The Sounds of Saugus

By Mark E. Vogler

 

Good morning, Saugus

 

Monday is unofficially the kickoff of the political season that will end with the Nov. 4 Town Election. Any citizen who is considering running for public office for a seat on the Board of Selectmen, the School Committee, the Housing Authority or Town Meeting can go to the Town Clerk’s Office at Saugus Town Hall and take out their nomination papers.

Winning a seat on the Board of Selectmen is, of course, the top dream of any Saugonian aspiring to a career in town politics. But longtime members of Town Meeting will tell you they share one of the most important responsibilities any town resident can be a part of – approving the town’s annual budget. School Committee veteran members would argue that nothing is more important than advocating for the best local education that the children of this town can get. They have a role in shaping the future of the town – its youth.

Serving a four-year term on the town’s Housing Authority is a noble cause, too. There are lots of options to serve one’s hometown as an elected official. Unfortunately, there aren’t enough good candidates to run for office in all of the town political races this fall.

If you want to do something personally rewarding and something for the betterment of your hometown, consider running for a seat in Saugus town government. If you love your town, it would be an outstanding public service.

 

One Eagle “Shout Out”

We received no nominations to honor Saugus residents with a “Shout Out” this week. A good choice for this week is Peter Walsh, a young man from Saugus who recently earned his Eagle Scout badge as a member of Boy Scout Troop 635. The citation notes “This accomplishment reflects Peter’s outstanding dedication, leadership, service and commitment to the Values of Scouting.” Tuesday night, we invited Peter to talk about his Eagle Scout Public Service Project. This is what he had to say:

“My Eagle Scout Service Project was conducted at Holy Child Park on the grounds of Saint Mary of the Annunciation Parish in Melrose. It involved installing a paved path from the sidewalk to a statue of the Virgin Mother and Child and building a wooden bench to place there. It was done with the help of my troop, Troop 635 Melrose.

“After the project was completed and all the paperwork was submitted to the Spirit of Adventure Council, I earned the rank of Eagle Scout on October 29, 2024. My Eagle Scout Court of Honor was recently held at Incarnation Parish in Melrose on June 24.”

Peter recently graduated from Malden Catholic High School and will be attending Stonehill College in the fall. His mother, Regina Lawless, joined him during the presentation at the Board of Selectmen’s meeting. He is the first person in his family to make Eagle.

 

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 today

The Saugus United Parish Food Pantry has returned to its normal schedule today (Friday, July 18), from 9:30-11 a.m., at 50 Essex St. in the basement of Cliftondale Congregational Church. The food pantry welcomes all neighbors facing food insecurity on Friday mornings. Volunteers are also welcome. Please call the Food Pantry Office (781-233-2663) or go to the website (cliftondalecc.org) for details.

 

Pumpkin Patch Scholarship Winners

First Congregational Church is pleased to announce this year’s Pumpkin Patch Scholarship winners. Brianna Feldman is a Saugus resident who graduated from Saugus High School this past June. Brianna will study science at Northeastern University in the fall. Vanessa Murati, who is also a Saugus resident, graduated from Pioneer Charter School in June. Vanessa will study science at Boston University. We wish both young women much success.

Our pumpkins arrive Saturday, September 20, at 9:00 a.m. Please come down to help unload the truck.

 

Help plan the Second Annual Saugus Cultural Festival

Join the Saugus Cultural Festival Subcommittee to help organize the 2nd Annual Saugus Cultural Festival! The Saugus Cultural Council is looking for Saugus resident volunteers to serve on a Subcommittee to help plan and organize the 2026 Saugus Cultural Festival, which is happening on Saturday, March 21, 2026, at the Saugus Middle High School!

Help out with:

• Coordinate diverse entertainers, food vendors and miscellaneous activities
• Work with Saugus 411 Committee on community/information tables for community groups & local businesses/nonprofits
• Support in social media, print and other digital marketing
• Support in crowdsourcing for grants and festival sponsors
• And more!

Other commitments:

• Monthly evening meetings starting August 2025; Subcommittee may meet twice a month starting October 2025 until March 2026.
• Share progress at Saugus Cultural Council public meetings every first Tuesday starting September 2025 until March 2026

Interested in volunteering? Email us at sa*******************@***il.com by July 31.

 

Visitor Services available at Saugus Iron Works

The Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site has begun its “visitors’ services,” marking the opening of restrooms and the museum. This is the expected schedule of tours for the summer: Wednesday–Sunday at 11 a.m., house tours, 1/2 hour; Wednesday–Sunday at 2 p.m., industrial site tours, which will include waterwheel demonstrations when staffing permits. On Fridays and Saturdays only, there will also be a 10 a.m. waterwheel demonstration. Visitors’ services will end on Oct. 31.

 

Library events

• Henna For Teens: Get a free Henna Design tattoo from a professional Henna artist; July 21 from 5 to 7:30 p.m. in the Brooks Room. Registration required; fifth grade and up.
• Level Up at your library: Now through Aug. 20, submit what you read this summer and you may win an Amazon gift card. Enter to win by going to our website and filling out the book review form; grades 7-12.
• Adult Summer Reading Contest at the library: June 18-August 20; adults ages 18 and up can participate in our Adult Summer Reading Contest for the chance to win a gift card to a local restaurant! Fill out an online (www.sauguspubliclibrary.org) book review form for every book you read over the summer, and you will be entered to win! The more books you read, the greater your chances of winning! Graphic novels, manga, cookbooks, e-books and audio books count, too. Good luck!

 

 

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.

 

Saugus High Class of 1980

Attention, Saugus High Class of 1980. Mark your calendars for Nov. 29 (Saturday after Thanksgiving) and reach out to your friends that you’d like to see at the 45th Class Reunion for 1980 graduates and friends. The reunion will be held that day from 1 to 6 p.m. inside the Saugus Elks.

Invite Saugus High friends from other classes that you may want to be at our 1980 Class Reunion. Our last Saugus Class BBQ event a couple of years ago had three sisters from three different classes attend and they had a blast – so many loved seeing them and appreciated them being there. So many old friends reconnecting after decades; friends from overseas and across the country came; Saugus Classmates that left in Jr. High and that went to other High Schools came. How special it was for so many people to see each other after over 40 years.

Reach out to your friends who are not on Facebook to give them some early notice in case they may want to attend and need to make travel plans. Some of our Classmates have kept in touch with some of our High School teachers, and they attended our last two Saugus High Reunion events – we hope they’ll join us again. Feel free to reach out to any of your favorite teachers that you may want there – I’m sure they would love to hear from you.

More information is forthcoming. Any questions, please feel free to reach out to Andrea or Pete:

Andrea Saunders (1980 Class President) can be reached at pa********@*ol.com or 978-482-5787.

Pete Nicolo can be reached PS**********@*****st.net or 978-815-8234.

 

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.