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Vol. 3, No. 34 - FREE - www.advocatenews.net Lynnfield@advocatenews.net 978-777-6397 Friday, August 25, 2017
Pioneers gear up for great season
Selectmen hear recreation results from Community Survey By Christopher Roberson
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The Lynnfield High Football Pioneers are gearing up for another great season after winning the Cape Ann League Baker Division last year. Practices are already in the works as the team prepares to take on Newburyport in their home game season opener on September 8 at 7 p.m.Then-junior wide receiver Jack Razzaboni is shown above making a fantastic drive during the Pioneers’ 31-14 victory over Northeast Voke in last year’s Division 3A playoffs. (Advocate file photo)
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3. 3. 333% 038% 3. 4. 15 YEAR
250% RATE
30 YEAR
990RATE %
APR*
APR*
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For more rates visit our website at everettbank.com **Annual Percentage Rate (APR) is effective August 18, 2017 and is subject to change. All Rates and APR’s are calculated based on a $250,000 loan for an owner occupied single family dwelling with 20% down payment. Rates are also based on Loan to Value and Credit Scores. The monthly principal and interest payment for 15 Year Fixed Rate Mortgage is $7.03 per $1,000 borrowed. Monthly principal and interest payment for 30 Year Fixed Rate Mortgage is $4.77 per $1,000 borrowed. These payments do not include taxes and insurance. Your payment may be greater if the loan is secured by a first lien. Loans subject to credit approval. NMLS #443050
eather Sievers, co-chairman of the Planning Board, recently went before the Board of Selectmen to deliver the results from the recreation section of the town’s Community Survey, which was conducted from Jan. 1-Jan. 28. During her Aug. 21 presentation, Sievers said the 906 respondents were divided into a senior citizen group and a millennial group. “The senior citizens had a strong pattern of not wanting to spend any money,” she said. “The seniors are more positive on the cemeteries.” In contrast, those in the millennial group wanted things like a dog park, a teen center and a multigenerational recreation center. “There is a dichotomy in this town” said Sievers. Regarding the future of the Reedy Meadow Golf Course, the majority of respondents said they want to see the land used for a community center. Input for the Bali Hai property generated a similar response with recreational use as the chief preference. However, Sievers said respondents felt differently when asked about the Sagamore Spring Golf Club. “Nearly 79 percent feel it should remain a golf course,” she said. Regarding support for adopting the Community Preservation Act (CPA), the overall response was “no”; however, Sievers said the an-
swers “were all over the board” for that question. “People do not understand the CPA,” she said, adding that Lynnfield needs to be creative in terms of garnering state funds. “We are not a needy town, we will never qualify for any needbased grants.” Board of Selectmen Vice Chairman Richard Dalton said that since it was adopted by the state in September 2000, the CPA has steadily dwindled into a shadow of its former self. “The CPA is far less attractive now than it was years ago with the state budget crisis,” he said. When respondents were asked which open spaces they use the most, the top two responses were: “I don’t visit any of these” and “I didn’t know these existed.” “This was a little embarrassing,” said Sievers, adding that the town should put greater effort into publicizing Lynnfield’s open spaces. Despite controversy from prior years, 59 percent of the respondents said they favor the Wakefield/Lynnfield Rail Trail. However, they also said their patience is wearing thin in terms of when the project will be completed. In response to Sievers’s findings, Selectman Philip Crawford said he was contacted by town officials in North Reading about the possibility of connecting the Wakefield/ Lynnfield Rail Trail with the one in North Reading. He also said a
SELECTMEN | SEE PAGE 2
LYFC newspaper article rife with errors By Christopher Roberson
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n its Aug. 16 edition, a Lynnfield newspaper published a story regarding the Aug. 7 reorganizational meeting of the Lynnfield Youth Football and Cheerleading (LYFC) program. However, The Lynnfield Advocate has since identified a litany of inaccuracies in that story. The article’s headline stated that Stephen Berardino was “ousted” as the vice president of LYFC. However, according to LYFC’s 2015 tax return, Berardino was listed as the organization’s director, not as the vice president. In addition, the position of vice president
did not exist at the time. This is further supported in LYFC’s Business Entity Summary and Annual Report, both of which are on file with the Secretary of State’s Office. The story also indicated that LYFC President Wayne Shaffer ran unopposed in the election that was held during the Aug. 7 meeting. Yet, James Razzaboni and James Driscoll ran against Shaffer as write-in candidates. It was also reported that Shaffer “could not be reached for comment” following the meeting. However, Shaffer said he never received a voicemail
ERRORS | SEE PAGE 13