bargain overline they can say well and we'd all hear the proposal it wouldn't go to L it wouldn't go to Lonnie it wouldn't go to one person and they wouldn't have to distill it to three more people it's all in Chambers we'd hear it and the public would hear if we're videotaping it um this is one of our goals I agree with everybody to serve school children Rivier has several elementary schools or several groups that could fall into this so with then we'd have to decide well what are we going to choose four from this school five from this school 10 from this school all from this school um the other consideration is you know I and I can say a disclaimer here um I've been a te I was a teacher for 35 years my sister is a teacher right now um Everybody deserves a salary you're right but the average teaching salary starts at that amount and we're looking for a program you know that that that's not giving a starter teaching salary for one one day or one week of programming um because teachers are struggling enough to get their yearly salaries now um so I would be open to this program if we had a little bit more explanation and also we avoided the sticker shock um I cannot this is one of those proposals I cannot say yes to if it's going to have this price tag on it um it's not my bottom line like I said some of these have a great idea but the sticker shop is up maybe they're looking for to get $40,000 but they put $65,000 there thinking hey we're going to get this bargaining thing sometimes people when they write the proposals go shoot High to get low sometimes they start low and they get a little bit higher but that's that's part of barg bargaining and out this this is like out of almost out of our price range or if we decide as a council that this is the number one program of all the programs when once again it takes away from all the other funding that we do cuz that's going to be a huge huge chunk um and we're looking to do as much program and serve as many people as possible and rever that's the ultimate goal so we will ask for clarification from the applicant and we will move on to application number four let's see this application is from the city of Riv and uh the project information is for the riv Beach lgbtq Pride Celebration uh to take place in Waterfront Square in Rivier to serve approximately 2,000 people the Rivier Beach Pride Celebration is an inclusive vibrant and community- centered event designed to honor and celebrate pride month in June bringing together the lgbtqia plus Community supporters allies and local residents the event will take place on Rivier Beach at Waterfront Square where diversity is celebrated and everyone is encouraged to celebrate the area adjacent to Wonderland t station and accessible to all attendees will have the opportunity to visit LGBT lgbtq plus tables providing resources support and educational materials on uh topics such as mental health legal assistance and Healthcare there will be music and dance performances and celebration of self-expression this celebration aims to create a welcoming space for all through the blend of Arts culture and local engagement I think this is an excellent idea for programming um the I think Steve marbo started the first programming for the lgbq um Community um within couple years ago so it's it's a kind of a budding program uh it's a budding in the school system to cuz schools are embracing now the lgbtq community when I was a kid they did not embrace it um some people are reluctant I will say that other communities have similar celebrations Boston has it East Boston has it um and some other smaller smaller communities have it I think Salem has it or some sort of semblance of Celebration is it just for that Community to celebrate that day no like I said it's it's also an educational purpose serves educational purposes um and that Community itself is built on a spectrum there's different types of people who embrace it there's people who are just starting out into the lgbqt QT community and there are people whove been it all their life um so it does bring a diverse group of people out and it does educate a lot of people which is our mission statement once again it's um the price like we say we're going we're reviewing all these proposals right now does that seem reasonable to the whole Council and we could just kind of get it off the table right now or we try to look for a uniform to get through everything um and then allate from there we're going to look through everything before we allocate any money it's a yes for me it is a yes for me I will also say that it is a yes for me too yes for me as well um I'm going to go ahead I'm going to highlight this one in green then if that's okay okay okay yes um and then I'm also going to move on to the next one um this is from Lauren Buck who runs the Rivier Beach farmers market um this event is supposed to take place also at Waterfront Square in Riv um the Rivier Beach farmers market had its inaugural season during the summer of 2024 with the help of the fiscal year 24 cultural Council Grant we hope to expand and increase services for summer of 2025 with the help of um fiscal year 25 cultural Council Grant yet again we will continue to prioritize accessibility cultural representation and healthy food options the Rivier Beach location proved to have increased foot traffic to excuse me for our vendors increase availab accessibility by being close to the t- stop and culturally appropriate healthy options located very close to the diverse Shirley AB neighborhood we want to expand our local minority-owned culture Cally representative produce and food vendors for summer of 2025 we hope to increase our focus on Snap hip senior and WID vouchers recipients to ensure our most vulnerable and marginalized community members can enjoy and participate in the market and they were asking for 88,200 which appears to be the cost of the total project it's a yes for me it is a yes for me I did want to bring out um I kind of put the name or title I put this farmers market each Community around us has a farmers market Swampscott has one Marblehead has one winrop has one farmers markets are an opportunity for outside vendors to come in that's the caveat we don't want too many farms from outside or something we do have that dietary thing so it does introduce new foods to everybody that is a great thing the other thing about the farmers market it brings music we usually get acoustic stuff or something so there's music there um it's a good opportunity for kids to learn price so you have a lot of organic things there so price points so you have economic lesson there um and it's also been moving from area to area so it was in front of the VA the um city hall and now it's moved down towards the beach so we get a different part of the community that's organized we also get to highlight possibly the Community Gardens that are in rever right now I believe there are two of them there's one at the Garfield school and I believe there's another school or somebody mentioned to um by one of the other schools and the pro produce that's produced there is brought out so we can teach kids economics so they can pick like the Cucumbers or tomatoes that are in there from The Garfield school and then the kids could set up a table for produce so I think it's an excellent idea um like I said this is one of yes for me um I second that right so this one sounds like it's a yes um svan I don't know if you want to add anything else to that or um I just want to point out that in the breakdown of the budget they have listed under the description for $5,500 of the requested 8200 that it was it's for culturally appropriate entertainment including local musicians and Community entertainment groups and the rest of the budget breakdown includes advertising so it's a yes for me that the majority of this uh funding is going towards musicians and and art in in yeah yeah um this one was also a yes for me I think that the selling point here was that it really um I think that it focuses in on marginalized communities um and I think that they really highlighted that like talking about the divers sh leav um and also the fact that they were hoping to incre uh increase the focus on lots of different um food programs the other thing about this is location location location um this is a location that's accessible by anybody from the Wonderland T stops you come from any point in or out and get there um if you're disabled it's got wheelchair wamps it's got elevators everything is there um we have the whole big setting over there of apartments and everything that just kind of built up there's got to be at least a thousand several thousand people that are going to be moving into those communities I don't know how many new new R residents but it's all those new rever residents that's the highend and you also have the low end um that's coming in to learn so it's it serves all demographic or all wallets per se um anybody can go there anybody who goes to the beach can also go to the farmers market and it'll be very visible um or even just listen to the music um it's a central location it's accessible I think it's a great idea all right on to the next okay so we are looking at application number six and this was uh submitted by the city of Riv Recreation Department um it is entitled city of Riv Sunday night concert series which I believe they did last year too and this would take place right next door at the um American Legion or at City Hall where we are the proposed project is a weekly music concert series aimed at enriching our community's cultural landscape by offering a diverse range of live music performances this series will feature local artists emerging talent and established musicians across various genres promoting artistic expr expression and Community engagement the music concert series will provide accessible live music experiences that reflect the community's diverse musical Heritage support local musicians and Foster a sense of community by bringing people together through their shared musical experiences they are asking for $7,000 which is also their total expense um again I think it meets the Mission and the priorities that we have for 2025 uh it's local um I think my one in spoiler alert to those of you out there in TV Land we have a lot of musician or musical based options here so I think that's the only thing that I'd want the console to consider like if we're looking at diverse Pro range of projects that we are there are quite a few