People, Places and Things: 2-21-15

Newly married Marine Corps veterans are Lynn boundTwenty-year United States Marine Corps veteran Gunnery Sgt. Jessie Mitchell and his bride, Marine Sgt. Yajaira Mitchell, stopped in Lynn on Friday in advance of plans to relocate from Pennsylvania to Lynn.The pair met in Japan and Sgt. Mitchell recently left active duty service after five years in the Marine Corps. “We will be in Lynn in a few weeks,” she said.City Hall’s Robichaud retiresLynn resident Kathy Robichaud’s husband, Martin, and friends and colleagues celebrated her retirement on Friday after more than 26 years working in the city treasurer’s office. Robichaud worked as head clerk overseeing city health insurance programs totaling more than $45 million. She looks forward to spending more time with 8-year-old twin grandchildren, Evi and J.T.; her son, Jason, a Lynn resident, and daughter, Danielle, who lives in Danvers. Martin Robichaud is a retired Lynn firefighter.Sonia King of the classroomThe Item’s Keith Sonia recently returned to London to pick up his diploma from King’s College. Sonia, a native of Lynn and graduate of Lynn Classical High School, earned his master’s of arts degree in international relations. But the Item is losing him to the office of Congresswoman Annie Kuster (D-NH), where he will work as an outreach coordinator with the veterans’ community, and also deal with transportation issues, small businesses and international investment in the region.Sonia will be returning to London in the fall to study for his doctorate in politics degree at Goldsmiths, University of London.Best of luck, Keith!PEM’s Lunar New Year celebration returnsThe Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) presents one of its most popular annual festivals. The Chinese Lunar New Year celebration returns on Saturday, Feb. 28. A full day of festivities includes traditional lion dances, music and drumming and art making.Explore Yin Yu Tang, a Chinese house that sheltered one family in the Huizhou region of China for more than 200 years and the exhibition Double Happiness: Celebration in Chinese Art. With more than 30 highlights from the museum’s wide-ranging Chinese collection spanning 3,000 years, this exhibition celebrates China’s artistic achievements crystallized in seasonal festivals, religious ceremonies and celebrations. Discover plants and animals, myths and symbols and decipher the Chinese character for “Double Happiness.”The Chinese Lunar New Year is a 15-day celebration marking the start of the new year. Each year coincides with one of 12 zodiac animals and this year’s animal is the goat. People born in a goat year are believed to be calm, smart, creative and dependable.