01940 Summer 2020 V2

LYNNFIELD
ABUZZ
SUMMER 2020
VOL. 3 NO. 2

EVELYN ROCKAS
YOUR NORTH SHORE REAL ESTATE EXPERT
The Market is Still Active during Covid-19!
Call Evelyn to Buy or Sell!
Accredited Staging Professional
New Home Specialist
Accredited Real Estate Professional
Certified Negotiation Specialist
Rental Agent Certified
International President’s Circle
Award Winner
Luxury Property Specialist
Accredited Buyer’s Representative
Evelyn Rockas
Evelyn.Rockas@NEMoves.com
C. 617.256.8500
Lynnfield Office | 1085 Summer Street, Lynnfield, MA 01940
EvelynRockasRealEstate.com
*Based on closed sales volume information from MLS Property Information Network, Inc. in all price ranges as reported on April 26, 2019 for the period of 4/26/18-4/26/19. Source data is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Real estate agents affiliated
with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage are independent contractor sales associates, not employees. ©2019 Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage fully supports the principles of the Fair
Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Owned by a subsidiary of NRT LLC. Coldwell Banker and the Coldwell Banker Logo are registered service marks owned by Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. 19FXWN_NE_5/19

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02 | 01940
A publication of Essex Media Group
Publisher
Edward M. Grant
Chief Executive Officer
Michael H. Shanahan
Directors
Edward L. Cahill
John M. Gilberg
Edward M. Grant
Gordon R. Hall
Monica Connell Healey
J. Patrick Norton
Michael H. Shanahan
Chief Financial Officer
William J. Kraft
Chief Operating Officer
James N. Wilson
Community Relations Director
Carolina Trujillo
Controller
Susan Conti
Editors
Thor Jourgensen
Contributing Writers
Mike Alongi
Bill Brotherton
Elyse Carmosino
Gayla Cawley
Thor Jourgensen
Daniel Kane
Steve Krause
David McLellan
Alex Ross
Anne Marie Tobin
Photographers
Olivia Falcigno
Spenser Hasak
Advertising Sales
Ernie Carpenter
Ralph Mitchell
Eric Rondeau
Patricia Whalen
Advertising Design
Trevor Andreozzi
Design
Mark Sutherland
ESSEX MEDIA GROUP
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Lynn, MA 01901
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Subscriptions:
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01940themagazine.com
LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER
04 What's Up
06 Back on duty
10 The doctor is in
12 House Money
14 A meaty subject
16 Constant gardener
A well-done edition
I love a good cheeseburger. That I’ve never met a non-good cheeseburger, I guess, is telling. I’ve had
several $40 and $50 burgers when that was a trend in New York City; and I’ve had 99-cent burgers. I
love them all equally. If put on death row, I will request one — with peanut M&Ms, cookies, and vanilla
Coke Zero — for my final meal.
So you can imagine my utter joy in knowing that a story on Dom's Meats from Malden is in this issue.
Dominic Botticelli may sound like he's a descendant of an Italian Renaissance painter, but he's the vice
president of the company and grandson of his namesake — the man who founded the company.
They know meat like Bo knows football and baseball (Google that, children). Steve Krause's article is
a compendium on meats and how to cook them. There's also another fact that struck me, since I never
knew it before: The best meat — including hamburg — comes from a steer, not a cow.
Switching gears to a far more sobering topic, firefighter David Marengi caught Covid-19 in early April
and not only lived to tell about it, he's already back on the job.
Though he was fortunate to quarantine himself in the family's guest room, rather than be away from
his family, he said fighting the disease was one of the loneliest times in his life. Even though he was
spared the worst of it, he still had body aches and a terrible cough. Mike Alongi has the story.
He returned to the job May 9.
While on the subject of the pandemic, former Lynnfield High and current Boston University student
Alex Ross talked to some of the young people in the town, a lot of them current college students,
about how surreal it was to be home instead of away at school. Alex also writes about retiring school
Superintendent Jane Tremblay, calling her someone who will "always be the kind of leader who knows
just what to say."
Since he began caring for hives in his free time five years ago, the longtime Lynnfield resident
beekeeper Paul Keefe has joined the ranks of North Shore beekeepers working hard to keep the local
honeybee population alive and well. Elyse Carmosino has the story.
A new chapter for St. Maria Goretti and Our Lady of the Assumption began July 1 when both
churches and their shared Catholic Collaborative officially merged. Gayla Cawley has the story.
In her 44 years living on Beaver Avenue with her husband, Harry, Helen Coukos has surrounded their
home with gardens, flower and spice plots, a pond framed by Harry's stonework, and an array of exotic
trees and plants. Thor Jourgensen has the story.
Cole Giannasca began recording high school vlogs and upbeat, funny videos his freshman year, serving
up his little slice of Lynnfield High School to the public online and not thinking much of it. But today
his videos are shared with more than 122,000 YouTube subscribers. Dan Kane has the story.
Dr. Manju Sheth, through her "Chai With Manju" video interview series, is providing essential
viewing as the region copes with the Covid-19 virus' lingering effects.
For these and other stories, put a burger on the barbecue, pour yourself a drink, and eat up the summer
issue of 01940.
INSIDE
18 He's pleased with bees
20 A super career
24 YouTube sensation
26 Political predictor
28 Uncommon class
30 Faith united
TED GRANT
COVER
Paul Keefe's life is a
beehive of activity.
PHOTO BY
OLIVIA FALCIGNO

#1 COLDWELL BANKER AGENT
IN LYNNFIELD, MA IN 2019 SALES 1
In the past 20 years, no agent has sold more $1 Million+ homes in
2 .
Contact Louise to schedule a time to meet and discuss the
successful sale of your home.
AWARDS
International President’s Elite Award
REAL Trends America’s Best Agents, 2019
Million Dollar Guild
LOUISE BOVA TOUCHETTE
Luxury Property Specialist
617.605.0555
Louise.Touchette@NEMoves.com
LouiseTouchette.com
COLDWELL BANKER REALTY
1085 Summer Street, Lynnfield, MA 01940
COLDWELLBANKERLUXURY.COM
1. Based on closed sales volume and total number of units closed information from Massachusetts MLS for Lynnfield, MA in all price ranges as reported on Oct.
23, 2019 for the period of Jan. 1-Oct. 23, 2019. Sales volume calculated by multiplying the number of buyer and/or seller sides by sales price. One unit equals one
side of a transaction (buyer or seller). Source data is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. 2. Based on closed sales volume and total number of units closed
information from Massachusetts MLS for Lynnfield, MA for $1 million+ properties as reported on Oct. 23, 2019 for the period of Jan. 1, 2000-Oct. 23, 2019.
Sales volume calculated by multiplying the number of buyer and/or seller sides by sales price. One unit equals one side of a transaction (buyer or seller). Source
data is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Real estate agents affiliated with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage are independent contractor sales
associates, not employees. ©2019 Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage fully supports the
principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Owned by a subsidiary of NRT LLC. Coldwell Banker, the Coldwell Banker logo, Coldwell Banker
Global Luxury and the Coldwell Banker Global Luxury logo are registered service marks owned by Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. 19K40B_NE_8/19

