Home Schooling, COVID-Style to 15,243 Cases and 188 Same in Nahant (220 Cas- Deaths
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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2021 Saugus renames HOME SCHOOLING, senior center COVID-STYLE after Dick Barry After nearly a year, these Lynn and Saugus families By Elyse Carmosino still face dif culties of remote learning ITEM STAFF By Elyse Carmosino SAUGUS — Town Meeting members voted unani- ITEM STAFF mously Tuesday to of cially rename the Saugus Se- nior Center after longtime resident Richard “Dick” When schools across the Common- Barry, who died in October at the age of 89. wealth closed last March to prevent Initially proposed by Board of Selectmen Chair An- the spread of COVID-19, families thony Cogliano, the article to rename the building everywhere braced for the worst. the Richard K. Barry Senior Center was submitted Confusion over the mechanics of to Town Meeting by the board earlier this month. virtual learning and concern with During Tuesday’s special Town Meeting, Barry’s how working families would sur- daughter, Kathleen Capobianco, said renaming the vive dominated the conversation at center in her father’s honor would be the perfect way school committee meetings and on to remember a man who spent most of his life serv- social media platforms for months, ing the Saugus community. while parents everywhere struggled “Naming the Senior Center after my dad would be to adjust to what was, oftentimes, a the utmost honor to end a lifetime of dedication to scary and overwhelming “new nor- community service,” Capobianco said. “My dad loved mal.” the town of Saugus, and the town of Saugus loved Now, nearly a year later, how have him.” they done it? Barry was a xture in the town and spent four Some have left their jobs, collect- decades serving on the Saugus Board of Selectmen, ing unemployment as they take on a School Committee, and as a member of Town Meet- ITEM PHOTOS | SPENSER HASAK new full-time role as their children’s ing. Izzy Johnson, 10, of Lynn completes her remote school work teaching aide. Some have learned to He and Cogliano served together on the Saugus from the desk in her bedroom, which she shares with her juggle the two, relying on spouses or Board of Selectmen when Cogliano was rst appoint- extended family to ll in the gaps. 6-year-old sister, Evy. ed to the board in 1991 at age 24. Such is the case in the Johnson “He was a great resource for me as someone with household, where Helen Johnson all that knowledge and wisdom,” Cogliano told The and her three daughters, Ally, 13, Item on February 4. “If I had questions, I could go to Izzy, 10, and Evy, 6, have settled into an uneasy routine. BARRY, A3 For Johnson, who helps run Lynn’s Salvation Army with her husband, Kevin, the stress feels constant. Her two older children both have Future of Hadley Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), and she suspects her young- est will soon qualify for one, too. All three have struggled with re- School site mote learning in different ways. For middle child Izzy, who has been diagnosed with autism, the change still up in the air in routine was initially the source of much anxiety, and for youngest By Tréa Lavery child Evy, who possibly has an un- ITEM STAFF diagnosed learning disability, has made each day a battle. SWAMPSCOTT — The future of the Hadley Ele- “My 6-year-old is regressing a lot,” mentary School building is still unclear, with mem- Ally Johnson, 13, of Lynn opts to use her bed as her work- Johnson said. “She’s just all over the bers of the community searching for the best uses for space instead of her desk as she tackles the challenge of re- place and she cannot focus on the the aging structure. mote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. computer. It’s so hard because the In a meeting of the Hadley Reuse Advisory Com- teacher is constantly telling her to mittee Tuesday evening, Town Senior Planner Mol- pay attention.” ly O’Connell explained that the building should one As a result, the family’s days have day ll some need for the community in Swampscott. become a careful balancing act. She said the committee should be creative in think- At 7:45 each morning, Ally shuts ing about what that need might be, and gure out herself in her room to log into her how to achieve that goal afterwards. classes while Johnson helps her en- “It doesn’t have to be unattainable, but it should ergetic younger children prepare for be aspirational,” O’Connell said of the plan for the school, while making sure they don’t site. “We’re not here to solve every problem, but we’re interrupt their sister. here to give the community a goal … and identify During a 10 a.m. break three to the Select Board, here are some needs we have, days a week, Johnson takes her two and here’s how we could solve them using the