Swampscott Set For First Ever Virtual Town Meeting: Patch PM

SWAMPSCOTT, MA — It's Monday, June 22. Here's what's happening in Swampscott and the rest of Massachusetts this afternoon.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health reported 22 new confirmed coronavirus cases Monday, bring the county's total to 15,851. There was also one reported COVID-19 death in Essex County, bring the total to 1,077.

Statewide, there were 149 new confirmed COVID-19 cases and 17 new reported deaths, DPH said Monday. There have been 107,210 confirmed coronavirus cases in Massachusetts since the first case was reported May 1. Since the first reported death on March 20, there have been 7,874 reported coronavirus deaths in the state.

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For the first time in the town's history, Swampscott Town Meeting will meet virtually. Moderator Michael McClung requested the change at the height of the coronavirus crisis, writing he had "determined that it is not possible to safely assemble Town Meeting members and interested members of the public in a common location while complying with applicable state and local orders."

In addition to the usual spending and budgetary items, the 12-article warrant includes a proposal to remove the police and fire chiefs from civil service and a new, temporary bylaw allowing restaurants to more easily offer outdoor seating. Town Meeting will also consider Swampscott's proposed $69.3 million budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1.

Town Meeting begins at 7 p.m. Monday and can be viewed on Swampscott cable access. To request access to the meeting on Zoom, contact the town clerk at sduplin@swampscottma.gov. You can also read the full warrant.

Also on Swampscott Patch today:

• Swampscott Selectman: I Misunderstood Term 'White Privilege'

Elsewhere Today

The Wenham Tea House, which billed itself as "America's Oldest Tea House" said it is closing for good. The Tea House, which opened in 1893, could not get staff to come back to work because of the "massive" unemployment checks they were getting, among other reasons. Owner Chris Keohane, who took over the business in 2015, said he hoped to find a new owner willing to buy the business.

A Melrose man who was arrested in 2018 and accused of standing over a sleeping woman in her Endicott College dorm room is facing new charges. Tyler Jacquard, 34, of Melrose, is accused of watching young girls from his car with his penis out while parked at Lynnfield MarketStreet last weekend. Jacquard, a Level 3 sex offender was ordered held on $50,000 bail.

Dave Copeland writes for Patch and can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).