On August 8, 2023, a tour was conducted at Battleship Cove and Heritage State Park in Fall River, Massachusetts, featuring Commissioner Brian Arrigo of the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR). Senator Michael Rodrigues and Representative Carole Fiola welcomed Commissioner Arrigo, who was recently appointed by the Healey-Driscoll Administration, to the South Coast. The purpose of the tour was to familiarize the new commissioner with the DCR's extensive facilities and assets, which include forests, parks, beaches, and ice rinks, covering approximately 450,000 acres across the Commonwealth. Speakers highlighted the significance of Heritage State Park and Battleship Cove as a "gem" and the "Statue of Liberty of Fall River," serving as a focal point for the city and connecting to other attractions like the City Pier, Bicentennial Veterans Memorial Park, and the carousel. Commissioner Arrigo expressed his appreciation for the opportunity to learn firsthand about these properties, emphasizing the importance of on-the-ground observation for making informed decisions about DCR investments. He also noted his previous experience as Mayor of Revere and his commitment to collaboration with legislators to ensure the success of DCR initiatives.
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City Officials
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I will kick it off it's great to see everyone here again um at uh Battleship Cove in Heritage State Park and we're here today as part of a little tour today with uh commissioner Rigo I'm joined by my college representative Paula Fiola with the Alan sovia and the commissioner is fairly new on the job disappointed out of the nearly Driscoll Administration and he is flirting learning about all the amazing
0:34facilities that he has Forest parks beaches ice rinks you name it the DCR controls and maintains and is responsible for so many Assets in the Commonwealth so today spending time at the South Coast we were at Boston Beach State Reservation earlier and today Harris state park now we have the battleship behind us the battleship the butts the state fair which is the DCR DCR property this is really the the
1:05center I call the battleship the Statue of Liberty of Fall River it's where people from all around the world as they drive through the city it's their first built a focal point and what represents this this great City it's important there we take the time to help educate and inform and to show another commissioner around so I'd like to ask my colleagues if they would want to say a few words and of course turn it over
1:32to the commissioner and then we're happy to ask questions or any questions want to welcome the commissioner here today and commend him for taking the time to understand the assets we have here in Fall River and in the district all the district thanks to the staff at DCR because they're the ones every day that uh for the work and making sure the properties run well and by the services for our constituents as
2:05you know Heritage State Park is the true gem connected to the City Pier connected to at the end the bicentennial Veterans Memorial Park our other side of course the carousel the battleship the gates fall River's on the move and we're so happy that the commissioner could be here to see that and to learn about maybe some of the things we're hoping welcome just quickly uh I can't add much more
2:35than what uh my colleague just said we're happy to have the commissioner with us he's really new to have him come to Fall River um is very special for us because we like to brag and highlight uh this gem on the on the waterfront not only a battleship inherited State Park the attire
3:11we have a lot of Summer left and uh great things happening here thank you Mr secretion thank you thank you my name is Brian Arrigo I'm the commissioner for the Department of Conservation Recreation and I just want to thank the center and the delegation for the warm welcome to the Southwest you know in my Pioneer life I was the mayor of the city of Riviera and you certainly learned as
3:37mayor that you have a great appreciation for the things that need to happen when you foreign
4:20time to be sure enough creating a safe and healthy spaces for I'm just happy to be able to be in a position to learn and hopefully take what I learned on the ground here down the south coast and bring it back to me and me to to Austin and to make sure that we're making really important decisions about how we invest ORS and it's really great legislators uh you know the general
4:58court as a tremendous role in making sure that very successful and we're getting off to a great start working together in collaboration in Partnership and building trust and doing the great work on behalf especially the tour which is really a lot of things
5:25it's um National thing but I really do feel like a native here so it's been a pleasure and look forward to the ongoing relationship
5:43you have any questions yeah so I have to say over the last seven and a half years being mayor of the city of here I haven't gotten to see much of the Commonwealth uh so I've spent a lot of time making sure that Riviera Beach was uh was in in good good shape but I've just I've been consistently amazed at the tremendous properties that we have and you know
6:13some of it's the work that we need to do as well uh it can be a little bit overwhelming to pick up the 450 000 Acres that we maintain and operate but you know when you see gems uh in the investment in the the opportunity that lies in certain areas and certainly in the southwest we see that very clearly and some of the improvements that have already been made the Investments that have made seeing the
6:42our decision making as Administration to make sure that we're making really positive I including some actually see deal on the ground to be able to see what's happening is very important so uh really been very impressed and really looking forward to again to being not being a stranger until itself course okay thank you very much we'll continue to rhyme with