The Sounds of Saugus

By Mark E. Vogler

 

Good morning, Saugus

  Summer is officially underway, and that means parents with school-age kids are going to be looking for things to do for the days on which they don’t have vacation activities planned.

For parents who are interested in a wide variety of activities in a nice, cool environment – relief from the summer heat as well as a place to find things to do that are actually cool – check out the Saugus Public Library. The Summer Reading program is already underway. There are also some events that kids will find educational, engaging and entertaining.

Parents who would like to get their kids outdoors can count on some fun activities and special events at two locations:

• The Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site at 244 Central St. Call 781-233-0050 or check out the website https://www.nps.gov/sair/index.htm. There are a lot of great nature and history programs offered at the park during the summer months.
• Breakheart Reservation at 177 Forest St. Call 781-233-0834 or check out the website https://www.mass.gov/locations/breakheart-reservation. It’s a great way to get exercise and enjoy nature and everything that makes the great outdoors a wonderful place to be on a summer day.

During my eight-plus years of covering Saugus for The Saugus Advocate, I’ve run into a lot of parents whose kids have never been to either place. And that’s a shame – to have any Saugus families unfamiliar with two great natural resources like Breakheart Reservation and the Saugus Iron Works. There’s all sorts of free activities and opportunities awaiting Saugus kids this summer in the wilds of Saugus.

 

Saugus celebrates the Celtics

  Some avid Boston Celtics basketball fan used the Saugus Soldiers and Sailors Monument to salute the 2024 NBA champions after their series-clinching victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night (June 17).

“We went out this morning and saw the sailor sporting a Celtics jersey,” said Laura Eisener, who writes the weekly “Saugus Gardens” column for The Saugus Advocate.

“It’s kind of nice to see this tradition when one of Boston’s team wins their trophy, whatever sport it may be,” she wrote in an email to me accompanying a photo of the “green team” fever displayed at Saugus Centre.

I asked Laura to give me some historical context about this kind of celebration. “It usually happens when one of the teams wins a championship, like when the Bruins win the Stanley Cup or the Patriots win the Super Bowl etc. It’s kind of a mystery who does it, since it’s a pretty public spot, even late at night I would think,” Laura said.

“Some people figure it’s a policeman who does it since otherwise they might tell them they couldn’t climb up on the monument. But I really have no idea who does it, and if it’s the same person every time or different people,” she said.

“I don’t remember the Red Sox jersey on there but I might just not have been there on the day after they won – Bruins and Patriots I have definitely seen. Since the soldier on the other side is wearing a greatcoat, you can’t get a jersey on him, but the sailor is a bit easier to manage. The jersey is a bit askew because they can’t get it all the way on over the elbows.”

Well, it’s been 16 years since the Celtics won their 17th NBA title – 16 years ago to the same day (June 17) that the Celts won their most recent banner – Banner 18.

Friends who are sports fans have some good memories intertwined with accomplishments of their team. Sixteen years ago this past Monday after watching a Red Sox-Phillies game in Philadelphia with good friend and fellow journalist Jack Knarr, we watched the Celts beat LA for the NBA title in a motel room in Chester, Pa., near Widener University. It was a memorable night and was one of the last Phillies-Sox series we watched together before Jack passed away in 2018. Jack was a 76ers fan and loved basketball and was happy to see the Celts beat the Lakers that night. He was happy, too, about his Phillies, who went on to win the 2008 World Series – a year after the Red Sox won their title in 2007.

If you are a passionate sports fan, watching your favorite team win a title in the company of good friends or family makes the memory more lasting.

 

Kane’s won the donut bet against Dallas

  Kane’s Donut owner Maria Delios has had a lot of fun this week, rubbing it in on social media after winning a bet with Rings Donuts of Dallas on the NBA championship series. Because of the Boston Celtics’ victory over the Dallas Mavericks, Rings will be sending a dozen of its donuts and a pound of its coffee to Saugus as payback for losing the bet.

Kane’s put up a dozen donuts of its own to go with a pound of Stella Blue Coffee. But those donuts and the coffee will be staying here in Saugus, and Delios will get to gloat until the next sports wager.

Kane’s has been a frequent participant in friendly wagers against other donut shops across the country over the years. But it’s been a few years since a sure bet. The Boston sports teams haven’t won a title since the New England Patriots beat the LA Rams, 13-3, in the February 2019 Super Bowl.

 

Summer Concerts “In The Park”

  Here’s some good summer music to your ears.

Once again, the Saugus Public Library and the Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site will be teaming up to bring free outdoor concerts “In The Park” at the Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site. The Squeezebox Stompers, a Boston area Americana Roots band, will kick off the summer series on July 10.

“They’ve performed Americana, Cajun, zydeco, blues, folk, and originals all over New England for the past 15 years,” according to promotional information provided by the Iron Works.

