TUESDAY, JANUARY 8, 2019 Union contracts may gure in closing budget gap By Gayla Cawley everyone because we can’t put The city has approximately before the city’s budget can be million loan given through state ITEM STAFF a budget down until we know a dozen contracts to negotiate, approved — the scal year ends legislation last year to balance what the contracts are going to including those with teachers, on June 30. its scal year 2018 and FY19 LYNN — All of the city’s union be,” said City Council President police, re, library, and City Hall McGee told The Item last week budgets. Even with borrowing contracts are expired and city of cials think negotiations will Darren Cyr. groups, such as the Department that while it wasn’t appropriate $9.5 million to balance the FY18 have a major impact on efforts Collective bargaining is be- of Public Works and the Inspec- to get into speci cs in terms of budget and $4.5 million for to close Lynn’s projected $5 mil- tween Mayor Thomas M. Mc- tional Services Department. union contract negotiations, it FY19, the city is still projected lion budget gap. Gee, the city’s law department Collective bargaining agree- was important to come to a deal to have a $5 million budget gap “As a citizen and councilor, my and the unions, except for teach- ments could account for a major that was fair for both sides, as for FY20. opinion is that I believe both ers’ contract negotiations, which increase in expenses this year, far as keeping the city’s nan- The largest union in the city is sides have to sit in a room and also involve the school depart- according to city of cials. Ne- cial state in mind. work out a deal that’s fair to ment and its attorney. gotiations have to be completed The city had to exhaust a $14 CONTRACTS, A3 Nahant LOCAL BOY Bettencourt Fire MAKES GOOD spells out Dept. his vision plays it for Peabody By Thomas Grillo S.A.F.E. ITEM STAFF PEABODY — The state of the city is By Bridget Turcotte strong and getting stronger, but there’s ITEM STAFF still room for improvement. A state grant will bring That was the message from four-term Mayor Edward A. Bettencourt Jr., who re safety and preven- greeted a packed crowd at the Frank L. tion programs to Nahant’s Wiggin Auditorium in City Hall Monday oldest and youngest resi- night for his mid-term inaugural speech. dents. “Peabody is a city on the move,” he said. “These programs and “It’s a city that is nationally recognized materials are an essential as a great place to live, raise a family, part of the work we do to or start a business … there is still much keep our community safe,” work ahead of us.” said Fire Chief Michael Perhaps the biggest news of the night Feinberg. was about the future of Veterans Memo- The town is one of 246 rial High School. re departments in the Despite recent improvements, the may- state to be awarded public or said the school will require millions of re education grants this dollars to maintain. Decisions will have to month. Nahant received be made whether the nearly 50-year-old two awards: more than high school should be rehabbed or built $2,800 to fund a Student new, he said. Awareness of Fire Educa- “Our school leadership, Superintendent tion (S.A.F.E.) program for (Cara) Murtagh, our School Committee children and $2,100 to go and I all agree that Peabody needs to in- toward a Senior S.A.F.E. vest in a modern facility which inspires program. our students and their teachers to be the The program teaches stu- very best they can be,” he said. “I will soon dents to recognize re haz- ask the School Committee to begin the ards and teach key safety process of submitting a formal statement behaviors that should be of interest to the Massachusetts School used anytime a child comes Building Authority this spring.” into contact with re. Such a project will take years to com- Since the program’s in- plete, he said, and there are no guaran- ception in 1995, the av- PHOTO | ASSOCIATED PRESS tees of state funding. erage annual number of The mayor also re ected on the city’s child deaths caused by re Lynn native Brian Currie, left, looks on as Peter Farrelly accepts the past. has fallen by 74 percent in award for best comedy lm for “Green Book” during the 76th Annual Once considered the engine that drove Massachusetts, according Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Sunday in Beverly the region’s economy, Peabody’s growth to a statement from Gov. Hills, Calif. stagnated, the downtown languished as Charlie Baker. little more than a cut-through for speed- “The S.A.F.E. program Born in Lynn, raised in Peabody, ing traf c with vacant storefronts and fre- has been instrumental in quent ooding, he