Everett is a decidedly unglamorous working class town a bit north of Boston, perhaps best known as the home for a plentitude of oil and gas tanks. (And best known in our family as the town where my sister Trish first lived when she moved to Boston after college.)
But come June, Everett will be home to the Encore Boston Harbor casino.
I haven’t followed the politics about Encore, but there have been plenty. Steve Wynn…Steve Wynn sexual misconduct…Gaming license…Public protest…
If I’ve thought about Encore at all, it’s been along the lines of ‘who’d want to go to a fancy resort in Everett, Massachusetts?’
Of course, it’s not as if Encore is exactly incorporating the Everett connection in their branding. Here’s what they have to say on their web site:
A New Day Dawns In Boston.
Welcome to Encore Boston Harbor, a full-service resort offering the best in upscale hospitality, dining, shopping, gaming and more, opening in June 2019. Featuring an exceptional mix of luxury accommodations and exclusive attractions, Encore Boston Harbor has been designed to seamlessly blend with the city’s rich cultural heritage and breathtaking natural beauty.
I have to say, when I read that “rich cultural heritage and breathtaking natural beauty,” I did have a WTF moment when I thought they were talking about Everett.
And even if they’re talking about Boston, and not Everett, I’ll grant you “rich cultural heritage.” But “breathtaking natural beauty”?
It’s pretty along the Charles River, and we are on the ocean. So there’s that. And we have four seasons. But our natural beauty is not exactly breathtaking.
What’s most beautiful about Boston are the things that are unnatural – the mixture of old and new, the Golden Dome of the State House, the Hatch Shell on the Esplanade, the Boston Public Garden, the Zakim Bridge. And while it’s all quite lovely, I don’t think anyone would characterize it as breathtaking. Maybe in comparison to Everett, but that’s about it.
Anyway, I have my doubts about a casino being of long run benefit to the community it’s in, but in the short term there are construction jobs. And then there are casino jobs. And Encore Boston Harbor is hiring, looking to bring on over 5,000 “associates” by opening day.
Here’s some of what they’re looking for:
A Butler
“A Butler proactively seeks new ways to impress our VIP guests, creates solutions to problems, and reacts to requests, comments, or challenges efficiently and according to company standards. A Butler is well-organized and conducts him/herself with integrity and accountability at all times.”
Sounds kind of like a concierge to me. But maybe butler sounds more East Coast, upscale elite. More Boston – or Everett – Brahmin.
The Encore is located on the Mystic River, and they’re anticipating that some guests will come by boat. Sort of like Peggy Guggenheim’s guests arriving at here Venice palazzo by speedboats. Only in Everett, Massachusetts, and without all the ridiculously impressive art work that Peggy Guggenheim managed to collect over the years. So the Encore is looking for Dock Master.
“The Encore Boston Harbor Dock Master will be responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the Encore Boston Harbor maritime facility comprised of the Water Transportation Dock and the Transient Dock, handling boat reservations, assisting guests on and off the boats, and inspecting, cleaning and preparing boats,” according to the listing.
They also want to have a Barber on premise. And a Makeup Artist. I’m guessing that there are any number of barbers in Everett just a jump away from Encore, but maybe not so many makeup artists, other than around prom time.
I’m guessing that the Encore’s Sommelier will be the first sommelier in the history of Everett.
“The Encore Boston Harbor Sommelier will be responsible for driving the guest experience through execution of all aspects of Wine Service,” the job opening says. “The Sommelier will work as a supplemental piece of the service team understanding when and where it is necessary to step in and assist.”
“Understanding when and where it is necessary to step in and assist” sure sounds like a pretty open-ended job description, doesn’t it? And why the sommelier? Are they going to help if someone falls off the dock and into the Mystic. Or accuses a fellow gambler of card counting? Get me the sommelier, stat.
Maybe one area where the sommelier will pitch in is helping out the K-9 Officer, who will help out with special event security, and who:
“will be responsible for the handling, upkeep, maintenance, deployment and care of either a K-9 explosive detector dog or bedbug detector dog.”
Explosives vs. bedbugs, huh. What a choice.
Anyway, I guess I’m happy that Encore will be hiring a ton of people, for however long it lasts. Work is work, and a job’s a job. And casinos do hire a lot of people without advanced degrees, which should be helpful in a blue collar city like Everett. And who wouldn’t want to work in view of the breathtaking natural beauty of the Everett gas tanks?
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Source for Job Info: Boston Globe.
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