And just like that, another year has gone by. With 2024 coming to a close, it’s time to take a moment to look back at all the top stories from the year. We have compiled the top three most-read stories from each of our communities and recapped them below.
Lynn
Gender identity in play on KIPP basketball team
A Feb. 8 girls basketball game between KIPP Academy and the Collegiate Charter School of Lowell ended at halftime, resulting in a forfeit win for KIPP. It was reported that KIPP had a male player on its girls basketball roster, who was reported to be more than 6 feet tall, with facial hair.
KIPP Officials did not confirm the player’s gender identity, however if the player identified as female, their participation on the girls team would have been supported by the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA), which follows Massachusetts General Law. It states that “a student shall not be excluded from participation on a gender-specific sports team that is consistent with the student’s bonafide gender identity,” although the MIAA also mentions that this rule should not be enacted for the purpose of gaining a competitive advantage.
Collegiate Charter School of Lowell Athletic Director Kyle Pelczar said that the forfeit was not related to the player and that the team and coach Kevin Ortins had already been aware of the situation going into the game, having previously played KIPP on Dec. 12, losing 36-29. Rather, they decided to leave the game at halftime due to fears about injuries, with a future tournament game also approaching. “[Ortins] felt that his girls were getting injured, basically, all game,” Pelczar said.
KIPP Athletic Director Anthony Grimaldi declined to comment on if he believes the player was the reason for the forfeit. On Feb. 16, it was also reported that a game between KIPP and Lynn Tech had been cancelled, due to death threats related to the biologically male player.
Two Lynn men arraigned for drive-by shooting
A deadly drive-by shooting on Sept. 2, 2023 at around 2:20 a.m. at a gathering on 189 Essex St. left Jandriel Heredia, 21, of Revere, and Abraham Diaz, 25, of Lynn, dead, and five others injured. In connection to this shooting, six individuals were indicted by the Essex County grand jury.
The six individuals were Lynn residents Darwin Batista, 20, Yefferson Vallecillo Cambar, 22, Carlos Ramirez Corniel, 16, Leonardo Espinoza, 15, and Abel Severino Reyes, 21, as well as Justin Alba, 25, of Peabody.
Batista and Espinoza were arraigned at Essex County Superior Court on Oct. 11. Both pleaded not guilty and were ordered held without bail. Alba was arraigned virtually on Nov. 22 at Essex County Superior Court. He pleaded not guilty and was ordered held without bail. Severino Reyes and Corniel were arraigned at Essex County Superior Court on Dec. 10. Both pleaded not guilty and were ordered held without bail.
Alba, Batista, and Severino Reyes are each charged with two counts of murder, four counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and one count of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon resulting in serious bodily injury. Ramirez Corniel and Espinoza are charged with two counts of murder.
An alarming reopening for a Lynn restaurant
Amado Merida reopened his Shoreline Grill & Pizza establishment on 163 Lewis St. on May 13, after 594 days of being shut down due to a fire on Sept. 27, 2022. The fire occurred four months after the pizza shop had first opened.
The Economic Development and Industrial Corporation (EDIC) of Lynn helped provide financial assistance to aid with the reopening. Mayor Jared Nicholson was also present at the reopening to present Merida with a citation from the city.
Lynnfield
Fire & Flour on the rise for two Lynnfield women
Residents Jacqui Viscarello and Athene Yagjian have turned the COVID-19 trend of making your own sourdough into a part-time business called Fire & Flour. Yagjian said she began baking sourdough in Nov. 2023 to give as Christmas presents. “I wanted to master it … But that was a fail,” she said.
Viscarello and Yagjian said they met in 2008 when they began working at the newly-built P.F. Chang’s at the North Shore Mall as waitresses, and have been friends since. They said they became closer when Viscarello, a Lynn native, moved to Lynnfield in 2019.
Although they have full-time jobs and consider this a “side hustle,” Yagjian and Viscarello put in countless hours at Fire & Flour. The pair said they shop for fresh ingredients on Tuesdays, prep the dough on Wednesdays, and then get up at 4 a.m. for a baking “marathon” on Thursday to have the loaves out on their porch for pick-up that afternoon. All the baking takes place in the comfort of their own homes.
