To the editor:

To reporter Sidnee Short: I wish you had done your due diligence on your story in The Daily Item on March 5, 2024 titled “Much ado about… what, exactly?” If you had, you would have found out that the resident-only parking near Shoemaker School is mandated by zoning laws as a result of a court settlement, specifically, Land Court Docket No. 152737. This case was initiated by residents against the zoning board and the City of Lynn. Please verify this information to ensure accuracy. The issue of parents dropping off and picking up students arises due to the illegal parking by faculty and staff of Shoemaker School, leading to safety concerns. This was conveyed to the Parking Department during a meeting with area residents in August 2023. Ms. Short, please ensure factual accuracy and refrain from spreading hearsay and misinformation.

As for School Committee member Lorraine Gately, you should do your homework to understand why resident-only parking is enforced. It stems from a Land Court judgment, which is non-negotiable and agreed upon as part of a settlement. Despite claiming to have worked on this project “for years,” why were you unaware of the court judgment? What have you been doing during that time? City Councilor Peter Meaney has accomplished more in addressing this issue in six weeks than you have in your years of work. Perhaps your efforts would be better directed toward education rather than concerning yourself with illegal parking spaces.

It must be emphasized that teachers and faculty are illegally parking in the neighborhood, violating a court agreement. The actions of the Parking Department, the Lynn Teachers Union, and Lorraine Gately in enabling this behavior are completely unacceptable. You are blatantly disregarding the law. I commend Dr. Meaney for his efforts to uphold the law and serve his constituents.

Sincerely,

Michael Bruno

Retired teacher and Ward 1 resident