Lynn anti-violence group to walk through city with purpose

LYNN – Stop the Violence Lynn will take to the streets Saturday where the hope is that more than 100 residents from East Lynn, West Lynn, various schools and sports leagues will cross boundaries, broaden horizons and talk openly while they walk from Lynn English High School to a rally on the Lynn Commons.”We want to send a message,” said coalition member Fred Hogan. “Violence is not the answer.”Stop the Violence was formed last summer with a goal to show people that violence is not the answer to any of society’s problems and that there are alternatives.Board members include Hogan, a former Lynn English girls basketball coach; Ward 6 Councilor Peter Capano; School Committee member John Ford; local activist Antonio Gutierrez; Lynn Tech’s Rob Smith; Ebony White, a former Lynn Tech basketball player; and Health & Physical Education Assistant Director for Healthy and Physical Education for the Lynn School Department Michael Geary.The group’s first events, a basketball tournament and rally, were held over the summer. The rally was sparsely attended, but those who did go took the program seriously and after a two-hour discussion produced a list of action items that Capano said they are working on putting into effect.”We were going over the list the other night,” he said.Ford said he would like to see 100 or more kids show up for Saturday’s event. The idea is to have the kids walk through some of the city’s tougher areas to show unity, he said.Participants will step off from Lynn English High School at 4 p.m., walk up Chestnut Street to Essex Street, all the way to Washington Street to Hanover and onto The Commons, Hogan said.”It’s actually longer than I thought,” he joked. “But everyone will be walking and talking with different people and having different conversations, crossing boundaries.”Invitations to participate went home with school children across the city, Ford said. Hogan said invitations were also sent to Girls Inc., East and West Lynn Pop Warner, The Girls Club and Boys Club, the YMCA, The Lynn Chargers and even Louie’s League, a small basketball league in the city.”Anyone is invited,” he added. “Anyone can come out and walk and get involved.”It seems that everyone has been touched by the violence in the city, whether they have lost a kid they once coached or someone they simply saw regularly, Hogan said.”There is just too much violence in Lynn, and we have to find a way to stop it,” Ford said. “Stabbing and shooting isn’t the answer.”Ford said he remembers when a fistfight was the way to deal with problems and that was considered a big deal.”It’s not like that now,” he said.The walk will end on The Commons, where Capano said they have a few speakers lined up, including Rev. Jane Gould from St. Stephens Episcopal Church, Pastor Oscar Ovalles and city councilors Daniel Cahill and Brendan Crighton, who is also state rep-elect.Capano said they also hope to talk about some future programs and events. He called the walk/rally a small contribution to a bigger cause.”We’re trying to change the conversation,” he said. “We’re trying to reach the middle and high school youth ? the idea is to let them know that people do care and we’re trying to do something about it.”For more information on the walk/rally or the organization, email the committee at: [email protected].