SATURDAY, JANUARY 23, 2021 Salem WHEN MR. BIDEN CAME TO LYNN awaits That was Amazon then . Editor’s note: The Item’s Thor Jourgensen covered then-Vice delivery President Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s Oct. 29, 2014 speech in Lynn. By Guthrie Scrimgeour This is a reprint of the story. ITEM STAFF By Thor Jourgensen ITEM STAFF SALEM — The hiring process has begun at the new Ama- LYNN — Vice President zon delivery station in Salem, Joseph Biden rolled up his which company representa- sleeves and revved up more tives say will create more than than 200 people at the Lynn 100 full-time and part-time po- YMCA Wednesday to pump sitions. momentum into the nal days According to Amazon repre- of Democrat Seth Moulton’s sentative Emily Hawkins, the congressional campaign. delivery station, located on 20 Colonial Road off of Jefferson THEN, A3 Avenue, is scheduled to open in February. “I want to welcome Amazon . this Logistics to the Salem business community and am encouraged about the addition of hundreds of new jobs to our local econo- is now my,” said Salem Mayor Kim By Elyse Carmosino Driscoll. ITEM STAFF Job postings describe imme- diate openings for “warehouse LYNN — His charisma and team members” who would ability to connect with a crowd work “inside an Amazon ware- is what former Lynn YMCA house, selecting, packing and Branch Director Audrey shipping customer orders.” Jiménez remembers most While these job listings say about President Joseph R. that these positions start at Biden Jr.’s visit to Lynn nearly $15 an hour, a press release seven years ago. from Amazon stated that new “The minute you saw him employees at the Salem deliv- from far away, it was like he ery station would actually start lit up the space,” Jiménez said. at $15.45 an hour. “He turned on that smile and was so seemingly authentic SALEM, A2 that I think it really moved all of us. No one really expected it.” ITEM FILE PHOTO | OWEN O’ROURKE Then serving as vice presi- dent under President Barack Then-Vice President Joe Biden turned up at the Lynn YMCA for Seth Moulton’s cam- Obama, Biden’s appearance paign in October of 2014, touting the candidate’s attributes during his bid for the House of Representatives. NOW, A3 Marblehead Democratic Swampscott Committee driving food drive of cials take By Mike Alongi day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with drop-off do- ITEM STAFF nations accepted at the Marblehead Com- a shot at munity Center, located at 10 Humphrey St. MARBLEHEAD — As the North Shore This weekend’s food drive follows a num- continues to push through the winter ber of other food drives that took place in anti-vaxxers PHOTO | AMAZON months while dealing with COVID-19, local the lead-up to Dr. Martin Luther King Day, community organizations are stepping up when community organization, Swing Left Fire Fighters Union res back Amazon is hiring workers to help in any way they can. For the Mar- for the new Salem delivery North Shore/Cape Ann, dropped off bags of blehead Democratic Town Committee, that By Gayla Cawley station at 20 Colonial Road. food for local food pantries in Lynn, Swamp- means sponsoring a food drive to help people scott, Salem, Beverly and Gloucester. ITEM STAFF The station is set to open deal with the challenges of living through “Responding to the urgent needs of our next month and will employ the coronavirus pandemic. SWAMPSCOTT — The Swampscott more than 100 workers. The food drive will be Saturday and Sun- MARBLEHEAD, A2 Fire Fighters Union has taken issue with comments made during Wednes- day’s Select Board meeting, where several town of cials were critical of rst responders who chose not to get LATTES WITH vaccinated last week. Swampscott rst responders were among the rst in the area to receive LEGISLATORS COVID-19 vaccinations in neighbor- By Anne Marie Tobin cal business conditions and ing Marblehead last week. Police and ITEM STAFF share their outlooks for the re ghters from both towns were Peabody 2021 year. vaccinated as part of a regional effort PEABODY — The Pea- “The event is our answer that included three other communi- Chamber of body Chamber of Commerce to the Legislative Breakfast, ties: Beverly, Danvers, and Salem. (PACC) is giving residents our state of the region event State Sen. Peabody Mayor More than 700 rst responders Commerce a chance to hear from their of past years, which was a Joan B. Lovely Ted Bettencourt were vaccinated through that region- preparing elected of cials on Wednes- grand in-person event, but al effort, as part of the state’s phased day, Jan. 27 at a virtual state obviously we had to nd a vaccination program. However, Town to serve of the region address. different way of delivering Administrator Sean Fitzgerald said a virtual