DEALS OF THE $DAY$ PG. 3 FRIDAY, AUGUST 13, 2021 DEALS OF THE Lynn City Council turns a deaf ear to MAPC$DAY$ PG. 3 By Allysha Dunnigan to an inability for the Council rina Oliver-Milchman, chief of COVID-19 protocols restricting pate remotely by having some- ITEM STAFF Chambers to incorporate a vir- housing and neighborhood de- staff from attending any meet- one come and set up the presen- tual presentation. velopment at the MAPC and ings where masks are not re- tation in the Council Chambers LYNN — The Metropolitan It was another setback for ad- the consultant enlisted to create quired, since the Delta variant at City Hall. Area Planning Council (MAPC) vocates of the affordable hous- Housing Lynn, were very ex- has been rapidly spreading and Although Draisen said this was scheduled to present the ing plan, which was complet- cited to present the plan to the another surge is ongoing. has been doneDEALS multiple times city’s proposed housing produc- ed in March but has yet to be council members and answer Draisen said he sent a letter for them in other public meet- tion plan, “Housing Lynn: A Plan presented to the City Council, their questions, but were disap- to City Council President and ings across theOF state, THE Cyr said the amount of information and for Inclusive Growth,” to the which has to approve the docu- pointed when they learned their mayoral candidate Darren Cyr questions that$ would $coincide City Council and answer ques- ment. virtual participation could not last Friday informing him they DAY with this presentation would tions during Tuesday night’s MAPC Executive Director be accommodated. could not attend the meeting in PG. 3 meeting, but audio issues led Marc Draisen said he and Ka- The MAPC has implemented person, and offered to partici- MAPC, A6 SwampscottDEALS OF THE wants$DA toY$ PG. 3 turn down the noiseDEALS By Sam OFMinton THE ITEM STAFF$ $ SWAMPSCOTT — TheDA SelectY Board approved a letter WednesdayPG. 3 that will be sent to Massachusetts Port Authori- ty (Massport) regarding noise-reduction recommendations at Logan Airport in Boston. During its meeting, the Select Board combed through the letter to ensure that the proper points were being raised. Board members wanted to make sure that the focus was on Swampscott and that a meeting could be set up for town officials to talk with representa- tives from Massport. Brigham and Women’s, Dana Farber The recommendations, which the Bos- ton airport received in 2018 as part of an MIT-led study, would shift 25 per- conduct skin-cancer tests in Nahant cent of incoming flights so that they fly over the Nahant Causeway. In prior By Sam Minton their way to Nahant Beach to offer free Grant Bennett of meetings, board members argued for ITEM STAFF spot checks and skin-cancer screenings for Belmont receives the path to be shifted so that instead of beachgoers. a free skin-cancer going over Swampscott, flights would go NAHANT — On a bright and sunny The van has been coming to Nahant for over the water. Thursday, residents got a chance to en- screening from Dr. six years now, and Sabrina Gonzalez from Jacqui Kemp at “We don’t believe this study goes far sure that they are staying safe from the Brigham and Women’s and Dana Farber enough in considering how to eliminate sun’s rays thanks to Brigham and Wom- Nahant Beach on said that it’s a great beach for the van to Thursday. the entirety of noise impact on all res- en’s Hospital and the Dana Farber Cancer visit. idents of Massachusetts,” said Town Institute. “(Skin cancer is) very prevalent, but it’s Administrator Sean Fitzgerald. “We are After not coming to the beach in 2020 very treatable with early detection,” she ITEM PHOTO | SPENSER HASAK seeking more information from Mass- due to COVID-19, the Blum Van and its team of certified dermatologists made CANCER, A6 NOISE, A6 ZBA sued Councilor shares his by Peabody story as a refugee By Allysha Dunnigan neighbors ITEM STAFF LYNN — City Councilor-at-Large Hong Net published his By Anne Marie Tobin first book “Given a Chance: A Story of Strength, Survival and ITEM STAFF Success” on Aug. 4, discussing his life in Cambodia as a ref- ugee and orphan, his move to the United States and his life PEABODY — A group of dissatisfied abut- ever since. ters has filed a lawsuit against the Zoning Net was born in the small, peaceful village of Chi Kha in the Board of Appeals seeking to overturn its July province of Koh Kong in southwestern Cambodia. He was 6 14 decision to issue a comprehensive permit years old when civil war broke out in the nation and turned to Hemisphere Development Group (HSG) his life upside down. for a 133-unit Chapter 40B housing project at the former J.B. Thomas Hospital property Net was eventually separated from his family; his mother on King Street. and brother