WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2016 City seeks prescriptions for marijuana dispensaries By Thomas Grillo to consider. will take up the matter at its operator of one of the clinics at Department to change the use of ITEM STAFF The city plans to invite ap- next meeting on Oct. 11. his property at 491 Lynnway. the center to a medical marijua- plicants who have complied While no one has applied to He’s already invested $100,000 na clinic. LYNN — City councilors and with the Department of Pub- the state’s Department of Public in licensing fees and intends, if At a previous meeting, the city Mayor Judith Flanagan Kenne- lic Health’s (DPH) regulations Health for approval, a handful he is granted permission, to em- council approved a plan to bring dy are set to invite marijuana and have been invited to sub- of dispensary proponents have ploy 20 people at the dispensary, two medical marijuana clinics dispensaries to the city as early mit an application to the state. noti ed city of cials that they he said. to the city. Under the ordinance, as next month. Applicants will be required to tend to apply. Former City Councilor the treatment center district James Lamanna, the city’s negotiate a host agreement that Landlord Patrick McGrath, Paul Crowley, trustee of the would include the non-water- attorney, presented a 19-page will provide the city with funds, who owns the Lynnway Mart 12,000-square-foot Lynnway front side of the Lynnway from draft request for proposals for guarantees of safety and assur- Indoor Mall & Flea Market, told Sportscenter facility at 497 Lyn- Market Street to the General medical marijuana treatment ances that the products will not the council earlier this year that nway, has led an application centers Tuesday for the council be sold to minors. The council he intends to be the owner and with the Inspectional Services COUNCIL, A7 RAMMING HIS POINT HOME Saugus home prices through the roof Lynn, Peabody values also up By Thomas Grillo ITEM STAFF SAUGUS — Home sales extended their steady climb in August, spurred by the lowest interest rates in generations and buyers who are priced out of Boston, according to new data from The Warren Group, the Boston-based real estate tracker. In Saugus, 41 homes sold last month, up from 25 a year ago, a 64 percent hike. From January through August, sales soared by 12.8 percent over last year’s numbers to 194. While sales rose, the median price of a single-family home in Sau- gus reached $369,950 through August, an 11.7 percent hike over a year ago when the median was $331,200. “The market was incredible starting in Febru- ary through August,” said Lori Johnson, an agent at Carpenito Real Estate in Saugus. “Everything was selling, there were multiple offers and we had 10 quali ed buyers for every home, ald, on Tuesday. He gave a lecture based Author Michael Patrick By Gayla Cawley Sales in Lynn have also been strong. Sin- ITEM STAFF on his 1999 memoir, urging students to MacDonald talks about gle-family home sales increased by 13.8 percent nd their voice. his life during his appear- last month. From January through August, home LYNN — A summer reading assign- MacDonald, 50, spoke about his life ance at Lynn Classical sales reached 434, up from 362 for the same peri- ment came to life for Lynn Classical High growing up in South Boston, which was High School Tuesday. od last year, a 20 percent hike. School students on Tuesday. mired in violence, drug overdoses, suicide Brokers say sales and the lack of inventory Students were assigned to read “All and painkilling addiction. He grew up in ITEM PHOTO | OWEN O’ROURKE drove up costs for buyers. The median price of a Souls: A Family Story from Southie,” over a mostly Irish Catholic neighborhood, single-family home in Lynn swelled to $290,000 the summer. They were visited by the last month, a 3.2 percent rise over a year ago. book’s author, Michael Patrick MacDon- AUTHOR, A7 “I’ve been in business for 44 years and it’s never been this good,” said Doug Ring, the broker-own- er of Doug Ring Real Estate in Lynn. “I have a lot of deals in process, but the problem is there are no listings. As soon as a home comes on the Peabody does market, it’s sold within two weeks.” On Tuesday, there were 69 single-family homes its Fair share PRICES, A7 By Bridget Turcotte ITEM STAFF TOPSFIELD — The Tops eld Fair returns for its 198th year on Friday and General Manager Jim O’Brien said this season comes with improvements. “The fair may operate for 11 days but it takes 51 weeks to get there,” said O’Brien, who has run the show for 22 years. Prior to that, he worked as man- ager of Brooksby Farm in Peabody, and considers himself part of the community. O’Brien grew up in Peabody and graduated from Bishop Fenwick