Fall River’s Doran School Dedicates Playground to Late City Councilor Alves

FALL RIVER (WBSM) — A ribbon-cutting and dedication ceremony was held at John J. Doran Community School playground in Fall River to honor late City Councilor Alfredo P. Alves.

City councilors, family and colleagues of Alves gathered today at Doran Community School.

Alves was a long-time Fall River resident, business leader, city council member, and an advocate for the students at the Doran Community School. He was known for his generosity and for giving back wherever needed.

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No matter where you live or where you end up, there will always be a person who greatly impacts the community around you. Alves had been that person for the Columbia Street neighborhood and Fall River community over the years.

Five years after his passing, Fall River Public Schools honored his legacy by dedicating a playground to his name at the school he loved.

Superintendent of Schools Maria Pontes acknowledged that Alves' generosity would even go as far as hosting Christmas parties, graduation dinners, and other school fundraisers at his restaurant, Tabacaria Açoreana.

"He used to treat our pre-k kindergarten students to a special lunch over at TA. Every child came home with a Christmas gift and a free meal," Pontes said.

"Alves donated thousands of dollars to the Doran School, and he did so without fanfare. I am proud we get a visible reminder that his presence will be here forever because he deserved to be here forever," she said.

The newly-renovated playground, a symbol of Alves' dedication and commitment to the school and the community, was dedicated in his honor.

Along with his advocacy for children's education, his sister Maria Furman-Duffy shared that this dedication will be another reminder of his legacy, seen and unseen.

"He loved city hall and he was always involved. He loved volunteering, his church, the food pantry, and the Doran school and the kids," she said.

Funding to renovate the playground was approved by the Fall River School Committee in 2023. The playground is for kids ages two to five years old.