TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2019 Yesterday . and today ITEM PHOTO | OLIVIA FALCIGNO Lynn City Hall has worn the years well since its Sept. 7, 1949 dedication (top) to today’s 70th-year celebration, 5-7 p.m., in Veterans’ Memorial lobby. OBITUARIES ..............................A4 LOOK! .......................................A8 COMICS/DIVERSIONS ........... B7-8 HIGH 72° VOL. 141, ISSUE 232 OPINION ...................................A6 SPORTS ................................ B1-4 ENTERTAINMENT .......................B9 LOW 66° POLICE/FIRE .............................A7 CLASSIFIED ........................... B5-6 BUSINESS ..............................B10 PAGE A8 ONE DOLLAR A2 THE DAILY ITEM TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2019 TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2019 THE DAILY ITEM A3 Saugus is an MVP in fight against climate change By Bridget Turcotte infrastructure to update tense and frequent storms eligible for MVP Action statement. “We are eager grant, a certified MVP pro- ITEM STAFF the town’s Hazard Mitiga- have caused an increase in Grant funding to complete to work with all cities and vider will be hired to assess tion Plan, drafted in 2014. inland and coastal flood- necessary projects. towns across the Common- the effects of climate change SAUGUS — The state is “The Town of Saugus is ing in recent years, said Saugus is one of 27 com- wealth to identify their pri- in the town and help with giving Saugus $33,000 to willing and dedicated to Crabtree. munities to be award- ority resilience actions and community outreach. Once plan for climate change. addressing and helping The Municipal Vulnera- ed funding through this get those projects off the priorities are identified, The money comes from mitigate adverse weath- bility Preparedness grant round of grants. ground.” there may be design stud- the state Executive Of- er impacts due to climate program (MVP) provides “The continued growth of This funding will provide ies, local bylaw changes, fice of Energy and Envi- change or other unfore- support for cities and the MVP Program demon- the necessary resources for redesigns, and natural in- ronmental Affairs and its seen circumstances in or- towns in Massachusetts strates communities’ in- the town to identify hazards, frastructure and storm pro- Municipal Vulnerabili- der to continue to improve to plan for resiliency and terest and readiness to challenges and strengths, tection measures taken. ty Preparedness (MVP) the safety and security of implement key climate address the growing chal- and prepare for future cli- Planning Grant program. our residents,” said Town change adaptation actions lenge of climate change,” mate adaptation actions to Bridget Turcotte can It will be used to mitigate Manager Scott Crabtree. for resiliency. Once a city said Energy and Envi- address current vulnerabil- be reached at bturcotte@ future flooding impacts on Saugus applied for the or town is designated an ronmental Affairs Secre- ities, said Crabtree. itemilve.com. Follow her on residents and the town’s funding because more in- MVP community, they are tary Matthew Beaton in a Using money from the Twitter @BridgetTurotte. Lynn Crighton: License church undocumented vandalized immigrants By Gayla Cawley By Thomas Grillo every child,” Jones said. ITEM STAFF ITEM STAFF “Supporters like to say if you’re against this bill, LYNN — Two icons at the St. BOSTON — State Sen. you are anti-immigrant. George Greek Orthodox Church Brendan Crighton said That’s not true.” were vandalized with “anti-Chris- it’s time for undocument- At the hearing, more tian” symbolism over the weekend, ed immigrants to have than 400 supporters, in- which a parish official believes was a the right to get a driver’s cluding doctors, social personal attack against the church. license. workers and law enforce- The vandalism was discovered But the Lynn Democrat ment officers, filled the Saturday afternoon, but church offi- acknowledged the mea- room to argue that test- cials believe it happened on Friday sure faces hurdles, in part, ed and insured drivers night. because Gov. Charlie Bak- will make the roads safer Two of the church’s icons, an im- er is holding a stop sign. for everyone. They want age of the Virgin Mary and one de- The Work and Family every driver to know the picting Saint George, the saint for Mobility Act, which was rules of the road, pass a whom the church is named, were de- the subject of a hearing driver’s test, and be reg- faced with “anti-Christian” and “an- last week on Beacon Hill, istered and insured to en- ti-religious” graffiti, with references was filed by Crighton and sure public safety. to the devil and to anarchy, accord- state Reps. Tricia Far- But not everyone who ing to Arthur Argeros, president of ley-Bouvier (D-Pittsfield) spoke was in favor of the the parish council. and Christine