Viscarello and Yagjian said they only use three key ingredients for their basic sourdough starter — flour, filtered water, and salt. Since the beginning, their mission at Fire & Flour has been “education,” Yagjian said. As they look toward the future, they want to help other people learn how to bake their own bread.
“It’s been very rewarding,” Viscarello said.
Public provides split feedback on Lynnfield dress code
At a School Committee meeting on July 23, the dress code policy was revised and clarified after hearing feedback from students, teachers, and parents. Committee member Jim Dillon read the most recent update to the proposed policy, which has been revised throughout the summer.
Lynnfield High School seniors Maeve Donovan, Ella Hayman, and Emma Rose spoke together about the proposed policy and emphasized the importance it has on students. “We have seen the new revised proposal and believe it to be a much better alternative than the original proposal from a few weeks ago,” Donovan said. “Yet we still think it is necessary for you to understand why this decision is so important.”
“We believe student opinions and perspectives deserve to be heard,” she said. “We are not implying that students need to be directly involved for every policy change. But we will encourage this committee to engage with LHS students and solicit feedback to learn about LHS culture and what actually goes on at our school. A policy change during the summer limits the ability to have students’ voices heard, and we find that very disappointing.”
Committee members were eager to hear from the students, with Chair Kate DePrizio saying, “This committee is absolutely committed to reducing barriers to learning and absolutely committed to transparency and feedback.” LMS sixth-grade teacher Cynthia O’Neil added that she was happy to see the committee revise the dress-code policy, share its revisions with the public, and invite feedback.
The conflicting side was expressed by parent Allison Donahue saying, “We’ve heard a lot about how telling girls what they should or should not wear impacts their mental health and their confidence and self-esteem, and that school should be a supportive environment where they can learn and be their best selves,” she said. “The clothes that girls are wearing, that may or may not be appropriate — it’s subjective — impact other kids who may not have the body shape to wear it. And that impacts their mental health and their well-being, and perhaps the ability for them to feel supported and be their best selves.”
Tensions flare in Lynnfield school meeting
Tensions arose between School Committee Chair Kate DePrizio and School Committee member Jamie Hayman at a Sept. 11 meeting, where DePrizio read an email addressed to Hayman in regards to potential violation of ethical standards.
“I am writing regarding multiple concerns that have been brought to my attention as Chair of the School Committee. I have discussed these issues with our counsel and Attorney Brunt advised me to send this email to you,” the email states. “The issues brought to my attention regard your communication with the Administrators, Principals, Athletic Department, Curriculum Department and teachers.”
Hayman was then given the opportunity to respond.
“So first of all, every single thing in that letter is a hundred percent false,” he began. “I have been on this committee for 10 years. If anything, my kids have had to fend for themselves… They shouldn’t have to deal with the fact that I am on the School Committee.” Things escalated when Hayman paused to say, “Hey Kate, I’m responding to you. Could you look at me?”
DePrizio responded by accusing Hayman of threatening her family and telling her that she should “watch her back”, something he denied by stating, “I did say I would be more than happy to hire an attorney and file a defamation lawsuit about this because it is completely unfounded.”
School Committee Vice Chair Kristen Elworthy said, from her understanding, there is nothing for Hayman to fight and the letter is only a notification. “It’s still questioning my integrity. It’s questioning my kids’ integrity. It’s questioning my family’s integrity. And it’s questioning everything that I’ve done on this committee,” Hayman responded.
In the following months since the incident, DePrizio has faced a swift fallout for reading the email at a public meeting, an action that many Lynnfield residents have voiced their immense disapproval of. While she has stood by her claim that the email was read at the guidance of school committee’s attorney Colby Brunt, DiPrizio has since stepped down as chair. However, many want to see her impeached from the committee altogether, as every school committee meeting since has seen the public comment portion dominated with calls for her resignation, a trend that is unlikely to stop anytime soon.
Marblehead
Marblehead Student Services director, associate director resigns
Paula Donnelly, Director of Student Services, and Emily Dean, Associate Director, resigned from their positions in Marblehead Public Schools following criticism from the Marblehead Education Association (MEA) and the district’s staff. Their resignations came after an incident involving the physical restraint of dysregulated students at Glover Elementary, leading to the placement of four educators on leave. The MEA had called for their removal, and nearly 97% of its members expressed a lack of confidence in their leadership.