Hadley younger children into the Salva- site.” tion Army of ce — where Johnson The committee, which was established at a special and her husband also run an af- town meeting in November, is planning to consider ter-school program — so mom and four different types of uses for the site: civic or non- dad can complete necessary paper- pro t, commercial, arts and culture, or affordable work and oversee food pantry oper- housing. It has been instructed not to consider luxu- ations while the kids nish up the ry or market-rate housing. rest of their virtual schooling. The Hadley is the oldest school building in Swamp- There’s a lot of tag-teaming in- scott, and will need extensive renovations to meet volved, Johnson explained. building and safety standards. However, O’Connell “Sometimes I have to run to the said it also has a lot of assets that she wants to use Helen Johnson helps her daughter, Evy, 6, with math work as food pantry, so my husband will set she learns remotely from a desk in the corner of the family’s HADLEY, A3 living room. SCHOOLING, A3 Nahant sees success in vaccine program By Elyse Carmosino numbers — staffed by town ITEM STAFF employees and volunteers — to be taken on a step- Local Black history NAHANT — Nahant of- by-step walkthrough of the cials have helped secure process. vaccination appointments “It’s gone really well,” Bar- is celebrated for at least 90 residents letta said. “We’ve received a since the town released its lot of positive feedback.” at Lynn Museum COVID-19 vaccine helpline Launched in the wake of late last month, Town Ad- Gov. Charlie Baker’s an- ministrator Antonio Barlet- nouncement that Phase 2 By Allysha Dunnigan ta said. ITEM STAFF of the state’s vaccination Meant to reduce reported rollout program — which LYNN — The Lynn Museum has assembled confusion surrounding vac- includes those aged 75 and a special collection of artifacts, documents and cination sign-ups for Na- older — would begin Feb- family ephemera from prominent Black histor- hant’s elderly population, ruary 1, Barletta said the ical gures of Lynn. the program gives residents program has since morphed Doneeca Thurston, director of the Lynn Mu- the option to call any of four seum, has been working on the exhibition specially-designated phone VACCINE, A2 since November of 2019, but the project itself began in 2017 when the museum hosted an oral Black history project with North Shore INSIDE Community College, in uencing the idea of a Doneeca Thurston, director of Lynn Museum/Lyn- unique exhibition focused around Lynn’s Black Opinion • LOOK! history. nArts, is re ected in the glass of a display case as she speaks about the museum’s upcoming Black Where’s my The depths of Nahant’s Forest exit? A4 February. A8 Playground. A8 CELEBRATION, A5 history exhibit. ITEM PHOTO | SPENSER HASAK OBITUARIES ..............................A2 LOOK! .......................................A8 DIVERSIONS .............................B5 HIGH 20° VOL. 142, ISSUE 60 OPINION ...................................A4 SPORTS ................................ B1-2 CLASSIFIED ........................... B6-7 LOW 19° POLICE/FIRE .............................A5 COMICS ....................................B4 FOOD ........................................B8 PAGE A8 $1.50 A2 THE DAILY ITEM WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2021 OBITUARIES Herbert Belkin, 88 Constance M “Connie” 1932 - 2021 (Ceranna) McGovern, 85 SWAMPSCOTT - of Swamp- brother of Roberta Feldman scott passed away at home of Boca Raton, FL, and Sheila PEABODY - Constance “Con- on Saturday, February 13. Flaxman of New York, NY. nie” M. (Ceranna) McGovern, Devoted husband of Sylvia Service Information: Ser- 85, of Peabody, died peacefully Belkin. Beloved father of Eliz- vices were private. In lieu of Thursday February 11, 2021 abeth Belkin Zamansky and owers please make dona- surrounded by her family at the her husband Leonard Zaman- tions to the Jewish Communi- Kaplan Family Hospice House following a brief illness. She sky of Marblehead, MA, and ty Center of the North Shore, FILE PHOTO | ASSOCIATED PRESS Douglas Belkin and his wife Marblehead, MA 01945. was the devoted wife of the Colleen Mastony of Evanston, For online condolences go late Francis “Frank” “Chickie” T. Dr. Bernard Lown walks on the bridge renamed IL. Adored grandfather of Adam to: www.goldmanfc.com. Ar- McGovern. in his honor in Lewiston, Maine. Zamansky, Benjamin Zaman- rangements by Goldman Fu- Born and raised in Lynn, she sky, and Lillian Belkin. Dear neral Chapel, Malden. was the daughter of the late Nellie E. Ceranna. She was a graduate of Lynn Classical High Cardiologist, School, class of 1953. Follow- ing high school, she worked A. Ernestine Quinn, 89 as a bookkeeper at the GE 1931 - 2021 until she was married. Once anti-war activist her youngest children entered LYNN - Mrs.