The Sounds of Saugus

By Mark E. Vogler

 

Good morning, Saugus

We are approaching two of the busiest back-to-back weekends of the year on the Saugus community calendar. Beginning today (Friday, May 24), the town will observe Memorial Day weekend, a solemn holiday dedicated to remembering members of the U.S. Armed Forces who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving their country during military conflicts and wars over the nation’s history. There will be family cookouts and get-togethers involving friends over the weekend. But it’s hardly a happy holiday, as our focus remains on honoring the American citizens who went out to fight the wars, but never come home alive.

Next week, the occasion will be much happier as Saugus High School holds its 153 Commencement Exercises. It will also be a time for other high school graduations throughout the area. There will be countless college graduations, too.

Good luck and congratulations to the young men and women and their families who are planning for the graduation milestones of their lives. Savor the moment and make the most of your high school or college education. Use it to plan your professional career.

 

Saugus By the Numbers

Since World War II, the Town of Saugus has paid a steep personal price for a community of its size – the price of protecting the freedom we enjoy. Based on a count of the stars on local monuments, here are the numbers of Saugus servicemen who were killed while serving their country:

• World War I – 14
• World War II – 57
• Korean War – 2
• Vietnam War – 3
• Iraq War – 1

Saugus in the Civil War: Killed in action aren’t noted. But on the large Civil War Monument inside the large rotary, two plaques on the right and left sides individually list the 163 enlisted men from Saugus, eight of whom served in the Navy.

If you are reading this column on Friday morning or early afternoon – and you would like to do something positive for your community – head over to Riverside Cemetery for the flagging of the graves of the several hundred Saugus veterans who are buried there. If you have an hour or so you can spare from 3:30 p.m. and later, the town’s grave officer, Randy Briand, could surely use your help in the planting of mini-American flags.

 

A salute to the SHS Class of 2024

About this time next week, I will prepare to spend a few hours with the Saugus High Class of 2024. I like to show up two hours before commencement exercises begin, hanging out on the turf of Christie Serino Jr. Memorial Stadium, searching for twins who are graduating, finding out if somebody has a birthday or a very special story to tell. I also like looking at the creative artwork on a few graduates’ mortar boards. There are always a few interesting stories to tell if you look hard enough.

Stay tuned.

 

A holiday delay for trash/recycling

The Town of Saugus announced that trash and recycling collection will run on a one-day delay for the Memorial Day Holiday. Trash and recycling will not be collected on Monday (May 27) due to the holiday. Collection will resume on a one-day delay on Tuesday (May 28). 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. For more information about the Town of Saugus, visit www.saugus-ma.gov

 

Friends of Bill James fundraiser May 30

  Bill James, a Saugus Hall of Fame wrestler and a dedicated wrestling coach at Methuen High School, experienced a life-altering accident last fall. The Kowloon Restaurant, at 948 Broadway, Saugus, will be hosting a Friends of Bill James Fundraising event on Thursday, May 30, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. The night will include music, a buffet dinner, raffles, silent auctions and split the pot.

Tickets cost $50. Contact Matt Wall at 781-589-1321 or Darren McCullough at 781-258-5817 to help Bill James out.

Bill James grew up on Clifton Avenue in Saugus. His parents are Jesse and Margarette James. His siblings are Kevin, Chris, Dave and Jenn. He has been married to Laurie Berryman for 23 years. Bill graduated from Merrimack College and eventually went on to get his Master’s degree. He has been a physical education teacher at Methuen High School. His wife Lauri teaches K-8. Bill has a son, Brock, who is a junior at Salem (N.H.) High School and a daughter, Erica, who is a sophomore at UNH. Bill was inducted into the Saugus Hall of Fame for wrestling, track and cross-country.

He has been coaching wrestling and track for the last 36 years, the last 23 at Methuen High School. He has had one of the most dominant programs in New England for wrestling. He has had countless kids who have gone on to become State and New England champions. Recently, he was inducted into the USA Wrestling Hall of Fame.

