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Aaron Berdofe @aaronberdofe.bsky.social · 4h

Again, stating that the noise from generators would not be part of the permanent solution seems like a basic communications miss for the report. And again, people misinterpreting the word ”success” in the report to mean a conclusion that the UV is a perfect solution.

Screenshot of a letter to the editor.

LTTE: King's Beach UV report incomplete
October 14, 2025 by To the editor
To the editor,
While our elected officials pat themselves on the back for the
"success" of the summer's UV Pilot program, it must be noted that the same consultant who recommended this program also analyzed the data.
More important, though, was the complete absence of any reference to the illegal noise levels the abutters had to endure day and night. Technically and legally, it's part of the air quality and was consistently well over legal limits. Notably, neither Lynn nor Swampscott tested the noise, ostensibly because they knew from the generator manufacturer specifications it was illegal.
When the DEP informed the City and Town they would be performing decibel tests, the system was shut down early.
More than coincidence?
Sincerely,
Steve Harrington
Lynn

Reposted by Aaron Berdofe

Swampscott Racial Justice Action Group @swampacottrjag.bsky.social · 13h

Racism is a political policy choice. This is why those here on the North Shore of MA who descended from Irish and Italian immigrants do not find themselves oppressed despite historic discrimination.

www.politico.com/news/2025/10...

‘I love Hitler’: Leaked messages expose Young Republicans’ racist chat

Thousands of private messages reveal young GOP leaders joking about gas chambers, slavery and rape.

www.politico.com

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Aaron Berdofe @aaronberdofe.bsky.social · 13h

Note that this building that now houses at minimum 114 people actually greatly improved the neighborhood character when it replaced some rusty sheds and a dilapidated single family structure.

Jonathan Berk 🏠 @berkie1.bsky.social · 1d

After years of opposition and a lengthy approval process, The Westcott brings 114 transit-oriented, mixed-income homes to a region in desperate need of homes.

16 for those earning 30% of AMI,
62 up to 60% of AMI,
16 up to 110% of AMI, &
20 units at market rate.

📍Swampscott

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Reposted by Aaron Berdofe

Caitlin G. DeAngelis @caitlindeangelis.bsky.social · 2d

ICE kidnapped a 7th-grader with a pending asylum claim and spirited him out of state without notifying his parents, seemingly with the cooperation of the local police in Everett, MA.

www.bostonglobe.com/2025/10/12/m...

Everett 13-year-old arrested by ICE and sent to Virginia detention facility
By Marcela Rodrigues Globe Staff,Updated October 12, 2025, 44 minutes ago

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A 13-year-old boy was arrested by ICE in Everett and sent to a juvenile detention facility in Virginia.
A 13-year-old boy was arrested by ICE in Everett and sent to a juvenile detention facility in Virginia.
A 13-year-old boy was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Everett after an interaction with members of the Everett Police Department and sent to a juvenile detention facility in Virginia, according to his mother and immigration lawyer Andrew Lattarulo.

The boy’s mother, Josiele Berto, was called to pick her son up from the Everett Police Department on Thursday, the day he was arrested. After waiting for about an hour and a half, she was told her son was taken by ICE, Berto told the Globe in a phone interview.

“My world collapsed,” Berto said in Portuguese.

From the police department, the boy was taken to ICE’s holding facility in Burlington on Thursday evening, where he spent a night before being transferred by car to the Northwestern Regional Juvenile Detention Center in Winchester, Va., on Friday morning, his mother said. The juvenile facility is more than 500 miles away from Everett.

The boy is a 7th-grader at Albert N. Parlin School in Everett, his mother said. The teen and his family, who are Brazilian nationals, have a pending asylum case and are authorized to work legally in the United States, Lattarulo said.

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Aaron Berdofe @aaronberdofe.bsky.social · 4d

Until the Boston metro gets a grownup transit system the collective commuters will continue to suffer.

This is part of the MBTA’s better bus projects so at least it’s a baby step in the right direction.

Aaron Berdofe @aaronberdofe.bsky.social · 4d

Instinct tells me Lynn/Swampscott will continually have to remind people of what the report says/doesn’t say bc I already see people interpreting the key points of the report in…creative ways.

They declined to recommend whether or not to proceed with the permanent solution.

Screenshot of the conclusion of the report.

