MONDAY, MAY 10, 2021 ReachArts Peabody is planning means rst Garden business Art Walk in for local Swampscott rms By Tréa Lavery By Anne Marie Tobin ITEM STAFF ITEM STAFF SWAMPSCOTT — With the pan- PEABODY — The Pea- demic shutting down all of its indoor body Area Chamber of events, ReachArts has decided to Commerce and the city’s take the art outside this summer. Health Department are The organization will hold its rst teaming together on a we- Garden Art Walk on Sunday, June binar to update local busi- 11. Local artists will be able to show- nesses on issues they are case their work and give demonstra- facing as the state contin- ITEM PHOTO | SPENSER HASAK tions while surrounded by the beauty ues to relax its COVID-19 of neighborhood gardens. Brothers Dylan, 4, left, and Diego Cardonas, 7, wait for their mother, Gaby, to guidelines. “The goal is to get people outside collect a month’s worth of diapers and other essential items during United “Throughout the pan- and moving, and just being able to Way’s Community Baby Shower at the Demakes Family YMCA on Saturday. demic, the Peabody Health appreciate what people are doing,” Department has worked said ReachArts Co-President Heidi closely with businesses to Shear. United Way hosts baby help them implement the Shear explained that the organi- statewide COVID protocols zation had hoped in the past to hold necessary for them to oper- a studio tour event, where local art- ate safely,” said Director of ists show their workspaces, but that shower for 150 Lynn families Health Sharon Cameron. COVID-19 had stopped them from “As the public health data doing so. By Elyse Carmosino expectant Lynn families struggling with the improves, many of the re- Attendees will receive a map that ITEM STAFF economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic strictions are being modi- will list the participating gardens. In with a one-month supply of diapers, wipes, LYNN — Families lined up at the Demakes ed. We appreciate the op- addition to the art, the event will in- and other necessities — as well as $75 Visa portunity to partner with clude activities for children, such as Family YMCA ahead of Mother’s Day Satur- and Amazon gift cards — to help care for day to receive newborn necessities as part of the PACC and its members clay pot painting and other craft and their newborns. to answer any questions gardening activities, and a treasure a community baby shower hosted by interna- “It’s really great to watch the communities tional nonpro t organization United Way. businesses owners have hunt. rally together to help ll a need that often goes about the upcoming phases “There’s something that will engage Held in partnership with Catholic Char- unaddressed but is actually very important,” ities of Greater Boston and Lynn Economic of reopening.” GARDEN, A3 Opportunity (LEO), the event provided 150 YMCA, A3 The event will be held on Wednesday from 9:30 — 10:30 a.m. There is no charge to participate. Cameron and Public Saugus board vice chair seeks virus-victim vigil Health Nurse Chassea Robinson, RN, MPH, will By Elyse Carmosino of their own), and unfortunately, as Since the COVID-19 pandemic be- provide updates on the ITEM STAFF time starts going by, (people) tend to gan last March, the Massachusetts COVID vaccine, recently forget, so I would really like to see Department of Public Health has announced modi cations SAUGUS — Board of Selectmen the town to start thinking of a way reported 4,129 cases of COVID-19 Vice Chair Corinne Riley is request- to the state’s COVID guide- to have a vigil in memory of all those in Saugus. According to the Saugus lines regulations and will ing to hold a vigil in honor of the who were taken from us.” Health Department, this includes 72 also provide information dozens of Saugus citizens who have Town Manager Scott Crabtree deaths. about the vaccination op- so far lost their lives during the expressed his support for the idea In the last two weeks alone, the de- tions available for busi- COVID-19 pandemic. said the town will look into nding partment reported 40 active cases of nesses to help get their em- “I’d like to see the town start plan- someone who can help facilitate the COVID-19 in the community. ployees vaccinated. ning a vigil memorial for those who event. Details for the vigil have not been Health Department part- were taken during this COVID pan- “I’m obviously willing to help and nalized, but Riley said of cials are ners, Christian Hassel and demic,” Riley said. “Several com- support (the effort),” Crabtree said. munities have already held (vigils “We’ll talk about it.” VIGIL, A3 Corinne Riley PACC, A3 NU asks Gimme a ... What? Nahant to Joan Wiendczak still cheering reconsider after all these years in Lynn By Steve Krause structor. She will do