Fecteau-Leary students help launch new Lynn sneaker and apparel store

April 19, 2012
By Sarah Mupo/The Daily Item

A new sneaker and apparel store in Lynn is up and running courtesy of construction and design work from students at Fecteau-Leary Junior/Senior High School.

From painting the walls and ceiling to re-tiling the floor and putting up walls, 17 students in Fecteau-Leary’s shop class worked for a month and a half on Citi of Sin until its grand opening on March 31.

The students spent their class periods working on the store, supervised by their teachers Angelo Meimeteas, Steve Kasper and Duke St. Pierre.

Citi of Sin’s manager, James Hall, 30, is a teacher’s aide at Fecteau-Leary, and his wife, Jenaya Ward, 29, owns the store.

“We knew we needed to design the store, and we knew that some of the schools here in Lynn work on trades, one of them being wood shop. We thought it would be a cool idea to make it a school project and make it a community thing,” Ward said.

Hall said he got approval from the school’s principal, Maura Durgin-Scully, and the shop teachers, and then the students and teachers created a design plan.

Even during February break, Hall said five students came to help. Freshman John Aparicio, 16, was one of the students, and he said the project was fun and he learned new skills.

“I learn more things every time I come here: sheet rock, tile floors, painting,” he said.

Junior Santos Morales, 16, who also helped during February break, said that he enjoys carpentry work and was pleased with the end result.

“I look at it and I say, ‘Wow, it looks nice. It looks very professional,’” he said.

Meimeteas said it was “amazing” to see the students develop great teamwork, and Kasper said the project gave the students experience at a real job site.

St. Pierre said the students took the work seriously.

“They took pride in their work and wanted it to look good,” he said.

Hall and Ward said they also were impressed with the students’ work.

“If you see the before and after, it’s such a huge difference,” Ward said.

For more information on Citi of Sin, 98 Union St., call 339-440-5746.

Sarah Mupo may be reached at smupo@itemlive.com.