“Members of the band have received Boston Music Awards and Songwriting Awards. They are noted for their step-lively up-beat music inspiring audiences to get up and dance. Their instrumentation includes accordion, keyboards, fiddle, saxophone, harmonica, penny whistle, guitar, bass, and drums. The Squeezebox Stompers guarantee a rockin’ good time.”

These free weekly concerts are open to the public and begin at 6 p.m. on Wednesdays beginning July 10 through August 28. Here’s the 2024 lineup:

July 10: Squeezebox Stompers (Cajun & Zydeco).

July 17: Memorylaners (50s & 60s).

July 24: Mamadou (World Music, West African Rhythms).

July 31: Sweet Soul Sounds (Motown, Funk, Hip Hop).

August 7: Atwater & Donnelly (Trad. American & Celtic Folk & Dance).

August 14: Ditto (Folk & Rock: 60s and 70s).

August 21: Headlands (Folk, Country, Americana Pop).

August 28: Jumpstreet (Rock, R&B, Blues, & Jazz).

Bring chairs or a blanket and a picnic! Enjoy a summer evening at the historic Saugus Iron Works with great music and friends!

This year’s summer concert series is partially funded through a generous grant from the Mass Cultural Council.

 

Community Garden volunteers welcomed

  If you love gardening and would love to volunteer a few hours for a good cause this summer, offer your services at the Community Garden at St. John’s Episcopal Church. Volunteers are welcome to come any Friday or Saturday morning for the rest of the summer to help weed and nurture the crops. If these times are difficult, arrangements can be made for other days. For details, contact The Rev. John Beach at St. John’s Episcopal Church (revjbeach@gmail.com).

 

Food Pantry notes

  The Saugus United Parish Food Pantry is open today (Friday, June 21) from 9:30-11 a.m. at 50 Essex St. in the basement of Cliftondale Congregational Church.

 

Legion Breakfasts over for summer

  American Legion Post 210 would like to thank all those who made the 2023-24 breakfast season such a success, and wish them a wonderful summer. We will resume serving breakfast on Friday, September 6, 2024.

 

Sharon’s Sneaker Crew yard sale June 22

  Sharon Genovese and her group – Sharon’s Sneaker Crew – will be hosting a Jimmy Fund Yard Sale, Saturday, June 22, at 23 Lily Pond Ave., from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Lots of good items: TV, bike, furniture and toys. All proceeds will go to the Jimmy Fund Walk. She and members of her crew plan to walk the Boston Marathon route in the Dana-Farber Jimmy Fund Walk this fall. If you need any more information, you can call or text Sharon at 617-966-3475 or email her at sunkin1@aol.com.

 

Adult coloring group meets Wednesday

  This just in from the Saugus Public Library:

“Come relax with our continuing Adult Coloring Group. It’s a great opportunity to take time to unwind, be creative, and have fun, no experience necessary! We have pencils and coloring pages ready and waiting … See you there! Spaces limited, please call to register 781-231-4168 X 3106.”

The group will be meeting next Wednesday (June 26) at 10 a.m. in the Brooks Room on the second floor at the library.

 

A “Shout Out” for Strawberry volunteers

  Joanie Allbee offered these two “shout outs” to volunteers who showed up to make the annual Strawberry Festival extra special this year:

Hello I’d like to give a shout out to our Strawberry Festival Shortcake wonder woman Linda Call who saved the day!

Linda Call showed up, rolled up and got busy cutting bakery shortcakes and strawberries tirelessly behind the scenes. Because of Linda we were able to deliver our freshly made strawberry shortcakes on time. I was amazed how much work she did for us

Thank You so much!

A second Shout Out to Karen Rakinic who came by asked if I needed help and jumped right in serving strawberries till we finished!

A Big Thankyou to both of you

 

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.

 

Theatre Company of Saugus sets audition dates

  This just in from the Theatre Company of Saugus, which will present “Evil Dead the Musical” in October 2024. Auditions are scheduled for July 8, 9 and 11; with callbacks on July 13.

The Story: Five college students go to an abandoned cabin in the woods and accidentally unleash an evil force that turns them into demons. It’s all up to Ash (a housewares employee turned demon-killing hero) and his trusty chainsaw to save the day. Blood flies. Limbs are dismembered. Demons tell bad jokes … and all to music. The songs in the show are completely off the wall, with titles like “All the Men in My Life Keep Getting Killed by Candarian Demons” and “What the F**k was That?” and have had the audience rolling in their seats and screaming for more and more blood.

You don’t need to be a fan of Evil Dead to love this show. You don’t need to be a fan of horror to love this show. You don’t even need to be a fan of musicals to love this show. This is a pure comedy start to finish. It has fun with the horror genre, and in doing so appeals to a wider audience than you could ever imagine.