anything, offer prior Joan ITEM STAFF say anything, act in any way Wiendczak is that she feels will brighten a LYNN — Joan Wiendczak to Town the longest student’s day and make all the tenured proudly wears the cheerlead- kids who she teaches feel com- educator in ing uniform she wore when fortable and loved. Meeting Lynn Public she was in high school. That Her teaching career has Schools at wouldn’t seem too unusual ex- spanned superintendents By Elyse Carmosino J. Leo McGuinness, George 66 years old. cept that she wore it in 1972 ITEM STAFF — when she graduated from Laubner, James Leonard, And she can James Mazareas, Nicholas NAHANT — Northeast- still wear Classical High School. She’s been known to wear Kostan, Catherine Latham ern University is once her Classical and Patrick Tutwiler. At this again butting heads with High School that uniform at Classical pep rallies, where she taught for point in her life, she says, she the town over an offer the cheerleading sits alone on top of the city’s more than 40 years, before school made in September uniform. seniority list for teachers. taking her physical education 2020 to place a conserva- “This has never been work to tion restriction on roughly ITEM PHOTO | show on the road in the Lynn eight acres of its property SPENSER HASAK Public Schools as a oating in- CHEERLEADER, A2 east of Murphy Bunker. Of cials from Northeast- ern say the offer — which includes the addition of public walking trails, a permanent easement to ensure continued public access to Canoe Beach, and INSIDE $6 million in community bene ts to mitigate con- Lynn struction impacts of the Council forms school’s proposed expan- committee to sion to its Marine Science combat illegal Center — was unnecessar- reworks use. A3 ily rejected by the Board of Selectmen ahead of Na- Opinion Salem State’s vision hant’s May 15 Town Meet- for a sustainable ing, during which residents future. A4 will vote on a motion to en- act eminent domain over Sports the property known as Pioneers drop a East Point. heartbreaker. B1 “This (offer) would give the town for free what it is asking residents to spend NAHANT, A2 OBITUARIES ..............................A2 LOOK! .......................................A8 DIVERSIONS .............................B5 HIGH 56° VOL. 142, ISSUE 129 OPINION ...................................A4 SPORTS ................................ B1-2 CLASSIFIED ...............................B6 LOW 47° POLICE/FIRE .............................A5 COMICS ....................................B4 PAGE A8 $1.50 A2 THE DAILY ITEM MONDAY, MAY 10, 2021 OBITUARIES Ronald Arthur Beckett, 83 NU asks Nahant to reconsider 1937 - 2021 SWAMPSCOTT - Ronald Ar- with multiple licenses for sev- offer prior to Town Meeting thur Beckett, born in Lynn MA eral aircraft including Helicop- on June 4th 1937, died unex- ters. He was so passionate for NAHANT pectedly on May 1st. the machine trade he From A1 He was pre-de- became the founder ceased by his par- and past president of $1.5 million on in Commu- ents Arthur and Irma the Lynn Tech Alumni. nity Preservation Act funds (Haskell) Beckett. He His hobbies included to take by eminent domain,” leaves behind his lov- Fine Woodworking, Northeastern spokesman ing wife Lillian J. (Fin- Marathon Running, Michael Ferrari said. negan) Beckett; their children: Boating and Fishing. He had a In a statement also pro- William & Jennifer Ackerman, compassion for helping others vided to The Item, Board Dr. Robert & Laura Ackerman, and was a true family man. of Selectmen Chair Joshua Jeffrey Bird & Bonnie & Gary Service Information: His Antrim argued the offer — Zigelbaum; as well as 6 Grand- funeral will be held on Mon- rejected by the board last children & 4 Great Grandsons day, May 10, 2021 at 12PM September on the grounds Ron was a graduate of Lynn in the SOLIMINE FUNERAL that the proposal would Trade Class of 1955. He at- HOME, 67 Ocean St (Rt 1A), force Nahant to drop its tended Northeastern Universi- Lynn. Burial will be in Pine pending litigation and em- ty for Engineering. He was a Grove Cemetery. Visitation inent domain enactment master machinist whose pas- will be from 10AM-12PM, in exchange for a “fraction” sion for Machining, Machine prior to the funeral. In lieu of what the town seeks — is misleading and makes Design and Company Manage- of flowers, donations may be ITEM PHOTO | JULIA HOPKINS ment took him to become the made to the Special Olym- little sense in conjunction owner of American Mechanical pics, PO Box 809, Hudson, with the university’s pro- Signs against Northeastern expansion face the Northeastern campus on Machine Shop and also The MA 01749-0809. Guest- posed plans. East Point on Nahant. Beckett Group (Manufactures book at www.solimine.com “The easement to Canoe Representative).