The Sounds of Saugus

By Mark E. Vogler

 

Good morning, Saugus

The town budget session essentially kicked off in a public way last week as Saugus Public Schools Superintendent Michael Hashem presented his proposed 2026 Fiscal Year Budget to the School Committee. Hashem’s request is an increase of nearly $2.5 million over the School Department’s current budget.

There was no public comment session at last week’s meeting (Jan. 9). The public hearing was scheduled to take place last night.

But it was great to see a handful of Town Meeting members monitoring last week’s meeting. It shows they are conscientious in their preparation. And many of those members will probably show up in a few weeks when the Finance Committee begins its annual review of municipal department budgets. Stay tuned.

 

Anyone for Saugus Over Coffee?

A few Town Meeting members have asked me whether I plan to team up with Saugus Public Library and Saugus TV to do another round of Saugus Over Coffee, the 10-part series of panel discussions we did back in 2023 focusing on each of the 10 town precincts – one a month – from January through October. That is something I am considering reviving for this year. Perhaps we will do two precincts a month and begin the program closer to the November town elections. Our purpose was to create a series of forums where residents in each of the town precincts could get to meet their five Town Meeting members over coffee, find out about the people who represent them and also pass along issues of concern in their respective precincts.

The only downside to Saugus Over Coffee was that some of the Town Meeting members in several precincts had poor attendance at the forums. They weren’t interested in taking time on a Monday night to sit down with constituents in their precinct and listen to the concerns. If we do it again, hopefully, the attendance will be better.

It’s also possible that we could have a Saugus Over Coffee with the candidates for the Board of Selectmen and School Committee. Two years ago, I got “recruited” by Rachel Brugman – the enthusiastic and talented former director of Saugus TV – to moderate three consecutive nights of forums with candidates for the Saugus Charter Commission. I was stressed out when I embarked on this ambitious project. But it turned out pretty well. And if nobody steps up to sponsor a series of forums for the selectman and School Committee member candidates, I might offer my services again. Stay tuned.

 

Saugus United Parish Food Pantry

The Saugus United Parish Food Pantry welcomes all neighbors facing food insecurity on Fridays from 9:30-11 a.m. at 50 Essex St. in the basement of Cliftondale Congregational Church. If you are able to donate to the food pantry, you can also stop by during those hours, drop off donations at the Saugus Public Library during library hours or contact office@cliftondalecc.org to make an appointment.

 

Legion Breakfasts today

There’s a good deal for Saugus veterans and other folks who enjoy a hearty breakfast on Friday mornings. The American Legion Post 210 at 44 Taylor St. in Saugus offers Friday morning breakfasts for the 2024-25 season. Doors open at 7:30 a.m., with breakfast served from 8-9:00 a.m. for an $8 donation. Veterans who cannot afford the donation may be served free.

 

A one-day trash delay

The Town of Saugus announced this week that trash and recycling collection will run on a one-day delay for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day holiday. Trash and recycling will not be collected on Monday, Jan. 20, due to the federal holiday. Collection will resume on a one-day delay on Tuesday, Jan. 21. Residents are kindly asked to leave trash and recycling curbside by 7 a.m. the day after their normally scheduled collection day.

The Town of Saugus would like to thank everyone for their cooperation. Please contact Solid Waste/Recycling Coordinator Scott A. Brazis at 781-231-4036 with any questions.

 

This week’s “SHOUT OUTS”

We received a nomination this week from Shirley Bogdan for a special “Shout Out” for Ed Varney, of Texas, formerly of Saugus. “He played the National Anthem on his saxophone at the Cotton Bowl on national TV at the College Football Playoff. Ed is the son of Charlie Varney of Saugus,” Shirley said.

Here’s an editor’s “Shout Out” for members of the Saugus Lions Club. Lou Rossi gets an assist on this one by sending along an email noting that “On December 20th a group of Saugus Lions visited our local Saugus nursing homes. Chestnut Woods and the Rubin House welcomed Mrs. Claus (Karen Speziale), Lily the Lion (Sharon Genovese), and Sparkle the Elf (Kathy Gianetti) as they distributed gifts and treats to all. Attached are some pictures from the day’s event.”