music just like we just talked about Savannah right there's music going to be at the farmers market so I just want to call that out I think it's a great project um I think the budget Falls in line with what we're probably able to do but I just want to throw that consideration out that we have a lot of other musical performances or musical asks I fully support this application um throwback but this started when I was 14 and worked for the recreation department 23 years ago and and it's been it's been happening ever since and it thrives and if anyone has had the privilege to attend a a Sunday concert series next door you will see it is jam-packed with all the community it's wonderful and people from outside the community I fully support this I do want to point out in the budget for this project that $6,000 of the $7,000 is allocated towards the performers and the bands and then there's ,000 towards administrative fees uh for running this so I just also want to bite that out well first of all that answerers your question Rocky um yes this was program that's been done last year what is happened what has changed um the funding source there has has changed so maybe by getting a little funding from us um they can Thrive a little bit longer and put some of their Monies to other programming that they do you have to understand that a lot of these PL places in r that apply for this money are just kind of strapped for cash right now in this economy and they're trying to diversify their programming to attract more members or to their programming I think it's a great idea and to answer your question Rocky no you cannot have enough music music saved a lot of souls during Co think about how many times you have your earbuds in and you're listening to your music and you're shutting the world out um not you particularly but just as a metaphor on that um music you can listen to it when you're sad you can listen to it as happy it brings a collective Spirit to an organization it brings a collective Spirit to a room um everybody is united in song or tapping their feet or clapping their hands um every Community has musical activities attached to them at some way whether it become the drama club it could be attached as a musical there it could be a farmers market can be anywhere you can never have enough music music stimulates the brain music stimulates creativity I can't say enough about music um I think it's a great idea um let's keep the music in in our community and the other thing I want to say is that if you were looking for music in our community on a regular basis if you came from outside a rever there's not too many venues that have live music in rever there's not many opportunities to listen to live music in rever except at certain times of the year so in the summertime at the San Castle contest you're going to get a lot of music this is a program that might happen in a different time of the year so you're exposing music at a different time of year um than people normally are have uh accessibility to that musical form mat so it can never be enough if you spread it out long enough in different places thank you so is are we feeling more of a yes for this one or a partial it sounds like a yes it's a yes it's a yes okay I just wanted to call out that I'm not hating on music for those of you out there I don't need to be hate mail in my in my messages um is that as we're right because let's just be real that's not what I said I think I what I'm calling out is that there are a lot of applicants here and I do want us to make sure that we're looking at some of the other options that may yes I love music I I walk the beach every day listening to it listening to it so it is really important I just want to call out we had a few in a row that we're we're also giving consideration to some of the the Lesser less popular art forms that we have listed here once again we're not attacking anybody on this community uh or this Council this council is to bring out new ideas and things to to everybody so we're in acceptance so we're not kind of attacking Rock Rocky saying well I only listen to music in February or once a week or anything like that so don't don't take my don't don't take the context we're not trying to do that we we like the proposal just because we turn a proposal down it's not necessarily because of the group that's sponsoring it we just don't have the money or we don't accept it but we're we're Council of acceptance um so we're not doing it for any reason um the color of your skin or the type of music we're looking at the overall feasibility of it um and we're looking at a lot of factors not just one um and we're Council that's why if we weren't a council and we didn't talk these things out we'd be deliberating one and people be questioning that one person so this is why we can talk these out in Chambers this is why we are telev televised before our live audience um if anybody's watching so they can hear that we are deliberating we're not just deliberating our heads we're deliberating for you so if you had any questions before we kind of pounded the gavel we welcome you we welcome your input come and witness us if if I can just add something really quickly um so so I think in the past when we've gone through this process I know that I mean everybody loves music I think that an important consideration is the budget and obviously we do have a finite budget we do have a limited number of grants that we can give so I think something in the past that's worked well is going through with a yes no or maybe and maybe not focusing on the budget as much now because you'll get really in the weeds and we just want to prioritize I think getting through this long list which is wonderful and we're so lucky to have so many applicants and once again we're here as long as we to get through this list so we're not going to cut it short and then not have go through everybody so the bottom that people don't even get consideration we're here to get through this whole list of proposals that we have well I do think we have a nine o'cl cut off so I just want to call that out that so I think we all said yes so let's move on to number seven that's me right all right here we go uh application number seven ethnic Arts Center of Somerville put in this application the project information is requesting $5,000 and the project title is called our R Legacy talking family and ethnic Heritage puppet set it this is set to take place at two of the Head Start events uh excuse me Head Start sites in Rivier on R Street and then the irino Connell Center so the overview of this project our R Legacy talking family and ethnic herited p puppet set is a rare and Powerful local history experience for preschoolers their families and Clan which will strengthen family and ethnic identity with lifelong effects children will construct animate and perform paper bag puppets representing each members of their family Guided by staff mentored in puppetry via liveaction tutorial videos guide sheets bilingual family interview and ethnic recycle forms participants will plan script construct animate and perform their family sets using recycled paper bags the culminating performance to family and Clan will solidify their family integrational bonds still esteem confidence respect and inclusion unfortunately I gave this proposal a no um it by the nature of it paper bag puppets I questioned whether this would be done in a library or in a school system something similar not the same of course all these proposals could be similar or same to anything that happens in school and then the price tag associated with it too seemed high for paper bag puppetry I'm not um it's not that I'm not a fan of puppetry I know some people who travel a state in puppetry um and they do all kinds of presentations it's just the nature of all the proposals given all the proposals I think that this one is less formulated than some of the other ones I gave it a no I'm going to jump in on this one too um when I was reading the budget um it was saying that they're creating live action tutorial videos and that this is done over Skype um I don't know if I misunderstood that but that's how I took this um it says the performance is zoom or Skype with the EAC um so that being said I do like I think that the council the council has a priority on Live Events versus virtual events I agree with you Lonnie I did read it as as that as well uh that they would create videos and then they would have the Educators at Head Start show those videos to the children who are at the program and facilitate it that way I think with the priority to live action events I think we can I'll be a no as well and then we can move on to number eight the other thing is the number of people serve so for the price tag and the number of people serve served it didn't kind match up we're looking for the best price tag with the number of people served this is a smaller amount of people served um so I'm looking into that consideration as well there might be a large video audience or Skype audience but I've never been a big fan of Skype and zoom audiences you never know how active or passive that audience is so it sounds like the majority of us do agree that this is a no so I'm going to go ahead I'm going to move on to application eight um this was at the Immaculate Conception Church um specifically in the gym for the project description I didn't see anything there but then when I go to the project overview I was able to find something um and so I'm just going to go ahead and read that it says Mr Rob seret will present his Grand speed painting performance amazing hero art designed to reach deep into kids minds and hearts and strengthen their social and emotional learning with the strong messages of resilience kindness diversity Equity inclusion self-belief and self-esteem following one's heart chasing after your dreams being all you can be the target audience would be students in in kindergarten through grade 8 from Rivier in in surrounding communities um and I'm going to go ahead I'm going to stop there um and I believe I'm just going to mention that they were requesting $236 I was unclear as what we're painting I this may or may not be the artist that I'm conceiving doing this he goes around schools all over the place he does portraits of like Lincoln's head or Mother Teresa's head or Gandhi's head um I gave this a no um because I'm looking at the limited audience this is definitely targeted just to the Immaculate Conception uh Community