L.A. family throws dart, lands in Lynn

LYNN – A Los Angeles family with a tradition of throwing darts at maps to determine their next vacation destination received a ceremonial key to the city Thursday from Mayor Judith Flanagan Kennedy.”This is the first official key to the city that I have given out since taking office,” the mayor told David and Jenny Maseredjian and their sons David Jr., 26, John, 24, and Mitch, 21. “Welcome to Lynn.”For the past eight or nine years, the California family of five has picked vacation sites by throwing a dart at a map. In early July, it was time for the 2010 vacation. John Maseredjian, a real estate broker, aimed toward the northeast United States, the one part of the country they had not visited.”Mitch was screaming ‘Boston, Boston, Boston’, trying to guide my shot because my little brother has always wanted to go there,” he said.Jenny Maseredjian, a native of Portland, Oregon, said the dart nearly punctured the Atlantic Ocean off the North Shore of Massachusetts. “It was right on the line between land and sea, but enough so that we didn’t have to do a re-throw,” she said. “We have visited lots of places in the south because of the trajectory.”The dart was within the Lynn city limits, so the Maseredjians packed their bags and headed east on Aug. 9, not knowing what to expect. Since the whole idea was to go on vacation, they spent a few days in Kennebunkport, Maine and on Cape Cod. They also drove through Essex, Ipswich and other North Shore towns before arriving at City Hall.Mayor Kennedy also presented the family with a plastic tub of Marshmallow Fluff, which is made in Lynn, and a dart board with darts, donated by Dart World, a local business.After lunch at the Porthole restaurant, the family gathered with local dignitaries for a look out at the sea from Red Rock Park on Lynn Shore Drive.”We’re going into Fenway tonight,” Mitch Maseredjian, a college senior, enthusiastically announced. “I’ll be rooting for the Angels.”The Boston Red Sox were scheduled to play the Los Angeles Angels at Fenway Park.The family was impressed by the quaintness of New England’s harbor, its rich history and interesting attractions. “Every place we have visited had its special qualities,” David Maseredjian Jr. said.The Maseredjians have skipped only two years since they embraced the tradition. The collective experiences have brought them closer together, so that when it’s time to throw the dart, everyone makes an effort to be there. Last year, John Maseredjian took a break from working on a project in China to join his parents and brothers for yet another family vacation.”I wouldn’t want to miss it,” he said.