And it continues...

So, Lynn taxes are going up AGAIN. it just seems crazy to me. an average homeowner will see an increase of $166. A condo owner will see an increase of $100.

As it is I pay almost $2K and I only own a very, very small condo. Lynn wants to attract people to live in the city and own in the city, but keeps jacking up taxes.

I think it's worse that the taxes keep going up. in my case, I dont get any services from the city as the city requires condo associations and commercial building owners provide trash pick up. So condo owners, being lucky, get to pay twice. The only thing I could get from my fees is schooling, but I dont have any kids.

can someone give the owners a break? I can't wait to move out of this city.


http://www.itemlive.com/articles/2007/12/12/news/news03.txt

Tax hikes big and small in Lynn


By Robin Kaminski / The Daily Item

LYNN - Fiscal Year 2008 property values were approved Tuesday by the City Council, indicating a modest rise in taxes for homeowners and a significant increase for both commercial and industrial properties.

According to Director of Assessing Peter Caron, the Fiscal Year 2008 tax rate for single family homes has been set at $10.98, up from $10.40 in Fiscal Year 2007, equaling an increase of $166 per household.

Condominium owners will shell out an extra $101 for their tax bills, while multi-family owners will pay an extra $129.

The biggest increase will affect the commercial and industrial owners with an increase of $1,037 for commercial properties and $1,384 for industrial properties.

"Commercial and industrial values increased significantly because the market is strong and the values consistently go up," he said. "We'll be seeing a tax burden shift back to commercial properties now versus residential, which have gone up the past seven years or so."

Caron said the commercial increase is mainly due to an increase of smaller commercial properties, primarily due to $34.2 million in new reported personal property assets. The city is currently in a re-certification year, which means the state is auditing the process and re-evaluating property values for 2008.

Due to the real estate market flux, Caron said taxpayers should not compare their property value to recent property sales.

"It's important to note that current real estate values will not be assessed until 2009," he said. "But for the most part, residential values remained stable and, in actuality, the average single home values have gone down."

Caron said residents have a primary misconception that their tax rates go up because their property values increase, however, he said the increase is mainly due to three factors: municipal spending, classification and valuation.
"The tax rate simply adjusts to correct the amount of money needed to support the city," he said. "Individual valuations determine each property owner's proportionate share of the total tax levy."

According to Caron, property values reflect activity as of Jan. 1, 2007, using 2006 sales and the major decline seen in the residential market will be addressed for Fiscal Year 2009.

While the residential factor was approved Tuesday, Caron said the budgeting numbers would most likely be approved and made official within 10 days.


Reader Comments

Comments so far on this story:

MOVED BECAUSE OF LYNN TAXES wrote on Dec 12, 2007 12:48 PM:

" okay, lets do this, lets look and see all the people in city hall, then lets see what they are paying on property taxes "the gang" let see, i think this would pan out....good "



george wrote on Dec 12, 2007 11:07 AM:

" What this article is not telling you is that the MAJORITY of property Assessment in Lynn have gone up for 2008 , So the increase is not $166 per household. Assessments came out 2 weeks ago. The $166 is based on 2007 Assessments. Do they really think that people that live in Lynn are morons, "



C. wrote on Dec 12, 2007 9:41 AM:

" so we keep getting our taxes jacked higher and higher, while the hacks in City Hall get raises.. this makes no sense.. instead of the item wasting paper space and writing about a drug addicted loser cop, why don't u do an investigation on how many hacks are working in City Hall.. start w/ Chipster!! "



Integrity wrote on Dec 12, 2007 9:38 AM:

" I've said it so many times. There was an election. Where was everyone? "



bill wrote on Dec 12, 2007 8:48 AM:

" What the hell is going on in city hall? More property taxes???? property values have been going lower four the past 3 years know and these idiots are still raiseing our taxes?? time for a revolution. "

Again it's been a while since I last posted... and suddenly a plethora of activity!