it doesn't say where the final product will be hanging um so that's a big consideration if it's hanging in conception and everybody can go into a me conception great but if he's just making a product and taking it away with it it it's not fully served art is served by everybody looking at it um so that was my consideration for this um I'd like to see wider Scopes or um as opposed to narrower Scopes if uh and and that's I so I gave that a no I'm actually giving this one a yes uh we have many applicants for school field trips uh so and it's serving significantly less than this is serving which is serving the whole entire school at the Immaculate Conception as opposed to one classroom uh for a couple of our other field trips I would consider uh if we don't do a full for this a partial but this is on my yes list it's also on my yes list um I think his credentials are pretty impressive um if you look forward I mean I I've checked his website he's done artart for Disney DC Comics Star Wars um all kinds of other things are listed here um I I like that it was an exact budget so clearly they had to think through it as exactly what they needed so $236 is pretty on the nose so they're not asking for for too much um and I think Savannah to your point one of the things that I noticed as well is there are a lot of schools that are asking for and there are a couple of schools in particular asking for multip bull field trips I'm correct me if I'm wrong I'm not sure if this school this might be the only one that the school submitted at least that I can recall and I looked at I looked at this a month ago so who knows um but there were some schools that asked for like much maybe smaller amounts but more in total because they've asked for multiple field trips so I I'd be interested in entertaining this one um whether it be partial or full that's that's the same I I could change my thing to partial if I had a little bit more information and we see what else we've kind of put down what schools the Immaculate Conception um typically is I don't know if that's a public or private but I private scho it's a private school so we have Public public and private so that kind of makes another little boundary or little kind of things is our mission statement as a thing are we going to give to private organizations are we giving to the public um that that is kind of is always going to weigh um in my mind so it's not just the kids can can learn from an experience anyway I support schools whether they're public or private but it's going to come to how many proposals do we have for private how many for public are we willing to give one to private and all the rest of public or are we going to do all public that's kind of things that are weighing that partiality or no behind my my thinking well his organization is listed as a nonprofit as well it's not an individual private organization I also think that where it's benefit in the youth too I don't think that we specify it's benefiting the public youth I think that it is benefiting the youth which I think that this would still be within our guidelines um that this was actually a maybe for me personally and it kind of sounds like we're debating back and forth so I'm going to list this one in yellow the reason that it was a maybe for me is just I've seen the the way that it sounds like it's done is he's doing the artwork and it sounds like he does incredible artwork um I guess I've seen artwork done in schools where it's more student centered and the students are um the ones that are creating it and I feel like that um appears to be more impactful but I also do think that this is a great opportunity so it it sounds like a Maybe from all of us yes this is a story based thing so as he does a brush stroke he might be saying something about freedoms he might be saying something that's the kind of painting it is it's not just him hey kids watch me paint okay okay that makes S I think we just need clarification on where the painting is going to live after it is completed is it going to stay with the school and the public or does it go back with the applicant where do it also sorry to interrupt he's also seems like he's fairly well established in an art world so does this include like a meet and greet I don't is there some other part of this besides the presentation you know I'm thinking more along like is it like a book signing where like somebody reads excerpt and then you get to meet them and you get something that you walk away with um maybe that's a question we could ask to like will he spend time with each one or give them a little something or sign something or what what have you Rocky I think it's your turn go ahead okay welcome back friends all right so application number nine comes from Peter Jackson of Gloucester Massachusetts um it says my funny it's uh it's entitled Community magic show my funny show is Pack full of fun magical effects and design to be enjoyed by children and adults using audience audience participation as much as possible to get everyone involved you can expect lots of good photo opportunities the Magic Bunny even does a trick or two everyone will have a great time there is Magic comedy prizes and Candy the show is runs about 60 Minutes including a meet and greet with the Magic Bunny there is um additional uh documentation in there um the budget is $300 um sorry the budget and the ask is $300 and it looks like it's just a salary for the for the M musici magician um this was a no for me the price point is reasonable magic is a dying kind of thing um $200 for any a musician or a magician or any kind of artist is not a lot in the grand scheme of things if that's how you're making your living um you know every artist that comes to a town or something is going to commend a salary um so that the money is not the issue it's a question also um is a maybe for me what makes this different from us kind of going out and get another musician magician so he he had the smarts to apply for it um you can go into any phone book I know some magicians myself and get them for a party whatever um this is something that you could possibly shop around if you wanted to um so that's kind of why I'm on the fence about this if we had money left over for a magician at the library that's a great program instead of having the the library come up with $300 on their own to sponsor the magician so a magician itself is great you know is great it's just do we have the funding with all the other programming the quality of the magic you know are the kids going to laugh where's it going to be that's the issues this is actually a yes for me uh it it meets the criteria proposed within our application for arts and I'll let everyone know that it states Arts refer to the creation of work in the crafts and Performing visual media folk design literacy and interdisciplinary Arts the presentation and preservation of and education about Works in these disciplines are also included so to Echo that I mean if you were go around rever you're not going to see too many magicians maybe somebody in the high school knows a few card tricks or something like that um that's that's quite possible but this is an organized kind of program in one place doesn't matter where the place is people will come and see it people have seen magic forever some people say magic is disappearing off the face of the Earth but in fact you know it's making a little come a little comeback so it is kind of a Dying art form in its sense so to Echo suran sentiments um it does fulfill the Criterion of programming it's just what programs do we want do we have enough for it I would say after paying out all the ones that we want $300 could just kind of be at the at the end but it would be something like at the end of everything that we get then we'll decide on it thanks so I said maybe Samantha I didn't know if you wanted to add anything I was also in the maybe Camp um I think that it would be worthwhile to revisit depending on how the rest of our um decisions on applications go am I good to move on to the next one okay so this is application number 10 submitted by uh the James Garfield elementary school and the requested amount is 4 $500 for a project titled African arts and education which will happen at the Garfield School it's estimated to serve 600 youths from grades prek to 12 while in school and a summary of this project this initiative seeks to bring an African dance and drumming class to the Garfield Elementary School in Rivier over a two-day period so it's a two-day event this event is facilitated by crocodile River music and seeks to Foster an enriching cultural experience that will enhance the students educational Journey students will participate in African drumming or dance class taught by professional artists they will also be able to attend a concert featuring African music by introducing the rhythms and expressive movements of African Arts the program seeks to cultivate an appreciation for diverse cultural heritages thereby broadening the students perspectives and promoting inclusivity furthermore exposure to African culture can enrich the students understanding of History promote Multicultural awareness and enhance cognitive development through the integration of music rhythm and storytelling for me this is a yes and it is my understanding and I will reach out to the school committee for clarification but the rever public schools don't have funding for field trips anymore so again I'll retell for clarification but given that I would absolutely fund this project it's a yes for me too it is a yes for me too and we would I would like to remind everybody that we did do a similar program that's a caveat we did do a similar program last time that we voted um it is a major part of our community or our expanding Community the African-American experience um this is not just open necessarily just to students there might be a few parents that come in or there might be some par professionals or volunteers that are also involved in this um this is one of the things that Rocky said too well we have a lot of music programs this is one that I that I I think is beneficial from being a teacher in a school if I were a teacher in the school and they were voting on it I'd vote for the same as this committee would be I would say yes okay so this one sounds like a yes um that being said I'm going to go ahead and move on to application 11 um application 11 is from music d.edu this is the project event name is hip-hop chair dance for seniors a dance