died during this time and Net was sent to labor The complaint, filed Aug. 11 in Salem Su- camps known as the “Killing Fields,” where he worked from 6 perior Court, alleges the board violated the a.m. to 10 p.m. to earn one bowl of rice soup per day. open meeting law by denying “the residents These fields got their name from the constant execution of of Peabody due process as they either stifled people suspected to be spies or those who were educated and public comment or deprived the public access deemed a liability, as well as their tendency to lead to death to their meetings.” from starvation. The complaint cites numerous meetings ITEM PHOTO | SPENSER HASAK Net said that during his time there, children were beaten, in which members of the public were not forced to watch executions and had to work in the heat and allowed to speak and/or did not receive ad- City Councilor-at-Large Hong Net reflects on rain. equate notice. his time as a refugee in Cambodia, Thailand, After four years there, Net was forced to go into the moun- ZBA, A7 and Vietnam in his new book, “Given a Chance”. NET, A6 INSIDE: Opinion Saugus High graduate In Swampscott, super ado about nothing. A4 Sports Puccia is a (Air) Force Peabody West falls to By Sam Minton my; graduating from the Air Connecticut. B1 ITEM STAFF Force Academy sure put him LOOK! on the right path. I’m very SAUGUS — Frank Puccia Jourgensen: proud of him for his accom- has plenty of reasons to be I’ve been curious since I plishments.” proud of his son, Christopher. could walk. A8 Whenever a high school stu- Christopher Puccia was re- dent is reaching the end of Lianne Kamp’s “On Ev- cently promoted to a lieutenant their academic career, parents eryone’s Lips” piece on colonel in the U.S. Air Force always wonder what their child display at GALA’s latest during a ceremony in San An- will want to do after graduat- exhibition, “Pop Art + tonio, Texas. ing. That’s exactly how Chris- Streetstyle.” Story and U.S Air Force Lt. “I’m proud of him of course,” topher’s father found out that photos on LOOK! A8. Christopher Puccia said the elder Puccia. “He put he wanted to go into the armed in the hard work. He had an ITEM PHOTO | SPENSER HASAK aim for success in the acade- AIR FORCE, A7 OBITUARIES ..............................A2 LOOK! .......................................A8 DIVERSIONS .............................B5 HIGH 88° VOL. 142, ISSUE 210 OPINION ...................................A4 SPORTS ................................ B1-2 CLASSIFIED ........................... B6-7 LOW 74° POLICE/FIRE .............................A5 COMICS ....................................B4 ENTERTAINMENT .......................B8 PAGE A8 $1.50 A2 THE DAILY ITEM FRIDAY, AUGUST 13, 2021 OBITUARIES Republicans take to mask wars John J. Gargalianos LYNN - John J. Gargalianos, as virus surges in red states 89, of Lynn, formerly of Pea- By Will Weissert body, died peacefully after a ASSOCIATED PRESS relatively brief illness. Son of the late John and Catherine WASHINGTON — Top Gargalianos, John is survived Republicans are battling by his wife, Diana (Pavlis), son school districts in their own Peter with his children Mya and states' urban, heavily Dem- Allison, son Steven with his ocratic areas over whether children Jocelyn, Jaron, and students should be required Jackson, Godchildren Virginia to mask up as they head and Athena, sister-in-law Kath- back to school — reignit- erine, as well as nieces, neph- ing ideological divides over ews, and cousins, all of whom mandates even as the latest he loved dearly. He was pre- coronavirus surge ravages deceased by his sister Freda the reddest, most unvacci- and brothers George, Angelo nated parts of the nation. (Lucky), and Tom. Republican Gov. Ron De- John served in the U.S. Navy, Santis of Florida has issued Submarine Division during the Senior Championship in 1987. an executive order threat- For years, John was an active Korean Conict. He worked for ening to cut funding from member of the Brotherhood of IBM until he established his school districts that defy a own business, Ofce Products Freemasonry. He was a Past statewide ban on classroom Services, in 1972. As an active Master of both the Amity-Mo- PHOTO | ASSOCIATED PRESS mask mandates. He's now member of the local business saic Lodge and the Jordan suggesting his ofce could Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis answers questions related to school open- community, he was bestowed Lodge, and was recognized ings and the wearing of masks in Surfside, Fla. the Distinguished Service with numerous honors includ- direct ofcials to withhold Award by the Lynn Chamber of ing the Joseph Warren Medal pay from superintendents purple state of Virginia has Brendan Steinhauser, a Re- porters to the parking lot Commerce.