The director is Jason Hair-Wynn, who directed previous Theatre Company of Saugus productions of “Little Shop of Horrors” and “Nevermore.” The music director is Shane Stetcher, with choreography by Jason Hair-Wynn and Jill Tokac and fight choreography by Amanda O’Donnell. The stage manager is Ally Lewis.

Performances of “Evil Dead the Musical” are on October 11-12-13 and 18-19-20, 2024. Rehearsals are planned for Sunday afternoons and on Monday and Wednesday evenings, with the possibility of adding more based on actor availability.

For the audition, please prepare a song from the show for a character you are most interested in, or sing a song in the style of the show. All songs, sheet music, and sides are linked on the theatre’s website. Sign up for an audition slot on one of these dates:

• Monday, July 8 – 7-10 p.m.
• Tuesday, July 9 – 7-10 p.m.
• Thursday, July 11 – 7-10 p.m.

To sign up for an audition slot, to see the role descriptions and to view the audition sides, music and other information, please visit the Auditions page on the Theatre Company of Saugus website: TCSaugus.org/auditions/

Callbacks will be on Saturday, July 13, starting at 1:00 p.m. (Plan for a long afternoon.) Callbacks will consist of singing, acting, movement and possible stage combat. You will be learning a short combination from the show. This dance is not very complicated, and you do not have to be a strong dancer to be in this show. The main focus is that you can commit to this hilarious choreography and show the character as a “deadite,” as well as retain choreography quickly.

Performances, auditions and rehearsals of “Evil Dead the Musical” will be at the Theatre Company of Saugus home at the American Legion Post 210 at 44 Taylor St. in Saugus, Mass. The upstairs performance space is not wheelchair accessible.

 

June events at Kowloon

JUNE 21: Concert Series: UP ALL NIGHT! – 7:00 p.m. – Free General Admission or $10 Reserved Seating.

JUNE 26: BINGO NIGHT with DJ TOMMY – 7:00 p.m. – Free General Admission.

JUNE 28: CONCERT SERIES: DAVE MACKLIN BAND – 7:00 p.m. – Free General Admission or $10 Reserved Seating.

JUNE 29: Concert Series: XS BAND – 7:00 p.m. – Free General Admission or $10 Reserved Seating.

For all tickets, call the Kowloon Restaurant at 781-233-0077 or visit online at www.kowloonrestaurant.com

 

SAVE Annual Meeting/Dinner Wednesday

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.

 

What’s breaking at Breakheart

  There’s a Full Moon Hike scheduled for today (Friday, June 21) from 8–10 p.m. at the Visitor Center at Breakheart Reservation (177 Forest St.). Join us for a moonrise hike while we talk about the importance of the full moon, moon cycles and phases. There will be campfire fun and activities. This program is for adults and families with children eight years old and up. Bring a flashlight and dress appropriately! Registration is required; please email jessica.narog-hutton@mass.gov for more information. Meet outside the Visitor Center. Rain cancels.

On Thursdays now through August, the Visitor Center will host a Wild Breakheart Series from 10–11 a.m. There will be no program on July 4. Join us for this rotating nature series as we explore different aspects of Breakheart! Meet outside the Visitor Center; rain cancels. This month will feature the Breakheart Birding Club – come see what birds call Breakheart their home as we explore the park! During July, it will be Tree ID – explore the park and discover what trees are in the park and how to identify them. In August, park visitors can participate in Animal Exploration – enjoy discovering what animals call Breakheart home!

On Saturdays now through August, there will be an Easy, Breezy, Beautiful Hike from 1:30–3:30 p.m. (There will be no program on July 13.) Join the Park Interpreter for this weekly guided hike! Each trip will highlight natural and historic features that make Breakheart unique. Hikes will be moderately paced and range from two to three miles over sometimes uneven and rocky terrain; best for ages eight years and up. Meet at the Visitor Center. Rain cancels.

On Fridays now through August, the Visitor Center will host a Kidleidoscope from 10:30–11:30 a.m. Come join our park interpreter for a story time and nature walk! Complete a small craft and explore the woods! Walks are gently paced and approximately one mile, though not accessible for strollers; appropriate for families with children three to five years old. Meet at the Visitor Center. (No program on July 13.)

There will be Family Fishing on Saturdays now through August from 9:30–11:00 a.m. at Camp Nihan (131 Walnut St.). Join our park interpreter for a drop-in fishing program! Learn how to fish, what fish live in our ponds and how to catch and release responsibly. Bait and a handful of rods will be provided, but feel free to bring your own gear and fish with us and share your tips! No license required if fishing in this program. Appropriate for families with children five years old and up. Meet at Camp Nihan. Rain cancels.

 

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.

 

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.