TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2016 BREAKING NEWS: Dept. of Ed HILLARY WINS* threatens By Gayla Cawley to withhold ITEM STAFF SWAMPSCOTT — They may not be old enough to vote, but Swamp- $11 million scott Middle School students had their voices heard on Monday. The middle school held a mock election, where 720 students and from Lynn some staff members voted. In charge of the polls in the school’s By Thomas Grillo library were Natalie Paine, the ITEM STAFF The talking and cam- computer teacher, and Abby Rog- ers, the seventh grade social stud- LYNN — The state Department of Educa- paigning is over. It’s time for tion is threatening to withhold $11 million in voters to decide. ies teacher. Throughout the day, sev- school funds this month until City Hall ponies Polls open by 7 a.m. across up its school spending money. Massachusetts and close at enth-graders checked in students to vote and then tabulated the re- “We consider this very serious,” John J. Sul- 8 p.m. The Secretary of the livan, associate commissioner, told The Item. Commonwealth of Mas- sults into a spreadsheet that pro- vided graphs that refreshed as bal- “I would not hold out Chapter 70 payment if I sachusetts Elections and didn’t think so, this is not common at all.” lots were counted. Voting online site provides In a letter to Mayor Judith Flanagan Ken- “We get to see what goes on quick, easy-to-navigate nedy on Monday, Sullivan said a review of the when adults vote,” said 12-year- information on polling place city’s scal year end nancial report discov- old Marin Mercer when she was locations and local ballots. ered that Lynn was in violation of state law. checking out students. Voters should make allow- “Your plan stated that in scal year 2016 ances for travel times, park- Sophie DiGrande, 13, a sev- through 2019 the city would appropriate $2.2 ing and lines at the polls. enth-grader checking out students million in addition to each year’s net school Secretary of State William with Mercer, agreed. She said spending requirement … the city did not even Galvin on Monday said he the process lets them know what meet the FY16 net school spending require- expects a “very high turnout” they’ll be doing when they turn 18. ment and you have not budgeted suf ciently to with voters deciding the All students voted for presi- meet the city’s obligation in FY17,” Sullivan’s presidential race and four dent. Seventh- and eighth-grad- letter said. “I need to inform you that violation statewide ballot questions. ers voted on all four ballot ques- of this agreement is serious and will require Essex County voters will tions, while sixth grade ballots immediate attention.” also decide the race for MOCK ELECTION, A7 Kennedy was unavailable for comment. In an Essex County Sheriff and ITEM PHOTO | OWEN O’ROURKE emailed statement she wrote, “I just received the 9th Essex District state Kyle Marlin, left, and Sophie DiGrande the letter from the Department of Elementa- representative race. work the check-out table during mock * IN SWAMPSCOTT ry and Secondary Education. I have asked the election at Swampscott Middle School. MIDDLE SCHOOL chief nancial of cer to review the gures pre- sented, and if we have an additional funding obligation to the schools, we will certainly ad- dress it promptly.” Peter Caron, the city’s chief nancial of - cer, declined to comment, and School Super- Lynn intendent Dr. Catherine Latham could not be reached for comment. By law, school districts are required to spend couple a certain amount of money annually. In Lynn, that gure was $191.9 million in scal year 2016 and $197.4 million in 2017. To help meet that requirement, Lynn is provided with alleges state aid to public schools, known as Chapter 70 money, which covers most local education costs. Lynn received $147 million for scal fraud year 2016. But in addition, the city must come up with By Thomas Grillo $2.2 million annually to supplement their re- ITEM STAFF quired net school spending over four years to phase in retirees’ insurance costs as a contri- LYNN — A local couple is al- bution to net school spending. That solution leging that a bankrupt Lowell in- is aimed at solving a problem, in Lynn’s case, vestment rm and a North Ando- that dates back a decade. ver lawyer engineered a series of At the heart of the problem is a formula fraudulent mortgage transactions calculating how retired teachers’ health in- that led to the loss of their home. surance costs are counted toward “net school Samuel and Cynthia Maria Chy, spending,” a basic calculation outlining a com- Cambodian immigrants, allege that No munity’s contribution as to how much money Kevin Taing, president of Eastern public schools receive. Funding & Investment Inc., attor- Lynn is not permitted under state law to