WEDNESDAY, JUNE 19, 2019 Common Saugus cause for sweeps out funding custodians in Lynn By Bridget Turcotte ITEM STAFF By Gayla Cawley SAUGUS — Twenty-one custodians ITEM STAFF employed by the School Department LYNN — The City Coun- learned Tuesday morning they would cil voted Tuesday night to lose their jobs to privatization. authorize Mayor Thomas M. In a layoff notice signed by Superin- McGee to seek a $580,000 tendent David DeRuosi, the employees grant to cap off a multi-year were told their collective bargaining restoration of the Lynn Com- agreement with AFSCME Local 262 mons. will expire on June 30. With the approval, the city “As a result, your employment with can apply for a Parklands the Saugus School Department will be Acquisition and Renovations ending as of that date,” DeRuosi wrote for Communities (PARC) in the notice, which was obtained by The grant, which is administered Item. through the Executive Of ce The custodians had a combined aver- of Energy and Environmental age of 17 years of experience working Affairs, for the third phase of in the Saugus Public School system, ac- the Lynn Commons project. Community rallies for cording to the union. James Marsh, the city’s Hours after receiving notice of their community development di- termination, DeRuosi released a state- rector, said the city would Lynn Boys & Girls camp ment outlining new programs that match $180,000 in communi- would be implemented in the schools “in ty development block grant substantial part through savings and money. This is the second By Bella diGrazia we were getting close to the From left, Ismael ef ciencies gained through the efforts of time the city is seeking fund- ITEM STAFF camp opening,” said Joe Sciana- Diaz Mateo; Nick the School Committee.” tico, the president of the Lynn Meninno of Menin- ing for the third phase of the LYNN — An act of violence This includes new literacy curriculum club’s board of directors. “With no Construction; project — last year, the coun- that brought $200,000 worth — coding and robotics classes — and renovations on the horizon for cil authorized McGee to ap- of damages to the Boys & Girls Yomary Nunez of teachers to instruct them, and the res- the actual club, it was really ply for the grant, but it was Club of Lynn’s summer camp Lynn; Joe Sciana- toration of world language classes at the bad timing. I guess this was a not approved by the state, he has turned into a “blessing in tico, board presi- middle school and possibly the elemen- said. disguise.” blessing in disguise considering dent of the Boys & tary level. New curriculum coordinators If the city’s application At the end of March, two teens what has been done there now Girls Club of Lynn; will also be hired. is approved, the grant and vandalized the Boys & Girls with the repair work.” Marjorie Nunez; “This comprehensive plan has been matching funds would go Club of Lynn’s summer camp “It de nitely hurt a lot,” said and Brian Their- made possible by prioritizing and fo- toward refurbishing the re- property in Middleton by tak- Steve Hirsch, a member of the rien, executive di- cusing available resources, including stroom, installing 25 deco- ing bats to the main clubhouse, club’s board of directors since rector of the Boys through the redistribution of labor and rative lights, fountain repair bathrooms, of ce, outside show- the late 1980s. “I was there the & Girls Club of operations of custodial services within and installation of pavers, ers, windows and indoor game following Tuesday because we Lynn are on hand the school district as considered, an- or a walkway surrounding tables. With help from both the held an emergency committee to cut the ribbon alyzed and determined by the School the antique fountain, which Lynn and Middleton communi- meeting and it was tough to for the Meninno Committee,” said DeRuosi in a state- hasn’t worked for about a de- ties, and insurance, they were see. We’ve had our occasional Recreation Center ment. cade. able to come up with more than vandalism over the years but at Creighton Pond He estimated that laying off the em- The work would cap off a what was needed for the reno- nothing like this. These kids Camp. ployees could provide “potential overall more than $3 million, multi- vations at no cost to the club. went out of their way to trash cost savings” of $1.1 million annually. year restoration of the Lynn “It was very disappointing and this place.” ITEM PHOTO | The unfunded bene ts associated with sad when I got the call about SPENSER HASAK PARC, A3 the vandalism because I knew CAMP, A3 SAUGUS, A3 Elite eet Point of pride in Lynn Lynn shaping up for bond Marblehead rating to Halifax race stable By Steve Krause By Gayla Cawley