TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2020 Peabody/Salem trolley funding on track By Anne Marie Tobin in capital funds to the project. ridership is out there to figure to figure out the most viable ITEM STAFF Peabody Director of Com- out what kind of program we option for both communities.” munity Development Curt can run,” he said. If passed, the act will pro- BOSTON — A Pea- Bellavance said the funds will “We will likely bring in a vide a total of $455 million in body-to-Salem trolley service allow the city to begin the pro- consultant to guide us in set- relief to communities hard hit is inching closer to becoming cess of narrowing down the ting up a pilot program to test by COVID-19. a reality, thanks to an amend- many ideas that have been the different scenarios to de- “During this public-health ment by Sen. Joan B.Lovely discussed in connection with termine what’s feasible. We and economic crisis, I am (D-Salem) to the ENDURE the project. have four or five ideas floating proud to vote with my Senate Act, which was recently “We’ve been talking about around, so by gathering infor- colleagues for an economic de- passed by the Massachusetts this for a while now and need mation and data, that will al- velopment bill making critical Senate. to test the waters out there low us to narrow those down. The Act allocates $500,000 to see what type and level of We need some real-time data TROLLEY, A3 Lynn and Kim Driscoll has served as mayor for 14 years. Saugus get As mayor, green light Driscoll to reduce ‘plays to air pollution By Thor Jourgensen Salem’s ITEM STAFF Achieving Green Community status with help from the Metropolitan Area strengths’ Planning Council (MAPC) is helping Lynn and Saugus reduce air pollution, By Elyse Carmosino including in communities of color. ITEM STAFF MAPC helped Lynn achieve Green Community this year, resulting in the SALEM — When Salem Mayor Kim city receiving a Department of Energy Driscoll first took office in 2006, the Resources $495,030 grant to support city was suffering from a slew of eco- implementation of a variety of ener- nomic problems. gy-efficiency measures across its mu- Record deficits, poor financial man- nicipal facilities. agement and a bad bond rating all The Energy Reduction Plan devel- painted a picture of a city past its oped through this process provides prime. Primarily known then for its GOOD GOLLY, MISS MOLLY a road map to achieving a 20 percent floundering manufacturing industry, reduction in municipal energy use over Salem’s downtown area at the time Social justice matters to Marblehead 12-year-old five years, according to MAPC. was blighted by empty storefronts and Saugus in 2015 received MAPC-sup- rundown public parks. By Steve Krause things.” Molly ported Green Community designation The situation had become so dire, in ITEM STAFF Last month, she was a fi- Blander in part to help the town launch mu- fact, that the city was borrowing mon- nalist in an international participated nicipal energy-efficiency projects. To ey just to pay the salaries of its teach- MARBLEHEAD — Molly Pulitzer Center poetry con- in the date, Saugus has received more than ers and police officers. Blander is 12 years old, with test — the youngest of the 18 Black Lives $800,000 in Green Communities. “There were a lot of institutionalized a socially conscious mother remaining contestants out of Matter MAPC, a regional planning agency bad habits here that needed to be cor- who is also a writer. 1,000 who applied. protests serving 101 cities and towns in met- rected,” Driscoll said, referring to ac- So it’s only natural that The contest was called earlier this ropolitan Boston, has drawn close con- tions of former politicians who, as she Molly had the footsteps in “Fighting Words,” and it month. nections in its research between pollu- put it, “cut corners at times.” which to follow. But where asked young people to think tion and disease. Now, 14 years later, Salem has wit- Leigh Blander writes prose, about how journalism and po- The greenhouse gas inventory tool re- nessed a burst of economic growth Molly is making her mark etry can help make sense out cently launched by MAPC is designed that has helped redefine the city’s with poetry. Their similar- of today’s events. Students to help municipalities like Lynn and reputation, attracting a new wave of ities lie in what they write wrote poems or essays based Saugus devise greenhouse gas pollu- tourists fascinated by its infamous on stories not often reported about — hot-topic issues. And tion reduction strategies. So far, three past and drawing in residents who that were picked from the Pu- the two are also similar in communities — Melrose, Arlington, feel at home in the eclectic Witch City. litzer site. another way. Neither has any and Natick — have adopted the tool, But change didn’t happen overnight. Blander chose the ordeal