 

Upcoming Garden Club events

  The Saugus Garden Club has a busy schedule through the spring. Here are some upcoming events:

• Saturday, May 25, St. John’s Episcopal Church will host a workshop to make container gardens for the Garden Club Plant Sale at next month’s Strawberry Festival.
• Saturday, June 15, the Saugus Historical Society will host its annual Strawberry Festival from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the American Legion Hall while the Saugus Garden Club holds its annual plant sale on the front lawn of the Roby School on Main Street.

 

Blood Drive at Legion Hall on June 1

  Saugus American Legion Post 210 plans to sponsor a Blood Drive from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 1, at Legion Hall (44 Taylor St., Saugus). Post 210 Commander John Macauda said the upcoming Blood Drive will be organized in Memory of Cpl. Scott J. Procopio & Capt. William G. Shoemaker.

Please call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or visit RedCrossBlood.org and enter sauguscommunity to schedule an appointment.

 

Volunteers needed for Strawberry Festival on June 15

Strawberry Festival time is approaching! The Saugus Historical Society will be dishing out old-fashioned shortcakes along with soda and hot dogs in the American Legion Hall on Saturday, June 15, while the Saugus Garden Club holds its annual plant sale on the Main Street lawn of the Roby School. There is still vendor space on the Roby School lawn for those selling crafts on the lawn area. Volunteers to help serve shortcakes and potential vendors are asked to email the Historical Society president at LDELD@shore.net.

 

Some Memorial Day “Shout Outs”

We didn’t receive any nominations this week from readers who wanted to nominate fellow Saugonians for special praise or recognition that leads to the betterment of the community. So, I will exercise my editorial discretion in recognizing some people who deserve recognition or a “thank you” from the community for all they do to make their town a better place to live.

If you happen to stop by the Riverside Cemetery tomorrow for the end of the Memorial Day Parade and ceremonies and you notice how great the cemetery looks for the holiday weekend, take a moment to show appreciation for all of the volunteers who took the time to plant the flags at veterans’ gravesites. And if you happen to see Vietnam Veteran Gordon Shepard around tomorrow, hanging out at the cemetery, be sure to personally thank him for the countless hours he spends beautifying the gravesites of veterans from all wars. The General Edward Winslow Hincks Post No. 95 Grand Army of the Republic Burial Plot, where 25 Civil War soldiers and sailors are buried, always looks great, because of Gordie. He began his Civil War Burial Plot restoration project in 2015 and continues to put in volunteer hours to honor the Civil War soldiers from Saugus.

 

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.

 

Food Pantry notes

The Saugus United Parish Food Pantry is open today (Friday, May 24) from 9:30-11 a.m.

 

Legion Breakfast today

There’s a good breakfast 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 in 2024. 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.

 

SAVE to hold its 2024 Annual Meeting & Dinner – June 26

Saugus Action Volunteers for the Environment (SAVE) will hold its 51st Annual Meeting & Dinner on Wednesday, June 26, 2024, at Polcari’s Restaurant (92 Broadway-Route 1 North, Saugus). Social time starts at 6:30 p.m.; dinner buffet begins at approximately 7:00 p.m. The public is cordially invited and we hope you can join us for the mixed buffet consisting of garden salad, chicken & broccoli penne, cheese ravioli, assorted pizzas, rolls and butter, dessert, coffee and tea. A cash bar will be available.

Tickets are $35 per person. Payment can be made by check or Venmo. For a printable copy of the registration form, please visit the https://saugussave.wordpress.com website on the “News & Events” page. Please make payment as soon as possible (but no later than Wednesday, June 12) either via mail to SAVE Treasurer, Mary Kinsell, 11 Sunnyside Ave., Saugus, MA 01906, with a check payable to SAVE, Saugus, or make your payment by Venmo to @SAVE-org and complete your forms here: https://tinyurl.comSAVE6-28. You may also contact Ann at adevlin@aisle10.net or Mary at Mkinsell@verizon.net or, for further information, please visit our website at http://www.saugussave.org. Please let us know if you are able to join us for a fun and informative evening, as well as a wonderful buffet dinner, as soon as possible.