04 | 01940
WHAT'S UP
Need new cabinets?
WE’VE GOT YOU COVERED.
moynihanlumber.com
BEVERLY | NORTH READING | PLAISTOW, N.H.
Fore for fun
What: Lynnfield Recreation summer
golf program gives kids 8 and older a
chance to learn the game and have fun.
Families can register through Lynnfield
Recreation's online site.
Where: Reedy Meadow Golf Course,
195 Summer St.
When: Wednesdays, July 8-August 12,
1:30-3:30 p.m.
Summer shivers
What: Join the Lynnfield library
Genre Book Club for a journey into
horror literature.
Where: The club is being virtually
hosted online at this time by
contacting Abby Porter, 781 334 5411,
aporter@noblenet.org Members will
receive log-in information 30 minutes
before each session.
When: July 15 with different genres
featured throughout the summer on
Wednesdays, 7-8 p.m.
Get out and hike
What: Reedy Meadow - Formerly
known as the “Lynnfield Marsh”, Reedy
Meadow is the largest freshwater
cattail marsh in Massachusetts.
Where: 127 Summer St. The best
access in Lynnfield is traveling along
the old railroad bed at Summer Street
by St. Paul’s Church.
When: Dawn to dusk.
Help save open space
What: The town Open Space and
Recreation Committee welcomes
anyone interested in participating in the
committee volunteering a few hours on a
"Clean Up Day" or planning a walk through
one of our Conservation Areas as well as
meeting on a regular basis to plan marked
trails and wildlife corridors. Contact Emilie
Cademartori, Conservation Administrator
(781) 334-9495 or Bob Curtin, Assistant
Town Administrator in the Selectmen's
office at (781) 334-9410
Where: Committee activities
encompass Lynnfield's numerous open
space locations and conservation areas.
When: Time commitments range from
a few hours volunteering outdoors or
attending a meeting.

SHOULD I SELL
during a pandemic?
It’s the number 1 question on every
seller’s mind and the answer is ...
YES, YES, YES! And here’s why:
• THE MARKET IS SIZZLING HOT!
(especially in Lynnfield)
• 31% of the population are Millennials.
• 45% of all current mortgage applications
are submitted by Millennials.
• Along with lack of supply and pent
up demand, the real estate market
still favors the seller.
• Most properties are getting 50-60
in-person viewings, multiple offers
and are selling in a weekend!
• #1 Selling Team Member, offering
unprecedented service!
Call me to discuss my marketing strategies!
INDUSTRY RECOGNITION
• TOP 1% of Company Sales
• Double Centurion Award
• Platinum Club
• Top Selling Team
• Top Listing Team
The realtor that gives back!
Ellen’s favorite charities: A Healthy Lynnfield, Lynnfield Senior Center,
Pink Rose Foundation, American Red Cross, Lynnfield Rotary,
ALS Foundation, AYA Cancer, Catholic Charities Toy Drive,
Night of Hope, Think of Michael, My Brother’s Table, Geraniumfest,
Lynnfield Library, Townscape, Veteran Services
• Top Producing Team
ellen.crawford@raveis.com
call/text: 617-599-8090
Ellen Rubbico Crawford, Realtor
SRS | SRES | 100% Club | Executive Club
Recognized Top Luxury Brokerage by
Leading Real Estate Co. of the World
The Largest Family-Owned Real Estate Company in the Northeast
932 Lynnfield Street, Lynnfield, MA 01940 www.raveis.com

06 | 01940
Back where
he
belongs
BY MIKE ALONGI
D
avid Marengi fought on
coronavirus' front lines and then
experienced the virus from the
isolation of a quarantine room.
The COVID-19 pandemic has
touched every corner of every community.
Medical workers, public transportation
workers and first responders were
especially susceptible as they transported
and cared for sick people.
Many, like Marengi, know the feeling
of doing your job one day and being
confined the next day to a quarantine
room waiting to get better - and hoping
not to die.
"First things first," Marengi said. "I
consider myself to be really lucky that my
condition wasn't nearly as bad as it could've
been. My temperature never got to over
101.5 and I never needed a ventilator or
anything like that. But there were definitely
uncomfortable times. The body aches were
miserable and I had a terrible cough. But
the worst part was not being able to see my
family. That killed me."
Marengi went into quarantine in early
April after learning he had been exposed
to someone during a routine call, who
later tested positive. Although he felt
fine and didn't show symptoms early, the
Lynnfield Fire Department took every
precaution and had him tested. Once
the test came back positive, he was in
quarantine indefinitely.
The department had booked local
hotel rooms in the event that firefighters
were unable to quarantine at home.
Marengi was fortunate to have a
guest room at home, allowing him to
quarantine there.
"My family is of the utmost
importance to me, and it just wasn't
an option to be away from them for
so long," Marengi said. "I'm fortunate
I could keep distance from my family
while still being at home. I was lucky."
Nonetheless, it was both a blessing
and a curse.
"To be honest, that was probably the
David Marengi, a firefighter/EMT with the Lynnfield Fire Department, is back on the job after recovering
from COVID-19.
PHOTOS: SPENSER HASAK
loneliest time of my life," Marengi said.
"To sit down there and listen to a house
full of boys running around and having
fun, it killed me. I felt like I was missing
out. I was on the other side of the door,
yet I was miles away from my family,"
adding he even crawled out his window
one day to get some fresh air.
Marengi spent more than a month off
the job. The process involved in returning
to work was stringent.
"I had to wait until I felt healthy, then
go 72 hours with no symptoms before I
could start the process," Marengi said.
"From there, I had to test negative twice."
Marengi tested negative April 23, but
a bout of COVID-19-related pneumonia
brought things to a halt.
"That was an unpleasant speed bump
for sure," Marengi said.
After two more weeks, Marengi was
finally able to go 72 hours symptom-free,
rejoining the department May 9.
Marengi said he was shocked at the
support he received from the community.
People, some of them complete strangers,
sent prayer cards, food and notes of
encouragement.
"Kudos to everyone for the support
they gave to my family and me. It
MARENGI, page 8

HOW MUCH IS YOUR HOME WORTH? NEED A PLAN?
Call or Email DEBBIE for a FREE HOME VALUATION and develop a PLAN together!
5 Doncaster Road 531 Lowell Street 11 North Hill Drive 35 Bishops Lane
25 Clark Road 27 Prospect Avenue 14 Pine Street 15 Saunders Road
26 Bluejay Road
Find out what your home is worth for FREE!
Not ready to move? Let’s come up with a plan together!
Top 5% of All Agents Internationally
Certified Home Marketing Specialist
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Selling a home of 20 years can be an emotional
experience and it’s important to have an agent
who helps navigate the process by being both
strong and understanding”
— Laura T.
617-771-2827
The property information herein is derived from various sources that may include, but not be limited to, county records and the Multiple Listing Service, and it may include approximations. Although the information is believed to be accurate, it is not
warranted and you should not rely upon it without personal ve
ential Brokerage are independent contractor sales associates, not employees. ©2019 Coldwell Banker® Residential Brokerage.
All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker® Residential Brokerage fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Owned by a subsidiary of NRT LLC. Coldwell Banker and the Coldwell Banker Logo are registered service marks
owned by Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC.

