The Sounds of Saugus

By Mark E. Vogler

 

Good morning, Saugus

Happy Town Meeting Month!

It’s that time of year again when the Annual Town Meeting convenes in the second-floor auditorium of Saugus Town Hall to transact major town business for the year. The major order of business, of course, will be passing the budget for the new fiscal year that begins on July 1. In addition, there will be some zoning changes and other articles considered and voted on during the next four to six weeks. This year’s Town Meeting session could last a lot longer than any in recent memory because of the addition of three Special Town Meetings.

For me, this will be the 10th Town Meeting that I’ve covered in Saugus. But in the course of my journalism career, I’ve been involved in covering about two dozen New England Town Meetings. That includes Nantucket Island and Williamstown, Mass.

 

Town Meeting Mania in Maine

Whenever I think of the month of March from the perspective of a longtime journalist, I think of a period back in 1975 when I covered 11 Town Meetings in the Sebago Lake Region of Maine for the Portland Press Herald. What a treat it was covering all of these Maine Town Meetings. Some of them were all-day deals on Saturday, with the folks enjoying a potluck meal for lunch.

Towns like Bridgeton, Fryeburg, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Naples, Paris and China – each community had its own character. The towns that held their meeting on Saturdays usually split up the morning and afternoon sessions with a potluck lunch. Women brought their knitting gear with them as they listened intently to the proceedings.

I remember covering the Town of Harrison meeting when the townspeople voted overwhelmingly to “go to jail rather than pay a penny toward the Cumberland County Civic Center.” After that headline, several other towns followed the example of Harrison and voted “to go to jail …,” to the chagrin of the Cumberland County District Attorney, who felt my stories “encouraged” people in these small communities in the hinterland of the county to do something that he considered clearly illegal. But all of these towns were an hour or more away from Portland, where the new civic center would be built. And a lot of these country folks didn’t want to pay for something they would seldom use.

Probably my best Town Meeting story came out of the town of Sweden, where two 90-year-old sisters led the charge against Central Maine Power, opposing a plan to locate some power lines across a local trout brook. Small, but feisty and determined to protect their town, the sisters and the town of a couple of hundred people weren’t intimidated by the utility company.

 

This week’s “SHOUT OUTs”

We received a couple of “Shout Outs” this week from our readers:

From the Speziale Family and the Saugus Lions Club: “We would like to give a ‘thank you’ to Corinne Riley for all of her service. She works tirelessly for the Town and will continue to be active in service.

“We welcome and look forward to Corinne becoming the next Lions president in June. Thank you, Corinne!”

From Precinct 6 Town Meeting Member Jeanie Bartolo: “This ‘Shout Out’ goes to Done Right Landscaping Company for once again doing the rotary at Cliftondale Square for Spring. Bruce voluntarily does this for all four seasons every year for the town. The residents of Cliftondale really appreciate it. It looks so beautiful! Thank you Bruce!”

 

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 (mv***@*****st.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.

 

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.

 

Legion Breakfasts today

The American Legion Post 210 at 44 Taylor St. in Saugus has resumed the 2024-25 breakfast season and will continue until the final breakfast on Friday, May 30. 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.

 

Boston Marathon wrap-up

Fourteen Saugus residents finished the 129th Boston Marathon on Patriots’ Day. More than 30,000 runners ran the race.

John Korir of Kenya won the men’s race well ahead of the pack at 2:04:45. His brother Wesley won Boston in 2012, making them the first brothers to win the Boston Marathon.

Kenya’s Sharon Lokedi shattered the women’s course record at the Boston Marathon, finishing in 2:17:22. This was more than two minutes faster than the previous record set by Buzunesh Deba in 2014.

Christopher Chapruet, 33, led the field of local runners with a time of 2:51:37. Everyone who competed and finished the 2025 Boston Marathon under the fixed time limit of six hours (6:00:00) was eligible to receive a medal for the 2025 event.

Here are the Saugus finishers with their times.

Catanzariti, Juliana, 36 – 4:34:20

Catinazzo, Bob, 57 – 6:02:18
Chapruet, Christopher, 33 – 2:51:37
Elkhaouli, Richie, 28 – 4:19:28
Favuzza, Robert, 60 – 4:26:45
Hyde, Casey, 30 – 3:20:23
Iafrate, Brenda, 60 – 6:21:29
Loreth, Alisha, 36 – 3:46:23
McCluskey, Kit, 33 – 5:15:50

Mundele, Aaron, 41 – 5:37:30
Rodriguez, Pablo, 44 – 3:22:12

Spaziani, Gina, 58 – 5:21:04

Torres Ulate, Ingrid, 38 – 5:16:35
Vozzella, Shelagh, 36 – 5:06:59

 

Participate in Memorial Day plans

Plans are already in the works for this year’s annual Memorial Day Parade and Ceremony, which is set for Saturday, May 24. Contact the Saugus Veterans Council if you would like to help out. Council Commander Steve Castinetti can be reached at 781-389-3678 or st*************@*****st.net

 

Public comment period extended on Animal Keeper regulations

The Board of Health did not hold its scheduled public hearing on amendments to Article 10, the Animal Keeper regulations, at its April 7 meeting. Members postponed the hearing until their May 5 meeting at 6:30 p.m. in the Community Room at the Saugus Public Library. The postponement led to the extension of the public comment period.