series it's taking place at the pro excuse me it's taking place at the prospect house um the lighthouse nursing um home and the Mystic Valley Elder Services it's set to take place October 2024 so it looks like this has already happened maybe I could be wrong but it say I think that this has already happened um they're proposing a dance series which is three classes the dance class is about an hour Elder do a complete chair dance warm-up and a hip-hop class that begins and ends in chairs they travel through time on the Soul Train and chair dance to clean up uh to clean cut hip hop and R&B songs they use creative props such as smiley faces and the African Maracas to help make our soul train journey come to life senior participants will leave feeling more limber all aboard the Hip Hop Soul Train Express um they're asking for $500 uh the total project expenses 600 um I'm going to go ahead I'm going to say a yes for this one I think that we have funded this in the past and I think that it's been a great turnout from my understanding um I feel like I've seen pictures on Instagram before and it looked like a lot of fun I wish that I could maybe attend um I don't know if I would be allowed though to answer lon's question yes we have funded this in the past um the whole thing is it it works on many levels first of all seniors did not grow up with hip-hop so it's kind of introducing to a new form of Music um they might have grown up in the 20s 30s 40s whatever but hip hop is not in their vocabulary gets them moving which is key in Old AG homes um movement is a is part of the old AG home program if you're stagnant you're dying that's that's the bottom line in in Old you don't want to just sit in one place you want to be stimulated still um stimulus is a big thing um and then they have something to bond with a younger generation so maybe it's their grandchild who comes and visit them and they talk about hip hop after the program it's not just the program itself it's a kind of after wave and aftermath too the price tag is right on this one um so I'm giving it a yes as well I'm also a yes this one sounds like a yes um just a time check for everyone we do have about an hour left reserved in the chambers I know that um a couple council members do have responsibility so if you do need to step out I understand I can go through nine I just think maybe we can um speed up a bit Yeah so yes we can speed up again we'll say yes or no if somebody says no and it seems an overwhelming no and someone has an overwhelming opinion then we'll expand our opinion so no or yes um after reading it it's me next yes um I believe this is the same um this this is coming from the same um Grant proposer as the one before so I think we're going to have a similar reaction to it um I'll spoil the movie this was a yes for me too category is I'm sorry the subject is I am autistic I am fantastic the musical um and it's looking to be done at the memory care unit at the prospect house here um I am autistic I am F fantastic the musical um they're asking for 600 sorry the bud is $680 they're asking for $580 um it's presented by the music dance e.edu youth Performing Arts um using musical instruments creative music movement poetry and problem solving activities this presentation will inspire uplift and educate artistic children families and the communities at large in 1970 the Autism Society launched a nationwide effort to promote autism awareness and ensure that all affected are able to achieve the highest quality of life the musical Selections in this presentation are inspirational and include contemporary jazz songs 70s music soft rock hip hop and selections from popular Broadway shows the presentation about an hour and includes a 10-minute intermission yes yes yes yes yes our next application number question do we need to disclose um relationships or anything for anybody that proposed something cuz I went to high school with her so I just want to make sure that if I have to disclose that before you read it do I need to do that Rocky disclosure or Community disclosure I've worked with autistic children before for three years no I meant I meant the next proposal that that um Savannah I personally know the person do I sure you can abstain yeah so I'm going to abstain from voting y okay so I I didn't know if that was claric point of clarification there Rocky I didn't know if it was like because we were really involved in it um but yes on that if you want to abstain you have the right to abstain and the council has doesn't inquiry there it just says an abstention so our next project uh project number 13 was submitted by Regina oliv it is in the amount of $3,000 for the riv Beach retail popup artwork um to happen in the spring and summer of 2025 estimated to serve 10,000 people the summary of the project Rivier Beach retail is a seasonal retail store that promotes America's first public beach this popup activates Rivier Beach Boulevard and supports the local Community Development and Tourism part of the project will include designing artwork to decorate the 8x10 storage container which will be placed on Rivier Beach Boulevard the intent of the design is to feature both past and present attributes from Rivier Beach withholds a lot of fond memories for most who have visited this beloved Beach this is a yes for me this is a no for me because I needed clarification um the clarification is there was already one popup on Rivier Beach it's already painted so I didn't know if it was a similar project the same project that was asking for retroactive funds uh for it and the other thing is a popup I would like to know what exactly is in to popup I've seen many po pop-ups in the C seport so how it contributes or what their product they have in it is for me is important so I said no because I need a clarification thank you um this was granted out in 20 or for fiscal year 23 it was granted she actually received the check in 2024 um this one was a maybe for me uh personally um I don't I don't think that it's as much of a maybe I think that it's more so of uh partial and I think that the only reason that I say that say that is I know that we have um I know that in the past we have funded events more than once in a row or uh the same person once in a row I think that like for example the last one we've funded them before um that was just a little bit of a smaller price tag than this one not that this one's a significant amount of money um but it is slightly larger so this one was a maybe or a partial this is also a shared paired uh budget so whose budget does it fall under did they receive monies from the other thing this is um the DCR or MDC along the beach does a lot of that uh area so is it come out of their budget do they in the past fund those popups that have been in there the to to clarify they have to purchase a permit from DCR corre to have the storage unit there so it's not anything that's Grant granted out by DCR and so there I know in the past there has been DCR red tape and I think that that was actually um that could have been the delay last year I'm not sure if it was this project or another one but um there's a like there's a lot of red tape in there's a lot of Hoops and hurdles that you do have to jump through like I said I'm aware of the hoops and hurdles but it's like whose jurisdiction how much of the jurisdiction because that could be the operating cost is into the permit not the project um and that's that's to be questionable not the location itself but I need clarification on this project but she does itemize in the budget exactly what the monies would be allocated towards there's a DCR permit fee of 3,000 spray painting tools 500 social media advertising 5 500 design and artwork 3,000 transportation for container 1,500 and she's only requesting 3,000 so she's giving us the overview of the budget and 3,000 of her application will go towards all of this one other thing I want to point out and I'm not going to vote um is that she is at every event that's over there so she supports Pride she supports everything like that like and she was running I I ran the pumpkin Dash 5K She Was Out there even though that was past what the season was so I think that and she's a lifelong me I mean she grew up here so I think that you know we could we could take a look at that and the products are very I mean they're great I have a lot of them personally but I think um not only is it is it an ask that is you know for the business but it's also someone that is a a huge part of the the culture and the you know but to bring It full circle I mean she's not asking about we're not asking about what she's selling she's creating art on the beach which is one of our application requirements so here's the thing too is a spacing and everything that these these little popups are placed so she Paints the left side and then you got another trailer on that left side it blocks it it it there's a lot of logistical stuff that is to be deter yet to be determined based on the DCR and how many other ones that they put up there are is this the beginning of a popup Village in which there going to be 12 trailers you know 10 years down the line so is an expanded project we we can't we can't consider that right now we can only consider the application in front of us I think that Sam is going to end up being the tiebreaker here so Sam if you want to go ahead and speak yay um I was I was going to say can this please be a maybe and we'll come back to this it sounds like we're pretty split and Rocky I really appreciate your additions I think that um I I definitely feel like it's a priority to have rever residents be a part of the project um and conversely I think that it's important to have new applicants too so I I feel like it might be beneficial to revisit just to ensure that we have enough dollars and if if there's money left over then we can reconsider this but it sounds like a great project I'm going to mark this one in yellow and it sounds like we can revisit it um is is it my turn okay cry um so project application 14 this is at the Paul rier Innovation school um and it looks like um they're taking them to the Weck Family Theater we are excited to attend a play at the Weck Family Theater based on a community text we read with our fourth graders flora and ulyses by Kate D Camila excuse me students will experience a theater performance some for the first time prior to the trip we will discuss elements of a live performance and read the book after the show we will compare