MONDAY, AUGUST 16, 2021 OUR OPINION Woman dies after police shooting in Saugus Memo to By Sam Minton ITEM STAFF SAUGUS — Authorities are investigating a Council: police-involved shooting on Alfred Road that left a woman dead Saturday evening, the Essex County District Attorney’s of ce has con rmed. Enough Shortly after 4:30 p.m., three Saugus police of cers responded to 3 Alfred Road following a report from a caller requesting assistance with with the a female family member in distress. Upon en- tering the residence, the of cers encountered a 38-year-old woman, identi ed as Stephanie Ge- excuses rardi, who was brandishing a knife, according Development is reshap- to of cials. ing the city and rising rents During the confrontation, one of the of cers make housing a top concern red his weapon three times, striking the wom- for Lynn residents, so why an. The responding of cers and EMS — which couldn’t the City Council was also on scene due to the nature of the call — hold a hearing on the subject immediately rendered aid to Gerardi, but their last Tuesday night? attempts were unsuccessful and she was pro- Council President Darren nounced dead at the scene, the DA’s of ce said. Cyr said the council’s techno- The involved of cers were not injured in the logically spotty track record incident, but were taken to a local hospital as a of hosting virtual meetings ITEM PHOTO | SPENSER HASAK precaution. The of cer who red his duty weap- on has been placed on administrative leave, per precluded Tuesday’s Metro- Saugus and State Police work the scene of a shooting involving a Saugus politan Area Planning Coun- Police of cer that left one woman dead Saturday evening. SHOOTING, A6 cil (MAPC) presentation on “Housing Lynn: A Plan for Inclusive Growth.” Every Lynn resident who uses a mobile device, laptop LCHC festival made its point: vaccinations or desktop technology, and certainly any resident under By Sam Minton 40, must be shaking their ITEM STAFF head and wondering why city of cials can’t prepare and LYNN — With COVID-19 cases rising across host a virtual meeting. the country and variants spreading like wild- The pandemic forced virtu- re, municipalities across the United States are al meeting technology to the doing everything they can to get the population forefront more than a year ago vaccinated. and MAPC representatives On Saturday, the city of Lynn stepped up to do regularly make presentations its part. With help from Tufts Health Plan, Har- across the state and were tech- vard Pilgrim Health Care, the Massachusetts nically equipped to host one Department of Public Health, the Lynn Com- Tuesday simply by connecting munity Health Center, and Girls Inc. Lynn, the to City Hall’s Wi-Fi. COVID-19 vaccine was brought to communities In our view, Cyr’s explana- that needed it most, particularly Black and tion to The Item about why Brown communities and non-English speaking MAPC could not be allowed populations at a summer festival to conduct a virtual presenta- The festival served as an opportunity for indi- tion is simply a stall tactic to viduals to learn about the vaccine and get vac- kick “Housing Lynn”s council cinated, while also connecting with the greater review down the road. Lynn community. Massachusetts State Rep. Pe- The most galling aspect ter Capano (D) was present at the event and of Cyr’s and the council’s said he thinks it’s important for community can-kicking decision is the members to talk about the vaccine. disrespect councilors showed ITEM PHOTO | SPENSER HASAK “I think it’s very important because there’s a Lynn Housing Authority & lot of misinformation out there and a lot of it is Neighborhood Development Sen. Ed Markey meets nursing student Gabby Villanueva at Lynn Commu- (LHAND) and MAPC. nity Health Center’s vaccine clinic at Saturday’s Lynn Summer Festival. FESTIVAL, A3 LHAND is, hands down, the best of its kind in Massachu- setts, with a half-dozen for- merly marginal or rundown Friday Night Lights illuminate Peabody Lynn neighborhoods revived thanks to its efforts. MAPC is By Anne Marie Tobin Massachusetts’ acknowledged ITEM STAFF preeminent planning resource. The next council meeting — PEABODY — Peabody Main Streets has Sept. 7 — takes place during launched a new initiative it hopes will not only one of the busiest weeks of attract people to the downtown business dis- the year, with candidates for trict, but keep them there. municipal of ce in their nal Friday night it was mission accomplished as week of campaigning and hungry shoppers de ed hot, muggy conditions students returning to school. and turned out in droves for the rst Friday Cyr said he wants “Hous- Night on Main Street event. ing Lynn” to undergo thor- “We are welcoming people back to downtown ough council review instead and giving