Skip to the content
Home / Latest / LPS free remote summer school program, Protest planned for July 4th, $10K grant awarded to Lynn, & more | July 2, 2020

LPS free remote summer school program, Protest planned for July 4th, $10K grant awarded to Lynn, & more | July 2, 2020

Our COVID-19 weekday updates with city officials have ended, but will resume if there is any breaking news or urgent information to get out to the public.
Past updates can be found by clicking here.

See other COVID-19 related posts by clicking here


Read about our virtual July 3rd celebration programming for tomorrow at 8PM on TV & online by clicking here.


Lynn Public Schools announces free remote summer school program

The Lynn Public Schools has created an inclusive summer school that allows students, coupled with the support of LPS teachers, to complete courses through Apex online courses. The goal of Summer School is to provide a solid, meaningful learning environment that will better prepare students for the next academic school year.

Remote Summer School 2020 will be free of charge and available to Lynn residents. Any LPS student who does not have a laptop will be able to borrow one from the district.

Students will be taking classes online using the Apex Learning program, and must attend a mandatory orientation on Monday, July 13th at 10AM or 8PM. Courses are self-paced, but students are expected to work at least 2 hours per day & meet at least once per week for a 15-30 minute check-in with a teacher as scheduled.

The registration period will run next week from Monday, July 6 – Friday, July 10 and the program will run every Monday-Thursday from Monday, July 13 – Thursday, August 13 (Monday through Thursday).

To fill out the application and find out all the information
for this program please click here.


Read the Lynn School Committee & District Administration’s commitment to Anti-Racism by clicking here.


Peaceful protest planned for Manning Field to Wyoma Square on July 4th

Click image to go to Facebook event

Another peaceful protest is planned for this coming Saturday, July 4th at 12PM from Manning Field to Wyoma Square.

From event organizers: On SATURDAY, JULY 4TH, we will meet in the Manning Field parking lot at 12:00 PM, march to Wyoma Square, and occupy it for 8 minutes and 46 seconds in remembrance of George Floyd. We will also recite our demands of the Lynn Police Department. We aren’t looking or asking for permission from anyone. This is about CIVIL disobedience and letting people in different areas of the city know that this has everything to do with them. We have no intentions of working with the Lynn Police Department. They are welcome to protest WITH US if they truly want to be involved, but this is about systemic CHANGE, not compliance and pacification. This will only work if we have numbers, so spread the word like wildfire!

We are looking for leaders to marshal for us and guide the crowd on our route. Please private message Anthony Coleman or I if you are interested. Feel free to bring waters and snacks for others as well!

To find out more about this protest click the image above.


Click for full-resolution image

Firework complaints continue to rise

According to Capt. Reddy of the Lynn Police Department there were 120 noise and fireworks related calls were recorded in a single 5pm-1am shift recently. There has been an increase in calls regarding fireworks of 277% in just the month of June alone.

Fireworks are illegal but offenders can only be fined $100, and police have to be able to see who actually lights them. Residents are encouraged to continue to call the Lynn Police Dept. for the ongoing fireworks, so that they may be able to identify areas where the problem is most severe.

During Tuesday’s City Council Meeting City Council President/Ward 3 Councilor Darren Cyr began to appoint a new Fireworks Committee. Their task will be to work with city official to take a look at our ordinances as well as our legislative delegation to make some changes which can put more teeth in enforcement going forward.

Special thanks to Ward 2 Councilor Rick Starbard for this information. The info. above was taken from his Ward 2 newsletter, found by clicking here.


City of Lynn announced as Healthy Babies Grant Initiative winner: $10,000 pledged to improve children’s health & reduce disparities

The City of Lynn submitted a proposal to support systematic change, responding specifically to needs heightened by the COVID-19 pandemic

Picture courtesy of Pexels user Samer Daboul

Healthy Babies Bright Futures (HBBF) and the Mayors Innovation Project announced the winners of their joint grant program and have named Lynn as a $10,000 winner. The program aims to empower city lead- ers to improve children’s health and reduce health disparities in communities, in particular by supporting efforts that decrease neurotoxic exposures.

Cities submitted proposals to leverage this grant with local funding to support systematic change, responding specifically to needs heightened by the COVID-19 pandemic. From a strong pool of cities rang- ing from 7,000 to 1.7 million in population, 10 winners were selected to receive not only grants, but also technical assistance and an opportunity to present at a future Mayors Innovation Project meeting.

“Our city is committed to addressing health and food insecurities among our most vulnerable residents,” said Mayor Thomas M. McGee “This program focuses on the well-being of our children as we work to provide more equitable access to healthy food choices for children and families in the City of Lynn.”

“Response to COVID-19 required significant behavioral changes and adaptations and many will continue to have an influence in the future,” said Kyra Naumoff Shields, HBBF’s Bright Cities Program Director. “It helps us see that — particularly in a time of crisis — people can change their behavior for a positive community impact. Lynn’s planned work will dramatically improve the health of the babies in their city.”

The City of Lynn in partnership with The Food Project and Lynn Community Health Center is aiming to bolster its Central Square Farmers’ Market operations to include subsidizations of produce available to families with women who are parenting children under 10 years old and/or currently pregnant, an exten- sion of operating hours by 25% so more families are able to attend, Implementation of a ‘Farm Stand to Doorstep’ Delivery system and trial implementation of ‘Food Information Hubs’ (aka Food Hubs) at Farmers’ Markets and selected Lynn Public Schools food distribution locations that provides information regarding: Children’s nutrition, SNAP/HIP/WIC enrollment, referrals to Lynn Community Health Center, along with advice and resources for gardening in lead-contaminated soil.

“I am beyond excited about this opportunity,” said Director of Public Health Michele Desmarais. “It is important for the Public Health Division to address the food insecurities faced by Lynn residents, especially the children of Lynn.”

As someone who grew up community organizing in Lynn, it is an honor to have brought this funding home- especially knowing it will have the biggest impact in Lynn’s most vulnerable communities. I expect us to subsidize over1,900 pounds of food, engage a minimum of 50 families in lead contaminated areas of Lynn with available resources/ education, and finally look at Food Information Hubs as an a resident engagement tool and resource. This is a win for Lynn,” said Norris Guscott, Director of The Lynn Food and Fitness Alliance

One in six children in America has a developmental disability, and one in 45 have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Research indicates that early life exposures to neurotoxic chemicals from drinking water, food, air, soil and consumer products — can contribute to autism, IQ loss, learning or behavioral problems, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and speech or cognitive delays.

“City leaders can dramatically impact children’s health, in particular children of color, who are most adversely impacted by these environmental harms. By addressing the social and physical determinants of health through access to healthy foods, lead abatement, and more, city leaders can play a major role in addressing children’s health disparities,” said Katya Spear, Co-Managing Director of the Mayors Innovation Project. “We are excited to support these projects and the opportunity to promote them as best practices for cities across the country.”

The Mayors Innovation Project (mayorsinnovation.org) is a national learning network for mayors com- mitted to shared prosperity, environmental sustainability, and efficient democratic government. Around the country, mayors are taking the lead on pressing issues. The Mayors Innovation Project supports mayors by providing cutting-edge thinking and concrete examples that mayors can implement. We pro- vide clear, useful information on policies and programs for mayors and create high-quality peer learning experiences for local leaders.


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 648 with 11 new cases today. 2,935 Lynn residents have recovered and 103 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 3,686. Please visit the new City of Lynn COVID-19 Data Dashboard which is updated daily.

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.

Our Sponsors