First, I want to thank all residents of Ward 2 for your support in our campaign last year. Regardless of how you voted, I truly thank you for making your voice heard.

I have to thank and honor my wife Maribel and Daughter Ary whom became the face of our campaign and were there for me even when I was feeling blue. They truly put up and pushed me to run a very successful campaign. My other children Angela, Marisol and Brandon, and friends Wilber and Alex also went above and beyond to be there for me. Thank you to the supporters that helped us go door knocking. If we didn't meet you, it was because you may have not been home. I myself, with my team knocked every house in the Ward more than 4 times. Some neighborhoods even more.

I also want to thank Councilor Rick Starbard for his many years of service as a teacher at Lynn Tech, 6 years on the School Committee and 6 Years as Ward 2 Councilor. I have learned a lot from his leadership. He also set the bar very high which I aim to meet and surpass. Councilor Starbard will be missed as a councilor but he's not going anywhere as he will continue to be involved with the Chamber, EDIC and various organizations.

Real quick, I'd also like to thank newly elect Ward 1 Councilor Dr. Pete Meaney. As many of you know, my wife Maribel and I are board members of His Love Foundation Inc. We have been working with families in need, children in need and doing missions in Central America since 2015. in 2023 we had a mission trip to Guatemala in January and a second one December 2023. With members and volunteers, we traveled to a remote village in Guatemala where we were able to provide food and clothing to 200 families and 220 elementary students will start the school year with a new backpack and full school supplies for the year. Thank you to everyone who supported and donated. Dr. Pete Meaney also traveled to Guatemala. We drove 4 hours into a VERY remote village in the mountains. We had to drive about an hour and a half on dirt road to get there where most families didn't have running water or electricity. Dr. Pete Meaney and his assistant Mitch were able to do free dental cleanings for young children and the elderly. Another dentist from Guatemala City was also there to help with the cleanings. Ward 3 Councilor Coco Alinsug and School Committee Member Sean Reid also joined us in the missions. As we drove around the nation we encountered many families in need and we were able to give many children by the road some gloves and a tote bag with goodies. The smiles on all the children and family made everything so fulfilling. After our missions we showed our guests the beauty of Guatemala as we traveled a bit and indulged in the culture, food, festivals, parades and had a great time with the locals eating from food trucks. I must clarify, this trip was fully funded by each individual. We all covered our own expenses. We also made the Guatemalan National News as we were all part of a press conference where we had 2 national newspapers, 1 News channel and other local papers. It felt full-filling to be able to represent our Great City of Lynn at an international level.

As I told you during my time campaigning, accessibility is a priority for me. I thank you all for signing up to my newsletter. Please stay in touch via call, text, email or social media. I have a flyer at the end of this newsletter on how you can reach me. If you are on facebook, please be sure to join our Official THIS IS WARD 2, LYNN group where we will continue posting updates related to Ward 2.

During the last month, I have met with all City Hall Department Heads and look forward to bringing my constituent's voices and concerns to every department. I will represent and voice everyone in my Ward. I have also met with Mayor Nicholson and look forward to bringing a new voice and perspective to the council and the city.

One of the big projects I look forward to is the Essex St Reconstruction Project. This project will be long and inconvenient. However it is necessary for the infrastructure of the city, as this road hasn't been touched in decades. It is very important that I work with Ward 3 Councilor, Coco Alinsug, and Ward 4 Councilor, Natasha Meggie-Maddrey on this project as it will have major impact on all three wards. If you were unable to attend last month's Public meeting on this project, Please click HERE to watch the meeting.

Once this project is up and running we will also start the Western Ave Renovation Project which will start from Buchanan Bridge all the way to Market Square Rotary. This will create tons of inconveniences but I will make sure to work hard with Ward 1 Councilor Dr. Pete Meaney to make sure we keep all inconveniences to a minimum.

After Final Election, Councilor Coco Alinsug held the first ever East Lynn Councilors Summit where Councilors/Councilors-Elect from Wards 1,2,3 and 4 met for some training and learning about what new councilors need to know going into the new job. This truly helped us get ready as we headed into a few weeks full of City Hall department head meetings.

Another one of my priorities is open and green spaces where our children, families and all residents can enjoy time together, relax or just spend time alone and refresh their minds. I look forward to the renovation of Keaney Park. Mayor Nicholson & Councilor Starbard have that project on lockdown and approved already but I will make sure that I keep everyone informed on any changes or community concerns that may arise. This project will start in the spring of 2024. I will keep an eye on all parks on our Ward and make sure they are maintained properly and are safe. Please reach out to me with any concerns regarding our parks. I have met with the Highlands Coalition and look forward to working with them on keeping and maintaining Cook st Community Garden and making it a main attraction of our ward.

2023 was a hard year for the city. We had many incidents of violence. Our city can do better. My heart and prayers go to the families of all victims of such acts. Violence is never the answer. As a councilor, Public Safety is a priority. I have met with Police Chief Reddy and fully support his plan to improve public safety. We are under staffed and the Police Department is making efforts to increase public interest in joining the force. If you or anyone is interested in joining the police academy please reach out to the Police Department. I also believe we need more communication of information to the public about resources available to families and youth. Organizations such as Stop The Violence, LYSOA, Boys and Girls Club, The YMCA and many more are resources that we can use to help troubled youth stay focused and determined onto a peaceful and successful path. I will send out more information about this in the coming weeks.

Improving public safety and public works includes tackling the speeding, littering, trash issues, old trees, paving, and road maintenance and everything we deal with everyday. While city councilors can't solve every problem, I will do my best to find a solution to all requests submitted by my constituents. Lisa Nerich from DPW has been such great help already. During the transition of leadership with Councilor Starbard, I was able to start working with Lisa and she has taken care of every request submitted. I do ask for your patience when submitting a request as not all requests are easily solved.

I will also continue the talk about Residential at our next meeting as there are still many that have questions or are confused

With all that said, I'd like to INVITE EVERYONE to our First Ward 2 Meeting of 2024. This first meeting will take place at Grace United Methodist Church, 374 Broadway Lynn, MA on Wednesday, January 17th at 6:30 PM. Come and have some food with us and listen to all special guests we will have. We have a full agenda with lots of important information. I will also have the honor to introduce my Ward 2 Precinct Captains this night. My captains, aside from working shoulder to shoulder with me on ward issues, will be another great resource and line of communication with all Ward 2 Residents. Please honor us with your presence. Our special Guest Speakers are Lisa Nerich from the DPW and Ward 2 Resident Councilor-At-Large Nicole McClain. With the holidays behind us, there's plenty of trash that we need to get rid of. It's important we recycle and dispose of trash properly. Please see flyer about Christmas Trees, Leaf & Yard Waste at the end of this email. This is also a good opportunity to ask questions about snow plowing and winter season ahead of us.

While I want to continue typing, I must stop myself so I can save some information for the Ward meeting. Please look at all the flyers that follow. I will see everyone at our meeting. Until then please take care, be safe and call your Ward Councilor.