ITEM STAFF ITEM STAFF MARBLEHEAD — If July 4th is just LYNN — On the heels of around the corner, so is the Marble- the City Council approv- head-to-Halifax Ocean Race. ing a balanced $367.93 The 363-mile race is called the “grand- million scal year 2020 daddy of all ocean races,” began in 1905 budget last week, the and will begin July 7 from the Boston city’s nancial outlook has Yacht Club. An international eet of more been upgraded from nega- than 70 boats, including the 2017 Perfor- tive to stable, according to mance Handicap Racing Fleet winner, will Moody’s Investors Service. compete. Lynn’s bond rating re- “We are excited about the strength of mains low and unchanged the entries this year,” said David Bows, at Baa1, but Moody’s has vice commodore of the Boston Yacht Club, revised its outlook based who co-chairs the race along with Michael on what it described as Simms of the Royal Nova Scotia Yacht the city’s improved oper- Squadron. ating position after the The race is rooted in the prosperous trade issuance of a $14 million that existed between Nova Scotia and the state loan that allowed U.S. northeast during the 18th and 19th Lynn to balance its FY18 centuries. A north-south trade route exist- and FY19 budgets. ed before the Pilgrims landed on Plymouth “The outlook also incor- Rock in 1620, having started soon after porates a balanced budget John Cabot landed in Newfoundland in in scal 2020 without the 1497 (or Nova Scotia or Maine, depending use of one-time revenues on whose history you read). as well as expectations The movement of people, money and that the management goods between what would become New team, with the help of the England and the Canadian Maritime state scal stability of cer, provinces became the economic engine of will maintain balanced British North America. operations going forward Recreational yachting arose from the while addressing key bud- commercial and shing traf c moving get drivers,” according to a along the corridor, which resulted in the report from Moody’s. establishment of yacht clubs including Michael Bertino, the the RNSYC (1837), the Boston Yacht Club ITEM PHOTO | SPENSER HASAK city’s chief nancial of - (1866) and the Eastern Yacht Club (1870). The Pride and Transgender Pride ags are raised at Lynn City Hall on cer, credited the improved Ultimately, a race along this same familiar Tuesday. For additional photos, see LOOK! Page A8. nancial outlook to a co- corridor would come to mind. ordinated effort between According to the sailing magazine “The the mayor and council, Rudder,” members of the Eastern Yacht INSIDE but said it will take time Club noted the success of the race from to improve what Mayor New York to Marblehead, which took the Lynn Sports Thomas M. McGee has Police release identity Prep baseball falls short in Rivera: St. Mary’s baseball RACE, A3 of man killed in crash. A6 Super 8 title game. B1 has a host of talent. B1 LYNN, A3 OBITUARIES ..............................A2 ENTERTAINMENT .......................A7 COMICS/DIVERSIONS ........... B4-5 HIGH 70° VOL. 141, ISSUE 163 OPINION ...................................A4 LOOK! .......................................A8 CLASSIFIED ........................... B6-7 LOW 63° POLICE/FIRE .............................A6 SPORTS ................................ B1-3 FOOD ........................................B8 PAGE A8 ONE DOLLAR A2 THE DAILY ITEM WEDNESDAY, JUNE 19, 2019 OBITUARIES Mary E. Gibson, 74 Isabelle A. McSweeney, 91 Mary E. Flynn, 99 1944-2019 1928-2019 SEABROOK, N.H. — Mary LYNN — Isabelle A. (Whit- LYNN — Mary E. Flynn, age Elizabeth Gibson, 74, of more) McSweeney, 91, a life- 99, of Lynn, died on June 9 Seabrook and formerly of long Lynn resident, passed at the Life Care Center of the Lynn, passed away peacefully away on Monday, June 17 North Shore after a very brief on Saturday, June 15, 2019 at Masconomet Healthcare illness. after an extended illness. Center in Topsfield. Isabelle Born in Lynn, she was the Mary was born in Lynn on was the devoted wife of the daughter of the late James Dec. 3, 1944, a daughter of late John E. McSweeney, with and Mary Jane (Gilbane) the late Everett and Mary R. whom she shared more than Flynn. She was a graduate (Didio) Varney. She was raised 61 years of marriage. of Lynn English High School, in Lynn and graduated from She was the loving mother Class of 1937 and later grad- Lynn Classical High in 1962. of the late Daniel McSweeney, uated from business school. She married her husband, Peter McSweeney and his Prior to her retirement, Mary Richard R. Murray Sr., short- wife, Paula of Hopkinton, Bar- was a secretary at General ly after high school and they ry McSweeney and his wife, Electric in Lynn.