the similarities and differences between the play and the book working on a key literacy skill they're asking for $2,050 which is the cost of the project for me this was a yes yes yes maybe yes all right I think we are now on 15 um also from the Paul Rivier Innovation school um this one is a kindergarten field trip to the NorthShore Music Theater production of Curious George and the golden meatball um it's a good book my nephew loves Curious George um so all the kindergarten students at the Paul River Innovation school take a field trip to attend a performance of Curious George the golden meatball at Northshore Music Theater in Beverly for the majority of our students it's their first experience the live theatrical performance um 1975 is what they're at not $1,975 is what they're asking for I want to make sure that people hear that um and is also the cost of the project um for me it's a yes I mean I mean but I want to just call out that we're granting two field trips for that one school there are two separate theaters so one is community based one is like a city-based there's a difference um between the theaters and that's kind of why I was on the fence or why I was voting maybe I know where the monies go I know that those theaters offer great programming and this is something that is also under consideration do we give them one do we give them two is it fair for one school to have all the funding they apply to it so it's kind of like a maybe based on that consideration um and it's also theater companies what's the difference um it weighs out in parents heads too a lot of schools are opting for the program to come to them that sometimes that's bigger budget or work with the students in the school or you work with the school out of the school when you do do a field trip the major cost associated with the field trip is for the buses it does not go to the the theater doing it the theater gets some but the buses is the main part of the field um trip could they get to these places if they're going by te yes it might take a little bit longer there is a Fenway stop by you know by Wheelock so you can walk right there do you want to walk with a group of smaller kids that puts a different liability or spin into it but a lot of teachers consider that so those are kind of considerations you know in my mind older kids can do a little walk for it gives them fresh air too um but location location Beverly has a lot it's a surrounding Community has a lot to offer Boston has a lot to offer the kids benefit from both programs but they might need a little more discussion those extent I'm a yes and I think that when we decide dollar amounts with the grants we can kind of reconfigure based on one school getting more than one Grant but I'm a yes I'm also a yes it's my turn Okay this application number 16 is for a project titled celebrating Asian culture educational workshops for children the requested amount is $5,000 this project is taking place at the Rivier public library or fko in Rivier it's estimated to serve 500 youth so let's see we're seeking $5,000 to host a comprehensive cultural initiative to celebrate Asian culture and language through interactive festival and storytelling events these events will be carried out in partnership with the r public library and for kids only they are designed to make learning about Asian Traditions engaging and accessible for children of all ages and backgrounds all events will be free to children and their families encouraging broad Community participation the Lunar New Year Festival is $2,500 and five interactive reading sessions will cost $2,500 hence the $5,000 request uh this is a yes for me it's a yes for me it's a yes for me I had a few um considerations one of it has anybody been to the reier uh public library and seen their little space that they have for this many people it's very very small the program itself is a great program but the space does not warrant the number um it needs a bigger space to get this many people in there um the space size in rear Public Library 25 to 50 not 500 um that's that's all I'm saying on that location in that project the dollar amount not AG green but it's a space that they have available for that programming unless it's a program that lasts all day and we're getting a influx of people in out in out in out in out and out or they're leaving supplies for those who did not be able to get into the small cramp room that Reve year public library has just to clarify in the project overview it was towards the lunar festival and then five interactive reading sessions so I'm I'm viewing this as six separate sessions that's how I read it as well once again the spa the space is is evaluating not the program but the space that they're held in or proposing in how many you know people I mean this is something for further inquiry um could fit in there how many children can fit in there um during something they've had similar programs there and we've had smaller so it'll be a day by day by day could the same kids come back a second day it's possible anybody using the library can go in there are parents invited to go they take up more space so it's it's it's all those kind of little tweaking it's not the program it's the tweaking of the program that that would probably be a consideration um the price tag is right so it's a maybe for me so I think that because like the majority says yes I think that that would be a yes um so I am going to mark it that one as green um I'm going to go to application 17 this is from Mrs Jennifer Powell um and the sculpture is you are here her hopes are to have a preferably in front of our town hall Town Center or public building this is a Massachusetts wide sculpture project marking the 250th anniversary of America provide popup art in every town and bring people together that's I'm assuming her Mission um sculpture is an oversized map pin like you would find on a kiosk kiosk map that says on one side you are here the back of each sculpture with will be completed by a local artist with a design that the LCC has collaborated on each sculpture will be part of an online map so people can visit as many as they want over the course of 2026 you will be able to scan a QR code at each sculpture that highlights the whole project gives details about the specific area and directs patrons to other art that is available to see an added benefit to each LCC to highlight more art and culture there are three sizes of sculptures to choose from ideally towns under 10,000 are two 2 feet um it's between 10K and 100K are 4T and over 100K people are 6 ft the budget attachment has more details yes resounding yes yes okay sounds like yes all right moving right along we are at number 18 submitted by TK rentis and the project is a 2025 World music concert series running from May 2025 to November 2025 um location is outdoor Parks Building on the success of the past three years and the incredible feedback we've received I'm continuing the world music concert series to celebrate diversity and build community my goal is to create performance opportunities for marginalized communities in each City Reserve featuring musical styles like flamco Japanese Mariachi Global Jazz Native American Chinese Celtic Haitian Moroccan and more the series emphasizes spatial and social justice by showcasing worldclass music and underutilized public spaces such as parks and beaches um three points are listed uh we feature bands that represent music from local communities many of these artists who are masters of their cultural Traditions all concerts are free and designed to be accessible to everyone the initiative aims to bring diverse cultural experiences to the heart of our communities while promoting inclusivity and Equity the budget is $7,800 and the ask is for $7,800 I am a yes yes yes uh maybe as it's serving Melrose this one was a partial for me just because the dollar amount is a little bit bigger but it sounds like it's a yes from the rest of the council um I'm sorry is there any chance you can follow up on the Mel Rose point because that's pretty crucial right yeah I if it's not coming I mean when I saw local parks I assume that meant that they would have something here so if they're not then I would I would um maybe the Siri celebate maybe we're getting too excited disclosure I you get money and you get money money everyone gets money disclosure I spend part of my childhood growing up in Melrose um so just following up really quick on the Melrose point it's answering the question how does the proposed project provide benefit and contribute to the cultural Vitality the community as a whole and Lake Savannah said um so it's a quote the series celebrates melrose's growing diversity um so I mean for me that that makes it a no because it's not a priority that makes it a no for well it could have been an oversight too that they sent this proposal to everybody and the Melrose is in there because someone didn't revise the proposal as well so maybe they were meaning to do it on R it could be a simple oversight maybe someone said well that's good enough to say no maybe we could look into that that would be my idea um I believe that I corresponded with TK um you did I feel like I noted on my notes that I saw an email yes I feel like we have funded one of his one of their projects before um so that's I Echo that I think we have yeah I just looked back to my email we have we absolutely need him to clarify whether it's U melo's uh initiative or for R because if it is Melrose we have to fund only R projects okay so I'll list that as a maybe at this time and we can uh once we get clarification further communication yes all right Savannah back to you new all right we are on application number 19 this is submitted uh under project titled Soul Clore presents music culture Showcase in the amount of $55,000 and it was it is projected to take place at an art space or venue in Riv to serve 225 people the overview soulcore Productions created by nomadic who was born and resides in Rivier plans to expand on the previous year's program and continue to bring her 20 plus years of entertainment and cultural experience to her hometown with a music and dance celebration that will include a variety of perform for this one I put this this as a maybe uh due to there being no venue selected and there's also a question of the participation the cost of participation it was listed as free or small admission fee I would like clarification on that maybe for me as well for the exact same