The Sounds of Saugus

Good morning, Saugus

  There’s less than seven weeks left in 2024. Thanksgiving Day, my favorite of the holidays, is less than two weeks away, and then comes Christmas and New Years Day just a few weeks later. Between now and the end of the year, there will be plenty of fun and family-oriented events to take in.

The town’s annual Tree Lighting and Christmas Festivities in early December will draw huge crowds to Saugus Center, and the Annual Christmas Eve Parade will be another popular town- wide event. And in another week, volunteers of all ages will be swarming the Saugus United Parish Food Pantry in the basement of Cliftondale Congregational Church to help make a family-style, sit-down Thanksgiving meal a reality for some 200 of the town’s less fortunate families. And there will be various benevolent events like the annual toy drive, which should help make the holidays brighter for needy kids.

If you feel like getting in the holiday spirit, there’s plenty of community events you can get involved in before year’s end. Stay tuned.

 

MEG’S Christmas Tree Festival continues today

  The MEG Foundation’s 2024 Christmas Tree Festival will continue into its second weekend today (Friday, Nov. 15), from 3 to 8 p.m.; and tomorrow (Saturday, Nov. 16), from 3 to 8 p.m. If you want to see some neat trees and get into the holiday spirit a few weeks early, this is a fun family event that will be hosted at the historic MEG Building at 54-58 Essex St.

 

Sen. Crighton at Town Hall today

  Senator Brendan Crighton (D-Lynn) plans to hold his rotating district office hours at Saugus Town Hall today (Friday, Nov. 15) from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on a walk-in basis. If you have any concerns you would like to discuss with the senator, feel free to drop by. You can also reach Sen. Crighton by mailing a letter to him: Massachusetts State Legislature, the State House, Room 109-C, Boston, MA 02133. You may leave a message with his Chief of Staff, Taylor A. Trenchard, at 617-722-1350 or by email at Taylor.Trenchard@masenate.gov.

 

Christmas CD Release Party tomorrow

  Army Staff Sgt. Arthur DeFranzo VFW Post 2346 will host a Christmas CD Release Party tomorrow (Saturday, Nov. 16) at 6 p.m., at 190C Main St., Saugus. The event will feature the Christmas My Way CD – Holiday Favorites of Frank Sinatra, recorded by Boston’s own Joey Chiarenza. Here’s a chance to meet Joey and enjoy presale discounts for the upcoming shows. WMEX, 1510 AM Boston/101.1 FM Quincy is sponsoring the event with the VFW. Angelo’s Roast Beef will be providing the food.

 

A new Saugus Advocate deadline

  There are changes going on in the production process of The Saugus Advocate, the town’s only exclusively Saugus newspaper, which is delivered to locations all over town on Fridays. I won’t bore you with the details, other than to tell you that I have to make adjustments in how I do my job to make sure the paper gets out on time. My deadlines have been moved up. So, if you have an announcement, news item or notice that you want to submit for the Friday paper, it’s best to email it to me at mvoge@comcast.net by 6 p.m. Tuesday.

 

Food Pantry notes

  The Saugus United Parish Food Pantry will be open today (Friday, Nov. 15) from 9:30-11 a.m. at 50 Essex St. in the basement of Cliftondale Congregational Church. The Saugus United Parish Food Pantry welcomes all neighbors facing food insecurity. If you are able to donate to the food pantry, you can also stop by during those hours or drop donations off at the Saugus Public Library during library hours.

 

Legion Breakfasts today

The American Legion Post 210 has begun its 2024-25 breakfast season. There’s a good deal for Saugus veterans and other folks who enjoy a hearty breakfast on Friday mornings. 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.

 

No new Legion Hall bookings till 2025

  The American Legion Post 210 announced recently that it will honor any contract it has signed for a party from now through the end of December, but will not book any new ones until after the first of the year.

 

This week’s “SHOUT OUTs”

  We didn’t receive any nominations from readers this week to recognize individuals or groups of people who did something for the betterment of Saugus. So, I will exercise my editorial prerogative to recognize people who deserve that special recognition.

A special Editor’s “Shout Out” to all of the town’s living and departed veterans for their dedicated service to the nation. You deserve the appreciation and respect from every proud American for the sacrifices you have made for us all.

A special Editor’s “Shout Out” to Guy Moley and everyone involved with the rolling rally of vintage cars, trucks, motorcycles and vehicles that traveled past Saugus Veterans Park at the conclusion of the Veterans Day ceremony on Monday.

 

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.

 

It’s Mike; not Mark

  Aside from the typos, missing punctuation, bad grammar and misspelled words, one of the most disappointing errors that appear in a local newspaper are misspelled names.

I remember the good old days of journalism, when copy editors and wordsmiths in the composing room took great pride in saving a reporter or writer the public embarrassment of news stories full of typos and careless errors. Those guys with the pocket dictionaries were skilled at spotting misspelled or wrong names.

As the saying goes, “I don’t care what you write about me. Just spell my name right.”

But the copy editors and wordsmiths seem to be a luxury these days, except for the big city papers. To me, it’s a bad look when a newspaper can’t spell somebody’s name correctly, or get the name right.

This week, we heard from a reader who was thrilled to see his name mentioned in a January sports article appearing in The Saugus Advocate. “Hi great article… It was great seeing the names for the 1999 Sachem baseball team,” the reader wrote in an email this week.

“As a quick edit, my name is Mike Angrisano not Mark … Everything else looks correct though,” Mike Angrisano wrote.

Thank you for bringing this to our attention, Mike.

