Special to the Independent
The City of Everett hosted a dedication ceremony at Rivergreen Park on Saturday, Sept. 23 to honor the memory of former alderman and city councilor Gilbert “Gil” Dell Isola with a memorial plaque.
The plaque’s location is Dell Isola’s old neighborhood and was the site of the former General Electric plant. The site is now replete with wildlife on a living shore line, along with a state-of-the-art playground, canoe launch and boat dock. There is also a football field, basketball courts and a hockey rink, and City officials couldn’t think of a better place to honor Gil.
Gil cared deeply about the people of the city, especially the youth. His involvement and dedication to youth sports throughout his life, especially Little League Baseball, was very important to him. He was a mentor to so many in the city, starting back when he was a Little League coach, through his years as a dedicated councilor and alderman, and most recently as a leader for important City endeavors such as the construction of the 9/11 Memorial Plaza in Everett Square.
“We had a very impressive turnout of friends and family at the ceremony and that speaks volumes to the amount of respect and admiration that everyone had for Gil due to his hard work and dedication, but most importantly because he was simply a great person,” said Mayor Carlo DeMaria. “I am so glad we could honor his memory with a permanent plaque in his old neighborhood.”