08 | 01940
Lynnfield firefighter/EMT David Marengi sanitizes a microphone after a resident used it during Town Meeting.
MARENGI, continued from page 6
was incredible. People I didn't even
know reached out to me," he said. "I
can't say enough about Lynnfield. The
community's support made it easier to
stay in that room for a month."
When asked if he thought he could
die, Marengi's answer was yes.
"Absolutely I thought I could die. I
mean Boris Johnson was healthy one day
and the next day he was on a respirator,
people in Lynnfield had already died, so
yes, I knew that could happen to anyone,
including me," he said. "That's why it was
so important to sit down with my family
(wife Kristine and sons Cooper, 20,
Clayton, 18 and Cam, 15) and tell them
that we will get through this."
For Fire Chief Glenn Davis,
Marengi's ordeal and recovery highlights
the mentality that firefighters display
every day.
"Early in quarantine, we had guys
with positives, but the other just
continued to do their jobs. That's what
we do," he said. "We operate ambulances,
so we are in the trenches on the front
lines, but we do the job the best we can
based on what we know, always following
the factual data. It's just when the guys
got back, I imagine it was just grab your
stuff, get in the truck and let's go."
Now that Marengi's back on the job,
things are busier than ever. Phones have
been ringing off the hook at the firehouse
lately, and Marengi is happy to get back to
some semblance of normalcy. He is honored
to be a part of an organization dedicated to
help keep others stay safe every day.
"Fire departments face danger every
day, but nobody could have seen this
coming," he said. "I'm proud to be a part
of the Lynnfield Fire Department. This
is, above all things, a people business,"
Marengi said. "I love what I do and I
love being back. This is where I belong."
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781-580-9357 | www.marjoriesells.com
Proud to be #1 in Lynnfield for sales in 2019. *mls
OUR FULL SERVICE APPROACH SETS US APART
Marjorie Youngren
REALTOR®
Broker Associate, SRES, SRS, GRI
marjorie.youngren@raveis.com
781-580-9357
☑ Social Media
☑ Staging
☑ YouTube Videos
☑ Drone Photography
☑ Interactive Floor Plan
☑ Organizing Support
☑ Full Team Support
☑ Individualized Marketing Plan
☑ Private Showings
☑ Professional Photos
☑ Over Asking Offers

10 | 01940
The doctor is in
… and online
BY BILL BROTHERTON
Dr. Manju Sheth, who has a successful
Internal Medicine practice at Beth Israel
Lahey Health in Danvers, has excelled as
an essential worker during the pandemic.
Telemedicine — "something I never
thought I'd do in my life" — has become
her primary method of seeing patients.
And now the South Lynnfield resident,
through her "Chai With Manju" video
interview series, is providing essential
viewing as the region copes with the
COVID-19 virus' lingering effects. The
8-year old Indian-American talk show has
more than a million YouTube views.
Her "Covid Diaries" guests have
included UMass Amherst chancellor
Kumble R. Subbaswamy, discussing what
students can expect once schools reopen;
Raj Sharma,
managing
director of
Merrill
Lynch,
discussing investment strategies
during the pandemic and its economic
implications; Sushil Tuli, CEO of
Leader Bank, discussing Paycheck
Protection Program and small business
loan forgiveness; and Grammy winner
Sandeep Das discussing the pandemic's
impact on local musicians, including
many young students who played tabla
drums during the episode.
Pre-pandemic, Dr. Sheth conducted
interviews with such VIPs as author/
alternative medicine advocate Deepak
Chopra, Sen. Elizabeth Warren,
Massachusetts Treasurer Deb Goldberg,
singer Shankar Mahadevan, and
humanitarian Guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.
The series also led to the creation of
India New England (INE) Multimedia,
a non-profit organization that is focused
on educating, empowering, entertaining
and enriching the lives of people in
the community. Dr. Sheth serves as its
president and CEO.
"Enrichment is an important mission
of our company. It opens the doors of
progress, helps in the growth of our
community and makes life more rewarding.
"We believe that education leads to
freedom and empowerment. We organize
a number of seminars and workshops to
educate the community about financial
well-being, health, fitness and happiness.
"We empower people through
spreading knowledge, education and
interviews with inspiring guests and
speakers who inspire, encourage
and teach us to maximize our full
potential.
"New England has emerged
as home to a vibrant Indian
community, great artists, singers,
musicians, writers and volunteers.
Our mission is to showcase their
creativity and talent and connect
them with each other," she said.
"There are two things that
define me. First, that I am a great
storyteller. I love all stories and truly
believe that every life has a story."
"Second, is that I have great
instinct for talent and know how to
showcase it." That led to Dr. Sheth
founding the New England Choice
Awards, which has become one of
the United States' most prestigious
Indian American award shows.
She also hosted "Dreamcatchers,"
an celebrity-style interview show that
focused on "dreamers in our community
who have made their dreams come true."
Pre-pandemic, the show was filmed
at INE Multimedia headquarters in
Waltham, and showcased talent and
prominent persons with a connection
to India. "It features people other than
frontline workers, all the people around
us. People with different backgrounds, all
making a difference," Dr. Sheth said.
She has a passion for women’s causes
and community service. The organization’s
flagship event is The New England Choice
Awards/NECA Awards, where industry
leaders, such as New England Patriots
owner Robert Kraft, are celebrated. She
is also the director and host of "Woman
of the Year" that has honored 20 women
in various fields every year for the past 17
years. She has received numerous awards
for her community work and advocacy.
With INDIA New England News, in 2013
"Enrichment is an important
mission of our company. It
opens the doors of progress,
helps in the growth of our
community and makes life
more rewarding."
— Dr. Manju Sheth
she co-founded the New England Health
Expo, the largest South Asian Health Expo
in North America. For local media, she
wrote "Movers and Shakers in Medicine,” a
successful series that featured well-known
Indian American doctors in New England
who have had an impact globally.
Dr. Sheth went to Catholic school
while growing up in India. She said the
nuns encouraged the girls to reach for
their dreams. She listened. Originally
from New Delhi, she graduated from the
University of Calcutta medical school
and trained in London for five years.
She worked for Partners Health Care
before joining Beth Israel Lahey. She
is married to a physician Dipak Sheth;
their daughter, Shaleen, is a Babson
College graduate. The family first settled
in Wakefield, then moved to South
Lynnfield about 15 years ago.
"I love Lynnfield," she said. "It's
a great community … and I love
MarketStreet."

