New Lynn pols to begin Monday

LYNN – It’s a new year and on Jan. 7, newly elected City Council and School Committee members will officially be sworn in to begin their terms.Councilors At-Large elect Judith Flanagan Kennedy and Dan Cahill will take their oaths along with School Committee members elect Maria Carrasco and Vincent Spirito.The ceremony will take place at 7 p.m. at City Hall.Cahill, 28, is set to become the youngest councilor on the board to serve the city and will join a list of several other councilors under the age of 30 who have been elected in the past.Aside from his age and reported ability to reach young residents of the city, he also said he is ready to offer a new and fresh perspective to the council.Kennedy, a former city councilor, won a favorable comeback during the election, placing second.A supporter of having council meetings broadcast to the public, Kennedy said she would make it a priority as soon as she assumes office.Former Lynn Woods Principal and 40-year school department employee, Spirito finished second in the November election behind incumbent Donna Coppola in his first attempt to secure a seat.Maria Carrasco, who also gained a spot on the school committee as a first time candidate, is the first Hispanic woman in the city’s history to be elected to public office.She has previously said that it is important to her that people look at her as a representative of the entire city, not just the Hispanic community.Former longtime At-large city councilors Loretta Cuffe O’Donnell and Charles O’Brien announced their retirements last year.The two School Committee spots were vacated by Cahill, who succeeded in his campaign for City Council, and Arthur Fiste, who lost to Wayne Lozzi in the race for Ward 1 councilor.