WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 2021 Saugus wants Two worlds meet at Lynn English input on Hazard By Steve Krause Abreau (Dominican Republic); ITEM STAFF Waking Joseph (Haiti) and Yuleisy Abad (Dominican Republic) — LYNN — Coming to the United shared their experiences Tuesday Mitigation Plan States as a child or a teenager and night at English by way of short learning a new language, culture By Elyse Carmosino videos depicting what their lives and school can be daunting. But for ITEM STAFF were like in their native countries 12 students at English High, it was vs. what things have been like in SAUGUS — Residents, business owners and worth the struggle. local organizations are encouraged to attend The 12 students — Paola Bak- the United States. a virtual Planning Board meeting Thursday watwena, who is a native of the The presentation was called “Liv- to give their input on the town’s draft Hazard Congo; Angel Gonzalez (Guate- ing in Two Worlds.” Mitigation Plan. mala); Katheryn Gravenhorst Tuesday’s production was actual- The plan, which aims to reduce the town’s (Colombia); Annie Joseph (Haiti); ly supposed to be shown last year. ITEM PHOTO | JULIA HOPKINS vulnerability to natural hazards such as flood- Dena Khedr (Egypt); Kawtar Ould However, the COVID-19 pandemic ing, hurricanes and blizzards, and increase Program coordinator Tiffany McFar- (Morocco); Leslie Parada (El Salva- made that impossible. Even Tues- the town’s resilience to the impacts of climate lane introduces the “Living in Two dor), Tae Thaw (Thailand); Melvin day, attendance at the English HAZARD, A5 Worlds” film exhibition at Lynn English. Velasquez (El Salvador); Vayurol TWO WORLDS, A5 THE NEXT CHAPTER COMMENCES ITEM PHOTO | JULIA HOPKINS ITEM PHOTO | SPENSER HASAK Lynn Tech graduates were finally able to celebrate Tuesday after a Sebastian Taveras shows off his Goku T-shirt as he celebrates graduat- difficult senior year. ing from Fecteau-Leary Junior/Senior High School on Tuesday. Lynn Tech graduates 245 Fecteau-Leary graduates 29 By Steve Krause ic and the way it affected education — By Allysha Dunnigan 15 months,makes this milestone even ITEM STAFF and how they all managed to rise above ITEM STAFF sweeter,” she said. them. Durgin-Scully acknowledged the work LYNN — Resilience and perseverance “You are here … and you made it,” said LYNN — Fecteau-Leary Junior/Se- of the faculty and staff and the students’ were the key themes Tuesday afternoon co-salutatorian Ethan Rodriguez. “We nior High School graduated 29 students ability to adjust to remote learning, when 245 graduates from Lynn Voca- are here … and we made it. Tuesday morning during a commence- wearing masks and missing out on a tional Technical Institute received their “We came to realize what’s important ment ceremony at Manning Field. “normal” school year. diplomas at Manning Field. in our lives.” In her remarks, Principal Maura Mayor Thomas M. McGee said that Speakers — ranging from Mayor Said his co-salutatorian, Mohammad Durgin-Scully expressed her enthusi- after a challenging past 15 months, he Thomas M. McGee to Superintendent of Benouardia, “the world is not all sun- asm and support for the graduating was “extremely grateful” to be able to Schools Dr. Patrick Tutwiler to class offi- shine and rainbows. It can be a nas- students, saying their accomplishments celebrate the “extraordinary” accom- cers to the principal guest — repeatedly ty place. Remember, it’s not how hard have not come easy. plishments of the Fecteau-Leary Class stressed the difficulties graduates faced you’re hit, it’s how fast you get up after “The challenges and adversities of of 2021. over the past year of their high-school your lives, coupled with those that the careers with the COVID-19 pandem- LYNN TECH, A6 COVID-19 virus has brought these past FECTEAU-LEARY, A3 STEVE KRAUSE $407 million COMMENTARY budget aired Little League, out in Lynn By Allysha Dunnigan big success ITEM STAFF Sunday, I — along with about 150 people who LYNN — City department didn’t mind getting soaked — went to Mon- heads met with the City Coun- ument Avenue in Swampscott to a ceremony cil’s budget subcommittee on honoring all those who died as the result of the Tuesday night to discuss the war on terror. $407 million fiscal year 2022 One of the many military people there was a budget that Mayor Thomas M. Molly McDonald, left, and Ellie Clark have been announced as kid (I call him a kid because anyone younger McGee proposed on May 20. valedictorian and salutatorian for the Essex Agricultural and than I am is one) I recognized. I said to the per- Chief Financial Officer Mi- Technical Institute’s Class of 2021. son next to me, “I think I know that kid!” chael Bertino said that in order The kid turned out to be Sgt. First Class Dan to compile the budget, he spent Bertrand, who grew up on Pine Hill, and whom about