reasons uh I didn't have enough details so if you guys remember we did fund um the similar project last year last year she had requested $500 and I know that she did say that she was hoping to expand it um and I also don't know if you guys remember but she was somebody that was going back and forth with the venue she ended up deciding on Spring Hill Suites so it was a venue that was in Rivier um so I don't think the venue was as much of a concern for me um this one was a partial fund for me um I know that she does want to expand it um but the jump from 500 to 5,000 was a little bit steep um so I'm not amount that is that is a huge that's the same exact sentiment I Echo those sentiments 500 to 5,000 that's a jump I think we I would consider a partial yeah I also would consider it a partial I feel like there are too many details that have not been ironed out yet in the application okay um that being said we're going to move on to the Rivier Arabic community um their project takes place at the Rivier Beachmont school and the marim AL halak school is an educational project designed to provide Arabic language education and cultural enrichment to students Age 4 through 14 with a focus on fostering bilingualism and promoting a deep understanding of the Arabic language and culture open to all the school welcomes students from diverse backgrounds and offers instruction in Reading Writing speaking and calligraphy through a comprehensive exploration of Arabic culture which spans over 20 countries the school plays a vital role in helping all students regardless of their Heritage develop a strong connection to the Arabic language and culture um this project their total expenses were $82,900 and they were requesting $116,000 here once again uh this is a sticker shock for me um I don't I like I I gave it to know based on the sticker shock I have not seen the program in action the program is actually in action at the Beachmont School uh we've been invited to go see that I just have not had the time just yet because she was here um elaborated on the program last time we met um after after session so I'd like to see it and see what money so I gave it a maybe a cut of borderline maybe is the best I can give that right now uh because it one is our bigger proposals are bigger dollar amounts um and it and it serves a relatively smaller piece of the community it's expanding part and it's been out of pocket funds before but like that's the whole consideration for this so it's existed before but hasn't had funding before but whether it's enough it's too much funding or enough funding that's kind of where I am at in that I'm a yes for partial as it's a nonprofit organization that collaborates with the school for cultural resources I'm on board for a partial looking at the plan uh the project budget it seems like that amount would pay for the rental for the school so if that's where it's going for um I could get on board with that once again this is not education that is provided in the riv Public School Systems some of our proposals are directly from rier schools this is a school it's kind of a sub school or subcontracted school they're renting the space so they're providing something that's not in typically in the Rivier schools yet so it is a progressive thing maybe it'll be incorporated eventually into rever public schools as uh something that you take so it's it's emerging it's a it's a great thing to get involved in it's just the extent of our involvement um in it all right Rocky it's your turn is lucky number 21 um this is from the riv Human Rights Commission um and it is the riv Human Rights Commission indigenous people's project um it says it looks like I think our last meeting some people had just gotten back from this tour uh it says October of 2024 and there will be other various dates uh takes place in Plymouth Mass and various other locations the Rivier Human Rights Commission seeks to Embark upon a tour of indigenous history in what we know as Massachusetts and later share this embarking from Riv Commissioners students and City Hall Representatives will visit Plymouth uh pit museums tidm Mar sanctuary and experience the benefits from learning about and several sacret local Native American practices the commission seeks to record their tours and experience to later share it with the community and reflect on it and Circle practice through this practice the commission seeks to better educate the community and share this historical information about a group that has been most marginalized and politicized in our society the commission seeks to preserve Elevate and celebrate indigenous practices and traditions this is in this is all in special consideration of indigenous people's day and Indigenous people's Heritage Month they're asking for $7,000 which is also their budget um I'm on the fence with this one so I'd like to hear other people's perspectives before I make a decision I say no because like you said Rocky this was something that people came to the chambers and they told us about kind of after so it seems a little bit retroactive the only difference here is that they're videotaping it or they're documenting their Journey so they went the first time they got it and they want to kind of document that learning thing so it's something that actually takes place outside of R um indigenous people it's it's it's it's it's necessary to educate people in indigenous beliefs cultures practice but in IM mediacy um I've I've gone around R there's not too many indigenous people from those tribes here not to say that there shouldn't be an educa education from outside on a culture that does not exist here but I think that our cultural our kind of thing is to kind of build build on the cultures that are here not to kind of build on the culture that is not here unless it's a historical lesson um so I am saying no to this um because it's something pretty much is being documented for outside if they were to go and rever and find out Indian burial grounds or something that's a different story I'm a yes partial on this uh initiative as it's helping to uh also bring Rivier high school students and community members to participate and I I would love clarification as to how they plan to share it with the community is this something that's going to be shared on Riv TV once the videos are produced I would love to know that but I'm yes partial for me this was a no personally um the way that they have described it where I believe that they're like educating in circle form from their visit um I don't I'm not sure if that's like I think that there's better ways to approach education than that format for me personally um I think that there's other I think that there's possibly better ways I think that it would be different if there were people that were outside of this commission that were engaging in this like I think if it was a larger uh like more youth based event um that might be different but where it's a commission where I believe that the city already I could be wrong but I think this is partially retroactive so they'd be reporting or going back to the same location is what I my understanding of it is yeah um I don't know if I don't know where the where the 7,000 came from so maybe that's my job to look at the budget I'm looking at the budget and this looking at the budget and listening to the council this is a no for me just just uh I I I I think we we we've already discussed videotaping something else and saying possibly no to that and this is you know a similar but different project because it's a different culture um I do the reason that I'm on the fence is because I do appreciate the indigenous culture and I think um you know this is a large um Italian population that now has to adjust to the new name of a holiday so I think providing resources and programming that gives context to that is really important so that's why I'm back and forth on it but like looking at how this is laid out and listening to you I I think I'm gonna I'm going to go with a no and once again Rocky had a disclaimer for the other thing um we were introduced to these three people that took the tour or kind of pushing um this proposal or written this proposal however you want to say it so my disclaimer is that I know them I know them well well um or reasonably well from how they've introduced themselves in the chambers so it's it's a different connect so if we're giving them an opportunity to come to Chambers and talk about their proposal or where they've gone we need to have other people coming into Chambers and telling what they have that's a unique opportunity um we do invite anybody to come in here and kind of defend their proposal or kind of ask us questions about the proposal or how we vote or how we're trying to vote um that is that is part of my indecision on this this this no vote is these three people have shown up and they're the only ones who've been having the opportunity to come because they simply are involved in the community already I'm a no okay okay I'll go Application number 22 is from the Rivier public library and the amount requested is $3,199 the project title is cultural events for rier Public Library estimated to serve 300 Rivier residents it will take place after out of school with serving 225 youths so the summary it will consist of four cultural enriching programs designed to engage the community including two celebrations The Day of the Dead and Singo Deo for all ages celebrating Heritage cultural traditions and education for Community these events will include music performances crafts and food promoting cultural appreciation and Community participation an adult and Senior bilingual storytime event offering bilingual storytelling sessions focusing on cultural preservation language accessibility and fostering social connections within the community an interactive safari theme story time for children designed to promote early literacy while introducing participants to diverse cultural narrative through imaginative Tales these programs together aim to promote cultural education inclusivity and Community engagement across various age groups and cultural backgrounds in our community this is a yes for [Music] me this is a yes for me um I will disclose that I know this person um but I don't think that that um impedes my impartiality um these I've seen the library come to the High School on multiple different occasions and they do a lot of great work at the library um for my understanding so this was a yes and I also think