 

What’s going on at the library

Van Gogh: a portrait by the postman Roulin: Tomorrow (Saturday, May 3) from 2:00-3:00 p.m. in the Community Room. Please register using the Events Calendar at www.sauguspubliclibrary.org. Author, educator and Screen Actors Guild actor Ted Zalewski portrays Vincent’s loyal friend the Postman, Joseph Roulin. He relates van Gogh’s amazing personal and artistic journey from his native Holland to the south of France. Drawn from extensive research into van Gogh’s art, life and letters, “Vincent: A Portrait by the Postman Roulin” is filled with humor, passion, joie de vivre – and the triumph of an unlikely friendship.

  Sheryl Faye at library on May 10: Actress Sheryl Faye is returning to the Saugus Public Library; this time as Abigail Adams. Faye’s performance is set for Saturday, May 10 at 2 p.m. in the Community Room at the Saugus Public Library (295 Central St.). Abigail Adams’ life is one of the most documented of the first ladies: She is remembered for the many letters she wrote to her husband while he stayed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, during the Continental Congresses. John frequently sought the advice of Abigail on many matters, and their letters are filled with intellectual discussions on government and politics. In one of her more famous letters, she implores her husband and his colleagues, all of whom were male, to, “…remember the ladies…If particular care and attention is not paid to the Ladies we are determined to foment a Rebellion, and will not hold ourselves bound by any Laws in which we have no voice, or Representation.” Her letters also serve as eyewitness accounts of the American Revolutionary War home front.

This story starts off with her as an adult and goes back through her childhood and then back to an adult again. This show is suitable for ages 12 through adults. Music & Sound design by Scooter Perrotta from LA Soundtrack.

Sheryl Faye attended Emerson College in Boston, graduating with honors and received a BFA in Acting. Since 2003, she has masterfully brought to life important historical women to both adults and children around the world. In her one-woman shows, she immerses the audience in a multimedia learning experience that captivates viewers and sparks their interest to explore more.

Registration is required for the program. Register at https://sauguspubliclibrary.org/events.

Abigail Adams – America’s First, Second Lady is sponsored by the New Friends of the Saugus Public Library

 

Saugus-Everett Elks to hold scams presentation

The Saugus-Everett Elks Drug Awareness committee and Eagle Bank are teaming up to hold a scams, cyber fraud and exploitation presentation to be held at the Saugus Senior Center (466 Central St. in Saugus) on Monday, May 12, at 10 a.m. This free hour-long presentation will be conducted by Attorney Stephen Miliotis and Senior Banking Officer Gisella DiPaola. Don’t miss out on this event, and become educated on the latest scams that are currently spreading across our country. Learn the different kinds of scams, including blackmail scams, charity scams, debt collection scams, senior scams, debt relief scams and much more. Light refreshments will be served. Call the Senior Center at 781-231-4178 to reserve your seat. Walk-ins are also welcome.

 

Saugus Sachems Spring Track Program 2025

Coach Christopher Tarantino – also known affectionately as “Coach T” – announced plans for his Spring Track Program. “This program is geared toward new track and field athletes. It will prepare them for the larger-scale summer camp,” Coach T said in an email.

Here’s a summary of what interested kids and their parents need to know:

Who: Grades K-5^th.

Where: Belmonte Track.

When: 4:00-5:15 p.m., Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays; May 6-June 12.

Cost: $100 first year, $50 if returning.

For any questions, further information or to register, please contact Coach Christopher Tarantino (Coach T) at 781-854-6778 or ch********************@***il.com

 

SAVE presents Wildlife Encounter at the library

The following notes were shared by Margery Hunter, Vice President of Saugus Action Volunteers for the Environment (SAVE), and SAVE’s secretary, Pamela J. Goodwin.

“On Wednesday, April 23rd, SAVE celebrated Earth Day by sponsoring a visit from ‘Wildlife Encounters’ of Barrington, NH, at the Saugus Public Library. Both SAVE and the Saugus Public Library felt this was a perfect school vacation activity that would provide both education and fun, as well as encourage our youngsters to think about how we can all take various actions that will care for and benefit the Earth.

“Colby Perron, the Director of Outreach Programs at Wildlife Encounters, brought a variety of tropical animals, including the following:

“-First to be introduced was a white-nosed Coatimundi named Dante who came to Wildlife Encounters as a baby, and who was constantly in motion, climbing over Perron’s upper torso and nibbling on his fingers.

“-Next to appear was an Emperor Scorpion, which really looked rather small, but Perron explained that Emperor Scorpions are one of the largest of the scorpion species and, interestingly, one of the least deadly – actually less dangerous that an average bee.