The district had initiated a third-party investigation into student support processes, but it is unclear if the investigation’s findings contributed to their resignations. At a December School Committee meeting, educators voiced concerns about insufficient resources and training to handle challenging student behaviors, often pointing to Donnelly and Dean’s leadership as a key issue.
Interim Superintendent Theresa McGuinness announced plans to search for an interim Director of Student Services and established a Student Services Steering Committee to guide the transition. In addition, two behavior analysts were hired to support the district. McGuinness thanked Donnelly and Dean for their service, and the MEA emphasized the need for correcting past leadership missteps, particularly addressing injustices related to staff disciplinary actions.
A whale of a spectacle
A dead 41.7-foot-long female humpback whale was discovered floating near Preston Beach in April. The National Marine Fisheries Service responded by sending Marine Mammal Rescue (MMR) to conduct an external exam, measure the whale, and take photos. Crowds gathered on Friday to observe the whale.
The initial examination found no obvious cause of death, though linear impressions on the whale’s body suggested possible past entanglement wounds. However, MMR Director Ashley Stokes did not believe entanglement was the cause of death. She noted that the current mortality rate among humpback whales is higher than usual, with diseases like morbillivirus and incidental human interactions (e.g., ship strikes) as potential causes. Stokes mentioned that a combination of factors could contribute to a whale’s death, such as being sick before being struck by a ship.
DNA samples were taken to help identify the whale and determine whether it had been sick prior to death. Humpback whales can be identified by markings on the underside of their tails, similar to human fingerprints. Stokes hoped the whale could be removed for a full necropsy. Local authorities, including police and animal control, were on site, and Stokes advised the public to keep their distance from the whale.
No more bumps in the road in Marblehead
In 2020, the Highway Department installed seasonal speed bumps on Peach Highlands to curb “hill jumping” on the road. After being removed for winter, the bumps were reinstalled on Tuesday morning. However, a nearby resident, Tom Peach, took matters into his own hands and removed them just hours later. Peach, who owns First Harbor Company with his wife, expressed frustration with the bumps’ impact on his vehicles, as his business requires frequent trips over the road.
Peach contended that local residents were not consulted before the speed bumps were installed in 2020. He had repeatedly approached the Select Board seeking their removal, but was told he needed to gather signatures from other concerned neighbors. Instead of going through this lengthy process, Peach decided to remove the bumps himself when he saw them being reinstalled.
Peach argued that the decision to install the bumps was made by a few individuals without broader community input. He believes the installation process was unfair and that the decision should have involved more consultation with the neighborhood. His actions have sparked further debate over the speed bumps and the process behind their installation.
Nahant
Nahant moving on Coast Guard Housing
The town of Nahant was on the verge of finding a marketing broker to assist in the efforts of selling the former Coast Guard housing properties, which are located on Castle Road and Goddard Drive. The Request for Proposal (RFP) received interest from five different agencies. Nahant first purchased the property back in 2004. A team composed of Board of Selectmen Josh Antrim, Finance Director Alison Nieto, and Town Moderator Dave Conlin, to review proposals, with the prices redacted, as to not influence the group in any form. The town still owed $1.8 million, which is due by this upcoming January, on a loan the town used to purchase the property. The town’s plan was to pay off the loan by ultimately selling the property. Since the Town Meeting first approved demolition of the town-owned properties back in 2021, the town was able to vacate nine of the 12 units on the property.
Nahant restaurant volunteers to aid seniors
Seaglass Village, a nonprofit organization based around the goal of helping seniors live independently, hosted a fundraiser on April 25 at the Tides Restaurant and Pub. From the window of 4-7 p.m., it was reported that 10% of the proceeds went directly to the nonprofit to fund its programs and operations. During the event, diners were given the opportunity to win gift cards and gift baskets, which were all provided by Seaglass Village, who has more than 70 volunteers that are committed to making the lives of seniors easier however possible. Services it includes are household assistance and maintenance, as well as transportation and friendly visits. The main values Seaglass Village upholds are community, inclusiveness, mutual care, service, and sustainability.