that their budget was pretty neat I have to abstain because I am a librarian I've gone to revie public library I know them by face but I'm connected to the subject and stuff so that might make me biased um so it's a May it's a maybe but I have to disclose that um Day of the Dead we do have a strong Latin American based Or Hispanic based population so bringing out that programming is good for people who don't know about it but at the same time my caveat is that this type of this programming is available all over the place um so it does bring it one point of view is it brings it into the community the other point of view is that um other libraries in the area have this program museums have this program so we should we be encouraging people to go a little bit further to see it um or closer and then like I said I'm a librarian so yes I am in favor of this program and practice theory and all sides of things but then again I am a librarian so like I said it's it's the closeness to the subject matter might be biased or kind of give uh bias to it I'm a yes yes this was from um info at cubic it's Youth and action the project is scheduled to take place from November to April 2025 um Youth and action will be conducted in a hybrid hybrid format some virtual workshops and inperson seminars and R in East Boston Youth in Action is a Youth Empowerment empowerment initiative designed to Foster leadership and and Entrepreneurship among immigrant Youth and Rivier in partnership with local latinx entrepreneurs and Community organizations the project offers creative workshops cultural affirmation arts and business education participants will learn to create or sell traditional Latino crafts while gaining key entrepreneurial skills Yia runs during winter in Spring utilizing after school hours for productive culturally enriching activities the initiative will culminate in an entrepreneurship Fair featuring Latin music and arts where youth can showcase and sell their Creations fostering Community engagement and lo in cultural Pride following the success of the program's first edition this second aims to impact more Youth and connect entrepreneurs in SBO with a budget of 5,000 involving other community members and then it stopped there I'd be open to a partial and reasoning behind that is the hybrid approach uh one we we are favoring Live Events so I would need a little bit more detail um and then you know I'm from east Boston so full disclosure um that doesn't that doesn't dissuade me but it's not just in ReRe I also support a partial Grant um for a lot of the same reasons I I think I I completely Echo what you said Rocky I'm going to say a partial as well um I think I it really just depends on for me how many are virtual and how many are in person if it's more virtual then it would be a no for me but where they do say that they have some in person then it's partial I had the same um feelings I said no because I thought thought that the way that it was worded it was more of a digital experience than a liveaction thing not to say that a digital experience is any worse or better but I my uh priorities are things that take place and that the EMP more emphasis is on the in place than out of place I would like further clarification from this applicant as to how many of these in-person sessions will be in review as we can only allocate money for Riv initiatives I think it's me right so we're on number 23 number 23 are we on number 23 24 okay sorry 23 is just my favorite number uh submitted by Laura Sanchez the project is titles um welcome to Holland in Spanish um this is at the Chelsea Theater Works welcome to Holland is a theatrical experience that combines flamco poetry humor and film to celebrate caregivers the audience embarks on the Journey of an IM immigrant mother as she navigates her Holland a life transformed by trauma this performance features creative elements such as turning wheelchairs into spaceships and flamco dancing and Dutch shoes challenging stereotypes surrounding motherhood and disability while fostering empathy for diverse family experiences the world premiere of welcomed to Holland and Spanish will take place at the Chelsea Theater Works in the fall of 2025 with various performance times including morning and early afternoon slots to accommodate caregivers a special multisensory space will be available for children to explore while caregivers enjoy the show in the junior space Child Care will be offered the budget is $1 16,5 19 and they're asking for $5,000 um it's in Chelsea so I think um it's a no for me it was a no for me as well um I think it sends I haven't seen the play I don't know anybody who's seen the play um it's described as you know Spanish with Holland are we serving the community is it more Dutch oriented you know why is the price tag there um the Chelsea Theater group is a great little kind of theater group but I said it's it's sending a mixed cultural message based on that description um the spaceships and building and all that stuff is great but like I said it's a mixed kind of metaphor are we really mixing those things so Rivier has a great Latin American component to it as far as Dutch I'm not sure this one was a no for me as well um and just a time check we have seven applications left to go through and we have only about 20 minutes left in the chambers um Savannah do you I'm sorry do you mind reading application 25 not at all and I'm a no for that one as well uh 25 here we go this is for a project titled plain a painting at Public Gardens amount requested $5,200 it is projected to take place at Boston Public Gardens um I'm only going to give a brief overview this Pro program will provide opportunity for advanced course art studies to paint onsite at Boston Public Arden students will be provided tools necessary provide ample time to complete multiple artworks and particip in a garden tour led by Boston Public Garden volunteers um while this is happening in Boston it's meant to serve r as they include bus transportation fee however I'm adding this I'm putting this as a no because it's not happening in rier I can get on board with a no um I'm going to not vote for this but just for clarification um this is for this is for schools um the reason that I'm abstaining is because this person works at the high school I said yes based on the project idea I treated this like a field trip so it's a field trip there can these people not use the bus and go by te and the price tag goes down considerably I didn't mean to rhyme but there is so I said yes to the project the question is can it be done a little bit more effectively um in the Boston car common I've been there um it's a beautiful place you want to get people from a community to another Community doing something that introduces them to that Community as well as finding their Community within themselves you don't have to be in your community to experience your community you can find parts of it all around um I was a yes with the partial Grant um I I agree with the the point that it's like a field trip for the high school students and I think with the president that we've set that we've voted yes on pretty much all the field trips so far I I'm just following that I could get on board with a partial Grant so we could put that as a maybe all right this one is the Wheelock Family Theater field trip um with Susan B Anthony Middle School students in the yearlong drama elective class um from grades seven and 8 21 students total are going to attend a student matin at we loock Family Theater as part of their learning unit on dramatic criticism in order to expose students to highquality professional Live Theater at the local cultural institution the field trip will coincide with the learning unit which is a culmination of the year-long learning about drama Additionally the trip will serve to connect them to Local cultural organizations and practice social norms SL theater etiquette in a professional setting with other drama enthusi enthusiastic students they're asking for a, this one was a yes for me yes yes I would just like to point out to the committee we have a whe loock Family Theater it's a different school alog together but it's the nature of the price tag so one school is going to Wheelock theater and is asking for 2,000 one is asking for 1,000 those are kind of some considerations when it comes down to the line how much that was for 80 students the 2,000 this is for 21 students and two sha rounds like I said it's who who it serves so one serving 80 and said if you double double the number you get four you know 40 and you get to about the same thing that the theater program is a little bit different that they're going to it's younger kids get a shorter program whereas older kids might get a a longer program I'm not I like the field trip idea I like the theater idea it's all coming down so it's a maybe for me based on everything else that's going on um Susan B Anthony is an artistic School and they they embrace the Arts and I really love the idea it's just that's that's the consideration that I have in the back of my mind it's a yes for me yes all right I voted yes okay I'm just making they're blending together now all right number we are number 27 This was um offered by the the delania delania theater company uh B out of Lynn um the project is A Christmas Carol a dramatic reading and this looks like it's scheduled um for next week actually actually no 2025 so it's a year from now um a December a dramatic reading including scenes of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens complete with period costumes by a narrator and two other actors watching Fascination as Marley comes back from the dead to help Scrooge amend is M I think we all know what A Christmas Carol is um um there will be Christmas music I'm trying to at the different things um and discussion with the audience following the performance it's at the Rosetti Cowen Senior Center I'm not familiar with that that's in R it's in Riv and winther B okay then I know exactly where it is actually I just didn't know what the name of it is um they're asking for $695 I I I'm a yes yes yes possibly maybe um I like the Christmas carol but it's all over the place um so and I know the Devan theater that's a great theater it's a great program it all has to do with are we as our mission statement as a team to bring in new experiences or something that's um been done so like I said you can see it on TV you go to Northshore Music Circus you go to any one of the theaters that's