three months asking I coached — albeit briefly — in Little League. each city department what it Essex Tech standouts I told him that it was really nice to see some- needed, then prioritized those one whose life intersected with mine — if only needs and capital requests to for a minute — doing well. And I thought back meet with McGee and his staff hail from Swampscott to something legendary Swampscott Coach to formulate the FY22 budget. Frank DeFelice once said: that he was always “Overall, it’s a pretty detailed By Tréa Lavery tatorian. She will attend Salisbury proudest of the life he chose when he saw people budget that has a lot of items ITEM STAFF University in Wicomico County, Md., that he coached in baseball or football working going on,” Bertino said. “Obvi- where she plans to seek a dual de- for the police department, fire department or ously we didn’t have enough SWAMPSCOTT — Two students gree in biology and environmental some other worthy endeavor. It made him hap- money to fund every single po- who live in town have been an- science. piest when kids who crossed his path ended up sition, but we did look at all the nounced as valedictorian and saluta- “It hasn’t set in. It’s crazy,” Clark living fruitful lives. requests closely.” torian for the Essex Agricultural and said. “We’re a couple weeks out. It I don’t have “DeFa’s” experiences. I never di- Three new positions were Technical Institute’s Class of 2021. went by so fast.” rectly coached a kid over the age of 14. I love added into the budget, includ- Molly McDonald, an environmen- Clark said that she was inspired to baseball, but I didn’t have the skills — or the ing one in the comptroller’s tal technology student, is the school’s seek a degree in environmental sci- patience — to teach anyone beyond first-year office, one in the Inspectional valedictorian. McDonald plans to at- ence when she completed an intern- Services Department’s (ISD) tend Rensselaer Polytechnic Insti- ship at Northeastern University’s KRAUSE, A7 health division and one in the tute in Troy, N.Y., next year, where Marine Science Center in Nahant. Department of Public Works she will major in engineering and She said that her summer plans in- (DPW) office. minor in environmental science. She clude running to practice for partici- INSIDE The subcommittee meeting, will also play varsity lacrosse and pating in cross country in college, as serve in the Naval Reserve Officer led by Councilor-At-Large Bri- well as working at her current phar- Opinion Police Sports Training Corps. Trying times Garbage truck Marblehead an LaPierre, was an opportu- macy internship at CVS. Ellie Clark, who studied biotech- for town crashes into baseball nity for department heads to nology at Essex Tech, is the salu- ESSEX TECH, A7 managers. A4 utility pole in defeats Lynn BUDGET, A7 Saugus. A8 Classical. B1 OBITUARIES ..............................A2 LOOK! .......................................A8 DIVERSIONS .............................B5 HIGH 77° VOL. 142, ISSUE 149 OPINION ...................................A4 SPORTS ................................ B1-2 CLASSIFIED ........................... B6-7 LOW 59° POLICE/FIRE .............................A5 COMICS ....................................B4 FOOD ........................................B8 PAGE A8 $1.50 A2 THE DAILY ITEM WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 2021 OBITUARIES Sotiros “Steve” Polemenakos, 85 Marco Joel Leizza, 54 Keith B. Eddows, 36 1935 - 2021 1967 - 2021 1984 - 2021 MARBLEHEAD - Steve Pole- SAUGUS - Mr. Marco Leiz- NAHANT, MA AND FORMERLY menakos, 85, Of Marblehead, za of Saugus, age 54, died at OF LYNN, MA - Keith B. Eddows, son of Demetrios and Konstan- home on May 20th unexpect- age 36, of Nahant and former- tina (Catsos) Polemenakos of edly. ly of Lynn, died unexpectedly Vordonia, Sparta, Greece immi- He is the son of the late Pe- on Saturday, May 29, 2021 grated to Salem Ma in 1952. ter and Eillen (Sendles) Leiz- at North Shore Medical Cen- After surviving the war and za of Saugus. Marco was a ter, Salem Hospital after being the loss of this mother, Steve Saugus High School graduate stricken suddenly at his home. came to America at 16 years and a graduate of ITT Techni- Born in Salem in 1984, he was old with the intention of plant- cal Institute. Marco worked at the beloved son of Brian K. and ing roots forever. Dassault Systems in Waltham Karen A. (Ajootian) Eddows of He worked tirelessly shining (formerly known as Solidworks) Nahant. He was raised and shoes and in leather factories where he was a Portfolio Engi- educated in Lynn, graduated and later went on to own 3 neer Manager. Marco was an from Lynn Vocational Techni- successful companies, Hercu- accomplished engineer who cal Institute in 2004 and has les Bananas, Zestee Fuel, and designed the mask used in the lived in Nahant for the past 15 Sparta & S & H Realty.