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12 | 01940
HOUSE MONEY
COURTESY PHOTOS

SUMMER 2020 | 13
A peek inside
6 Stafford Road
SALE PRICE: $1,899,000
SALE DATE: March 12, 2020
LIST PRICE: $1,899,000
TIME ON MARKET:
65 days (January 2020)
LISTING BROKER:
The Nikki Martin Team
SELLING BROKER:
REMax Leading Edge
LATEST ASSESSED
VALUE: $1,530,500
PREVIOUS SALE PRICE:
$1,670,000
PROPERTY TAXES: $21,305
YEAR BUILT: 1991
LOT SIZE: .63 acres
(27,443 sq. feet)
LIVING AREA: 9,500 sq. feet
ROOMS: 17
BEDROOMS: 6
BATHROOMS: 4 plus 3 half baths
SPECIAL FEATURES:
18-foot ceiling family room, gourmet
kitchen, elaborate first-floor master
suite, stone patio, heated in ground
swimming pool, hot tub, library,
media room, 2nd great room, cabana,
and multi-car garage.
Source: MLS Property Information Network.

14 | 01940
Dom's Meats steers them straight
BY STEVE KRAUSE
Dominic Botticelli, son
of owner’s Angelo and
Nancy Botticelli, stands
in the meat section of
Dom’s Sausages.
PHOTO: OLIVIA FALCIGNO
T
hings are humming at Dom's
Sausage Co. off Commercial
Street in Malden. After a
two-week hiatus at the height of the
coronavirus scare, customers are back and
business is better than ever.
Dom is Dominic Botticelli, a former
Lynnfield High football player who
graduated in 2006, and the thirdgeneration
namesake of his grandfather,
who established the business more than
80 years ago in his mother-in-law's
basement on Pearl Street in Malden. The
company has been at its present location
at Riverside Park since 1968.
Buddy and Nancy Botticelli still live
in Lynnfield, close enough to Route 1 so
that it's a fairly straight jaunt to Malden
to work in the store. Their son now lives
in Wilmington.
"It's enjoyable, working in the family
business," said Botticelli, who is vice
president of the company (his father,
Angelo "Buddy" Botticelli is president
and his mother, Nancy, is the general
manager.) "I've enjoyed bringing the
business to the next level, and building it
up even more."
In his case, "building it up" meant
creating a brand with the company's
signature marinated meats and creating a
digital footprint.
"We have 10,000 followers on
Facebook," he saId. "In this age, social
media is the next wave."
Dom's is both a wholesale distributor
of meats and a retail seller of them.
"We ship all over the U.S., and have
a few clients in Bermuda," says Nancy
Botticelli. "We also do catering, and a lot
of backyard barbecues."
Dom's has catered to some of the
most well-known clients, such as Jet
Blue, MassPort, MIT and Boston
College. If you want to tailgate prior to
a football game, they will sell you the
marinated meat ahead of time so all you
have to do is put it on the grill.
"People come from all over to buy our
meats," she said. "When we had to close in
the spring (due to COVID-19), it was so
sad to see people drive up and see us closed."
When it's operating at full strength,
the list of specialties Dom's offers sounds
like Bubba telling Forrest Gump about
all the different combinations of shrimp.
There's Dom's Original Steak Tips,
Steakhouse Steak Tips, Patriot Steak
Tips, Zesty Teriyaki Steak Tips, Honey
Mustard Chicken Breast, Dom's Original
Chicken Breast, Lemon Pepper Chicken
Breast, Steakhouse Chicken Breast,
Italian Style Chicken Breast, Zesty
Teriyaki Chicken Breast, Wings of Fire,
Dom's Original Wings, Creamy Caesar
Turkey Tips, Honey Mustard Turkey
Tips, Honey Barbecue Turkey Tips,
Bourbon Peppercorn Turkey Tips, Greek
Style Lamb Tips, Dom's Original Style
Pork Ribs and Dom's Original Ribs.
And here's something you probably
didn't know: the best meat — which
we've all assumed comes from a cow —
doesn't. Well, it comes from someone
from the bovine family, but the livestock
in question is a steer (which, appropriately
enough, is defined as a "neutered young
bull primarily raised for beef").
And even then, precious little from
that steer is used for the prime cuts.
"Only eight pounds of that steer,"
Nancy Botticelli says. "The rest of it is
used for hamburger meat and trimmings.
"But the best cuts come from a steer,
not a cow," she said.
Dom's gets most of its meat from
the western part of the country and
for a while, Nancy Botticelli said, the
COVID-19 shutdown made getting and
selling it a challenge.

SUMMER 2020 | 15
When it's
operating
at full
strength,
the list of
specialties
Dom's offers sounds like
Bubba
telling
Forrest
Gump
about all
the different combinations
of shrimp.
"We told our customers that the
price may go up," she said, "but they
understood. They kept buying from us."
Dom's doesn't just sell meat. It offers
tips on how to cook it — and Nancy
Botticelli can even tell you on which rack to
place it if you're cooking on a multilayered
grill. She can even tell you the sequence of
how you should cook your meats.
"Sausages first," she says. "They take
the longest."
The rest? It depends on the layers
you're using on the grill. If it's steak, and
you have three layers, use the middle one.
"Never the bottom," she says.
Dom's provides brochures on how to
cook meat too. For example, you don't
just bake a roast. You sear first to get a
brown crust. And cooking beef, especially
on a grill, is challenging because it's easy
— almost too easy — to burn it.
"The worst thing you can do is
overcook it," she said. "You certainly
don't want an overdone filet mignon."
You also need to be mindful of what
you're using for fuel.
"I like a charcoal grill," she said (as
opposed to gas). "We had a cookout and
my son brought wood chips, and they
got really hot. We ended up cooking the
steaks two minutes a side, and I think
even that may have been too much."
The retail store in Malden also sells
beer and wine, which involves another
choice. Just what do you drink with a
nice piece of filet mignon.
Answer: Ultraviolet California
Cabernet Sauvignon. And that's straight
from the horse's mouth … or Dominic
Botticelli's anyway.
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H e r
thumb
keeps
getting
greener
BY THOR JOURGENSEN
Helen Coukos, an avid gardener in Lynnfield, sits in her wetland pollinator garden of her home.
PHOTOS: SPENSER HASAK
Helen Coukos has come a long way
since she stuck a Popsicle stick in a can
and tried to grow corn.
In her 44 years living on Beaver
Avenue with her husband, Harry Coukos
has surrounded their home with gardens,
flower and spice plots, a pond framed by
Harry's stonework, and an array of exotic
trees and plants.
Plants with big tropical-looking
leaves called "tractor seats" grow in a
cluster near raspberry bushes arranged
along a slope with a rope line to keep
them growing straight.
A pawpaw tree grows near the front
lawn. Coukos said the tree grows fruit
resembling mangos and tasting like
banana custard. An even more exotic
tree called a umbrella pine has branches
covered with long, delicate-looking
needles.
Coukos can explain how each tree
and plant prospering under her green
thumb changes with the seasons and the
different ways animals and insects are
drawn to the trees and flowers.
Her arborvitaes fell prey to hungry
deer and a mink devoured her pond
fish. For every unwelcome garden guest,
there are bees, butterflies and other
insects pollinating and helping to sustain
Coukos' garden.
The late Bob Tateosian's sister grew
up in Lynn and confesses she always
wanted to be a farmer.
"I love the idea of homesteading and
growing my own food," she said.
This year hasn't been kind to her
enclosed vegetable garden. The "walking