in- ney Herbert Weinberg and Kimber- clude retiree insurance costs toward net spend- ly Lim, Taing’s sister, led the Chys second ing. The excluded costs play a role in spending through bad loans and the bank- calculations. ruptcy sale of the couple’s home. “There was a law passed a few years ago to The 34-page complaint, led in count their retiree health insurance as part Middlesex Superior Court, alleges Betz of net school spending even though Lynn had that following Taing’s advice and not done so in the past,” said Sullivan. “But relying on Weinberg’s counsel, the Left, Cameron By Michele Durgin in order to do that they had to come up with Chys were left homeless. a four-year payment plan and agree to about Betz competing FOR THE ITEM “Taing walked away with tens $2.2 million in addition to their required net of thousands in profits, Weinberg at the NPC New LYNN — Bodybuilding contests have been around since school spending for that scal year.” walked away with thousands of England Cham- the 19th century, but one of the competition’s newest par- dollars in legal fees and Lim pionships for EDUCATION, A7 walked away with an investment bodybuilding, ticipants is a lifelong Lynn resident. property she purchased at a bar- in Boston, is a Cameron Betz, 18, has been involved in bodybuilding for gain discount,” the complaint stark contrast close to a year. He recently participated in his rst compe- said. to his senior tition, the NPC New England Championships, where he INSIDE The saga began in 2002 when portrait. placed third in the Teen Division. the Chys bought their three-fam- Held at The John Hancock Hall in Boston, the compe- LOOK! In Sports ily home on Harwood Street for PHOTO | CHRIS HAYDEN tition drew over 200 entrants competing in six divisions. Steve Miller Peabody girls soccer ies like an eagle team’s season ends FRAUD, A7 BETZ, A7 in Lynn. A8 in heartbreak. B1 Compassion embedded Robyn Frost, in Nahant Woman’s Club executive director of By Gayla Cawley The funds raised will likely reach more than Massachusetts ITEM STAFF $1,000, as Tides will kick in 10 percent of its Coalition for proceeds from the night the event was held, ac- the Homeless, NAHANT — The Nahant Woman’s Club re- cording to Cheryl Conte, president of the Wom- cently raised funds towards an initiative that takes inven- an’s Club. tory of bed aims to provide sweet dreams by bringing a bed Conte said the initiative appealed to the frames that to every child in need. club’s members because there are too many were bought The Woman’s Club hosted a fundraiser at the kids without beds. Tides Restaurant & Pub in Nahant last Thurs- “That’s something we can all relate to that we with money day, where the nonpro t raised $700 for “A need, in order to perform well in school and be raised by the Bed for Every Child,” an initiative of the Lynn- healthy,” she said. Nahant Wom- based Massachusetts Coalition for the Home- Robyn Frost, executive director of Massa- an’s Club. less. The goal of the program is to give children chusetts Coalition for the Homeless, said living in poverty twin beds so they can get a ITEM PHOTO | good night’s sleep. BEDDING, A7 OWEN O’ROURKE OBITUARIES ..............................A2 LOOK! .......................................A8 DIVERSIONS .............................B5 HIGH 59° VOL. 138, ISSUE 287 OPINION ...................................A4 SPORTS ................................ B1-3 CLASSIFIED ........................... B6-7 LOW 42° POLICE/FIRE .............................A6 COMICS ....................................B4 BUSINESS ................................B8 PAGE A8 ONE DOLLAR A2 THE DAILY ITEM TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2016 OBITUARIES Martin E. Burtman, 86 Hazel I. Kelley Menhaden, a 1937-2016 key ocean fish, LYNN — Mr. Martin E. Burt- of Swampscott and Paula LYNN — Hazel I. Kelley, a husband and Lynne Kelly all man, age 86, entered into rest Taub and her husband Alan of long time resident of Lynn, of Lynn and the late David R. Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016 at the Lynn. Three cherished grand- passed away peacefully at Kelley and Cindy-lou Kelley. in good shape Chelsea Jewish Nursing Home. children, Andrea Bernard, her home on Nov. 7, 2016. She was the sister of William He was the beloved husband Caren and her husband Dan She was the beloved wife of Forbes and wife, Mary Lee PORTLAND, Maine dition gives regulators an of the late Arlene Burtman. McEachern and Gail and her the late Leon E. Kelley. Born in Forbes and the late Norman Martin was a Korean War Vet- husband Amandio Neves. Six Medford, she was the daugh- S. Forbes Jr., John Forbes and (AP) — Interstate fishing opportunity to reevaluate eran, he served two tours in adored great grandchildren ter of the late Norman S.