Naming of Fall River boat ramp one step closer to reality

A Fall River boat ramp could soon have a new name in honor of a former State Representative.

The Massachusetts House Monday had a third reading of HD 4601 which was passed to be engrossed. The bill is a joint petition of Rep. Carole Fiola and Sen. Michael Rodrigues that the boat ramp at Bicentennial Park in Fall River be designated as the State Representative Manuel Raposa Jr. Boat Ramp.

According to Mass.Gov, “once a Bill is Engrossed by one of the legislative branches it is sent to the other branch where it will be read three times, debated and amended, and engrossed. Once a Bill has been engrossed on this side it is sent back to the branch from which it originated for Enactment.”

Fiola says that the honor would be fitting.

“State Representative Manuel Raposa Jr was critical in the development of the waterfront boat ramp that we see today. When his family approached my office regarding a designation in his memory, I was honored to fulfill the request alongside Senator Michael Rodrigues.”

Raposa was a representative for parts of Fall River, Berkley, Somerset and later in Somerset, Berkley, Dighton, and Lakeville in the mid/late 60s and 70s and resided in Somerset according to state archives. He was edged out by Joan Menard in the 1978 5th Bristol District Democrat primary.