People, Places and Things: 3-18-15

Pace, McCarthy honored at St. Patrick’s Day lunchSean McCarthy didn’t want to wear the green hat Roger Ennis handed him at the Lynn Housing Authority & Neighborhood Development lunch on Tuesday, but he held onto the award he received.”This is especially meaningful because it has Ralph’s name on it,” he said.McCarthy, a Salem Five Bank senior loan officer, received the John Sullivan/Ralph Cronin Community Service Award for sharing a love for family and community service both men held in esteem.Ennis, a city Inspectional Services Department employee, said Sullivan and Cronin were well-known to local residents.”What stood out for both men was their love for family,” Ennis said.Cronin died last year and his widow, Linda, attended the 10 Church St. lunch with other Cronin relatives.”This would have meant a tremendous amount to him. It’s very meaningful,” she said.Receiving the Lyons/Muldoon Irish Person of the Year Award caught former housing authority manager John Pace by surprise.”To be person of the year is unbelievable,” he said.Patrick Cogan, aide to Mayor Judith Flanagan Kennedy, presented his grandfather with the “person of the year” award.”Charlie (LHAND Director Charles Gaeta) asked me if I would do it about 90 seconds before it was to be presented. I said, ?Sure.’ When people say, ?You’re just like your grandfather,’ it’s the nicest thing anyone can say,” Cogan said.Pace said the St. Patrick’s Day lunch has a 20-year history that began with 60 people sitting down to a traditional boiled dinner. More than 200 packed the authority community room on Tuesday with authority employee and former city councilor at large Joseph Scanlon serving as master of ceremonies.