said. educating the next gener- Brian Currie wins a Golden Globe “Flooding, while still a concern, is much ation of re safe children less frequent and much less severe thanks for 24 years,” said Baker. By Thomas Grillo Odds were on “The Favourite,” the out- to the construction of the massive reten- “The program is a great ITEM STAFF rageous period comedy starring Olivia tion basin,” he said. example of state and local Colman, Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone, In addition, Centennial Park suffered governments collaborating In a surprise win, a Lynn native won from vacancies, poor signs, and few pros- or “Vice,” with a devil-inspired perfor- with teachers to provide best original screenplay at the Golden pects, and the future of the Northshore re safety to young people.” Globes for “Green Book.” mance by Christian Bale as former Vice Mall was in doubt. The money will also be Brian Hayes Currie, who grew up in President Dick Cheney. Today, the mayor said with the con- used to purchase re pre- the city, shared the honor with co-writers But “Green Book,” which was released struction of Centennial Crossing, a vention education mate- Nick Vallelonga, and Peter Farrelly, who in November and disappeared from the- 40,000-square-foot plaza featuring shops, rials, such as DVDs and also directed the lm. They looked aston- aters after a few weeks, won the hearts restaurants, and services, the renaissance ished when their names were called Sun- NAHANT, A3 day night in Los Angeles. CURRIE, A7 PEABODY, A3 Residents keep INSIDE Sports Marblehead boys watch on Ward 5 basketball falls By Thor Jourgensen people kept their kids in- just short in loss ITEM STAFF doors,” Yoder said. to Winchester. B1 Yoder, her husband, Ron, LYNN — Their monthly and Friends member Jen- KIPP girls meetings sometimes don’t nie Grassa credited former roar in victory over number more than six resi- Ward 5 City Councilor (now Fellowship Academy. B1 dents, but Friends of Ward 5 EDIC/Lynn Executive Di- crime watch members want rector) James M. Cowdell to swell their ranks and put with helping neighbors more eyes on the lookout to launch Friends of Ward 5. Lynn City Coun- make neighborhoods safer. “Meetings were packed. cilor Dianna Friends charter mem- You had 75 people at meet- Chakoutis, left, ber Dolores Yoder said her ings and Jim Cowdell never Ron Yoder and Lynn Common neighbor- missed one,” Grassa said. Dolores Yoder hood is safer today than it Current Ward 5 Council- walk on Lynn was in the mid-1990s when or Dianna Chakoutis said Common, which drug deals, late-night street busy lifestyles, jobs and is part of their ghts and speeding drivers family activities make it crime watch put residents on the defen- tough for residents to at- area. sive. tend crime watch meetings. “You could never get a ITEM PHOTO | good night’s sleep. A lot of WARD 5, A3 OWEN O’ROURKE OBITUARIES ..............................A2 LOOK! .......................................A8 CLASSIFIED ........................... B6-7 HIGH 43° VOL. 141, ISSUE 26 OPINION ...................................A4 SPORTS ................................ B1-3 BUSINESS ................................B8 LOW 38° POLICE/FIRE .............................A6 COMICS/DIVERSIONS ........... B4-5 PAGE A8 ONE DOLLAR A2 THE DAILY ITEM TUESDAY, JANUARY 8, 2019 OBITUARIES Dolores L. Smithers, 82 James E. Clancy, 66 Mary C. Cunningham 1936-2019 1941-2018 LYNN — Dolores to earn her Bache- LYNN — James Ed- very much. LYNN — Mary C. Cunning- Doctor degree from Suffolk Lorraine (Landry) lor’s Degree in Teach- ward Clancy, age 66, In addition to his ham of Lynn passed away at University. Among her many Smithers, 82, a life- ing. After graduation, of Lynn, died peace- wife, he is survived North Shore Medical Center interests Mary enjoyed travel, long resident of Lynn, she taught second fully on Sunday, Jan. by their children, on Dec. 4 after a brief illness. loved the theater, and above passed away Satur- and rst grades at St. 6, 2019 at Massa- Kevin Clancy and his Born and raised in Lynn, all was passionate about day, Jan. 5, 2019 at Jean-Baptiste School chusetts General wife Jackie of Merri- she was the daughter of the American history. All of these Blueberry Hill Health- in Lynn for more than Hospital. He was the mack, N.H., Michael late Peter J. Cunningham and interests were passed down care in Beverly after 10 years before be- husband of Marjorie Clancy and his wife Mary K. (Jordan) Cunningham, to her two surviving nephews, a sudden decline in coming its rst lay “Margie” (O’Connor) Michelle of Lynn, and and the sister of the late Pe- Brian Callahan of Malden and health due to Alzhei- principal.