Nahant restaurant’s fundraiser turns the tide
The Tides Restaurant and Pub hosted its annual yearly Christmas parade fundraiser, during which community members were encouraged to bring a variety of donations. Different forms of donations included food, money or gift cards. Proceeds from the fundraiser went directly to the Tommy Hutton Parade Scholarship Fund. Going on 26 years now, the event has been an annual pillar for the Tides. The fundraiser always falls a week before the town’s annual holiday parade, which has been going on for almost thirty years now. The holiday parade began when Police Lieutenant Tom Hutton wished to spread more holiday cheer among the community during the holiday season. Tides owner Michael O’Callaghan called the fundraiser a great success and continual highlight for the restaurant.
Peabody
Peabody and Lynn at a crossroads
A unanimous decision from the Peabody City Council to ban all left-handed turns between Lynnfield Street and Casco Road in a July meeting stirred controversy with Lynn, which holds jurisdiction of the intersection along with Peabody and Lynnfield.
“The Lynn group was very understanding of the fact that this is a concern of ours, but they also expressed concerns about traffic and the impacts that it would have on the City of Lynn, which is understandable considering the proximity to Lynn,” said Mayor Ted Bettencourt.
Lynn Assistant City Solicitor James Lamanna addressed a letter to Peabody City Solicitor Don Conn that it is the City of Lynn’s position that Peabody cannot enact any regulation prohibiting the left turn without providing written notice of the proposed regulation to the mayor of Lynn, holding a public hearing that was advertised in a “newspaper of general circulation” in Lynn, and receiving written agreement from Lynn’s mayor.
Despite the legality of a restriction of movement within this intersection coming into question, the city councilors all agreed that something had to be done to protect Peabody citizens. “We’ve been talking about this for over two years,” said Councilor-at-Large and Legal Affairs Committee Chair Thomas Rossignoll. “We can’t sit on this anymore. The safety of our residents is way too important.”
A change to Casco Road was held off after the City Council returned from a recess in August and a public hearing was scheduled for September. During this hearing, Lynn councilors voiced their concerns about an ordinance change, but Peabody City Council ultimately decided to implement delineator poles in that area to restrict left-hand turns as a 60 or 90-day trial period.
Shaq attacks Peabody chicken market
Big Chicken, a fast-food chain co-founded in 2018 by Hall of Fame basketball star Shaquille O’Neal, opened at the North Shore Mall on July 10th.
The restaurant’s menu features a variety of fried-chicken sandwiches and milkshakes. The Peabody location is the chain’s 45th store and the first in Massachusetts, Big Chicken Head of Training Trisha Bovell said.
The first 36 customers in line for the grand opening received a gift card giving them $10 of food each week for a year. Shawn Langlois, of Salem, N.H., was the first customer in line. He said he arrived at Big Chicken at 9 p.m. on Tuesday to camp out for the grand opening and only slept for around an hour in his car
Three high-school friends, Ben Robert, Aidan Martyn, and Weston Puleo, arrived in line at 7 a.m. and were the fourth, fifth, and sixth in line for the grand opening. They said they plan on coming back every week to use their promotional passes. Martyn said he and Puleo drove to Robert’s house and knocked on his window to wake him up to get in line.
Franchise owners Paul Bains and Ryan Corcoran were at the grand opening and said they share ownership with Kyle Seyboth. Bains said after flying out to Ohio to try Big Chicken at another location, they “were both sold immediately” and wanted to own a franchise location.
High school student’s death stuns Peabody
Freddy Espinal, a junior at Peabody Veterans Memorial High School, died on Sept. 22 due to a medical emergency suffered during a wrestling practice, Principal Brooke Randall stated in an email to the school community.
Espinal attended Welch Elementary School and Higgins Middle School prior to enrolling at PVMHS. He was a member of Red Roots Wrestling Club in North Reading and the Saugus/Peabody wrestling team. He was also a member of the PVMHS football team.
Espinal was “a young man with a big heart (and) truly an infectious smile… That’s how I’ll always picture him,” said Randall. “He touched so many lives, and we’re definitely going to remember him very fondly here.”
Mayor Ted Bettencourt described Espinal’s death as devastating news for the city. He said Espinal was a “very well-liked, well-respected member of the Peabody community — a very talented young man who made an impact in so many ways in the city.” He added that the town is going to do everything it can to support the school community during this difficult time period.
A memorial match was held on Dec. 18 between the Peabody/Saugus and Marblehead/Swampscot teams. Espinal’s family and friends spoke to a packed crowd to remember the beloved student and dedicated a scholarship in his name that would be for senior athletes who intend to pursue careers in criminal justice.
