SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2019 Teaching the seniors Lynn eld High’s Helpdesk mutually bene cial By Anne Marie Tobin basis,” said librarian Janice Alpert, who Seeking ITEM STAFF started the program three years ago and also founded the Helpdesk program to pro- LYNNFIELD — If you are a senior citi- vide technical assistance to the high school a better zen struggling with your electronic devic- community. “I was looking for a way to in- es, there is a better way to get the answers crease the use of the MakerSpace area in to your tech questions than waiting in line the community, so we came up with this at your favorite Apple Store. And it won’t idea and it has been extremely popular. We life cost you a dime. focus on speci c technology needs, sort of Once a month at Lynn eld High School, our version of the service you get at places By Steve Krause the members of the school’s Helpdesk like the Apple Store in that it’s one-on-one. ITEM STAFF team volunteer to work one-on-one with “People have a chance to learn about seniors in need of technical assistance. One of the sadder sto- technology, but even better is they are also From how to turn on a GPS to how to set forming multi-generational relationships, ries about immigration is up noti cations for an email account, to how often — and for how so it’s great for the kids and great for the getting the most out of a smartphone or seniors.” long — families have been tablet, no problem is too small or too large separated so that moms One of the Helpdesk volunteers working ITEM PHOTO | ANNE MARIE TOBIN for these whiz kids. the latest session on Nov. 12 was junior or dads could come to the “This is a great opportunity to have a Rita Calamari receives technical support United States to plant the fun and exciting experience on a monthly HELPDESK, A3 from Robert Higdo. seeds for a better life. They go to the United States, and leave wives and children behind in their nations of origin un- Rainy ride home til there’s enough money to send for them. Some- times, that process can take years. Today, we have one of those situations. A moth- er writes to Item Santa to ask for help to provide her son with a Christmas present. She is single, and is trying to work full time to make ends meet and so she can send it back to her family in Guatemala. “I came to the U.S. from Guatemala,” she wrote. “I try to send them as much money as I can, and sup- port them, which is very dif cult while trying to take care of myself and my son with a lot of bills.” Just recently, the wom- an was able to bring one of her sons into the United States. “He is 9,” she wrote.”I know that he will be going through a transition and is already trying to adjust. “I want to make this Christmas for him as nor- mal as can be.” It’s tempting to say this is a normal letter as we get during the holiday season as part of the Item San- ta drive. It highlights the struggles of people who live here right next to us. They live, as the late Sen. Hubert Humphrey used to ITEM PHOTO | SPENSER HASAK say, in life’s shadows. Rain droplets collect on a car window as Nahant’s Johnson School Principal Kevin Andrews rides Perhaps you pass them his bike past King’s Beach in Swampscott, a ride he takes every day to and from school from his ITEM SANTA, A3 home in Beverly. LOOK! Reform bill Ringo Starr, joins Tanglewood summer lineup. A8 Lynn eld AP Sports Swampscott football expansion yields gives more money punches ticket to Div. 5 Super Bowl. B1 • to local schools Therrien, Peabody mostly good results hope to end season on a high note. B1 By Thor Jourgensen By Anne Marie Tobin ITEM STAFF ITEM STAFF Local legislators are looking to Gov. Charlie Baker to LYNNFIELD — The Advanced Placement program sign Massachusetts’ biggest public school reform law Court upholds at Lynn eld High School has expanded to 15 AP cours- in a quarter century even as they pore through the es with the addition last year of European History and proposal to see how much money it will send to their Marblehead Mariner Studio Arts. Test scores in both of the new classes were communities. off the charts, with ve students averaging a score of “All schools will be getting money,” said Saugus state ve on the Studio Arts exam and eight students aver- Rep. Donald Wong, noting that the Student Opportu- housing decision aging 3.88 on the European History exam. nity Act (SOA) budgets $1.5 billion for public schools “Overall, I’m pretty happy with the range of the AP over seven years. By Thor Jourgensen scores and with the performances, especially on some Massachusetts legislators unanimously