Schools ready to welcome kids

Sep 28, 2020 by

Published on September 28, 2020 edition. By MARK SARDELLA WAKEFIELD — An independent engineering firm has cleared the way for local schools to reopen tomorrow for limited classroom instruction. The firm concluded that any deficiencies in the air quality or ventilation systems in the schools can be adequately addressed using short-term measures and should not affect plans to move to the hybrid instructional model tomorrow. On Tuesday, local schools plan to enter Phase 3 of their reopening plan, which involves a blend of in-person classroom instruction and remote learning at all levels. The models differ by grade level and school, but all feature some amount of in-school, classroom instruction along with remote learning. BALA Consulting Engineers was brought in to assess the air quality and ventilation systems as the schools prepare to move to Phase 3 BALA...

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Thomas E. Humphreys Sr., 85

Sep 28, 2020 by

Published on September 28, 2020 edition. Thomas E. Humphreys, Sr., 85, passed away on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2020, surrounded by family at his home in Wakefield. Tom, the youngest child of Carl F. and Mary G. “Mae” Humphreys, was born in Somerville on May 4, 1935. Tom fiercely loved living in Wakefield. He was a graduate of St. Joseph School, and he spent time at both St. Mary of Lynn and Wakefield High School, where he graduated in 1954. After a year at Bridgton Academy, Tom served in the US Army. Thanks in part to a financial gift earned by helping to rescue a local teen who had fallen through the ice, Tom ended up at Merrimack College, where he played hockey and met the love of his life, Judy (Patten). During their 56 years...

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Jacqueline Sawyer, 58

Sep 28, 2020 by

Published on September 28, 2020 edition. Jacqueline (Symes) Sawyer, 58, of Wakefield, formerly of Reading, passed away Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020, surrounded by her family. Jacqueline was born Dec. 6, 1961 in Winchester and was a longtime resident of Reading, graduating from Reading Memorial High School in 1980 and Northern Essex Community College. Jacqueline and her former husband. David Lee Sawyer, moved to Wakefield, where they raised their family. Jacqueline was a longtime employee (33 years) of Lahey Hospital and Medical Center where she worked as a Third Party Representative. Jacqueline was the loving mother of Elton Sawyer and his wife Shana Carlson Sawyer and Sarah Sawyer, all of Wakefield. She was the devoted daughter of Theresa (Keogan) Symes and Dennis Symes, who have been longtime residents and raised their children in Reading. Jacqueline...

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Antonio Bonaventura, 98

Sep 28, 2020 by

Published on September 28, 2020 edition. Antonio Bonaventura, 98, a resident of Wakefield, died Friday, Sept. 25, at the Tufts New England Medical Center. Born in Pettorano Sul Gizio, Italy on July 19, 1922, Antonio was raised and married in Italy before moving to the United States in 1959. He and his wife first settled in the North End of Boston before making their home in Wakefield in 1962; there they raised their family. Together, they were members of St. Florence Church. Antonio had worked for a number of years for the L.B. Evans Shoe Company before becoming the proud owner of Grippo Shoe Repair located in Needham for more than 20 years. Above all, he loved his family. He was the beloved husband of Rina (Soprano) Bonaventura, with whom he shared 61 wonderful...

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Schools set for start of ‘hybrid’ instruction...

Sep 25, 2020 by

Published in the September 25, 2020 edition. By MARK SARDELLA WAKEFIELD — With the hybrid model of in-person and remote instruction set to begin Tuesday in local schools, the School Committee was brought up to date on a number of matters this week. School Facilities Manager Bob Schiaroli said that his staff has worked with the Water Division to flush all of the buildings. He said that with the buildings not experiencing much use in the last six months, there was potential for chemicals to collect from water standing in the pipes. He said that the water had subsequently been tested in all schools and determined to be safe. Schiaroli noted that an independent engineering firm had done an analysis of the HVAC and ventilation systems in all the schools. He said that the...

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Two teens facing gun charges

Sep 24, 2020 by

In Audubon Road shooting Published in the September 24, 2020 edition. WAKEFIELD – Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan and Wakefield Chief of Police Steven Skory have confirmed that a 17-year-old male juvenile from Wakefield and a 16-year-old male from Lynn have been charged with firearms offenses in connection with the non-fatal shooting of a 21-year-old woman that occurred early Tuesday morning in Wakefield. The 17-year-old has been charged with possession of a firearm without an FID Card, possession of ammunition without an FID Card, receiving a firearm with a defaced serial number and possession of a large capacity feeding device. The 16-year-old has been charged with carrying a firearm without a license and carrying a loaded firearm without a license. At approximately 3:39 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 22, Wakefield Police responded to the Everly Apartments...

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