Saugus 4-1-1 is Tomorrow

The Saugus Middle-High School will host a three-hour program to help newcomers and longtime residents get better acquainted with their hometown

By Mark E. Vogler

Saugus doesn’t have its own Chamber of Commerce to promote its businesses, community assets, attractions and other features that enhance the town’s quality of life. But an evolving program known as Saugus 4-1-1 seems to be filling the void of not having a Chamber by providing the town with those needs and much more.

For the third time in four years, the Saugus Middle-High School will be hosting a Saugus 4-1-1 event tomorrow (Saturday, March 15) from 9 a.m. to noon. “This event has been created for new residents, but it is for all Saugonians,” Selectman Corinne Riley told The Saugus Advocate this week.

“If you’ve been thinking about joining something to meet other people, giving back to your community, or just curious about what happens in our town, stop by and take a neighbor with you,” she said.

Selectman Riley has been the driving force behind the nifty program, which had two previous well-attended Saturdays at the Middle-High School in recent years (2022 and 2023). This is a special event aimed at briefing new residents as well as those folks who have lived in Saugus for many years on what the town has to offer.

How the event originated

“Saugus 4-1-1,” the title of this event, incorporates the old-fashioned way that people used to get telephone numbers many years ago – by dialing 4-1-1.

Riley said she borrowed “a very good idea” from the Town of Wakefield and modified it to suit Saugus. A few years ago, while working with state Rep. Donald Wong’s (R-Saugus) campaign, she attended a “Wakefield 101” event. The Wakefield Chamber of Commerce worked with the Town of Wakefield on a program to help new residents. “They provided basic information about the town, and had businesses that gave ‘welcome bags,’ of gift certificates, coupons, etc. It was not a town event, rather a Chamber of Commerce event,” Riley said.

Riley was so impressed with the Wakefield program that she presented it to the Saugus Board of Selectmen, Town Manager Scott C. Crabtree, the Saugus School Committee and Saugus Public Schools. “All are on-board with this town event to welcome new residents and provide basic information about the town,” Riley said.

Besides serving as campaign manager for several of Rep. Wong’s successful campaigns for the State House, Riley has been active in Saugus community affairs for years, volunteering for various groups – particularly veterans groups. In addition, she’s finishing up the second year of her third two-year term on the Board of Selectmen. She has also served on the School Committee and has volunteered for numerous causes and organizations in town.

“John Smolinski was the one who initially helped develop the idea,” Riley said of the former Saugus Chamber of Commerce leader who has been involved with Saugus community affairs for years and has been executive director of the Wakefield-Lynnfield Chamber of Commerce in recent years.

While the event targets newcomers to town, Riley said, she believes it might behoove a lot of Saugus natives and longtime residents to check it out as well.

Thirty-two tables are ready for visitors

This year’s Saugus 4-1-1 event has been a collaborative effort involving 23 civic groups, four places of worship, several town agencies – including the Board of Selectmen – and representatives of Saugus Public Schools. “There will be 32 tables in all set up,” Riley said.

“After planning for months, it’s finally here! The Garden Club will have a demonstration, the Theater Company of Saugus is planning to perform a short scene and there will be a Town Government table to find information about our form of government and answers to frequently-asked questions that new and old residents may have,” Riley said.

“There are so many wonderful youth groups, clubs and places of worship that will be there for all to find out what they are all about. The welcome bags have items from local businesses – from business cards to coupons, promotional calendar books, bracelets, pencils, pens, candy, menus, toothbrushes and keychains,” she said.

“Fire, police and the selectmen will host the town government and information table. The Saugus Council on Aging as well will be there and the schools will have an informational table too,” she said.

Riley has been working tirelessly for several months, organizing this year’s version of Saugus 4-1-1. She’s been working with Donna Sordello and Jean Swanson on the Saugus 4-1-1 Committee.

Meanwhile, the committee has seen the role and the potential of Saugus 4-1-1 expand as a result of the first Saugus Cultural Festival, which drew an estimated crowd of more than 400 people at the Middle-High School last month. Saugus 4-1-1 is no longer considered just a replacement for Saugus having its own Chamber of Commerce.

“I would love for this to be an annual event, and we’ve discussed having the Saugus Cultural Festival on the same day,” Riley said.

“I think it would be a wonderful, combined event. We’ll be meeting to talk about it in the near future. I’d like to see an active Chamber here; I’ve been hoping for that for several years,” she said.