The Sounds of Saugus

By Mark E. Vogler

 

Good morning, Saugus

We’re approaching the busy part of spring, here in Saugus. There are so many important activities on the town and community calendars in the upcoming weeks, particularly for the Saugus High School Class of 2025, which has its commencement exercises scheduled for Friday, June 6. There’s a long list of special events awaiting the graduating seniors between now and that final night.

Meanwhile, the decision makers of local Saugus government are just 10 days away from the start of this year’s Annual Town Meeting, which will convene on Monday, May 5 in the second floor auditorium at Saugus Town Hall. The session will start off with a busy special Town Meeting, which could carry over for several nights before the regular session gets underway.

And planning has already been underway for several weeks for this year’s annual Memorial Day Parade and Ceremony, which is set for Saturday, May 24.

Mark your calendars and stay tuned.

 

Student Government Day on May 1

I received an email from Board of Selectmen Chair Debra Panetta this week, reminding me that Saugus Town Hall will be hosting a Student Government Day next Thursday (May 1). Saugus High School students will begin assembling in the second floor auditorium at around 8:15 a.m.

“We’re going to have a selectmen’s meeting, followed by a School Committee meeting, followed by a Town Meeting,” Board Chair Panetta explained about the day’s schedule for students.

“Lunch will be provided to the students when we are finished,” she said.

This will be the first time since 2019 – the year before the COVID-19 pandemic – that students will work off prepared agendas as they act out their roles as tomorrow’s leaders of Saugus Town Government. A number of town government officials – including Panetta, Town Moderator Steve Doherty, School Committee Member Tom Whittredge and Town Meeting Member Peter Manoogian – have already met with Trish Prizio’s students who have signed up to participate in the program.

 

This week’s “SHOUT OUTs”

We didn’t receive any nominations from readers this week, recommending fellow Saugus residents deserving of praise for helping to make Saugus a better place. So, I will use my editorial prerogative to recognize all of the elected town officials who have been working with Trish Prizio’s students as they prepare for their upcoming Student Government Day, which is set for next Thursday. Members of the town’s Finance Committee also deserve some high praise as they hold their budget review sessions in preparation for the May 5 Annual Town Meeting

 

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 will resume the 2024-25 breakfast season today (Friday, April 25) 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.

 

Spring curbside leaf collection begins May 5

The Town of Saugus announced this week that spring curbside leaf collection will take place during the week of May 5. Residents may dispose of leaves curbside on their regularly scheduled trash and recycling collection day between Monday, May 5, and Friday, May 9. Leaves should be left outside at the curb by 7 a.m. on the appropriate days. Please ensure that leaf containers are physically separated from trash and recycling.

Paper leaf bags are the preferred method of leaf disposal. If you are using barrels, they must be clearly marked with yard waste stickers. Stickers, which are free, may be obtained at Inspectional Services in the lower level of Town Hall at 298 Central St. in Saugus. Barrel covers must remain removed so that the leaves are visible. Plastic bags, cardboard boxes, branches and brush will not be accepted.

Please note that separate trucks collect the rubbish, recycling and leaves, so the leaves may be collected at a different time of day. Missed pick-ups will not be conducted. Please contact Scott Brazis at 781-231-4036 with any questions.

 

Daffy days are delightful

For the first time in many years, those gorgeous yellow daffodils have popped up all over my yard. I got to enjoy the sight of more daffodils this year than what I’ve seen on my property over the last five years combined. It helps to bring back some fond memories I have from the springs of three years I spent on Nantucket Island.

Speaking of daffies, if you have the energy and the interest, get up early tomorrow and drive down to Hyannis and take the early morning steamship ride to Nantucket Island and partake in the 49th Nantucket Daffodil Festival. It’s a special event you ought to experience at least once in your life. One of the featured events is a parade of antique cars decorated with yellow daffies. And some of the natives or visitors like to dress up in daffy-colored hats, shirts and pants. People even dress up their dogs with daffy attire. If you love daffies – but have never been to Nantucket – catch a ride on the Steamship Authority or Hy-Line Cruises (half the time of the Steamship ride) and plan on spending a pleasant time hiking or biking around the island admiring those beautiful yellow flowers in their glory.

Nantucket’s love affair with the daffodil began about half a century ago when the Nantucket Garden Club bombarded the island with daffodil bulbs. While deer and other animals loved to munch on tulips and other spring flowers, the daffodils were ignored by the island wildlife and flourished happily ever after.

 

Honor a departed veteran on Memorial Day

Selectman Corinne Riley announced this week a special way for Saugus families or friends to pay tribute to departed loved ones who served their country:

“An important part of the Memorial Day parade is to remember and honor those veterans who have passed away. If you have a family member or friend you would like to have remembered on the media truck, please send along their photo, their branch of service and their name to Commander Steve Castinetti of the Veteran’s Council. His email address is st*************@*****st.net Please have all photos to him by April 30th.”

Meanwhile, 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.

 

The SHS Alumni Association announces scholarships

The Saugus High School Alumni Association will be awarding Scholarships to graduating seniors again this June. Applications for Alumni Association Scholarships may be obtained from the Guidance Office. Students need to complete the application at home. Seniors should attend a brief meeting in the school library on Thursday, May 1, between 1:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. to answer two questions and attach their application.

Scholarships will be awarded to successful candidates in the amounts of $1,000 to $5,000. Seniors are encouraged to apply. There will be a minimum of 10 Scholarships awarded this year. Students pursuing further education at the college/university level, nursing and trade schools are encouraged to participate.

 

What’s going on at the library

Creative Writing for kids: Please join us on April 28 at 4 p.m. in the Brooks Room for creative writing! You can work on any creative writing project, such as a story, novel or poem. No registration required – fifth grade and up.

  Van Gogh: a portrait by the postman Roulin: Saturday, May 3, 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.

 

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

 

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 reopens tomorrow

The Town of Saugus Solid Waste/Recycling Department announced that the Center for Hard to Recycle Materials (C.H.a.R.M.) is open for the season and has resume 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.

 

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