DEALS OF THE $DAY$ PG. 3 DEALS OF THE $DAY$ PG. 3 FRIDAY JULY 2, 2021 DEALS OF THE Swampscott OKs marijuana dispensary Saugus$ DAbuysY$ PG. 3 By Tréa Lavery approved the draft plan pre- erally in a productive way,” proved the company’s lease ITEM STAFF sented by Calyx Peak, with said Select Board Chair Peter for the property at 16 New into new the stipulation that any last Spellios during the meeting. Ocean St. — the former loca- SWAMPSCOTT — The changes to the details of the “We’re going to make sure tion of C&L Package Store — owners of a planned recre- plan be approved by the next- they’re all codified in writing it required that the site plan ational marijuana dispensary be submitted for approval technology on New Ocean Street have door VFW post. as soon as they’re finalized.” DEALS “We recognize that all the The town entered into a to the board before the com- gotten the go-ahead on their pany moved forward with OF THE site plan. details and issues with the host-community agreement By Sam Minton construction. ITEM STAFF At Wednesday night’s Se- stakeholders of the veterans’ with Calyx Peak in 2020. $DAY$ lect Board meeting, the board center are ongoing and gen- When the Select Board ap- DISPENSARY, A7 SAUGUS — Schools willPG. 3be getting some new technology and vehicles soon. In the most recent School Commit- tee meeting, members voted on budget entry No.10 which included the pur- chasing of various items for the school system. The motionDEALS ended up passing unanimously. The committee wasOF looking THE to ap- SPARTAN STATE prove the purchase of $168,000 worth of smart TVs and interactive$DA panelsY$ and desktops for teachers. DuringPG. 3 discus- sion surrounding the proposal, Super- intendent of Schools Dr. David DeRuosi also noticed that included in this pack- age would be purchases of iPads and ad- ditional Chromebooks. Also, Saugus is looking to purchase a $30,000 Ford F-250 pickup truck and budgeted $73,358 for two student activity vans as well as $32,923 for a snow-removal vehicle. Chair Tom Whittredge noted that in the past this would have been some- thing that the committee could only dream of doing, but now it has become a reality. “This is stuff that, when you run for School Committee, you hope to get,” he said. “And we’re kind of getting every- thing in this one package, because we made some smart decisions as far as COVID went.” During the discussion, committee member Arthur Grabowski questioned the need for the pickup truck, which DeRuosi addressed by noting that there ITEM PHOTO | JULIA HOPKINS have been discussions for several years Members of the St. Mary’s baseball team celebrate after winning the Division 2 state champion- regarding the purchase of a utility vehi- ship for the second straight season on Thursday afternoon. The Spartans won the title in 2019 cle for the district. “It will make the work of moving before the pandemic canceled the 2020 season. products in the district easier,” DeRuo- MIKE ALONGI si said. “A truck is easier to load than a van. I know that trying to bring the COMMENTARY district’s vehicle up to code has been on my watchlist.” DeRuosi also noted that the commit- St. Mary’s wins title. Repeat. St. Mary’s wins title. tee had tried to bring in new vehicles in the past, and were hoping to foster HOPKINTON — When the final Derek Dana and assistant coach an entire missed season in the mid- a partnership with a local garage for out was made on the field at Hopkin- Tim Fila played — as well as the St. dle of title wins. The Spartans had maintenance. The superintendent add- ton High School Thursday afternoon, John’s Prep baseball teams in 1999 an incredibly talented group that ed that the student vans are so outdat- the St. Mary’s baseball team joined and 2000 as the most recent local was supposed to come back to defend ed that it would cost less to buy new one of the most exclusive clubs a squads to take home two straight in 2020, but there was no guarantee ones compared to updating the vehicles team can belong to — the club of baseball titles. coming into 2021 that this group they already have. back-to-back baseball state champi- And yet, this accomplishment by would be ready to make the jump With schools hoping to return to some sense of normalcy in the upcom- ons. St. Mary’s will always be a little that it did. But I suppose we should have ing school year, DeRuosi said that the The Spartans join the likes of the bit different. As impressive as all of known. Dana is a great coach who committee won’t have the money to 1987 and 1988 St. Mary’s baseball those other teams’ accomplishments teams — on which both Head Coach were, none of them had to deal with ST. MARY’S, A6 TECHNOLOGY, A6 THOR JOURGENSEN Diverse People COMMENTARY United freedom West Lynn march July 4 