LYNN NEWS ROUND-UP
NOVEMBER 23, 2020
See our other COVID-19 related posts by clicking here.
Info. for tonight’s COVID-19 Tele Town Hall
The City of Lynn is hosting a Tele Town Hall on COVID-19 tonight at 6:00PM. There will be two simultaneous events offered, one in English and one in Spanish. Residents will receive a phone call from the City of Lynn on Monday evening and should remain on the line to join the town hall and ask questions. For those residents who want to join the Spanish Town Hall, they will be offered the option to do so throughout the call.
Mayor Thomas McGee and Public Health Director Michele Desmarais will be joined by Dr. Mitch Rein, Chief Medical Officer of North Shore Medical Center; Dr. Barbara Lambl, Infectious Disease Specialist from North Shore Medical Center; Dr. Geoff Pechinsky from Lynn Community Health Center; and Dr. Hanna Haptu, Medical Director Infectious Disease Lynn Community Health Center.
Join English Town Hall: https://video.teleforumonline.com/video/streaming.php?client=20106
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The Spanish language town hall will be hosted by Jennifer Almonte of the Lynn Department of Public Health who will be joined by Dr. Clark Van Den Berghe from Lynn Community Health Center, Dr. Miriam Neuman President of North Shore Medical Center Medical Staff, Veronica Pena-Vargas, NP North Shore Physicians Group, Dr. Rosa Lorenia-Diaz from North Shore Physicians Group.
Join Spanish Town Hall: https://video.teleforumonline.com/video/streaming.php?client=20350
Click images for full-resolution images.
This event will be aired on our Public Access TV Channel this Friday, November 27th at 7pm. It will be available to watch on TV (Comcast: 3 / Verizon: 38), on our website, YouTube channel, & Facebook page simultaneously.
Salvation Army food pantry
in need of donations
MA Housing & Shelter Alliance to honor Senator Brendan Crighton for dedication to people experiencing homelessness during COVID-19
MHSA will present Senator Crighton with the “Canon Brian S. Kelley Public Servant Award” at its Annual Meeting on December 10
The Massachusetts Housing & Shelter Alliance (MHSA) today announced that it will honor Senator Brendan P. Crighton (D – Third Essex District) for his commitment to providing comprehensive housing solutions for people experiencing homelessness in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Senator Crighton will receive the “Canon Brian S. Kelley Public Servant Award” at the 2020 MHSA Annual Meeting, which will be held virtually on December 10 at 9:00am.
The award is named in honor of Canon Brian S. Kelley, a longtime advocate committed to ending homelessness through his tireless work at Boston’s Cathedral Church of St. Paul.
“While Senator Crighton has always been a leader in addressing the issue of homelessness, he stepped up in a big way from the outset of the pandemic,” said MHSA President & Executive Director Joe Finn. “Senator Crighton recognized the impact that COVID-19 would have on people experiencing homelessness and, in his role as Chair of the Joint Committee on Housing, ensured that the needs of those living in permanent supportive housing did not go unnoticed.”
“I am humbled to receive the Canon Brian S. Kelley Public Servant Award,” said Senator Crighton. “It has been an absolute honor to work with Joe Finn and the outstanding staff at the Massachusetts Housing & Shelter Alliance. Their decades of commitment and dedicated service assisting people who are experiencing homelessness are truly remarkable. COVID-19 has had devastating effects on housing-insecure families and individuals throughout the Commonwealth. MHSA works to meet people where they are, to maintain and recognize their dignity and to help them get back on their feet. I am proud to call them a partner and I am deeply moved and greatly appreciate this recognition.”
Elected to the State Senate in 2018, Senator Crighton represents the Third Essex District, serving the City of Lynn and Towns of Lynnfield, Marblehead, Nahant, Saugus and Swampscott. As Chair of the Joint Committee on Housing, Senator Crighton advocates for legislation and programs that prevent homelessness, promote housing affordability, incentivize transit-oriented development, and help build diverse housing stock.
More information about the MHSA Annual Meeting is available athttps://www.mhsa.net/AM2020 or by contacting Meg Hoffman Calleja at mcalleja@mhsa.net.
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The Massachusetts Housing & Shelter Alliance (MHSA) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to ending homelessness in Massachusetts. Through advocacy, collaboration, education, and innovative program development, MHSA focuses on evidence-based solutions that reduce public reliance on emergency resources and prioritize access to stable housing and individualized support services. MHSA draws on the on-the-ground experience of its 89 member agencies from across Massachusetts to inform its advocacy and program development. MHSA’s unique position as an intermediary between public agencies and homeless service providers enables it to create solutions to homelessness that have the greatest impact. For more information, please visit www.mhsa.net.