SUMMER 2020 | 17
onions" with their long stalks topped
by bulbs are growing. She blames
overfertilizing for the loss of her tomato
plants. Her front lawn spice garden is
thriving with fennel, valerian and lavender
sprouting alongside a form of milkweed
that attracts Monarch butterflies.
Coukos has grown adept enough as
a gardener to chart the way plants, trees
and flowers blossom and change across
the seasons and to explain how some
types of bees "won't work in the rain"
while others won't pollinate tomatoes.
She shrugs off any suggestion she is
an expert gardener and insists anyone can
get an inexpensive start on gardening by
cutting a plastic gallon milk jug in half,
filling it with soil, poking drainage holes
in the plastic and sticking in a few seeds.
"You put it outside, forget about it, and
then look inside in the spring," she said.
Her year-in, year-out journey with
Nature has turned her into a farmer with
advice about soaking broccoli to get
rid of worms and the right time to eat
zucchini (when they're smaller before
they fill up with seeds.)
Like most amateur gardeners, Coukos
started planting traditional plants and
flowers. As she learned more about plants
and soil, she turned to plants native to
the Lynnfield area and started learning
I find it
peaceful: It's
an escape from
everything.
— Helen Coukos
about their use throughout the region's
history.
"Bloodroot" plants supplied red face
paint for indigenous people and "golden
seal" was used as a medicine. Pawpaw
trees are native to the area and Coukos'
towers 20 feet above her lawn.
"I bought it as a teeny little plant,"
she said.
Harry Coukos embraced his wife's
self-taught spirit and mastered building
the natural stone walls abutting their
garden plots and the pond where frogs,
snakes and fish swim under lily pads and
shelter in the rocks.
A 21-year-old Japanese maple
borders the pond and its leaves cycle
from red to green and back to red in
the fall. Herons occasionally dip into
the pond for fish, unperturbed by the
formidable-looking hori hori knife
Coukos wears strapped to her bib
overalls. With its serrated blade and
spade-like tip, the knife can cut through
a thin branch and coax stubborn roots or
bulbs from the soil.
Married for 45 years, the Coukos
have roots in Lynn where Helen worked
in Union Hospital and Harry Coukos
taught at the former Eastern Junior High
School. He was also a call firefighter in
town.
Mink invasions and the squirrel
assault on her pear tree aside, Coukos
said the biggest reason she loves
gardening isn't the food she grows or the
beauty surrounding her home across the
seasons.
"I find it peaceful: It's an escape from
everything," she said.
Helen Coukos walks through the garden in the backyard of her Lynnfield home.

18 | 01940
There’s no
crying
in beekeeping
BY ELYSE CARMOSINO
Paul Keefe knows bees.
Since he began caring for hives in
his free time five years ago, the longtime
Lynnfield resident has joined the ranks
of North Shore beekeepers working hard
to keep the local honeybee population
alive and well.
“I saw over the years that the bees
were having a lot of problems with colony
collapse disorder, and I wanted to see if
I could make some sort of difference,”
Keefe said of what drew him to the
unusual hobby. “I had a state job for 20
years that I retired out of. After that, I
tried to figure out what I (wanted to do).
“The bees captured my interest.”
After taking extensive classes to help
prepare himself for the labor-intensive
work of beekeeping, Keefe said he now
mainly relies on his network of local
Lynnfield resident Paul Keefe picked up beekeeping after he retired five years ago because he said he
wanted to do something that makes a difference.
PHOTO: OLIVIA FALCIGNO
beekeepers to stay up-to-date on the craft.
Having a good relationship with
other beekeepers in your area is
important, he said, because it allows you
to compare notes and warn one another
about spreading diseases or changes in
climate that have the potential to harm
local bee populations.
“We have meetings once a month and
we bounce things off each other. How
can we do things better? How can we
make the bees healthy? They have a lot of
challenges between pesticides, herbicides,
and other diseases,” he said. “They get
mites that are a little bit like ticks.
They latch onto the bees, and the bees
form birth defects so they can’t fly. We
try to figure out ways of solving those
problems.”
In a given year, Keefe said he cares
for anywhere between ten and 30 hives.
This season, he’s kept busy looking
after 22 colonies, which are located on
lent property spaces spread throughout
Lynnfield and surrounding towns.
Although five years of beekeeping
may seem like a relatively short amount
of time to some, Keefe said that the
willful nature of honeybees means every
year presents unique challenges for
beekeepers. From swarms to viruses,
there’s something new every season.
“I’ve seen quite a bit over five years,”
he said with a laugh.
Perhaps one of the most common
challenges beekeepers face is the struggle
to keep their hives alive during the
winter months, which can be especially
unpredictable in New England’s
temperamental climate.
“If you have a 50 percent die-off
during the winter, that’s actually a good
year. A lot of times I can lose 90 percent
of all the bees, and that’s normal,”