life lessons By Sam Minton ITEM STAFF Paul McCormack, Jimmy Impe- LYNN — July 4 is a day where Americans rial and Tom Lennon agree that celebrate the freedom of this great nation, Paul Lenzie — an unassuming but how can one do that when, truly, not guy I remember from my days everyone is free? working in the Item building To address this discrepancy, Diverse Peo- on Exchange Street — was Mc- ple United, a Lynn organization whose Donough Square’s baddest of mission is to “create transformative heal- the bad in his day. But the life- ing through cooperative community-based long friends insist they held their actions” will be marching on the holiday. own against all comers and nev- They hope to make a statement that the er backed down when it came to ITEM PHOTO | SPENSER HASAK BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) proclaiming West Lynn’s great- Member of Diverse People United, from left, Communications and community isn’t able to enjoy the freedom ness. Strategy director Luara Adrien, President Anthony Coleman, Out- The West Lynn natives (mi- that is supposed to be celebrated. reach and Education Director Barbara Okeny and Vice President Neil The organization is still rather young — nus running buddy Danny Len- Whittredge, as well as Co-founder Letty Coleman (not pictured) are non) regaled me for three hours organizing the Occupy Wyoma Square march on July 4. FREEDOM, A7 during a storm-swept Red Sox game about the days when $50 was a princely sum to be paid and “government cheese” was a meal INSIDE staple in big households where Nahant offers tips for July 4 safety incomes were stretched thin. Opinion Names like The Arena and The July 4 and the state Venice roll easily off the trio’s of freedom. A4 By Sam Minton wealth respond to hundreds of matches, lighters and lighter flu- tongues along with accompany- ITEM STAFF fires involving grills, hibachis or id away from their kids. LOOK! barbecues each year. The National Fire Protection ing stories about punches thrown Longtime Lynnfield NAHANT — With the Fourth The Nahant Fire Department Association reports 19,700 pa- and really rough joints where Town Hall employee of July holiday soon approaching, “everybody got a gun or a knife wanted to remind residents to tients make trips to emergency Maureen Lanpher is Nahant is reminding residents when they walked into the place.” always grill outdoors and to keep rooms due to grill fires every year. honored. A8 to stay safe when flipping those The local bookie held court in children and pets at least three The association also noted that hamburgers and hot dogs. a local “spa” and outfitted the feet away from grills. Children nearly 40 percent of contact-type Sports According to the Massachusetts should also never play near grills neighborhood ball team with all St. John’s lacrosse burns involve children five years Department of Fire Services, fire or propane cylinders, and par- wins Division 1 state departments across the common- ents should make sure to keep all JOURGENSEN, A6 title. B1 SAFETY, A6 OBITUARIES ..............................A2 LOOK! .......................................A8 DIVERSIONS .............................B5 HIGH 66° VOL. 142, ISSUE 175 OPINION ...................................A4 SPORTS ................................ B1-2 CLASSIFIED ........................... B6-7 LOW 58° POLICE/FIRE .............................A5 COMICS ....................................B4 ENTERTAINMENT .......................B8 PAGE A8 $1.50 A2 THE DAILY ITEM FRIDAY JULY 2, 2021 OBITUARIES Lawrence Beckford, 83 Carol Ann Meechin, 82 Scott M. Gilbert, 42 1938 - 2021 1938 - 2021 1979 - 2021 BUSHNELL - Lawrence Ed- LYNN - Carol Ann (Borders) LYNN - Scott M Gilbert, 42, ward Beckford Meechin, age 82, passed away of Lynn, died unexpectedly on April 25th, 1938 - June 24th, at Kaplan Hospice House in Sunday June 27, 2021. Born 2021 Danvers on Wednesday, June in Salem, he was the son of Beloved by his family and 30, 2021 surrounded by her Denise Gilbert of Lynn and Mi- friends. Lawrence was born loving family. chael Gilbert of Maine. in Melrose, Massachusetts Born in Swampscott, MA Scott was employed as a and lived in Lake Panasoffkee on July 30, 1938, she was warehouse worker and most Florida with his wife Patricia the daughter of the late Les- recently was working for Fitz- Beckford. He is survived by ter and Dorothy (Dill) Borders. gerald Tile. his siblings; Jean Davis, Ruth Carol was a graduate of Lynn Scott enjoyed the outdoors Beckford, Betty Burpee, and English. She then went on to and was an avid fisherman James Blowers. He additional- work as a bookkeeper for GLSS who fished throughout the wa- ly had two late siblings, Phillip in Lynn for many years until her ters on the North Shore and and May Blowers.