Trump has eyes on Wonderland for casino

http://www.itemlive.com/articles/2007/12/04/news/news02.txt

The owners of the Wonderland Race track hope to breath new life by selling to Trump. This would allow the track to edge 'extinction'.

Abandoned Peabody gas station goes up in flames

An old gas station goes up in flames allegedly due to homeless attempting to stay warm inside. Luckily no one was hurt.

This gas station has been abandoned for at least 20 years. Seriously, as long as I can remember it has been abandoned. It's an eye sore! Maybe they will actually knock it down and make it look nicer rather than look like a pit. Ya think it's time to do something about it?

A tribute to - The Daily Item of Lynn


Also, I usually base my posts off of stories from the Daily Evening Item in Lynn. I have grown up with my parents and grandparents reading it. It's been a staple in my family, and still to this day, I truly enjoy reading it and posting / reposting about their stories.

Keep up the good work folks... you're the only local paper for me!
Check out the best independent Newspaper ever -

I have posted before about the underage drinking in surrounding communities where there is generally more income than, say Lynn. Apparently one of the local liquor stores has been contributing to the delinquency of minors in general by selling alcohol to underage kids. And was unlucky enough to be caught selling to a 'planted' minor. Their luck got even worse when not only did they sell to a planted minor and get caught, but during the 'bust' they were in the process of selling to another, not planted minor from Marblehead. C'mon people... this is not helping things ... including Lynn's image. Step it up, the city already gets enough crap.

My favorite part of the whole article is about the complaint about underage people from Swampscott and Marblehead buying the alcohol. So does that mean they don't sell to underage people from Lynn?


Double whammy for Lynn liquor store


By Dan O’Brien/The Daily Item

LYNN-Not only did employees at Dymes Liquor store sell alcohol to an underage girl during a routine police sting on Monday, they were also caught red-handed selling liquor to an underage Marblehead girl when police went inside to confront them for selling booze to the volunteer minutes earlier, police said.

Dymes, located on a stretch of Washington Street between the Lynnway and Broad Street, was already under police scrutiny for selling alcohol to minors. When an Item reporter rode along in June with police who sent underage volunteers from the non-profit Girls Inc. to try to buy beer at local package stores, participants said they were concerned that Dyme’s was selling liquor to minors from Swampscott and Marblehead.

Police said their fears were confirmed Monday when Dymes was the only liquor store in the city caught selling alcohol to underage teens.

“The results of this operation suggested that Dymes was a location frequented by underage individuals from surrounding communities,” said Lynn police spokesperson Lt. David Brown. “The local licensing authority was made aware of this concern and will review the situation.”

Volunteers tried to buy alcohol at 35 Lynn liquor stores on Monday.

According to police, a short time after the volunteer was able to purchase alcohol, Sgt. Rick Carrow, who helped supervise the operation, went inside to confront the employee when he witnessed another underage girl, a 19-year-old from Marblehead, purchase a bottle of vodka. Her 18-year-old friend, also from Marblehead, was waiting in a parked car.

“Officers discussed both incidents with the Dymes store manager and the clerk,” Brown said. “Reports documenting their non-compliance were forwarded to the local licensing board for review.”

Dymes received at least one suspension in the past for selling alcohol to underage youths.

“Recently, Lynn Police received complaints that underage individuals from Swampscott and Marblehead were allegedly purchasing alcoholic beverages at Dymes,” Brown said.
The Marblehead female who purchased the alcohol will be summonsed to Lynn District Court for being a minor in possession of alcohol, police said.

Seriously, I am not so sure about Lynn these days. I mean, it seems that it is getting worse rather than better. Whether it's gang violence, drugs or robberies it spreading into neighborhoods that are normally not known for this type of violence. The city has to do something to clean this up.

Western Ave. store held up at gunpoint

By Dan O'Brien / The Daily Item

LYNN - Police scoured the city searching for suspects Sunday night shortly after two men robbed a convenience store owner at gunpoint on Western Avenue.