Saugus
Flynn: Prada? On Route 1 in Saugus? Seriously?
Saugus’ very own Karla’s Shoes, a long-closed building, ended up with a new decal: a sign for Prada, an Italian luxury brand, leading to many questions among locals.
Raf Simons, the Belgian co-creative director at Prada, has been known as a bit of a fashion oddball, frequently being inspired by countercultures like punk for his work with Prada, Dior, Calvin Klein, and his own namesake brand.
For Simons putting a Prada store at the long-abandoned location would seem to align with his ethos.
The site reminded people of the Prada store in the middle-of-nowhere Marfa, Texas. Although, this site doesn’t sell any Prada products and was classified as a museum in 2014.
Could this be another installation similar to Marfa’s? Have Michael Elmgreen and Ingar Dragset, the duo behind the Marfa location, chosen Saugus as the home for their latest project?
Many questions, few answers for Saugus Amazon Fresh
In 2021 a sign advertising an Amazon Fresh location was erected at the former site of the Big Y on Route 1. However, the building has been vacant, and questions swirled about when exactly the store would be opening. Now, the sign is gone, and silence enveloped any updates on the store’s progress. Also gone was the “see you soon” sign in the window that promised a 2023 opening.
A spokesperson for Amazon had offered a vague statement and declined to provide details about the openings, saying, “We’ll continue to open new Whole Foods Market stores and will do selectively with Amazon Fresh as we see results we like.”
“We’re encouraged by early signs of our new store design in Chicago and Southern California and will proceed adaptively,” Jessica Martin, the spokesperson, said in an email.
Despite the success of Whole Foods, the company remains committed to the Amazon Fresh model, the statement said.
Buses for Saugus senior prom unexpectedly expensive due to required molestation insurance
Saugus High School senior prom was just two months away when uncertainty hit about bus transportation to and from the venue. The price was more than double what was originally anticipated.
All of this was due to the unexpected requirement that the bus company the students used carried sexual assault and molestation insurance, class president Jessica Bremberg had told the School Committee. The requirement meant a change of carriers and a major increase in costs compared to last year.
The class focused on budgeting based on what the past class had paid for transportation — an estimated $4,000. Bremberg had found a company within budget earlier in the school year, but the contract the class sent was not signed.
“We were then later informed that the bus company needed to have the sexual assault and molestation insurance…We had to change our bus company, and the recommended one for us to use was over double our budget,” Bremberg said.
The big question was why the students were informed so late about the extra charge, giving them no time to prepare for it.
Committee Vice Chair Tom Whittredge said he didn’t understand why the unexpected cost for this should be pushed onto the students.
The School Committee told students that they would figure out the rest of the problem and that the students should book the bus to ensure they had transportation to prom.
Swampscott
Swampscott Paddles away from Fisherman’s Beach
Due to water-quality concerns, Swampscott recreation chose to relocate its stand-up paddleboard program to Eisman’s Beach. That same month, the Select Board voted unanimously to allocate $1.5 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds for a sewer-repair project at Fisherman’s Beach.
The Water and Sewer Advisory Committee partnered with the Department of Public Works (DPW), to test Fisherman’s Beach from five different locations. Previous results showed all five locations had levels of Enterococcus bacteria that were higher than the Department of Health’s limit. The town switched locations for the paddleboard program to ensure the safety of residents amidst repair work on Fisherman’s Beach.
Swampscott opens schools to the public
On June 30, 2024, the School Committee voted unanimously to approve the use of school facilities policy for the 2024 to 2025 school year. Aside from the main use of occupying the building with students and faculty, the building was also approved for use of town meetings, Swampscott Recreation activities and local non-profit activities. A big part of the meeting was the policy decision to allow students to use cellphones during lunch in the cafeteria. The School Committee gave credit to high school principal Dennis Kohut for laying groundwork for updated policy.
Swampscott apartment complex recognized for its impact
Vinnin Square’s Vavel Apartment Complex was named CoStar Impact Awards’ Multifamily Development of the Year in Boston. The award recognizes commercial real estate projects that have significant examples of leadership and innovation. The building, which is 20 units and fully electric, was one of four Boston sites awarded by a panel of real estate professionals. The building was designed and built by a collaboration between Nova Construction and Remodeling Inc, with Pitman and Wardley Associates LLC.