SUMMER 2020 | 19
Keefe said, adding: “People think that
(bees) hibernate, but they don’t. They’re
still very much awake. They cluster to
maintain the temperature of the hive.”
Any temperature over 45 degrees and
the bees will break cluster, he said, which
then prompts them to eat the food stored
inside their hive that’s meant to last the
entire winter.
“Sometimes if the wood is too cold,
they’ll cluster for too long. If it’s too
warm, they won’t cluster enough and
they’ll run out of food faster.”
This year, Keefe saw a roughly 90
percent die-off, which he credited to a
particularly warm winter.
“It’s definitely a labor of love,” he said.
“There are always new challenges every
year, so you can (fix) one thing, and then
something else comes up.
“Usually it’s developed problems,
other diseases from other countries or
other regions that come here. We have to
constantly stay educated on how to keep
ahead of it.”
The only money Keefe makes from
beekeeping is from the honey he sells at
nearby shops and through his website,
pioneerhoney334.com, which offers
contactless delivery — delivered by
Keefe himself — anywhere within a ten
Keefe points out different sections of the hive.
mile radius.
“Everybody likes the honey and
everybody like the bees,” he said of his
family and friends’ reactions to his hobby.
That doesn’t mean the job isn’t
without its dangers, however.
“I can get stung all day long,” he
said. “ “But what bothers me the most is
getting stung in the throat or face. Yeah,
that hurts.”
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But, he added, “there’s no crying in
beekeeping.”
Ultimately, it seems Keefe has
accomplished what he originally set out
to do.
Since starting his foray into the
world of bees half a decade ago, he said
he thinks he sees a notable change in
Lynnfield’s foliage thanks to the efforts
of beekeepers in the area.
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20 | 01940
Everything I need to know,
I learned in Mrs. Tremblay’s office
Super career comes to an end
BY ALEX ROSS
It was my turn to recite the Pledge of
Allegiance during the morning greeting at
school. I walked into her office, petrified I
was going to say the wrong thing.
“Do you know what you’re going to
say?” Mrs. Tremblay asked. I’m pretty
sure I blurted out the entire pledge, just
to make sure she knew that I knew what
I was doing.
“Just remember it’s, ‘I pledge
allegiance to the flag’ not ‘I pledge of
allegiance to the flag,’” she said. “It’s silly,
I know, since it’s called ‘The Pledge of
Allegiance.'”
Ten-year-old me, a fourth grader,
nodded, as she handed me the phone
from her desk. Mrs. Tremblay whispered
the whole thing, line by line, with me
as I talked into the phone, just in case I
forgot.
I didn’t forget. The words, or the
memory.
Ten years later, though she may no
longer be the principal or superintendent,
Jane Tremblay will always be the kind of
leader who knows just what to say.
She believes the best leaders are the
best listeners. That would be why she has
always been so good at her job.
“I think if you can figure out who
it is that you're leading and why you're
doing it, and you're a really good listener,
then you put all those pieces together,”
Tremblay said, “[and] you build a team
that will help you move whatever it is
you're trying to move forward.”
She credits her colleagues for her
2012 Massachusetts Elementary School
Outstanding Principal of the Year award.
Without the faculty and staff of Summer
Street School, she would not have had
such a successful tenure as principal.
When I asked her what it felt like to be
recognized on a national level, she didn’t
hesitate before the words “incredibly
humbling” had left her mouth.
It is hard to be humbled by anything
you do not innately recognize as bigger
than yourself.
Before Tremblay was in charge of
a school or even a district, however,
she was in charge of 22 5-year-olds
at Huckleberry Hill School. It was
1986. Tremblay was just starting out
as a kindergarten teacher. Her titles
may have changed along her 34-year
journey in Lynnfield, but the sense of
“overwhelming responsibility” she feels to
those around her never has.
She says had not been a teacher, she
would have been a nurse, which to her,
“feels like the same calling.”
“The people are always the best part
of the job,” Tremblay said. “That's the
hardest part about COVID-19.”
In her graduation address to the Class
of 2020, she said, “we believe that we
taught you resilience and perseverance
and facing adversity for the past 13 years.
That was just amateur hour, compared to
what you went through these past three
months.”
Once again, she knew exactly what
Retired Lynnfield Superintendent Jane Tremblay inside Huckleberry Hill Elementary School,
where her 34-year career began.
PHOTO: SPENSER HASAK

SUMMER 2020 | 21
to say.
Maybe it's because she bleeds
compassion. Maybe it's because she has
that elusive gift of words. Maybe it is
because she is also experiencing what her
seniors are going through, it is hard to
begin a new chapter when the last page
of the old one doesn't exist.
“What I would say is, no matter
what, there's not a pandemic or
COVID-19, or anything that can take
away your memories and take away
your experiences,” Tremblay said. “And
so instead of being sad about the fact
that this is the way we're going out, let's
rejoice in the fact that we had such great
memories and experiences that makes it
really hard to still go out.”
Tremblay has had her fair share of
memories and experiences in Lynnfield,
making it hard not to wonder which job
she enjoyed the most.
“My favorite one was the one I was
doing at the time,” Tremblay said. She
was not trying to be diplomatic. “To
work outside the home for me as a mom
with three small kids, I was not doing
it for a job, just to make money. I was
doing it for something that I was going
to love.”
Though her children are grown now,
her unique situation was not lost on her
son, even as a teenager. Tremblay asked
him what he wanted to do. His response?
To love his job as much as she loved hers.
While Tremblay credits good luck
for having a career she loved, the fact is
that's what happens when you turn your
passion into an occupation.
Ten years ago, I walked into her
office, nervous to say the wrong thing.
Following this interview, I left her office
feeling honored to have heard her say all
of the right things.
Listen. Give credit where credit is
due. Keep moving forward. Practice
patience. Learn empathy. See the glass
half full. Find the silver linings. Do what
you love. Don’t take it for granted.
And remember there is no “of ” in the
Pledge of Allegiance.
Mrs. Tremblay smiled at me as we
sat in the middle of her half-packed-up
office. In that moment, part of me still
felt like I was 10.
“When I think back to my time in
Lynnfield, that's what I’ll think about,”
she said. “The relationships that I've been
so fortunate to be a part of.”
Alex Ross is a 2018 Lynnfield High
graduate who will be a senior at Boston
University in the fall and a summer intern
at Essex Media Group.
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24 | 01940
Cole Giannasca Lynnfield
BY DANIEL KANE
W
hen most of us want to
remember our days in high
school, we'll search back
into our minds or dig out our old year
books.
But for Lynnfield's Cole Giannasca,
those fond memories will always be
documented and he did it all in front of
quite the audience.
Giannasca began recording high
school vlogs and upbeat, funny videos
his freshman year, serving up his little
slice of Lynnfield High School to the
public online and not thinking much
of it. But today his videos are shared
with more than 122,000 YouTube
subscribers, each of whom can see his
high school journey with his friends
and family over the years.
"When I started I never thought
about it," Giannasca said. "But as of
recently having that all documented is
one of if not the best part of it. I can
go back and watch anything and so can
all my friends. I’ve watched some of the
senior videos I've put up almost every
day. This is something that will be there
forever, something I can show my kids
someday."
For Giannasca the YouTube fame
came fast and was also unexpected.
Videos of him doing carpool karaoke,
sharing advice and one of his more
recent clips "dear class of 2020" have
garnered hundreds of thousands of
views with plenty of laughs and charm
abundant.
"I put 12 hours of work into the
Class of 2020 video," Giannasca said.
Cole Giannasca shows off his YouTube 100,000
subscriber plaque.
COURTESY PHOTO
"It took a lot out of me. But it was all
worth it. I watch it and I'm just like
'wow.' It's crazy appreciating it all and
walking through what you would do
differently. That video is like my baby
almost."
Despite his hard work filming and
editing his videos and prompting his
videos to his fans called the "Colegion"
Giannasca deflects much of the credit
for the channel's success to those who
have made his time at Lynnfield High
worthwhile.
"I credit my friends and family more
than anything," Giannasca said. "I
always tell them, 'You guys are making
the content. I just hold the camera and
edit the videos.'"
"I just think the stuff in my videos
just isn't unreachable,' Giannasca said.
"It’s so relatable. My audience is high
school age and I meet some of my
fans and they can relate to everything
whether it's struggling with exams or
any of the stress of high school."
Like any successful YouTuber,
Giannasca's primary goal is to keep
his fans entertained and that's why
he'll spend so many hours editing a
clip that's only a fraction of the time it
spent to create in length.
"I'll sit at my computer and focus
for maybe three hours before it's
posted," he said. "For some creators
that takes a lot less time, but I take
pride in it. My big thing is keeping
people entertained. There's a lot of
energy and no time where nothing is
happening."
And Cole is even more excited
for the next chapter in his life, where
he'll head off to study Business
Administration and Communications
at the University of New Hampshire.
And of course he plans on sharing it all
with his "Colegion."
"I’m definitely excited," he said.
"It's a great school for my major and
I'll still be really close with my family.
I'm excited for the content, it's a whole
new world. Going into high school I
had now idea I was going to have this
YouTube channel and now I already
have it going into college and hopefully
I'll have it even longer. I can't wait to
grow with my followers."
YouTube fame times 122,000