High School. He remembers at- tending the fair as a child, driving him to create the highest quality experience for visitors, he said. Just one week after the fun comes to an end, staff from 38 departments, which work on the grounds, meet to discuss what went well and what did not. Though some are more signi cant than others, changes are made each year, he said. “It all comes down to listening to people, I’m a good listener,” O’Brien said. O’Brien cited complaints about traf c leading to the fairgrounds as a major concern. In an attempt to rem- edy a problem that typically stretches down Route 1, ITEM PHOTO | OWEN O’ROURKE 28 acres located about a mile south of the grounds were purchased for parking. He estimates the land Abby Cook of the North Shore Christian School in should provide enough space for roughly 600 cars. Lynn sets up the school’s pumpkin exhibit in the Fruits and Vegetables Hall at the Tops eld Fair. FAIR, A7 INSIDE In Lynn Swampscott High provides a place to heal English High selected By Gayla Cawley program is to transition students back to high dress the needs of students re-entering school for anti-violence ITEM STAFF school after they have been hospitalized. The after absences, due to serious mental prob- training. A3 hospitalizations could be for mental health is- lems or medical illness. In Sports SWAMPSCOTT — Swampscott High School sues or physical conditions that have caused In the United States, one in ve adolescents is putting the focus on mental health. Tech boys soccer them emotional stress. has a serious mental health disorder and 5 to 9 draws even with On Oct. 5 at 6 p.m., there will be a ribbon At the time, Craig Harris, school psycholo- percent of teens have mental health concerns Shawsheen. B1 cutting ceremony at the high school for two gist, said 12 students had been hospitalized so severe that hospitalization and prolonged new programs aimed at providing a support- last school year, but updated numbers were absences from school become necessary, ac- In Food ive environment for students suffering from not provided on Tuesday. Five of those stu- cording to information provided by Super- Finding a mental or emotional health concerns. dents had been hospitalized multiple times. intendent Pamela Angelakis. These at-risk delicious use for a Last March, plans for a transition program Today, that transition program has a youth disproportionately drop out of school, bechamel sauce. B8 for students were presented at a school com- name, Swampscott Integrated for Transition mittee meeting. A major component of the (SWIFT), and is speci cally designed to ad- HEAL, A7 OBITUARIES ..............................A2 LOOK! .......................................A8 DIVERSIONS .............................B5 HIGH 59° VOL. 138, ISSUE 252 OPINION ...................................A4 SPORTS ................................ B1-3 CLASSIFIED ........................... B6-7 LOW 54° POLICE/FIRE .............................A6 COMICS ....................................B4 FOOD ........................................B8 PAGE A8 ONE DOLLAR A2 THE DAILY ITEM WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2016 OBITUARIES Francis J. Reichardt, 90 Doris M. Smyth, 91 Cornelius S. Meehan, 80 1925-2016 TOPSFIELD — Fran- lumbus, he was past WINTER SPRINGS, Fla. — frey Smyth and his wife Gabri- SAUGUS — Mr. Cornelius husband Anthony of Saugus, cis James Reichardt, grand knight of the Mrs. Doris M. (Anderson) ele of Ottsville, Pa.; her eight “Neil” S. Meehan, age 80, Kristine McNeice and her hus- age 90, of Topsfield, Leo Council #508, Smyth, age 91, died peace- grandchildren, Steve’s son died on Monday, Sept. 26 at band Robert of Canton. He is died Saturday, Sept. Peabody. He was also fully at her home in Winter Eric, Kathy’s sons and daugh- his home in Saugus surround- also survived by nine grand- 24, 2016. He was a member of the Ger- Springs, Fla., on Sept. 24, ter, David, Sean and Chandra, ed by his family. He was the children. Predeceased by the husband of Ei- man-American Club 2016. She was the wife of the and Jeff’s sons and daughters, loving husband of Barbara three sisters and four brothers. leen Burns Reichardt, of the North Shore. late Francis L. Smyth. Caryn, Chris, Ryan and Katilyn (Ward) Meehan, sharing 57 In lieu of flowers, donations with whom he shared Francis played San- Born and raised in Lynn, she (they were all her favorites); as years of marriage. in his memory may be made 51 years of marriage. ta Claus for special was the daughter of the late well as nine great grandchil- Born in Chelsea, he was to MGH Cancer Center at Born in Lynn, he needs adults each Axel and Ruby (Crowley) An- dren and several nieces and the son of the late Harry and www.massgeneral.org/cancer.