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Conclusions
Overall, the UV Pilot was effective and sucoessful in meeting the objectives originally set out by the UV Pilot Team. Key takeaways from the UV Pilot testing include:
UV effectively treats day-to-day dry weather stormwater flows from the Lynn and Swampscott culverts
• The effectiveness of a UV system is reduced during wet weather events, particularly in the first 24 hours, due to increased turbidity in the flow
• UV can reduce the number of days King's Beach is closed during a summer season even though there are other factors affecting beach closures beyond the discharges from the subject outfalls.
• There are numerous operation and maintenance challenges that need to be addressed with engincering controls in the design of a permanent facility:
Recommendations
Lynn and Swampscott need to determine whether or not to proceed with next steps toward implementation of a permanent
UV stormwater treatment system. Should the decision be made to pursue a permanent facility, the next steps would include the following:
1. Additional Data Collection:
a. Conduct continuous flow and level monitoring in both culverts for up to 12 months to increase the understanding of the dry and wet weather hydraulics and seasonal variability:
b. Perform targeted wct wcather testing for UVT and turbidity throughout multiple additional storms to supplement the data collected during the UV Pilot and increase the understanding of the duration of suppressed UV effectiveness during various types of wet weather.
c. Perform scdiment analysis of material deposits in the Lynn and Swampscott culverts within the approximately 50 feet from the mouth of the outfalls to test for bacteria and other contaminants.
2. Feasibility Study and Preliminary Design:
Refine initial LIV facility concept developed during the 2023 King's Beach Study, including sizing, capacity, and configuration.
b. Preliminary design of tide gates, so…

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Aaron Berdofe @aaronberdofe.bsky.social · 4d

Personally, I find the Revere bits and the backup AFTER the Nahant rotary onto Lynn Shore Dr to be the most enraging coming from wonderland, but this particular project won’t do much for those.

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Aaron Berdofe @aaronberdofe.bsky.social · 4d

I assume not because that would defeat the purpose of having a dedicated bus lane (to make the bus trip faster and thus more appealing to people who may otherwise drive). If that works out, then those who still have to drive will find themselves still in traffic but with less competition.

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Aaron Berdofe @aaronberdofe.bsky.social · 4d

The short protected bike lane they put in from Market St to the Nahant rotary will tie into the waterfront plans where it currently ends.

Aaron Berdofe @aaronberdofe.bsky.social · 4d

A common misconception about this project is that future bike lanes are planned to reduce lanes…this is not true. The portions with 3 lanes will be reduce to 2 to make way for a dedicated bus lane starting at Market St going to the bridge.

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Aaron Berdofe @aaronberdofe.bsky.social · 4d

What was not mentioned was the neighborhood complaints about sound…which was a choice since it was only the pilot that required the use of generators which created the noise. Transparent communication would have reinforced that simple fact.

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Aaron Berdofe @aaronberdofe.bsky.social · 4d

Lynn and Swampscott just released the UV Pilot Study results. Certainly no surprises for those following along, but the key point is that it helped, mostly during dry days, to reduce bacteria levels and get the beach open faster after surges.

www.lynnma.gov/common/pages...

Screenshot of study:

OVERVIEW OF PILOT STUDY
In June 2025, the City of Lynn and Town of Swampscott launched a two-month full-scale pilot study to assess the effectiveness of ultraviolet (UV) disinfection in treating bacteria-contaminated stormwater discharged onto King's Beach via two drainage culverts at their municipal border.
Objectives:
1. Evaluate UV disinfection performance under dry and wet weather conditions.
2. Gain operational experience with a UV technology.
3. Improve public access to King's Beach during the pilot period.
Key Findings:
• Effective during dry weather. UV treatment significantly reduced bacteria levels in stormwater during normal flow conditions.
• Limited during wet weather. The effectiveness of UV dropped in the first 24 hours due to increased turbidity in the flow.
• Improved beach access. UV treatment contributed to fewer beach closures, though other environmental factors could also be in play.
• Operational challenges. Maintenance and engineering issues must be addressed before implementing a permanent UV facility.

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Aaron Berdofe @aaronberdofe.bsky.social · 4d

The moser Republican Party has made so many formerly bipartisan or apolitical issues partisan and the supposed “moderates” have all just let it happen.

Aaron Berdofe @aaronberdofe.bsky.social · 4d

Will repeat for the moderate conservatives that NIMBYism is an explicit part of Project 2025 so if you want the Republicans party to be YIMBY, you’ve got some work to do otherwise your party moves away from being pro housing supply. Please do it.

Sam @samd.bsky.social · 4d

republicans are NIMBYs who want your rents to go up

this is why I have zero time for democratic NIMBYs. We need to forcefully embrace more housing to lower the rents, increase walkability, and boost economic growth

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 5d

Ciattarelli: "We've got a severe overdevelopment crisis in our suburban communities because of the Democrats' idea of social engineering."

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Aaron Berdofe @aaronberdofe.bsky.social · 5d

This brings me so much joy.

The Oregonian @oregonian.com · 5d

Things are happening at Portland's ICE facility tonight.

Read more of our protest coverage here: www.oregonlive.com/crime/2025/1...

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Aaron Berdofe @aaronberdofe.bsky.social · 5d

I just….

Screenshot of a very lengthy Facebook post comment. Be grateful it’s not the whole thing.