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26 | 01940
A conversation with one of America’s leading pollsters,
David Paleologos
BY DAVID MCLELLAN
David Paleologos at Suffolk University's Studio 73.
It was 2002, and Lynnfield resident
David Paleologos began taking
Massachusetts' political pulse.
Paleologos had been teaching at
Suffolk University by that time for seven
years. But his goal of establishing a
political research center at the university
had not come to fruition.
He was teaching a class when a
student made an intriguing suggestion:
Why not conduct a poll to gauge how
a forthright businessman named Mitt
Romney might square off against
Massachusetts gubernatorial candidate
Jane Swift?
It was a weird idea, but Paleologos
went with it. The poll results were
echoed in the Boston Herald, and showed
Romney beating Swift by a large margin.
The rest is history: Swift dropped
out of the race, Romney entered — and
won — and the Suffolk University
Political Research Center, now one of the
preeminent academic polling institutions
in the U.S., was born.
“Romney’s political career was born,”
Paleologos said. “And at that moment, I
realized the value of a student, someone
who thinks differently than I and thinks
outside the box.”
The Suffolk University Political
Research Center initially partnered with
PHOTO COURTESY OF MICHAEL J. CLARKE
Channel 7 news in Boston, then with
other prominent media partners, such as
the Boston Globe. Paleologos employed
this mantra: To get an accurate poll, the
demographics of those polled must be
proportional to the area the pollsters are
trying to predict.
For example, when trying to figure
out who will win a gubernatorial race
in Massachusetts, where 14.3 percent
of the population is 25 to 34 years old,
14.3 percent of those polled must be 25
to 34 years old. It goes the same for race,
gender, and geography, Paleologos said,
and “demographic proportionality” is the
hallmark of a good poll.
That rule of proportionality today
guides all good polling institutions,
Paleologos said, including Suffolk
University Political Research Center,
which famed statistician Nate Silver has
said is correct 80 percent of the time.
“If I do a poll that’s mostly young
people, of course the Democrats are
always going to be ahead. If I do a poll
with people who are mostly rural and
white, Republicans are always going to be
ahead,” Paleogos said.
Despite its hitherto acclaim, Suffolk
University Political Research Center is
still evolving. For example, Paleologos
said, just recently Suffolk polls have
been polling according to nonbinary and
transgender demographics, not just basing
its “demographic proportionality” off
male or female. He said it’s a very small
percentage of people who don’t identify as
male or female — less than 1 percent —
but, to get an accurate poll, counting them
in a poll’s demographics is still important.
“It’s important to set the bar,”
Paleologos said.
In 2002, the majority of respondents
did so using a landline telephone, until
cell phones “became a sliver, then a slice,
then a majority, now almost 90 percent,”
of respondents, Paleologos said.
There isn’t concrete data to answer
why, but poll respondents also have “a
much shorter attention span” these days,
Paleologos said. Two decades ago, a
“long” poll would have taken about 30
minutes on the phone with a respondent
— and that wasn’t uncommon. Today,
“long” means about 12 minutes.
And yes, it’s true America is much
more polarized politically.
“People are far, far more polarized
than they were in 2002. In 2002, you
had a small group of people who were
far-left and a small group of people who
were far-right, and then a whole bunch
of people in the middle who could swing
either way,” Paleologos said. “Now, you
have mountains of people on the left and
mountains of people on the right.”
“In the upcoming election, campaigns
are going to have to really dig deep for
that very small group in the middle that
can swing either way,” he said.
But there have been polling failures
in the past. In 2016, most polls predicted
Clinton would be the next president of
the U.S., not Donald Trump.
Paleologos, who is ethnically Greek,
always does his last interview of the
year with a Greek newspaper, and he
remembered telling one in 2016, “There
are a high number of undecided voters
and a high number of third-party voters,
and those are both red flags.”
Contrary to the public perception,
that national polls got the 2016
presidential race wrong, the national
pollsters got it right, Paleologos said.
National polls “poll the popular vote, and
she won the popular vote.”

SUMMER 2020 | 27
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28 | 01940
Pandemic Perspectives
From left, Kiera Burns, Grace Sokop, Alex Ross, and Nick Wilkinson.
PHOTOS: SPENSER HASAK
Kiera Burns will be a
senior at Lynnfield High
School in the fall.
Grace Sokop will be a
sophomore at the University
of Delaware in the fall.
Alex Ross will be a junior
at Boston University in
the fall.
Nick Wilkinson graduated
from Bryant University
in 2019.
BY ALEX ROSS
These days before leaving my house, I
feel like Batman.
Although I’m not heading out to save
Gotham City, I do find myself yelling
“Wait! My mask!” before walking out the
front door. It’s a weird reality to live in.
One that, had I been in a job interview
five years ago, I would’ve totally missed
the mark on when asked where I see
myself in five years. “Masked like Batman
in the middle of a global pandemic”
definitely would not have been my
standard answer.
Standard answers are no longer the
norm.
My brother Jack is one of the many
students who missed out on their junior
prom this spring. Though my mother and
I threw him a DIY prom at home— no
mask required— Kiera Burns is the class
president in charge of planning the real
one.
“If you had asked me a month ago if
we were going to have prom in the fall,
I would’ve said flat out ‘no,’” Burns said.
“But, now, I have a little bit more hope.
We’ll see if things are going to get worse,
and if not, then I feel like we can make
some fashionable masks!”
The Class of 2021 is in good hands
with Burns. If fashionable masks are
what it takes to get them a prom, she’ll
do it. For this year’s seniors, she managed
to organize a half-hour dance party on
101.7 The Bull complete with DJ Colton
Bradford and shoutouts from middle and
high school teachers. Diplomacy, meet
the power of the teenage spirit.
Though Burns did her best to make
up for all the seniors missed out on, the
hardest part for the graduates was the
graduation itself.
“I imagined myself walking across
the stage with everyone clapping,” said
Lynnfield High senior Bryan Mallett,
“but now that seems like an afterthought.
The drive-thru graduation was kind
of weird. It didn't feel like I actually
graduated. It felt like there was no one
there to see me grab my diploma.”
Mallett knows all too well what
it’s like to have big moments well-

