Item All-Stars Sports, B1 MONDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2017 Peabody decides not to be too taxing By Adam Swift about $141. timated amounts of state aid to the city. ITEM STAFF “This year, we anticipate that Peabody “Overall, no one likes a tax increase, will have one of the lower tax bills in the but if all this comes true, it’s probably PEABODY — Property tax rates are go- county, at about $2,800 less than the av- the most modest increase I’ve seen,” said ing up, but will remain among the lowest erage of $7,000,” said Michael Gingras, Councilor-at-Large David Gravel. in Essex County. the city’s nance director. In presenting the case for the tax rate, The City Council approved a split tax The council approved the tax rate clas- Mayor Edward A. Bettencourt highlight- rate that will see residential property si cation 9-1, with Anne Manning-Mar- ed many of the efforts the city has under- taxed at $11.46 per $1,000 of valuation, tin voting no and Ward 6 Councilor Barry taken while it has managed to keep tax while the tax rate for commercial and Sinewitz unable to attend the hearing be- rates affordable. industrial property was set at $24.11. cause he was at a Planning Board meet- “Our investments in Peabody’s future, The average homeowner in Peabody can ing. expect an annual hike in their tax bill of The tax bill also takes into account es- TAX, A7 Shelter Kindness ITEM PHOTO | SPENSER HASAK Lynn Public Library Director Theresa Hurley looks at one of Rocks the six portrait paintings she is hoping the public will help identify as she stands in the li- Lynn brary’s attic. By Gayla Cawley ITEM STAFF Check out LYNN — Residents of the Adult Emergency Shelter on Willow Street were treat- portraits ed to a kindness brunch on Sunday and reciprocated in giving back to the commu- at Lynn nity by participating in The Kindness Rock Project. The brunch was organized by the Lynn Shelter Associ- Library ation and HELPIS, a Burl- ington-based nonpro t that By Thomas Grillo connects people in need with ITEM STAFF people and organizations LYNN — Theresa Hurley needs who want to help, according help solving a mystery. to Samantha Wheeler, direc- The city’s chief librarian discovered tor of development for the a handful of 19th century portraits of Lynn Shelter Association. Marblehead and Swampscott prominent city residents in the Lynn Wheeler said donors and Public Library’s attic. But she’s not board members cooked for sure who they are. the guests. Food was also eat up Santa Claus Among the most stunning nds is a donated by Sophia’s Greek By Daniel Kane Masonic Temple with her hus- Seven-week-old white-haired man clutching a piece of Pantry in Belmont and FOR THE ITEM band Mark and their 4-year-old Fielding Huddleston paper in a fancy gold gilded frame. He Weston Road Cafe in Welles- son Holden. of Marblehead met could be Sidney Pratt, the rst library ley. Santa made his way to Mar- “We’re new to the town and Santa on Saturday at donor who contributed $10,000, an “Kindness is the root of blehead and Swampscott Sat- this seemed like a perfect oppor- astounding amount in the 1800s, Par- what we’re trying to portray the Masonic Temple. urday morning at each town’s tunity,” Mark said. sons Cook, a preacher from the First to our clients,” Wheeler said. Breakfast with Santa event, Holden was all smiles, eager to Congregational Church, library trust- “(We want to) give them a lift ITEM PHOTO | SPENSER HASAK hosted by their respective recre- ask Santa for a police boat toy. ee Judge Rollin E. Harmon, Superin- up. The holiday season can ation departments. Swampscott Recreation Direc- tendent of Schools Orsanus Bushnell be kind of tough so we’re try- “We’re here because our son tor Danielle Strauss said this Bruce, who served from 1879-1901, or ing to make the shelter feel is obsessed with Santa,” said year’s Breakfast with Santa someone else. as homey and at home as we Karen Philip, who enjoyed the can. Today is surrounded by Marblehead breakfast at the SANTA, A2 PORTRAITS, A7 kindness.” Wheeler said My Brother’s Table, which provides free meals to those in need, is not open on Sunday, which is one of the shelter’s tough- est days as a result. It would have been dif cult for the shelter’s clients to get a meal on Sunday without the kind- ness brunch, she said. Stu Sklaver said he’s been at the shelter for about a Help make it a year and was sitting down to the meal. “It’s always nice to see grand Christmas them doing something like By Katie Morrison this,” Sklaver said. “It gets ITEM STAFF us all together. We’re all family here. It