Our guest speaker for the evening, Scott A. Brazis, Saugus’ Solid Waste/Recycling Coordinator, will give a brief update on new initiatives and future plans for the Saugus Recycling/CHaRM Center.

Free parking is available on-site, and the facility is accessible for persons with disabilities.

 

Beetle Juice at Kowloon on July 11

The Saugus Lions Club will be presenting Beetle Juice at Kowloon on July 11. Doors open at 6 p.m. Cost per ticket is $35 and all profit will go to Lions Eye Research and community charities. Contact: Tom Traverse at 781-727-5629.

 

Summer track is coming

Coach Christopher Tarantino’s popular Summer Track for youths ages five through 18 begins on July 1. The program is scheduled for 6 to 8 p.m. at the track outside Belmonte STEAM Academy.

Registration will run from June 24-28. Here is the schedule:

July 1-5: first formal week.

July 8-11: second formal week.

July 12, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.: makeup practice (if necessary).

July 12, 6 p.m.: pasta dinner at Prince.

July 13, 9 a.m.: in-house meet at Serino Stadium.

July 15-18: retrain week.

July 20: Summer Showdown, Cranston, R.I.

July 24: wrap up.

Cost: $250 first year, $200 returning with uniform, $150 if three years or more in summer program; includes pasta dinner, t-shirt, uniform and entry into Summer Showdown.

Please note that these programs are not being offered through the town’s Youth & Recreation Department. Please contact Coach Christopher Tarantino directly with questions at 781-854-6778 or christophertarantino24@gmail.com.

 

CHaRM Center is open

  The Town of Saugus recently announced that the CHaRM Center is open Wednesday and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Residents will be required to buy a $25 Sticker to use the Compost Facilities as well as to recycle hard plastics. The rest of the Facility’s features are free to use for any Saugus resident.

Residents are also allowed three TVs or computers/CRT monitors for free per household each year. The Town of Saugus reserves the right to refuse any material if quantity or quality is questionable.

The final date the CHaRM Center will be open for the season is December 14. However, the Facility will be open the following winter dates, weather permitting: January 18, 2025, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.; February 15, 2025, from 8 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.; March 15, 2025, from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Please contact Solid Waste/Recycling Coordinator Scott A. Brazis at 781-231-4036 with any questions.

 

Brick program for Saugus War Monument

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 an 8″ X 8″ brick (five lines). Each line is 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 Sept. 10 to ensure the bricks will be ready for Veterans Day. Please contact Corinne Riley at 781-231-7995 for more information and applications.

 

Touch a Truck event set for June 2

On Sunday, June 2, Moms Cancer Fighting Angels will hold their 6th annual touch a truck event to benefit the American Cancer Society Relay For Life. This year’s event will take place at Blessed Sacrament Church (14 Sumner St., Saugus). We can’t thank them enough for opening their lot to this great event. For the past five years, the event was held at Fuddruckers Saugus; unfortunately, since Fuddruckers has closed, we had to search for a new location with the hope of it staying in Saugus as it has become an event that the community looks forward to every year.

The event will feature big trucks, monster trucks, construction trucks, military vehicles, fire trucks, cancer awareness cruisers, Lynn and Saugus Fire Depts. and so much more. The event will also include a Home Depot craft-making workshop for the kids, a k9 demonstration with the Melrose Police, department raffles and food.

As always, this is a free event with proceeds raised from the raffle tent and donations. For any questions feel free to contact Guy Moley at 781-640-1310.

 

About The Saugus Advocate

We welcome press releases, news announcements, freelance articles and courtesy photos from the community. Our deadline is noon Wednesday. 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. 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.