“-Next out was Sophie, a regal and beautiful blue and yellow Macaw who lived with her original owners for about 35 years before being given to the Wildlife Center due to her owners’ advanced age. Perron took a few minutes to explain that birds can live a very long life, even reaching 100 years old in some cases, thus making them very hard to care for.

“-Next to be introduced was Thorn, a Brazilian monkey-tailed porcupine, who entertained everyone by chewing up a couple of bananas while preening and showing off his quills for the crowd.

“-The next animals to be shown were two tiny Amazon milk frogs, so small that they blended easily into the foliage and you really had to examine the glass enclosure closely to find them.

“-And, at last, the portion of the program that all the kids were waiting for, the two animals that everyone could touch: a Chinchilla named ‘Miss Poops a Lot’ and ‘Hercules’, a very large Burmese python. There was some trepidation about petting the python at first, but most of the kids got up their courage and gave it a try. At the same time, everyone exclaimed with delight over how exceedingly soft the chinchilla’s fur felt.

“Throughout the presentation, Perron continued to explain the importance of protecting the Earth and its animals. Referencing the animals who were taking part in the presentation – and explaining again that they are tropical animals – he segued to the Amazon Rainforest, its importance in the balance of the Earth, and the real need to protect it. He went on to speak about Earth Day, declared it his second favorite holiday (Christmas being his favorite), and reiterated that the Rainforest is one of the most threatened environments on the planet, and also the most biodiverse. Finishing up the presentation, Perron shared the following: ‘Earth Day should be every day. We should be celebrating the planet every day because can we live without it? The Earth will live without us. If we all went extinct tomorrow, all of the damage we did will be healed. The Earth does not need us to survive. We all rely on this one big, blue water filled rock.’

“SAVE and the Saugus Public Library were pleased to present this opportunity for learning more about some of the wild creatures that occupy our world. We all learned from this visit and, hopefully, will carry these lessons and information forward as we continue our efforts at conservation and protecting our Earth in every way possible.”

 

Buy-A-Brick for a veteran

The Saugus War Monument Committee, once again, is sponsoring the Buy-A-Brick Program to honor all those who have served their country. If you would like to purchase one in the name of someone who is presently serving or has served, in the memory of a loved one, or just someone from your family, school, etc., the general pricing is $100 for a 4″ x 8″ brick (three lines) or $200 for a 8″ x 8″ brick (five lines). Each line has a maximum of 15 characters. The improvement and upkeep of the monument on the corner of Winter and Central Streets rely on the generosity of donors through fundraising.

The brick application must be in by September 10 to ensure the bricks will be ready for Veterans Day. Please contact Corinne Riley at 781-231-7995 for more information and applications.

 

C.H.a.R.M. Center is open

The Town of Saugus Solid Waste/Recycling Department announced that the Center for Hard to Recycle Materials (C.H.a.R.M.) has opened for the season, with normal operational hours of Wednesdays and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The C.H.a.R.M. Center is located at 515 Main St., Saugus, behind the Saugus Department of Public Works. Residents are welcome to use the C.H.a.R.M. Center for their recycling needs. Saugus was the first municipality in Massachusetts to open a C.H.a.R.M. Center.

The C.H.a.R.M. Center accepts the following items at no cost to residents:

• Bottles and cans
• Paper and cardboard
• Scrap metal
• Shoes, clothes and other textiles
• Fluorescent light bulbs and batteries (button and rechargeable)

Residents are also permitted the free disposal of three TVs or computers/CRT monitors per household each year at the C.H.a.R.M. Center.

Residents can obtain new stickers for this year free of charge when visiting the C.H.a.R.M. Center. By purchasing a $25 sticker that is valid for the entirety of the season, residents will be permitted to dispose of yard waste and brush at the C.H.a.R.M. Center. The $25 sticker also covers the cost to dispose of hard/rigid plastics at the facility. The C.H.a.R.M. Center accepts CHECKS ONLY, no cash or cards.

Please note that the C.H.a.R.M. Center does not accept any household trash or construction materials and debris. The Town of Saugus reserves the right to refuse any material if quantity or quality is questionable. Go to https://www.saugus-ma.gov/solid-waste-recycling-department and click on “Recycling Guide” for a comprehensive list of items that are accepted or not accepted at the C.H.a.R.M. Center, in addition to guidelines for how to prepare different items for disposal at the facility.

The C.H.a.R.M. Center will remain open on Wednesdays and Saturdays through the season until the winter. Please contact Solid Waste/Recycling Coordinator Scott A. Brazis at 781-231-4036 with any questions.

 

North Shore Philharmonic Orchestra present Childrens Concert Sun., May 4

 

NORTH SHORE PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA— “Childrens Concert” and Instrument Petting Zoo Sunday, May 4, 2025 Sunday May 4, 2 pm, full orchestra concert at 3 p.m. performing Dan Brown’s “Wild Symphony” First Baptist Church, 221 Cabot Street, Beverly. Marshunda Smith, guest conductor. Tickets $12, $5.75, children 4 and under free. The program is supported in part by a grant from the Beverly Cultural Council, which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.

 

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 a photo to submit, please email me at mv***@*****st.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