LWN042221

APRIL 22, 2021
Elementary school
expansion project
manager hired
SCHOOL
FROM PAGE 1
“This company takes a
very detailed approach to the
design process and scheduling,
and even presented us
with a schedule, so they are
thinking the right way. The
lead project manager has
completed over 14 accelerated
projects, which, with a
condensed window, need to
have strong management.”
Local projects managed
by LEFTFIELD include the
Elbridge Gerry Elementary
School in Marblehead, the
Galvin Middle School and
Walton Elementary School
in Wakefield, and the
Garfield Elementary School
in Revere.
Scenna said Lynnfield
School Committee members
reached out to Wakefield
and Marblehead for comment
about their experience
working with LEFTFIELD.
“They both said their performance
was excellent
and gave them an A-plus,”
Scenna said.
The LEFTFIELD team
will be led by CEO Jim
Rogers, who will serve as
principal in charge, while
James Riefstahl will be the
project director.
“(Riefstahl’s) experience
coordinating public and
abutter outreach, leadership
communication, and
his organizational skills will
be key throughout the entire
process,” said Rogers.
“James will coordinate the
efforts of the design and construction
team to ensure that
budget, quality and schedule
requirements are met or
exceeded.”
In December 2020, the
town appropriated $17 million
for the project, which
includes the construction
of five new classrooms at
both the Summer Street and
Huckleberry Hill schools.
Four classrooms will be dedicated
to everyday learning,
with the fifth serving as an
adaptable individualized
learning space. Two existing
classrooms at each school
will be renovated.
The project also includes
enlarging the gymnasium at
Huckleberry to a size similar
to the middle school gym,
expanding and reconfiguring
both schools’ parking lots,
establishing new playing
fields at each school and installing
a new playground at
Summer Street. The project
will be ready for the start of
the 2022-23 school year.
In response to a question
from School Committee
Chair Jamie Hayman on
whether anyone had asked
LEFTFIELD if they had done
any work outside of partnerships
with the Massachusetts
School Building Authority
(MSBA), Scenna said the
fact that the town is funding
the project on its own is
advantageous.
“The fact that they are out
on their own is more beneficial,
as there’s so much
less paperwork than with
MSBA,” Scenna said. “The
fact that they have been able
to be so successful on accelerated
MSBA projects is
impressive.”
The next step, Scenna
said, is to “get into the bid
process.”
“The role of an OPM is
to come on board and assist
with the bidding process
by making sure that our approach
is coordinated with
all the other people involved
in the process,” Scenna said.
Town Administrator Rob
Dolan said that the project is
the culmination of the efforts
of many.
“I would say that it’s been
the real input of leadership
on the part of the Select
Board and schools and all
the various committees that
have been involved in this
from the very beginning,”
Dolan said.
“These people all serve
voluntarily and while it’s
been a long, steady process,
it’s because of them that we
are talking about breaking
ground this summer. This is
a very exciting time for the
entire town of Lynnfield.”
WEEKLYNEWS.NET - 978-532-5880 3
COURTESY PHOTO | SUSAN PARZIALE
The police department’s first Coffee with a Cop event dodged lots of raindrops Saturday at
MarketStreet. From left, Director of Lynnfield Housing Authority Daniel Macintyre, volunteer
Julie Perrin, Northeast Arc Autism Support Center Program Director Nancy Lucier, volunteer
Susan Parziale and Sgt. Chris DeCarlo.
Coffee with a cop for a good cause
COP
FROM PAGE 1
“We never brought the
Autism Patch Program to
Lynnfield,” said Parziale.
Reading had it, Stoneham
had it, Braintree, the list goes
on and on, so I reached out
to ask if we could bring the
program to Lynnfield and
the department could not
have been more supportive
in making the program and
this event today happen.
“The response today was
incredible despite the fact
that it was so cold and wet.
People came who knew
we were going to be there.
People came who were just
at MarketStreet and were curious
about what was going
on and just stopped by. The
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turnout was more than we
expected.”
DeCarlo said the department
has raised more than
$2,000 through its patch
sales.
“This is a great opportunity
for us to broaden our
community outreach programs,”
he said. “It’s gone
well so far. We’ve had a lot
of positive feedback.”
That’s putting it mildly, according
to Parziale.
“I think we’ve sold out
of the original order of 300
patches and now the police
department has ordered 300
more,” she said.
Parziale said the best part
of the day for her was when
a mother of a teenage boy
with autism reached out for
advice.
“Her son is high-functioning
and is going to be
starting driving soon so
she was concerned about
what she needed to know,”
Parziale said. “When she
asked that question, I looked
at Chris and thought that’s
exactly what we were trying
to do with today’s event. It’s
all about finding ways to
provide people with answers
to their questions and tell
them about the services that
are out there to help them.
“Being able to help that
mother was just so special
and the perfect way to end
the day. If that one encounter
is all that happened today
— to help just one family —
then that’s a very good day,
and we are doing what we set
out to do.”
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Direct: 844 720 9034
mgarabedian@northreadingsubaru.com