SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2018 Lynn eld takes out plan to replace Bali Hai By Thomas Grillo we did not receive the unan- exception of one neighbor, Oak Last summer, the Palumbos But those changes, and a traf- ITEM STAFF imous vote of the ZBA,” said Street resident Mohammad proposed a three-story build- c and school study from the Ted Regnante, the attorney for Saeed, who attended one of the ing with 32 luxury apartments developers that said there will LYNNFIELD — Patrons of the Lynn eld twins Matthew and public hearings last summer to priced from $2,200 to $3,300. be little impact on traf c and Bali Hai can breathe a sigh of relief. David Palumbo, who had hoped support the apartments, neigh- But that got a thumbs-down schools, failed to sway the neigh- A proposal to replace the 277- to redevelop the eating place on bors were united in opposition. from neighbors and the Plan- borhood and the ZBA. seat Polynesian restaurant Moulton Road. “My clients are Many said they prefer the un- ning Board. The brothers came Regnante had argued town with two dozen luxury apart- exploring their options, includ- derused restaurant to more cars back in the fall with a smaller zoning allows for the develop- ments was rejected by the Zon- ing whether to appeal the deci- clogging what they called an al- plan that reduced the number ment because it is simply an- ing Board of Appeals (ZBA) late sion to the Land Court.” ready congested section of town. of units to 23 and lowered the other nonconforming use that Tuesday. The project faced giant hur- Others said they feared the in- height of the building to two sto- “We were disappointed that dles from the start. With the ux of school children. ries. LYNNFIELD, A3 Oprah’s generosity pays off for Tech alum By Bella diGrazia ITEM STAFF Lynn native Coral Gonzalez is one of the rst recipients of the Oprah Winfrey Scholarship, which doubled to $3 million after the generous celebrity came to town. The University of Massachusetts Low- ell raised $1.5 million in ticket sales and sponsorships ahead of last week’s Chancellor’s Speaker Series. Winfrey, the Black Friday shoppers event’s special guest, was there to greet the six scholarship recipients and thank each of them for the handwritten thank- you cards they sent to her. Winfrey then brave the cold in Saugus surprised the school and matched another $1.5 million right on top. By Bella diGrazia ly before 7 p.m., she said. The Everett resident A sizable crowd “It was just an unbelievable moment,” ITEM STAFF spent the last few Black Fridays as a retail gathers in the said Gonzalez, a Lynn Tech High School worker, and this was her rst as a shopper. She freezing cold at alumna. “All I could hear was people cheer- SAUGUS — Shoppers braved the bitter cold to said it was a last-minute decision after her lap- the Best Buy at ing after they stood up and it was just so get in on Best Buy’s Black Friday doorbusters. top broke and she saw the Black Friday deals. Square One Mall surreal.” Laptops for $99 and 43-inch televisions for Brandon Ebeh, of Lynn, waited outside of as they wait for The scholarship, meant for students who $129 had people wrapped up in blankets and the store for his shift to begin at Best Buy. He Black Friday to are in nancial need but show good aca- holding on to each other for warmth at Square weathered the cold until he was allowed to go start. demic standing, was initiated by Andre One Mall on Thursday night. Some of them inside at 12:30 a.m. This was his second Black Dubus III, an English professor at UMa- waited in the frigid weather — 16 degrees, ac- Friday shift and he was prepared for the store’s ITEM PHOTO | SPENSER HASAK ss-Lowell. Winfrey and Dubus have been cording to the National Weather Service — for doors to open at 1 a.m. in contact since his debut novel, “House of six hours. Also out in the cold, Revere residents Vanes- Sand and Fog,” was on the talk show hosts’ “I got brain freeze,” said Carol DeMaria of Ev- sa Chicas, Owen Forte, Borina Forte, and Dan book club section in 2000, according to the erett. “I’ll never do this again. I was going back Forte waited almost two hours to score some UMass-Lowell newsletter. and forth to my car trying to get the feeling in TVs. Chicas, 19, said it was freezing but a brand According to the newsletter, Dubus was my toes back.” one of the few authors she had on her show DeMaria and her family got to the doors short- SHOPPERS, A3 who wrote her a thank-you note. Winfrey said the note was beautifully written and is now on display as part of the “Watching Oprah” exhibition