Espresso premier sponsor, the message to our mem- there were some individuals from the North Shore Bank, in con- bers,” said PACC Executive town’s police and re departments breakfast junction with the chamber, Director Beth Amico. “This is who chose not to get vaccinated. will be holding “Lattes with an opportunity for people to “There were some that I have ques- Legislators,” a virtual Zoom hear about the up-and-com- tioned why they didn’t get vaccinat- event in which Peabody ing things that pertain to ed,” said Fitzgerald. “We can’t force Mayor Ted Bettencourt, their business interests. In folks to get vaccinated. We’re going to State Sen. Joan B. Lovely, this new world, it is an honor ensure that they have access to vacci- State Rep. Thomas Walsh, to have the same legislators’ nations.” and State Rep. Sally Kerans State Rep. State Rep. will discuss the current lo- PEABODY, A5 Sally Kerans Thomas Walsh SWAMPSCOTT, A3 INSIDE Sports STOP THE SPREAD. FOLLOW THE RULES. Hank Aaron, baseball’s one-time home run king, STAY WEAR A MASK NO MORE THAN WASH YOUR HANDS dies at 86. B1 Opinion Shribman: Gorman, summoned to participate, is celebrated. A4 LOOK! FEET APART IN AN INDOOR10 GATHERING Tom Brokaw retiring from NBC News after 55 years. A8 OBITUARIES ..............................A2 LOOK! .......................................A8 DIVERSIONS .............................B5 LOW 18° VOL. 142, ISSUE 39 OPINION ...................................A4 SPORTS ................................ B1-2 CLASSIFIED ........................... B6-7 PAGE A8 $1.50 POLICE/FIRE .............................A5 COMICS ....................................B4 HIGH 27° VOL. 142, ISSUE A2 THE DAILY ITEM SATURDAY, JANUARY 23, 2021 OBITUARIES Marblehead out, but eight local Brian Antonellis, 46 LYNN - Brian Antonellis, of Lynn, age 46, died Tuesday communities remain in the red January 19th at Lahey Medical Center Burlington after a sud- By Gayla Cawley just barely. Its positive residents, according to the weeks, Salem’s positive den illness. Born in Waltham, ITEM STAFF rate of 12.87 percent is DPH. test rate is 7.63 percent 11th highest in the state, In Revere, 60 new cases and its daily incidence he was the son of Cynthia J. Marblehead is out of the according to the DPH. were reported on Friday to rate is 93.1, according to (Lang) Hawkins of Lynn and red this week, but eight the late Robert A. Antonellis. Lynn’s average daily in- bring the city’s total num- DPH and city data. other local North Shore cidence rate also declined bers to 8,516 cases and Brian attended Lynn schools communities are still Lynnfield (861 cases, 24 and graduated from Lynn Voca- this week, but still re- 135 deaths. Numbers were deaths) reported 47 new designated as having a mains high at 127.2 new not updated in Saugus, tional Technical Institute, Class cases on Friday, Mar- high risk for coronavirus cases per 100,000 resi- which had 3,060 cases and of 1992. He was employed as spread. blehead (919 cases, 31 a Plumber and worked for E. dents over the past two 58 deaths as of Thursday, Lynn, Lynnfield, Nah- weeks, the DPH reported. according to their commu- deaths) has reported 56 Amanti and Sons Mechanical ant, Peabody, Revere, Sa- new cases since last Fri- Contractors and JJRG Williams Ninety-one new cases nity websites. lem, Saugus, and Swamp- were reported in Lynn on Peabody, which has re- day, and Nahant (200 cas- Plumbing and Heating in Lynn. scott are in the red again Brian was a true Boston sports Friday to bring the city’s ported 101 new cases and es, six deaths) reported 10 this week, based on their caseload 13,872. Of that two additional deaths new cases. fan always cheering on the Pa- high daily incidence and triots, Red Sox and Bruins. A total, 1,914 cases are ac- since Wednesday, also has Numbers were not up- positive test rates, accord- dog lover, Brian belonged to cles. He also leaves behind his tive, 171 people have died, a triple-digit daily inci- dated in Swampscott, ing to the state Depart- dog training groups in Boston, beloved German Shepherds and 1,787 have recovered dence rate of 107.3 new which had 811 cases as of ment of Public Health Florida and New Hampshire Kyro and Mya. from the virus, according cases per 100,000 resi- Thursday. Town Admin- doing the sport of Schutzhund. Service Information: Bri- (DPH). to city data. dents. The city’s positive istrator Sean Fitzgerald Marblehead, which was In Brian’s spare time, he volun- an’s visiting hours will be Positive test rates are test rate is 9.29 percent said during Wednesday’s red last week, has been also high in Revere and this week and it has re- teered for Jimmy Fund at Da- held at the Parker Funeral Select Board meeting that na-Farber Cancer Institute or Home 35 Franklin St.