Sounds like the Saugus Lions were a roaring success in their visit to the two local nursing homes.

 

Want to “Shout Out” a fellow Saugonian?

This is an opportunity for our paper’s readers to single out – in a brief mention – remarkable acts or achievements by Saugus residents or an act of kindness or a nice gesture. Just send an email (mvoge@comcast.net) with a mention in the subject line of “An Extra Shout Out.” No more than a paragraph; anything longer might lend itself to a story and/or a photo.

 

Town Democrats meet Jan. 27

Lin Bell, secretary of the Saugus Democratic Town Committee, invites all registered Democrats and those who aspire to be Democrats to a special meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 29, at 7 p.m. at the Saugus Public Safety Building (27 Hamilton St., second floor). “Please join us! It is never too late to be involved in protecting our democracy and freedoms,” Lin said in her recent announcement to the newspaper.

 

Fireside Chats begin at Breakheart Jan. 22

For a period of six consecutive Wednesday mornings, beginning Jan. 22 and ending Feb. 26, Breakheart Reservation will host a Fireside Chat at its Christopher P. Dunne Visitor Center (177 Forest St., Saugus) from 10 to 11 a.m. Come warm up by a fire and join a staff member each week from the state Department of Conservation & Recreation (DCR) staff who will be sharing their expertise and experiences at our parks. DCR staff goes well beyond the people you normally meet in the parks. There are many “behind the scenes” experts who are excited to share their role in keeping the park properties safe and healthy for the public. The Fireside Chats are scheduled for Jan. 22 and 29 and Feb. 5, 12, 19 and 26.

 

Saugus Cultural Festival Feb. 23

Planning continues for the Saugus Cultural Festival, which is set for Sunday, Feb. 23, at Saugus Middle-High School. This inclusive and family-friendly event will celebrate Saugus’ cultural diversity through the showcase of food, performances and other activities, according to Tori Darnell, Co-chair of the Saugus Cultural Council – the event’s organizers.

The Cultural Council is looking for:

• Performers: Musicians, dancers, poets, actors and artists of all kinds are invited to showcase their talents on our stage.
• Food vendors: Share your culinary creations with festival-goers. Local food trucks, caterers and restaurant owners are encouraged to apply.
• Volunteers: Help us make the event a success by joining our team. Volunteers will assist with setup, guest services, event coordination and more.

This is a great opportunity to share new experiences with the community. To apply or to learn more information, please contact the Cultural Council at:

• Email: saugusculturalcouncil@gmail.com
• Phone: 339-440-1017.

Don’t miss out on being part of this exciting celebration in our Town! We can’t wait to see you there! Deadline for applications: Jan. 19. Please reach out if you have any questions.

 

Saugus 4-1-1 set for March 1

The Saugus 4-1-1 Committee would like everyone to know that the Saugus 4-1-1 event will be taking place on March 1, 2025. Invitations to all new residents as well as nonprofits will be mailed out in January.

“We are looking forward to having this wonderful event for new residents as well as those who have been here for years to learn what Saugus has to offer!” Selectman Corinne Riley wrote in an email. “Also, if you have a local business or service to promote, send your request or further inquiries to Saugus411@gmail.com. There are ‘Welcome Bags’ that are given out to the new residents with all kinds of information which could include your business or services offered to our Saugus residents. Stay tuned for further updates!”

Selectman Riley was the driving force behind the nifty program, which had two previous well-attended Saturdays at the Saugus Middle-High School in recent years (2022 and 2023).

 

A Facebook Fiasco

As part of my job as editor, I monitor reader comments about Saugus stories that pop up on the Advocate Newspapers Facebook page. I’m curious about the Saugus stories that are particularly popular with readers during a given week, as well as which ones that aren’t so popular. Sometimes there are story leads that develop from comments.

But I don’t get involved directly with the readers. I’m not a social media animal. Even when the readers bash me or The Saugus Advocate with disparaging remarks, it’s not my place to argue with a reader.