Everyone expects to see their name spelled properly. And so do I.

 

Wayne’s world of weight loss

  My older brother Wayne keeps winning his pursuit of a healthier life by losing weight. In a visit last Friday (Nov. 8) to Dr. Jessica Inwood’s office in Fall River, Wayne weighed in at 250 pounds – the lowest he’s been at in many years. Dr. Inwood – who specializes in weight management, nutrition and diet – stressed that Wayne has shed 127 pounds over the past four years – roughly about a third of his original weight (377) since she took him on as a new patient.

Wayne dropped about nine pounds since he visited his primary care physician, Mark A. Ringiewicz, of Swansea, about a month ago. It’s clear to me by now that seeing the two doctors every three to four months is key to Wayne’s success in losing the weight and keeping it off.

The big challenge for Wayne at this point is to maintain his diet and exercise routine through the holidays so he doesn’t regress from the positive trends and wind up putting the weight back on. Dr. Inwood said Wayne should enjoy the holidays and treat himself to some hearty meals over the next few weeks – but not overdo it to the point where he’s wiping out all of the positive strides he’s achieved.

As the guy who plays the heavy in monitoring his weight loss over the past four years, I’ll cut him some slack. But it will be back to business after the holidays. Stay tuned.

 

Wreaths Across America set for Dec. 14

  On December 14 at noon, the Parson Roby Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (MA0136P) is sponsoring its fourth Wreaths Across America event – helping both Riverside and Old Burying Ground Cemeteries to remember and honor veterans by laying remembrance wreaths on the graves of our country’s fallen heroes. To sponsor your wreath(s) at $17 each or to volunteer to help place wreaths on December 14, please visit www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/MA0136P or use the QR code. There will be a brief ceremony at noon to honor all branches of the military followed by laying wreaths on our fallen heroes. Invite your friends and family to join us in honoring our servicemen and women. The cut-off date to order is November 28.

“2021 was our first year sponsoring this event, which had over 360 wreaths sponsored. The community really stepped up and we are grateful for all the support we received. However, there are more than 1200 veterans’ graves in Riverside and we are hoping that between the community and businesses there will be enough sponsored wreaths to cover all those graves this year.

“The Daughters of the American Revolution’s mission is to preserve American history and secure America’s future through education and promoting patriotism. For more information on how to participate or “What We Do” email the Parson Roby Chapter DAR at parsonroby.saugusdar@gmail.com.”

 

“Saugus 4-1-1” gearing up for 2025

  Selectman Corinne Riley, who was the driving force behind a nifty program that helps newcomers to Saugus – as well as old-timers – get better acquainted with their community, said she regrets that “Saugus 4-1-1” didn’t happen this fall after successful Saturdays at the Saugus Middle-High School over the past two years. “The Saugus 4-1-1 Committee would like everyone to know that the Saugus 4-1-1 event will be taking place, but will be held in March 2025,” Selectman Riley said in a recent announcement.

“Invitations to all new residents as well as non-profits 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! More detailed information will be coming soon,” she said.

Stay tuned for updates on “Saugus 4-1-1.”

 

Here’s what’s going on at the Saugus Public Library

  Five bucks for a bag of books! The New Friends of the Saugus Public Library are offering quite a bargain: $5 for a bag of books. Purchase a New Friends of the Saugus Public Library mesh book bag at the Main Desk for $5 and fill it with as many books as you’d like. Proceeds benefit the New Friends so they can support public library services in Saugus.

  Coming Soon at the Saugus Public Library! Foreign Language Books for adults! Books will be located on the second floor past the Young Adult Fiction section. Spanish, Portuguese, Vietnamese, Arabic and Haitian Creole books will be available to check out. We will also have dual language books and short stories. Read in your native language or practice a language that is new to you!

  Teen Game Group: The Saugus Public Library is having a Teen Game Group on Monday, Nov. 18. It will be happening in the Teen Room, and library staff will have some new card and board games for all to enjoy. The group will meet from 5:30 to 7 p.m. For more information, please call 781-231-4168.

Pongala Photographs: Susan Olesiw has been visiting India and photographing its people and festivals since 1976. In her photograph exhibit on display this month in the first floor reading room at the Saugus Public Library, she focuses on the ninth day of the annual 10-day Pongala festival held in Trivandrum, Kerala, South India. It is the largest gathering of women in the world; up to two and a half million women attend each year, and though primarily Hindu, the festival is open to all devotees of any faith. The color photograph display and the photo captions are worth checking out.

 

St. John’s Christmas Fair Dec. 7

  St. John’s Episcopal Church, at 8 Prospect St., Saugus, plans to hold its annual Christmas Fair from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Dec. 7. The church is located near the Saugus Iron Works National Historical Site, at the corner of Central and Prospect Streets. The fair will feature holiday crafts tables, yard sale items, homemade candies and baked goods, lunch, books and puzzles, a raffle table, face painting, jewelry and knit items.

 

Wills, Trusts and Asset Protection Presentation

The Saugus-Everett Elks Drug Awareness Committee and Eagle Bank are sponsoring a Free Presentation for Wills, Trusts and Asset Protection. This event will be held on Monday, Dec. 16, from 10 to 11 a.m. at the Saugus Senior Center (466 Central St. in Saugus). Eagle Bank will be providing an attorney to discuss many issues: estate taxes, Medicaid, probate, property assignments, advantages and disadvantages of wills and living trusts, and much more. To attend this free event, please call the Saugus Senior Center at 781-231-4178. Light refreshments will be served. Walk-ins welcome.

 

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

 

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.