them a handful of reasons to kick of rushing into action on the off their weekend on Main Street,” said Peabody plan. In reality, any initial Main Streets Event Manager Lisa Geczi. “We council action on “Housing want to change the culture of just coming to the Lynn” amounts to a simple downtown area, eating and leaving, to sticking acknowledgement that the around for some of the other great things the plan’s vision for improving area has to offer. We want people to stay and local housing makes sense. help our businesses as they continue to recover The detailed work on rec- (from the pandemic).” ommendations in the plan The main event, held in the parking lot be- that are the product of 22 hind the Knights of Columbus, featured Night months of research and dis- Market, a collection of vendors, artists and small cussion will require time, es- ITEM PHOTO | SPENSER HASAK businesses selling things like beauty products, pecially regarding the plan’s accessories and clothing, handmade jewelry and Christina Largent shows off her paintings, all of which glow in the dark, MEMO, A3 during the Friday Night at Main Street Peabody market. FRIDAY NIGHT, A3 Swampscott receives INSIDE Conservation Commision $150K grant for water sets conditions for and infrastructure study Northeastern in Nahant By Sam Minton tend the meeting, public discus- By Sam Minton scott improve its understanding ITEM STAFF sion had been closed in a prior ITEM STAFF of current assets, develop an asset meeting so the commission mem- prioritization framework, create a NAHANT — The conservation SWAMPSCOTT — One of the bers were the only people allowed funding plan for improvement and commission met Aug. 11 to come most important things on this to comment. maintenance, as well as identify up with conditions for a pair of Special Counsel stressed how planet is water and the town re- revenue sources that will balance cently received a grant to improve proposed projects by Northeastern important this was. near-term levels of service with “You are jeopardizing your deci- the water and sewer system. University. long-term nancial goals. LOOK! sions that you are making tonight Swampscott received the $150,000 At the previous meeting, the The town has quite the water Kowloon rocks commission accepted the two no- if you take comment. A question grant from the Massachusetts for veterans. A8 and sewer system. There are 46 tices of intent with conditions un- is a comment. If this meeting is Clean Water Trust, and the funds miles of gravity sewer mains con- der the Wetlands Protection Act, held...in violation of the open-meet- will go toward an asset manage- necting to approximately 4,554 Sports ing law, this meeting didn’t happen while denying them under the Na- ment plan for the water, sewer and accounts, while 57 miles of water Beverly/Salem and therefore these decisions are drain infrastructure system. Legion trying to hant Wetlands Protection by-law. These funds will help Swamp- WATER, A3 stay alive. B1 While residents were able to at- NORTHEASTERN, A3 OBITUARIES ..............................A2 POLICE/FIRE .............................A6 COMICS/DIVERSIONS ........... B4-5 HIGH 76° VOL. 142, ISSUE 212 OPINION ...................................A4 LOOK! .......................................A8 CLASSIFIED ........................... B6-7 LOW 63° COMMUNITY CALENDARS ..........A5 SPORTS ................................ B1-2 HEALTH .....................................B8 PAGE A8 $1.50 A2 THE DAILY ITEM MONDAY, AUGUST 16, 2021 OBITUARIES Kathleen M. Codair, 72 Ronald Hanlon, 80 Joyce E. Brennan, 92 1949 - 2021 1941 - 2021 1929 - 2021 LYNN - Kathleen M. (Rob- ALLENSTOWN, NH/NAHANT, LYNN - Mrs. Joyce E. (King) ertson) Codair, 72, of Lynn MA - Ronald E. Hanlon age 80 Brennan, age 92, of Lynn, died Friday, August 13, 2021 of Allenstown, NH, formerly of passed away peacefully on at home, surrounded by loved Nahant MA, passed away un- Friday, August 13, 2021 at ones after a lengthy illness. expectedly on August 2, 2021 Rosewood Nursing and Reha- She is the wife of the late at the VA Hospital in Manches- bilitation Center. Francis J. Codair, with whom ter, NH. She was born May 9, 1929, she would have celebrated 50 Ron was born in Lynn MA in Lynn, the daughter of the late years of marriage this year. to the late Ernest and Bertha Helen (McDormand) Boren- Born in Lynn, daughter of Hanlon. He grew up in Nahant stein and the late Albert King. the late Albert W. and Elizabeth MA, where he spent most of Joyce was preceded in death (Champigny) Robertson, she his life until he moved to Allen- by the love of her life, her hus- was a graduate of Lynn English stown, NH in 2016. band of 40 years, George Ed- High School, Class of 1966. He was a graduate of Lynn ward Brennan Sr., in 1987.