at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African-American History. Dubus sent several eloquent letters of invitation to Winfrey over the years, ac- cording to the newsletter. When the talk show host realized the English professor A ood was looking to raise money for students who need it, she said it was worth it. washed The six scholarship recipients were ini- tially slated to get $2,500 a semester, said Gonzalez, but that was before Winfrey away this doubled the amount. In order to be se- lected for the large sum award, students had to be nominated by someone from the family’s university, and Gonzalez was nominated by Ann Ciaraldi, associate dean of compli- ance and violence prevention. Christmas “I am very honored and thankful that I was chosen,” said Gonzalez. “If I didn’t plans OPRAH, A3 A little help from Item Santa could be a bridge over troubled waters for one fam- ily. That trouble came for many Lynners on Aug. 12, when a Electrical fault led to ash ood drowned the base- ments of homes across the city. For one parent of three Thanksgiving blaze in Lynn who wrote to Item Santa, the torrential rain ruined their The Grover Street home was Lynn re ghters entire stash of holiday cheer. By Bella diGrazia ITEM STAFF “Everything I have stored, built in 1910 using “balloon knock down the construction,” an old method blaze of a two- including our Christmas tree LYNN — The blaze that that frames houses with long alarm re on and our kids’ toys, are dam- ripped through a triple deck- Grover Street in aged,” she wrote. “All had to er home Thanksgiving night studs that extend interrupt- Lynn on a cold be thrown away.” began after an electrical re ed from the sill on top of the Thanksgiving She’s not alone. The rains started in the basement and foundation all the way up to of August led to widespread traveled up through the walls. the roof. night. damage throughout the city. The building, home to four “The re traveled up through Parts of the downtown, Bos- ITEM PHOTO | children and 13 adults, is a the walls and into the roof, SPENSER HASAK ton Street, and several other total loss, according to Lynn neighborhoods were inun- Fire Capt. Joseph Zukas. FIRE, A3 dated when 8 inches of rain fell in just over two hours time. The sheer volume over- INSIDE whelmed the city’s aging sew- er system, forcing the rising Revere Sports Possible human remains Peabody Athletics Lynn native Coral Gonzalez hugs ITEM SANTA, A3 found in Rumney Marsh. A6 Hall of Fame welcomes 18. B1 Oprah Winfrey. OBITUARIES ..............................A2 ENTERTAINMENT .......................A7 COMICS/DIVERSIONS ........... B4-5 HIGH 46° VOL. 140, ISSUE 283 OPINION ...................................A4 LOOK! .......................................A8 CLASSIFIED ........................... B6-7 LOW 42° POLICE/FIRE .............................A6 SPORTS ................................ B1-3 REAL ESTATE .............................B8 PAGE A8 ONE DOLLAR A2 THE DAILY ITEM SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2018 OBITUARIES Alice M. Mardigian, 90 For same-sex couples, a new 1928-2018 LYNN — Alice Mae James of Valencia, path to legal parenthood (Pierce) (DuLong) Calif., Todd James Mardigian, a long- of Bridgewater, Tracy By Alanna time resident of Lynn, Vaillancourt of South Durkin Richer passed away in the Berwick, Maine, ASSOCIATED PRESS Abbott House in Lynn and Joe Smolski of on Nov. 20, 2018 at Swampscott. Alice BOSTON — When Sara the age of 90. also leaves nine Watson’s partner got Born in Tewksbury great-grandchildren, pregnant with their son on March 16, 1928, several nieces and through in vitro fertiliza- she was the daughter of the nephews and her very dear tion, they were overjoyed. late Mary B. Pierce. Alice was friend, Roberta DiGangi. Alice Then the fear came. a graduate of St. Mary’s High was preceded in death by her They weren’t married, School with the Class of 1945. daughter, Debbie Gately and so Watson had no legal She worked for many years her sister, Grace Dickson. rights as Eli’s parent even with the New England Tele- Service information: Vis- though her eggs were used phone Company working as iting hours will be held in to conceive him with donor a telephone pioneer. She the CUFFE-MCGINN Funeral sperm. If the worst hap- served with the Directory Home, 157 Maple St., Lynn, pened, Watson wondered, Alumni Council during her on Sunday, Nov. 25, 2018 would she even be able working days as well. Alice had from 1-5 p.m. Funeral ser- to bring their baby home a love for dancing. She was a vice will be held in the fu- from the hospital? dance instructor for Gordon’s neral home on Monday, Nov.