Shortly after 6:30 p.m., police responded to the Western Avenue Market at the corner of Chatham Street after a man allegedly held a weapon that appeared to be high-powered firearm to the female shopkeeper's back and forced her on the ground before fleeing with at least $400.

Storeowner and mother of four Amy Dang, 45, was still on edge when she spoke with the Item less than an hour after the robbery.

"I'm okay," Dang said. "I'm shaken up."

Dang's daughter explained that the two men walked into the store and one of them approached the counter asking to buy cigarettes.

"She went to go get it and a guy came around [the store counter] and put a gun to her back," said Trinh Dang, 23. Amy Dang was alone in the store at the time.

As the suspect held the gun to Amy's back, she kneeled on the floor and opened the cash register, she said. An unsuspecting customer then walked into the store and the suspect ran and stuck the gun onto him, she added.

Despite the fact that the store is clearly fitted with security cameras, the suspects robbed the store without wearing masks, the Dangs said.

After the thieves fled the store, they jumped into a car - possibly with a loud muffler - and drove away, according to police.
A woman walking her dog encountered the fleeing suspects outside the store, Amy Dang said.

"One lady was walking with the dog and saw them," Dang said. "She said, 'They're over there!'"

The suspects were both Hispanic and one was shorter than the other, Dang added.

Police actively searched the area and stopped a handful of vehicles fitting the description of the suspects shortly after the robbery.

As of press time, no arrests were made.

The family said Sunday's robbery was the store's first since they opened it five months ago. However, the Dangs used to own a market on Essex Street, which Trinh Dang said was robbed "all the time."

"We just thought this was a safer place. This is Western Ave.," she said.

Just when you think that Pea-body is ok, it makes the news paper with a fantastic story. Apparently, car washes are the place to hang out when you want to show your 'stuff'. It gives a whole new meaning to the term "Wet Willy"...

Just nuts I say.

Man nabbed in Peabody for exposure


By Dan O'Brien / The Daily Item

PEABODY - A Georgetown man was arrested Thursday after a horrified woman called police saying the suspect just flashed his private parts at her outside Wet Willy's car wash.

The suspect was identified as John M. Kachmar, 56, of 137 North St., Georgetown. He was arrested and charged with open and gross lewdness.

Police responded to the Andover Street business shortly before 1:30 p.m. after the woman reported a man drove up to her as she was vacuuming her vehicle - with his penis fully exposed.

According to police, the suspect's black pickup truck pulled up beside the victim and the driver was staring at her. When she glanced over, she noticed his genitalia in plain view, police said.

The suspect then drove away.

The description of his vehicle was given out to police officers in Peabody and surrounding towns. He was spotted near the Shell gas station on Endicott Street in Danvers a short time later. The victim was brought to the scene and positively identified the suspect, according to police.

Anybody else having problems with their MBTA bus ride?

Read this fun story.

High-speed chase ends with rollover in Lynn
By Chris Stevens and Robin Kaminski/The Daily Item

http://www.itemlive.com/articles/2007/03/27/news/news01.txt

(Free account required to read full text)


(ITEM PHOTO / OWEN O’ROURKE)

High speed chase that starts in Saugus ends up in a rollover at Goodwin Circle in Lynn. These fugitives know where to run... good thing Lynn has a bunch of tricky twists and turns that outsiders aren't used to handling.

“He almost ended up in a Dunkin’ Donuts,” he said. “I’m surprised no one was killed.” Annese said a few cars were sideswiped during the chase but there were no serious injuries. He said it was also a bit of luck that the incident occurred around 2 p.m.

You like the use of "Dunkin Donuts" as a landmark. I mean, while it was great no one was hurt, they almost ended up in a DD's. Tragedies 1 & 2 averted. Phew.


In other news, Fox 25 was reporting this morning (on the news reel at the bottom of the screen during the morning news) that an unidentified man had set himself on fire at a Hess in Lynn. I haven't found this story yet, but I will follow up with more details as they come in.