“I don't have all the answers either.
But I do know this:
Bike lanes are ageist and ableist.
And they derail real exploration of concepts that help everyone, not just people like you.”

Aaron Berdofe @aaronberdofe.bsky.social · 6d

Interestingly it appears the GOP just put out this survey asking voters if they think it’s a good idea to give “illegals” free healthcare as one of the questions. (I assume it was the GOP or related given the questions)

dynatapolls.co/FCbxkalv

dynatapolls.co

Aaron Berdofe @aaronberdofe.bsky.social · 6d

The vaccine coordinator at our local pediatrics office just told me that she ordered pediatric Covid vaccines, but was told the feds wouldn’t confirm the order or give a timeline. Sounds like the state needs a bulk order asap.

#mapoli
Cc @massgovernor.bsky.social

Aaron Berdofe @aaronberdofe.bsky.social · 6d

The overlap between Marbleheaders that don’t believe in climate change, think their town can get by with zero state tax dollars just fine, and MAGA trump supporters is quite broad.

Screenshot of Facebook post comments.

John Ware-Lockerbie
Time to defer "important" projects.
42m
Like
Reply
Sharon Russell
So we lose money for "wish list" projects that aren't needed. Governor keep your money!!
2m
Like
Reply
Robert Preczewski
Defer and stop wasting hundreds of thousands of dollars on school salaries for no work and school attorney fees

Screenshot from article:

This is the full list of grants denied:
• $999,320 for the construction phase of the Abbot Hall attic & accessibility project
• $866,930 for Marblehead Rail Trail improvements
• $519,193 for coastal resilience work at State Street Landing and Tucker's
Wharf
• $301,050 for a redesign of Washington
Street from the Five Corners intersection to Hooper Street
• $50,000 for a Coffin School reuse/redevelopment study
• $50,000 for a vacant storefront tax credit program
• $30,000 for a downtown parking study

Aaron Berdofe @aaronberdofe.bsky.social · 6d

Oh so it was real money and right away that Marblehead would be losing. No one could have predicted this. /s

marbleheadcurrent.org/2025/10/08/t...

Town loses out on nearly $3M in state grants - Marblehead Current

The town has been notified that it will not be awarded $2.8 million in grants it applied for earlier this year. While no reason was given for the rejections, the grants required compliance with the MB...

marbleheadcurrent.org

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Aaron Berdofe @aaronberdofe.bsky.social · 6d

Yet…

bsky.app/profile/medi...

Mediaite @mediaite.com · 6d

Mike Johnson Calls Bad Bunny Halftime Show a ‘Terrible Decision’ for NFL — Says Children Should Listen to 82-Year-Old Lee Greenwood Instead

Speaker Mike Johnson said Tuesday the NFL choosing Bad Bunny as the Super Bowl halftime performer was a "terrible decision" and suggested Lee Greenwood instead. The post Mike Johnson Calls Bad Bunny Halftime Show a ‘Terrible Decision’ for NFL — Says Children Should Listen to 82-Year-Old Lee Greenwood Instead first appeared on Mediaite.

dlvr.it

Reposted by Aaron Berdofe

Courtney Vaughn @courtneyvaughn.bsky.social · 7d

It's a whole block party vibe over here.

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Aaron Berdofe @aaronberdofe.bsky.social · 7d

Honestly really excited that Swampscott has both a senior planner and land use and development planner on the payroll at the same time right now. Exciting times to be alive!!!

itemlive.com/2025/10/07/s...

Milliken maps out Swampscott’s future growth

Tim Milliken, the new Land Use and Development Planner in Swampscott, aims to make a positive impact on the community. Learn about his background and goals.

itemlive.com

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Aaron Berdofe @aaronberdofe.bsky.social · 7d

At least some are willing to just state outright that they don’t care about people being killed. 🫠

“Only people swinging baseball bats have ever gone down this hallway and that’s how it has always been! Clearly no one else would even want to use this hallway!!”

Screenshot of a Facebook comment:

Mimi Conway
Aaron Berdofe very sorry about the one terrible accident you cite, truly.
But do you have data to suggest this is a problem that requires millions of dollars and the inconvenience of millions of people who drive the road? I'm guessing you don't because serious pedestrian vs car accidents are extremely uncommon on the Lynnway because there are very few pedestrians. What do pedestrians need to access on the Lynnway? The Lynnway is mostly businesses that people drive to, like fast food restaurants and gas stations. I don't care about pedestrian access to the Lynnway because it's never going to be a place people want to walk around and enjoy. It's just not, sorry. It's a pass through road to get from Boston to the suburbs by car.

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Aaron Berdofe @aaronberdofe.bsky.social · 7d

Research: turns out if we slow cars down, it’s A LOT safer for pedestrians.

Drivers: Fuck this! They are trying to slow us down!!!

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