LYNN NEWS ROUND-UP
AUGUST 4, 2020

See our other COVID-19 related posts by clicking here.

The City of Lynn Office of Emergency Management and City of Lynn Officials are following the progress of, and making appropriate preparations for Tropical Storm Isaias. This storm will be primarily a wind event for the City of Lynn and Essex County. The potential exists for strong wind gusts between 6 PM and midnight this evening, Tuesday, August 4th.

Please secure items around your homes and property which may be carried away by strong wind gusts. Be mindful that downed trees may result in downed power lines and a hidden  electrocution hazard, especially at night. Assume all downed trees will result in live power lines on streets and sidewalks. 

Like The National Weather Service – Boston Facebook page for
up-to-date information on the storm.

2020 Voting information for Lynn

The state primary election is set to be held on Tuesday, September 1st. This year you can vote either in person or by mail-in ballot. To find out where to vote in person you can click here. There will be early voting this year at Lynn City Hall on August 22 & 23 from 8am-2pm and August 24-28 during regular City Hall hours.

If you wish to vote by mail you will need to fill out an application, which will allow for you to vote by mail for the primary in September, final in November, or both. You should have received an application in the mail from the state, however you are also able to print out an application (click here for the form) and send it in yourself.

If your political party is listed as “No party” or “Unenrolled” you will need to pick a political party to vote for during the primary.

Yesterday we spoke with Chief of Election Janet Rowe & Election Administrator Karen Richard about the upcoming elections, the many options this year for voting, & precautions they are taking. The duo answered many of the concerns about voting by mail as well.

Ballots will be mailed to the election office, then the ballots will be sent to polling locations on election day where they will be counted just like if you went to vote in person. They went over the measures in place to combat fraud, such as ensuring checkers at the polls have a list of those who vote by mail. They also stressed that you don’t have to vote by mail, you can also vote in person on Sept. 1st or during their early voting period.

Watch the full interview from our website below:

New Lynn Coalition needs
Food Aid Volunteers

From Neil T. Whittredge on Facebook:

ATTENTION: Calling all community oriented people to help serve those in need! As Food Aid Organizer for the New Lynn Coalition, I’m asking for your help friends! Please share. Feel free to message me directly or send an email to the address listed in this flyer. Let’s make it happen Lynn!

Eviction/foreclosure information

From Lynn United for Change: Pass it on: EVICTIONS, eviction notices, & foreclosures are STILL BANNED in MA through at least Oct 17.

Connect w/ the movement fighting for protection beyond fall by sending email, making a call, or signing a petition: www.HousingGuarantee.org.

MBTA Names Ronald Ester Chief
Safety Officer

Transit professional brings expertise to the T.

The MBTA today announced the appointment of Ronald L. Ester Jr. as Chief Safety Officer. Ester’s transit career spans more than twenty-eight years at the Chicago Transit Authority where he held executive positions including Chief Safety and Security Officer, Vice President – Rail Operations and Capital Projects Oversight, and Vice President – Rail Operations/Communication-Power Control.

“Safety for our customers and our employees is a core value at the T,” said MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak. “Ron has walked in the shoes of both the Chief Safety Officer and transit operations. This unique blend of experience will serve the MBTA well and help us deliver a best-in-class safety program.”

The Chief Safety Officer is responsible for strategic policy development, management, and oversight of safety programs – including construction safety and operational safety. The Chief Safety Officer ensures that a safety culture exists in all decision-making to guarantee the safety of riders, employees, and contractors.

“Ron Ester is a recognized public transit leader and is coming to Boston to share his expertise with the MBTA,” said FMCB Chairman Joseph Aiello. “Ron will bring to the T his knowledge of transit safety and accountability, and will work diligently to address the issues identified in last year’s Safety Panel Report.”

Ester is the recipient of the USDOT Transit Safety Institute’s Transit Safety and Security Program Certification. This certification indicates that the individual has a broad-based knowledge of the safety and security principles applicable to transit system safety, operations, and management. Ester also serves as an industry expert providing peer review for the American Public Transit Association (APTA).

The MBTA is Building a Better T by undertaking an ambitious $8 billion modernization effort to maintain stations, replace subway fleets, upgrade tracks, signals and switches; reinvent its bus system to reflect changing demographics; and replace its fare collection system to make the T a better, safer, and more reliable transit system.

For more information, visit mbta.com, or connect with the T on Twitter@MBTA, Facebook /TheMBTA, or Instagram @theMBTA.

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 571 with 24 new cases today. 3,361 Lynn residents have recovered and 111 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 4,043. Please visit the new City of Lynn COVID-19 Data Dashboard which is updated daily.

STOP THE SPREAD Initiative

REMINDER: There will be free mobile COVID-19 testing in the Wall Plaza parking lot at 10 Church Street from 10:00AM-4:00PM from Tuesday, August 4 through Friday, August 7. You can also make an appointment for a COVID-19 test at Lynn Community Health Center by calling 781-581-3900 or Health Innovations to schedule a test at the mobile van location at (774)-264-0604. Walk-ins are also welcome.

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 through August 14th.

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).