gets us happy The holiday season can be tough on every- when it happens.” one’s wallets. Emily Trask, vice presi- But it’s especially hard for the unemployed dent of HELPIS, said little and elders without a steady income. acts of kindness make such A grandmother writes to Item Santa for a difference. help making her grandchildren’s holiday “It’s our hope to also spread season brighter. It’s a tricky situation. She that (so) someone who re- is raising her two grandkids, ages 6 and 11, ceives that will reciprocate it whose parents “are not in their life right and spread it further,” Trask now.” Grandma, who is nearing 60 years old, said. has been the caretaker for these two young A beauty of an idea in Lynn Wheeler said guests of the children for a year. By Daniel Kane City Councilor-at-Large ROCKS, A7 ITEM SANTA, A3 FOR THE ITEM Buzzy Barton presents Slay N’ Glam co-owners LYNN — Frustrated with ordering cosmetics online, Katherine Peguero, cen- Genesis Grullon and Katherine Peguero launched a ter, and Genesis Grullon new store in their own backyard. ESSEX MEDIA GROUP with an of cial citation Their idea was to create a place to buy makeup that’s from the City of Lynn convenient, affordable, and inviting in the city where after the ribbon cutting they grew up. PERSON OF THE YEAR on Friday. Slay N’ Glam’s opening was celebrated at a ribbon Who had the most positive impact in your city or town this year? cutting on Friday. We at Essex Media Group — publishers of The Item and Itemlive.com — “We want to be a welcoming place for people of all ITEM PHOTO | SPENSER HASAK want to honor a Person of the Year in each of the 10 communities we cover: Lynn, Lynn eld, Malden, Marblehead, Medford, Nahant, Peabody, Revere, SLAY N’ GLAM, A7 Saugus, and Swampscott. We ask you to re ect over the last year and identify those who have made a positive impact on your city or town. EMG, which also publishes The Lynn eld Weekly News, The Peabody Weekly News, and La Voz newspapers; and several INSIDE magazines, will take your recommendations and name a person of the year in each of the communities. In Medford In LOOK! In Sports EnEvolv moves lab Busy concert weekend in Fans defy bad weather to Visit Itemlive.com and submit nominations until next Monday at noon. to new location. A2 city with The Mavericks, support Duchane girls We can’t wait to hear from you. Dennis DeYoung, and basketball jamboree. B2. Eddie Money. A8 OBITUARIES ..............................A2 POLICE/FIRE .............................A6 COMICS/DIVERSIONS ........... B4-5 HIGH 38° VOL. 140, ISSUE 3 LYNN .........................................A3 LOOK! .......................................A8 CLASSIFIED ........................... B6-7 LOW 26° OPINION ...................................A4 SPORTS ................................ B1-3 HEALTH .....................................B8 PAGE A8 ONE DOLLAR A2 THE DAILY ITEM MONDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2017 OBITUARIES Homeowners probably seeing higher bill Pamela A. Duyon–Collins, 55 in Malden even after tax rate goes down SOUTHBRIDGE years. She enjoyed By Steve Freker With the average sin- 30 percent owner-occupied ue in Malden.” — Pamela A. Duyon– spending time with FOR THE ITEM gle-family home in Mal- tax break which has been O’Brien said there are Collins, age 55, of her family, especial- den assessed at $381,000, in effect since 2008. Using about 5,600 single-fami- New Bedford, formerly ly her children and MALDEN — The proper- the average homeowner this year’s figures, those ty tax rate has gone down ly homes in Malden and of Lynn, died at her grandchildren. will pay $5,368 in proper- who live in the residen- many are owner-occupied, daughter’s home on Service informa- for next year for Malden ty tax. The expected uptick tial property they own can Feb. 15, 2017. tion: Visiting hours homeowners, but most tax in bills, despite the drop in save an average of $2,000 making them eligible for Pamela was born in will be held on Sun- bills will still be higher in rate, is that assessed prop- in property taxes. the tax savings. “It really Lynn, daughter of the day, Dec. 17, from 2018. erty values are higher and Malden Assessor James is an attractive incentive late Joseph A. Duyon 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. at The Malden Board of rising. The average resi- O’Brien said a lot goes to live in the home you Sr., and Pearl (Shattuck) Duy- the CUFFE-MCGINN Funeral Assessors proposed a res- dential property in Mal- into determining the prop- own,” he said. on. She was the beloved wife Home, 157 Maple St., Lynn.