compunction about poking which is available free of charge to all After serving as Chelsea’s depu- of asylum-seekers and right and prodding people to get Massachusetts cities and towns. ty city manager for several years, off the bat, the poem’s title them to understand. “GHG inventories are essential to Driscoll said she was motivated to run — “Home Sweet Home — An “For me, I like to call my- crafting local climate action plans, pro- for office in Salem — where she’d lived Oxymoron” — reflected its self an activist for social and viding a baseline to measure the impact since attending Salem State as an tone. It is angry, yet compas- racial justice,” Molly Bland- sionate — as is reflected in the of future climate change mitigation er said. “I’ve always been DRISCOLL, A3 very passionate about those MOLLY, A3 MAPC, A3 INSIDE Swampscott residents MAN DROWNS IN LYNNFIELD POOL Boston trash disposal program Jones, Crighton ght Tragedy struck in Lyn- food insecurity. A5 By David McLellan gram provides each house- nfield Monday morning when an unidentified Opinion ITEM STAFF hold with a new 35-gallon wheeled cart for trash and re- adult male drowned in his A weekend in COVID- SWAMPSCOTT — In just quires residents to purchase backyard pool, according free New Hampshire. one week, wheeled black bags for any trash in excess to a joint statement issued A4 plastic bins sporting the of the 35 gallons. by Lynnfield Fire Chief • town seal have become ubiq- According to Allie Fiske, Glenn Davis and Police Carrying on the uitous in Swampscott. While assistant to the town admin- Chief David Breen. school reopening many residents have aired istrator, the program’s inten- The statement said that conversation. A4 their grievances about the tion is to encourage recycling at approximately 11:03 Sports new waste-disposal program, while decreasing the tonnage a.m., Lynnfield Emergen- town officials say they have of waste generated by resi- ITEM PHOTO | OLIVIA FALCIGNO cy 911 dispatch received a Mahan, Abbruzzese made the right fiscal move. 911 phone call for a possi- pair up to win 81st dents, “thereby mitigating the Swampscott’s new waste-disposal pro- Swampscott’s new spiraling cost of solid-waste ble drowning in progress Tedesco Four-Ball waste-disposal program went gram began Monday, with each house- at 1 Taylor Terrace. Invitational. B1 into effect Monday. The pro- hold provided with a 35-gallon wheeled TRASH, A3 barrel for trash. LYNNFIELD, A5 Opportunity of a lifetime at North Shore Community College By Gayla Cawley perience in lieu of taking a tra- Bryant. sessment (PLA) as a strategy having to take the entire course. ITEM STAFF ditional course through a new The initiative, the Northeast to boost college completion, NSCC administrators say get- initiative led by the school. Regional Prior Learning Assess- strengthen professional skills ting that leg up can make a col- LYNN — North Shore Commu- “Given the impact of the coro- ment Consortium (NERPLAC), for higher paying jobs in region- lege degree seem less daunting. nity College is providing current navirus, the timing may be good is a partnership between Essex al growth industries, and en- “If people think a college de- and prospective students an op- for this initiative given the num- and Middlesex County commu- gender engagement in lifelong gree is out of their reach and portunity to earn college credit ber of folks who are out of work, nity colleges, state colleges and learning. they see an opportunity like for life experience through a col- who have realized that they universities, private colleges, If individuals demonstrate this, it can be very motivating,” laborative initiative. need to change jobs to make workforce boards, employers through that assessment that said Dr. Cristy Sugarman, exec- Current students, people con- more money, or find themselves and community-based organiza- they already know the infor- utive director of the Center for sidering going back to college with the time to build on their tions. mation that would otherwise be Alternative Studies. “You’re not or those changing careers are education foundation,” said It promotes and increases taught in a college course, they able to earn credit for work ex- NSCC Interim President Nate the use of Prior Learning As- are awarded the credit without NSCC, A3 OBITUARIES ..............................A2 LOOK! .......................................A8 DIVERSIONS .............................B5 HIGH 80° VOL. 141, ISSUE 198 OPINION ...................................A4 SPORTS ................................ B1-3 CLASSIFIED ........................... B6-7 LOW 70° POLICE/FIRE .............................A6 COMICS ....................................B4 BUSINESS ................................B8 PAGE A8 $1.50 A2 THE DAILY ITEM TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2020 OBITUARIES Richard Hutchison, 66 Mary M.