Barber proposal. There was more graffiti on the face (D-Somerville). If passed, Bristol County Sheriff of the South Common Street build- it would eliminate the re- Thomas Hodgson, whose ing. Spray-painted symbols included quirement to be a citizen positions align with Pres- an upside down cross, the number to qualify for a standard ident Donald Trump, said 666, and an A with a circle, which driver’s license. he’s opposed. represents anarchy, Argeros said. “Fourteen other states “Let me be perfectly “It was basically a hate crime,” have passed this, in- clear on this … passing said Argeros. “(It was) hurtful. It cluding Puerto Rico and these bills will make it was an attack against the church Washington D.C., and even easier for criminal and Christianity. It was targeted be- the sky hasn’t fallen,” illegal aliens to evade cause they put it on the two icons.” Crighton said. “It’s not a law enforcement and vic- Lynn Police is investigating the in- radical idea. Citizenship timize law-abiding U.S. cident, which Lt. Rick Donnelly said has nothing to do with a citizens and Massachu- was reported to the department on person’s ability to safely setts residents,” he told Sunday. He said there were at least drive.” the panel according to a three other incidents of similar van- Proponents say licens- transcript. “Making ille- dalism that occurred in the same ing undocumented resi- gal immigrants eligible general area over the weekend. The An A with a circle was spray-painted onto St. George Greek Or- dents will increase public for official Massachusetts same paint was used to depict the thodox Church. safety, reduce the number driver’s licenses is not same markings, Donnelly said. of hit and run accidents, only wrong, but it’s reck- “It appears to be related (and) it they need to heal their troubled Saugus line. build trust between im- less. It will have a nega- could be the same person,” Donnelly souls.” “We’re all appalled by it,” said City migrants and police, and tive effect on the public said. The Greek Orthodox community Councilor-at-Large Brian LaPierre. increase revenue for the safety of the people of the St. George has surveillance cam- in Lynn was incorporated on April “To happen at a church brings it to cash-strapped state. commonwealth.” There are an estimated eras, Argeros said, but they were 5, 1905. A pioneer group of Greek the next level. It’s saddening. It’s Gov. Charlie Baker told 185,000 undocumented turned off because of an ongoing people established the church for troubling. As elected officials, we’re reporters he does not sup- immigrants in Massa- construction project. the purpose of perpetrating their re- asking for it to stop. We’re asking for port the legislation. chusetts, according to the The vandalism at the church ligious and cultural heritage, which the culprits to be prosecuted.” “My problem with giv- was condemned by Metropolitan Massachusetts Budget & has since grown into one of the larg- Hateful vandalism is not welcome ing licenses to people who Methodios, the spiritual leader of Policy Center, a non-par- est religious congregations, not only and will not be tolerated in a diverse are undocumented is just the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of tisan policy research cen- in the city of Lynn, but also in the city like Lynn, added LaPierre. that,” he said, according Boston, which includes all of Mas- ter in Boston. If the mea- Greek Archdiocese of America, ac- Councilor-at-Large Brian Field to a transcript. “There’s sachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, said the uptick in similar acts of sure passes, advocates no documentation to back Rhode Island, Vermont and four cording to a history of St. George on say about a third of them its website. vandalism in the past few months is up the fact that they are towns in Connecticut. will get licenses. Allowing who they say they are The vandalism at the church, disturbing, but that it’s prompted a “The clergy and laity that com- these drivers to obtain and a driver’s license is a which occurred a week after its pop- necessary discussion. prise the Metropolis of Boston join licenses regardless of im- passport to a lot of things, ular annual “St. George Lynn Gre- “To see something like this, it’s me in expressing our sadness over certainly targeted,” said Field. “It’s migration status could and I think our view is cian Festival,” was also denounced the criminal vandalism perpetrat- not a little kid playing around. It’s generate as much as $6 the law we passed, which by several city officials. The incident million in the first three ed against the St. George Parish in certainly filled with hate (and) dis- basically says as long as follows several other recent instanc- years in fees to the state, Lynn,” said Metropolitan Methodios criminatory. It hurts a lot of people. you have lawful presence and it’s expected to lower in a statement.