approved ITEM STAFF of the newer tests,” said Lynn eld High School princi- SOA this week with Massachusetts House Speaker pal Bob Cleary at a recent school committee meeting. Robert DeLeo’s spokeswoman highlighting the reform MARBLEHEAD — A Superior Court decision up- “I am excited that 114 of last year’s Lynn eld grad- bill’s major changes to public education. held the 2017 town zoning ruling giving the develop- uates took at least one AP test and I’m pretty happy “The Student Opportunity Act makes a lasting and er of the Mariner senior housing project permission with that and also happy with the fact that last year’s profound investment in the Massachusetts public ed- to move forward. class represented over 440 tests that have been taken ucation system and places a special emphasis on En- The decision by Justice C. William Barrett on Nov. over the last three years.” glish learners and districts serving our low-income 5 and subsequently led, states “the court nds that Cleary said that while the percentage of students who students,” Catherine Williams quoted DeLeo, with the there were more than suf cient facts to support the took three or more tests dipped slightly in 2019 to 75.5 speaker adding: (town Zoning Board of Appeals) 2017 Decision, and the percent, down from 80 percent in 2018, he was satis ed “We’re building on our ongoing efforts to support court will not disturb the ZBA’s decision on appeal.” overall performance was not adversely affected. our neediest students and to close opportunity gaps. In his ruling, Barrett concluded the board acted “We can raise the participation but that doesn’t I want to thank Chair (Alice Hanlon) Peisch for her within its scope of authority in 2017 in giving 263- guarantee a good score,” Cleary said. “But what we are leadership on this legislation, and Chair (Jason) Lew- 239 Pleasant St. LLC permission to build the 87-bed, seeing is we raised participation and we are consis- is for his hard work, and the conference committee 108-unit residential project. tently outperforming the national average and global especially Representatives (Paul) Tucker and (Kim- Developer Michael LaFayette in an email on Friday average.” berly) Ferguson. This was a collaboration among the said Pleasant Street is “extremely pleased with the Guidance department director Kathryn Moody said House and the Senate, and I appreciate Senate Pres- outcome.” that increasing the number of test takers brings with ident (Karen) Spilka’s partnership as we make this “We are very happy for the town’s residents who it a slew of logistical problems. historic investment.” showed their support over the last three years. I think “Having a lot of kids take the test can pose problems,” Building on a 2015 study commission’s recommenda- it speaks to the need for this type of senior housing she said. “The problem is that when the classes are so tions, SOA modernizes, according to a statement from based on the demographics and the vocal support we large, it is hard to nd space. We had to use the gym BILL, A3 MARINER, A3 A P, A3 OBITUARIES ..............................A2 ENTERTAINMENT .......................A7 COMICS/DIVERSIONS ........... B4-5 HIGH 46° VOL. 141, ISSUE 296 OPINION ...................................A4 LOOK! .......................................A8 CLASSIFIED ...............................B7 LOW 35° POLICE/FIRE .............................A6 SPORTS ................................ B1-3 REAL ESTATE .............................B8 PAGE A8 $1.50 A2 THE DAILY ITEM SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2019 OBITUARIES Woman charged in boyfriend’s Michael Antonakes 1926-2019 Michael Antonakes of Lynn suicide enters plea of not guilty and Peabody, passed away on Friday, November 22, 2019 By Philip Marcelo or seek help, Grasso said. after a short illness. He was ASSOCIATED PRESS The place Urtula died the husband of the late Elaine was where You had earli- (Katsos) Antonakes with BOSTON — A former er threatened to kill her- whom he shared 63 years of Boston College student self, Grasso added. marriage. pleaded not guilty Friday A full accounting of the A graduate of Lynn Classi- in her rst court appear- couple’s more than 75,000 cal High School (1943) and ance on charges that she texts hasn’t been released, its class president, he began encouraged her boyfriend but You, through a public higher education at Bowdoin to take his own life in what relations rm, released College and then received an prosecutors described as messages this week that undergraduate degree from a toxic and abusive rela- suggest she tried to stop Tufts University.