The above info. was provided by Rasky Partners.
Governor Baker Appoints Tim Sullivan to MBTA FMCB and Brian Lang to MassDOT Board of Directors
Governor Charlie Baker today appointed Tim Sullivan to serve on the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s (MBTA) Fiscal and Management Control Board (FMCB), and appointed current FMCB member Brian Lang to also serve on the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) Board of Directors.
Mr. Sullivan, who is currently a Managing Director at UBS, has nearly thirty years of experience in the public and private sectors. He previously served as the Executive Director of MassHousing, the quasi-public agency charged with providing financing for affordable housing in Massachusetts. Over a decade and a half, Mr. Sullivan served MassHousing in increasingly senior roles including Chief Financial Officer, Deputy Director of Finance and Rental Programs, and Director of Rental Lending.
Mr. Sullivan also served as Budget Director for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Deputy Chief Financial Officer for the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority and worked in the Office of the Massachusetts Attorney General. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Union College and a Master of Science in Public Affairs from the University of Massachusetts Boston.
“Tim has an impressive record of leadership and management experience and knows the importance of working closely with local communities and constituencies to promote growth and sustainability,” said Governor Baker. “Tim’s guidance and insight will be a great benefit to the Authority as it navigates the new COVID-19 landscape. I am grateful for Brian’s hard work and efforts over the last several years on the FMCB and appreciate him joining the MassDOT Board.”
“Tim Sullivan’s knowledge of public and private finance and experience working to finance affordable housing will assist the MBTA as it works to protect essential service for transit-dependent customers and ensure that available resources are focused on meeting current and near-term demand,” said Transportation Secretary and CEO Stephanie Pollack. “Brian Lang has been a thoughtful and effective member of the Fiscal Management and Control Board and I look forward to him serving in his new additional role on the MassDOT Board of Directors.”
“We are pleased to have Tim Sullivan join the FMCB and help support our ongoing efforts to match service with ridership demands while building a better T that is safe, reliable, robust, and resilient,” said General Manager Steve Poftak. “Tim brings decades of experience and a valuable management skillset to our organization and I look forward to working closely with him.”
Mr. Lang will join the MassDOT Board of Directors and will continue serving on the MBTA FMCB. Mr. Lang was appointed to the FMCB by Governor Baker in 2015 and is a past President of UNITE HERE Local 26, Boston’s hotel and food service union. He spent more than twenty years representing the union’s 7,000 members, starting as organizing director, and eventually being elected as president in 2011. Before joining the UNITE HERE Local 26 team, he was involved as a union organizer for SEIU Local 285.
The FMCB was first established by Governor Baker and the Legislature in July 2015 to oversee and improve the finances, management, and operations of the MBTA. In July 2020, Governor Baker signed legislation extending the FMCB for an additional year.
The MassDOT Board of Directors serves as the governing authority for MassDOT. Each seat on the MassDOT Board is required to fulfill specific criteria so that the Board has Directors with expertise in transportation, finance, and/or engineering.
Mr. Sullivan replaces Brian Shortsleeve as an FMCB Director with finance experience and Mr. Lang replaces Mr. Shortsleeve on the MassDOT Board of Directors. The statute which created the FMCB in 2015 set forth that three members of the FMCB must also serve as a member of the MassDOT Board of Directors. Mr. Shortsleeve was one of the three who served on both Boards and now Mr. Lang will serve on both Boards.
From Mayor McGee’s office: The Lynn Public Health Department has confirmed that as of today, the number of active, confirmed positive COVID-19 cases is 1,162 with 49 new cases today. 5,865 Lynn residents have recovered and 129 have died. The total number of confirmed positive COVID-19 cases in Lynn since March 21, 2020, including those who have died and recovered, is 7,156. Please visit the City of Lynn COVID-19 Data Dashboard which is updated daily.
Info. about tonight’s Tele Town Hall on COVID-19 can be found above.
Stop the Spread Initiative Testing have been extended until December 31st
Please visit http://www.ci.lynn.ma.us/covid19/resources.shtml#p7GPc1_2 for more information on how you can get a free COVID-19 test in the City of Lynn until December 31st.
We will continue to provide regular updates on COVID-19 through the City website (www.lynnma.gov), social media, and the Smart 911 emergency notification system (sign up at www.smart911.com).
If you have a news story that you would like to share, please contact us via email or call 781-780-9460.