SUMMER 2020 | 29
documented— he’s one of Lynnfield’s
resident videographers and has spent the
better part of quarantine making videos
for families and faculty in town. Still,
whether anyone other than his family
witnessed it or not, Mallett is officially
a high school graduate. He’ll head off
to Endicott College in the fall to major,
understandably, in Film and Media
Studies.
So, the curtains open, and college
life begins. Simple. Until you hit fast
forward, and after three and a half
months of living away from home, you
suddenly find yourself right back in your
childhood bedroom.
“Going to college and learning that
independence, and then being sent
home... it’s like you feel like you’re
back as a senior in high school,” said
University of Delaware freshman
Grace Sokop. And, though she admits
freshman year comes with its fair share of
adjusting, “Second semester you go back
and you feel way more comfortable than
you did first semester.”
The problem? “My school went back
February 9th, so I was only at school
for a little over a month. It was a major
tease,” she said.
Sokop, who’s studying to one
day become a pediatric nurse, said
she completed her second semester
chemistry lab from her house. And I, as
a journalism major, thought doing the
news from my basement was hard.
The University of Delaware hasn’t
made any official announcements
about re-opening campus in the fall,
said Sokop, but Boston University
has. As of right now, I will return to
Commonwealth Avenue in just a few
short months.
Brendan Sullivan won’t have that
chance.
“I was definitely disappointed,” the
BU economics graduate said. When he
found out he wouldn’t be going back to
campus to finish his senior year, Sullivan
“was thinking a lot of things… like ‘why
this year? Of course, that’s my luck.’
But, I guess after that, I just started to
think about the positives. We got most
of senior year in, and years after us will
probably be pretty affected by this.”
Lynnfield resident Nick Wilkinson
was in Sullivan’s shoes just one year
ago. As Sullivan heads out into the
finance job market, Wilkinson, a Bryant
University alumnus, told me about the
positives to his district sales lead job at
Frito Lay.
“I guess it depends on the industry,
because in our industry, business is
booming right now,” he said. “Our
company is still hiring people. Some
companies are struggling, and others are
actively looking for these people [to hire]
because they know what they’re going
through and they want to help.”
Wilkinson, who hails from a big
family, says missing out on family
gatherings and holidays has been tough.
His youngest sister Sophia is a 2020
LHS drive-thru graduate like Mallett.
As for me? I didn’t miss a prom, or a
graduation, or my first spring away from
home. I don’t have a job that I need to
worry about landing, and I also don’t
have a job that I have to worry about
losing.
Instead, the biggest change has been
in the smallest things. I talk to my
grandparents on Facetime instead of
face-to-face. I finished my sophomore
year of college from my kitchen table.
My best friend watched me stand on my
front step and open my 20th birthday
gift while she sat in the trunk of her car.
This still isn’t a job interview, but I
hope five years from now, nobody needs
their Batman mask.
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30 | 01940
Faith in collaboration
A
new chapter for St.
Maria Goretti and Our
Lady of the Assumption will
begin on July 1 when both
churches and their shared
Catholic Collaborative
officially merge.
Although the churches
became part of the Lynnfield
Catholic Collaborative in
2013, their parishes had
remained separate until now.
The Rev. Paul Ritt applied
for the merger in April and
received final approval from
Cardinal Sean O'Malley in May.
There won't be much of
a change for parishioners,
as the parish will maintain
both worship sites and Fr.
Ritt, pastor of the Lynnfield
Catholic Collaborative, will
continue to lead each church.
"Since we've already
been in a relationship within
a collaborative gala, I
really don't see major
changes at all," said Fr.
Ritt. "The churches will
remain open, masses will
continue to be celebrated
in both churches, and
faith formation classes will
continue in both churches."
The main differences
will be a new name for the
single parish and that all
of the financial contributions people make
to support the two churches and their
missions will go into one account, rather
than two separate accounts, Fr. Ritt said.
Parishioners have been asked to
submit name suggestions for the new
parish, which will be sent to Cardinal
O'Malley, who decides upon the name. It
could be awhile before a final decision is
made, as Fr. Ritt doesn't expect to submit
their nominations until August.
Fr. Ritt said the discussion around a
possible merger began about a year ago.
Since the Catholic Collaborative formed
seven years ago, it became more common
for parishioners of both churches to do
things together, which helped them get
BY GAYLA CAWLEY
Fr. Paul Ritt gets ready to lead an online Mass at St. Maria Goretti Catholic Church.
PHOTO: OLIVIA FALCIGNO
to know one another and their church's
traditions, he said.
At the time, the finance councils
of both parishes began to discuss the
possibilities of a merger that could
streamline the accounting that's required
for each parish. The conversation was
tabled last year, but gained traction in late
March when Fr. Ritt received a call from
Cardinal O'Malley's office about the topic.
"(Fr.) Paul Soper gave me a call and
said that, given the pandemic and the real
possibility of an extended suspension of
masses and therefore reduced attendance
at masses and reduced donations, we
might consider the merger to consolidate
our resources and make it more likely
that we could not only survive, but thrive
during the pandemic,"
said Fr. Ritt.
During the call, Fr.
Ritt was asked to consult
with staff members of
the Collaborative, and
pastoral and finance
council members of both
parishes to see if they would
be in favor of such a merger.
The results were surprising,
he said, as all 30 people that
he talked with were very
much in support of the idea.
"There was some
understandable sadness
that we might be losing our
parish identity in some cases,
but overall they understood
that a pandemic was the
occasion to consider the
merger of the two parishes,"
said Fr. Ritt.
The advice he received
from Cardinal O'Malley's
office, coupled with the
unanimous support from
the people he consulted,
gave him the confidence
to apply for a merger in
early April.
During a virtual
meeting of the
Presbyterian Council
on April 16, Fr. Ritt
made his pitch for the
merger, which included providing
that consultative body of priests with
supporting documents that described
the finances for both parishes and the
condition of their buildings.
Fr. Ritt said the priests voted in favor
of his proposal, which was later approved
by Cardinal O'Malley. Both churches
will retain their respective names, and
masses and sacraments will continue to
be celebrated in both places.
The name of a new parish will take
some getting used to, Fr. Ritt said,
but he's confident the merger is "for
the long-term benefit of our Catholic
Community."
"I love the people of our community
here in Lynnfield," said Fr. Ritt. "I would

SUMMER 2020 | 31
not have gone forward with this whole
merger had I not heard a resounding
affirmation from the people I trust and
respect very much. I am optimistic. I
hope this will help us get through this
wave of the pandemic and perhaps
another one if it should come, and in
the long term become a stronger, more
united community that really lives its
Catholic faith to the hilt."
Our Lady of the Assumption was
founded in Wakefield in 1922, and
today's church building in Lynnfield
was built in 1956. The St. Maria Goretti
Parish was established in 1960.
In 2013, under the Archdiocese of
Boston's Disciples in Mission pastoral
plan promulgated by Cardinal Sean
O'Malley, St. Maria Goretti parish, Our
Lady of the Assumption parish, and
OLA School became components of
the Lynnfield Catholic Collaborative,
according to the LCC website.
As a Phase I Collaborative, the
Lynnfield Catholic community was
one of the first 12 to pioneer this new
organizational and evangelization model
in the Archdiocese. Father Paul Ritt was
appointed the first pastor of the LCC, with
Father Anthony Luongo as the Parochial
Vicar, according to the website.
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