producing it around that time independently or the group um so that's kind of one I'm May being not the tag not the experience um but just all that kind of thing surrounding areas so it's a strong maybe I think we have three yeses though yes all right Savannah back to you okay on number 28 um it is the same applicant the Dela Theater Company same amount $695 the project title is none of this and none of that to take place on June 2nd in 2025 at the Rosetti col adult Senior Center on win Avenue um it's an interactive live comedy featuring two actresses now is the time for the 50th class reunion of St Bartholomew's parochial school the sisters are excited to meet their former student from class of 1957 the audience members of course are the reunion attendees a good time will be had by all reminiscing about the old days and catching up with everyone it's a fun light-hearted comedy yes yes yes hard yes maybe strong maybe um this the de Delany theater group um they do a lot so are they going to this is two programs I've looked at their programs they do programs in Winthrop the cultural committee supports them um I'm not sure of the program or if they like people from R could go see it in winr so it's kind of those that's the kind of maybe that I draw to it is um the nature of the program you see the price tag is the exact same so it's kind of a cookie cutter so we're getting that different different show same price tag um so it's the same same value so we'll see you know in terms of funding that's two programs by them or two by the same thing so are we better served by having multiple organizations multiple proposals um that's where I'm at with this I'd also like to point out that for both delv applic delva applications we do have uh a letter from the director uh Rivier Council of Elder Affairs Deb Peta who is kindly asking for this to be considered strongly uh as they've had them in the past and she states I quote I believe the show would be of particular interest to our seniors and would provide for a unique and entertaining show for them they have been extremely well received by the audience at the senior center in the past we look forward to hosting them again I think the interact like what what because I think to share Joe's um you know we're giving two to one group the interactive and the subject matter I think a lot of the people that probably reside there can relate to it I don't know if any of you ever gone to an interactive show where the nun like I mean where they like they teach you like like you're in the school those are really those are really pretty good um plus I don't think that we've done enough for seniors yet if we're thinking about some of the yeses unless my mind is is going there so so saying yes to that that also fact into my decision- making is that I don't think we have as many proposals um that that focus on that so I think I hear four yeses I'm going to go ahead and move on we got three left in about 10 minutes um this one is for Speed yep speed round this is at the Hill Elementary School the Hill School drama club is seeking funding for the royalty in the material fees to produce Newsies Junior for Newsies Junior for fourth and fifth graders at the hement School our drama club has been in existence for over 20 years first at the old McKinley and now at the Hill school we provide a robust musical theater experience for students after school two days a week for an hour and a half each day over the course of 15 weeks concluding in two o in two after school performances open to the general public the total expenses are 1,40 and that's how much they're asking yes yes yes yes [Music] yes moving on to number 30 um it is uh sent in by John Waterman of hail Massachusetts the project is live music making history live um it will be held to be determined in rever live music making history live is a series of programs that use original songs and arrangements to inspire enthusiasm about any desire to explore history there are they are designed for librar senior centers and other venues there are four programs first a journey through roots of American popular music explores characters and events at the origins of the blues rock and Country Music Crow magnon Blues history and legends through song explores characters and events from ancient suar to pres present day the first known author in Epic medieval battle a Fame radio broadcast and more the third the railroad in song explores the railroad in US history through song songs includes the work of Chinese and Irish workers The Great Migration and more popular music and Veterans explores and honors the experiences of veterans throughout US history songs history and a slideshow alongside some related popular music um the ask is for $400 which is all also the budget um it's a small ask I think we just need clarification on what the venue would be like but I do think it it is a worthwhile project so I'd be a yes yes yes yes okay final application number 31 the project title the theft of dignity a free public presentation for rever the amount requested is $680 to take place between from now through September of 2025 the presentation will take place at the library or in another public venue within R estimated to serve 250 people the theft of dignity is often presented in schools and was originally designed to speak exclusively to teenagers about peer bullying however this community- based version is open to all ages this presentation offers a valuable opportunity for anyone in the community to learn about bullying parents of bullied children in particular will find it especially enlightening and will walk away feeling more empowered the theft of dignity explores what bullying is where it originates and how to address it effectively the presentation examines these issues through examples of popular culture including movies TV shows novels including his own novel on your side the theft of dignity is about fostering a more respectful inclusive community for [Music] teenagers no I think that the kids are hit over the head with this bullying issue um and secondly he's pushing his book his product I'm sure it's a great book but it's kind of on those two premises alone I have to say no the price tag is right but we hear enough about bullying and no matter how many programs you do in the community for bullying it's still going to ex exist to some extent and I hate to say that but I don't think it serves our purposes I'm a yes I personally really like the fact that parents are also invited I'm sure that as a parent that can be a very isolating experience of having a child that's being bullied um so I I'm yes I think it sounds like a good program this one was a maybe for me um mostly just because of the nature of the product where it's a like the way that it's described as a presentation was a little bit interesting for me because I feel like it kind of goes back and forth it kind of goes like waves on the line of being hybrid or being virtual I know that this author is there um um and they're kind of delving into it but the presentation seems kind of like an interesting word for that I would go with maybe and see where we are with funds M [Music] yes so we have two yeses two May or three may do we consider may as half the yeses so does that three yeses mine mine was a no yours was a no yeah so do well I'll label it as yellow okay all right um and that's every application at this point okay so so now we have all the applications are in can we just have a summary basically of uh yes maybe count so we kind of for those of us that might have got it at the end tuning in at the end of our program um and then we'll before we bang the gabble um I can go ahead I will count up all the maybe all the yeses and all the NOS um in the meantime there was just one other agenda item that was submitted to that was submitted about the Miss Riv Beach proposal if you want to give I'll just give a quick update I was in communication with um a member of the Rivier uh Beach partnership they are interested in our proposal to uh hold the Mr Miss Rivier Beach pageant at the sand sculpture Festival in July so um it was just an initial ask to give us a couple of hours during the entertainment portion use of their facilities including dressing areas and obviously we would have sound lights all that so um hopefully at the next meeting I'll have more of an update but that did they were interested um and when I get more information I will share it so that's where one last thing we did go a little fast towards the end so for all those of you proposal um on behalf of myself um I can't speak for the whole committee it does not mean that we thought any greater or lesser it's just that we could deliberate faster um we do not have a set time time limit on each proposal so that was just kind of a something I'd like to get out there and off my chest okay so I could have very easily counted this wrong this was just very Speedy um I believe that there were three NOS in total and then the rest were actually half split um between Mayes or partials and yeses so the next tier business and the next meeting one of the agenda items would be to deliberate in charge of that second tier of like funding um and whether some of those Mayes would become yeses or possibly NOS so and um just to kind of add on to that I think that in the next meeting we'll actually allocate that money um allocate those amounts and make sure that those totals add up when we do input this um the our amount available for granting does need to add up to the amount that we are granting out um and the system will do it if we find that there's an issue once we input it in the system we'll have probably like an online meeting um just maybe rediscussed say the public who doesn't know how this Council operates um so if we have let's say 40,000 for Grants it does not mean that the total amount will be spent 40,000 on the grants uh we do have a little bit of things like maybe to for publicity uh payments or a banner that said U Miss Riv Beach we wouldn't have the day and then we say sponsored by mass Cultural Association some sort of thing like that that we can use at the following thing if it's an ongoing event or we could bring from the across town to say entertainment sponsored by the cultural committee are there any other orders of business that anyone needs to talk about I'm seeing seeing no um seeing no further business I motion for adjournment yeah second second third fourth second third and fourth have a good night e e