I don’t begrudge readers their right to exercise their first amendment right even when they are unfairly critical of me or the paper. But I couldn’t help but cringe last week when some of the readers seized the opportunity to exploit a breaking story about the tragic death of a young man on property owned by WIN Waste Innovations near their trash-to-energy plant. How despicable it was for some readers to post comments on a story about WIN Waste Innovations sponsoring students from the Saugus Middle-High School Ski Trip, implying in their reckless comments that something sinister happened to 21-year-old Cole Moment, an honors student from the Saugus High School Class of 2021, even before all of the facts were in.

The story broke after our deadline, so these irresponsible readers even went so far as to suggest that The Saugus Advocate had squashed the story. And one reader demanded that we write an article about it or he would “no longer consume your newspaper.”

The paper is free, by the way.

A wise man once told me “never waste your time with fools.” And it’s been my observation over the past three decades that Facebook pages are full of fools who – though they are extremely misinformed on topics they are writing – will say anything.

In this case, these people must not be aware that there are big differences in the deadline schedules for a weekly newspaper that comes out once a week and a television or radio station or daily newspaper that has multiple deadlines every day.

I wouldn’t have commented on these Facebook follies, except they escalated their Facebook comments into emails to Advocate Newspapers, the parent company of The Saugus Advocate. Had these fools stuck to Facebook, I probably would have just ignored it.

When people get stupid and write stupid and irresponsible things on Facebook, it’s best not to get involved. It’s a waste of time.

In this case, it was unfortunate that the Facebook writing fools tried to exploit a tragedy so they could write their disparaging and irresponsible texts and emails. But they’re not worth any more attention.

 

A Video for Vets

Town Manager Scott C. Crabtree and Veterans’ Service Officer Paul Cancelliere have collaborated on a video that highlights the work the Town of Saugus’ Veterans’ Services Office does to help local veterans and their families. In the video, Cancelliere explains how the Veterans’ Services Office follows three main pillars in advocating for veterans. These pillars are:

• Implementing a variety of state benefits to aid veterans and their families
• Processing U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) claims for veterans and offering assistance for things such as homebuying, education, life insurance and burials
• Community outreach by working with the Saugus Veterans Council to help put together events, such as the Memorial Day Parade, POW/MIA Recognition Day and the Veterans Day ceremony

The Saugus Veterans’ Services Office is located on the main floor of Saugus Town Hall at 298 Central St. Paul Cancelliere serves as the veterans’ services officer, and Nancy Stead is the administrative assistant for the department. For more information call 781-231-4010 or email pcancelliere@saugus-ma.gov, veteransservices@saugus-ma.gov or nstead@saugus-ma.gov

 

What’s going on at the library

• Needle Crafting: Hello to fans of needle crafting: knitting, crocheting, cross-stitch, embroidery, etc. The Saugus Public Library Needle Crafting Group will start on Thursday, January 23, from 10–11 a.m. in the Brooks Room. No registration needed – drop-ins welcome. Bring your Work in Progress and enjoy the conversation … cocoa and tea will be provided. Any questions? Call Reference at 781-231-4168.
• Want to make a clay dragon? There’s another neat class coming up at the Saugus Public Library on Monday, Jan. 27, at 5:30 p.m. in the Brooks Room on the second floor. There will be a professional potter at the library from 5:30 to 7 p.m. to assist people who would like to make a clay dragon. This program is for fifth graders and up. Please register in advance at the library.
• Teen Board Game Nite: The Saugus Public Library will be hosting another Teen Board Game Group on Feb. 3 in the Teen Room from 5:30-7 p.m. Teens who want to play board and card games should put this one on their calendar. For more information, please call Rachel at 781-231-4168 or email rhuntington@noblenet.org.

 

About The Saugus Advocate

We welcome press releases, news announcements, freelance articles and courtesy photos from the community. Our deadline is 6 p.m. on Tuesday. If you have a story idea, an article or photo to submit, please email me at mvoge@comcast.net or leave a message at 978-683-7773. Or send your press release to me in the mail at PO Box 485, North Andover, MA 01845. Let us become your hometown newspaper. The Saugus Advocate is available in the Saugus Public Library, the Saugus Senior Center, Saugus Town Hall, local convenience stores and restaurants throughout town.