The Sounds of Saugus

I missed the Blizzard of ’78

  I’m a Massachusetts native and have lived in the Bay State most of my life except for an aggregate of about 10 years when I lived and worked as a newspaperman in the states of Florida, Texas, Maine, New York and Virginia. It will be 44 years ago next week that the historic Blizzard of ’78 pounded New England, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and the Metropolitan New York area. Had I been working in Massachusetts at the time, I’m sure I would have been part of a news reporting team dispatched to cover that epic nor’easter that left hundreds of cars stuck on Massachusetts highways and basically paralyzed the region.

  Other than from what I’ve gleaned from newspaper stories and photographs chronicling the blizzard, I can’t relate to the blizzard at all, because I was working as a reporter at the time in West Texas for the San Angelo Standard-Times. And while friends and family were dealing with the blizzard, I was out in the Davis Mountains area covering a range fire. It was an usual assignment in that the firefighters and public safety crews who were trying to contain the fire did enjoy some good barbecue and beer and were willing to share that and some good stories with reporters who were covering the event.

  What’s amazing is that during the three days I was out in the wilderness covering the spot news event, I was able to find a telephone and file several front-page stories in the San Angelo-Standard-Times. And when it got dark, I slept in my Renault, which was parked in a wooded area far from the fire scene.

  After a few days out in the woods, I returned to Midland, Texas, where I remember reading and watching TV news with great interest about the great blizzard that hit my home state and New England.

We have a winner!

  Congratulations to Laura Eisener for making the right identification in last week’s “Guess Who Got Sketched!” contest. She was the only reader answering correctly, so she won without having to have his name selected from the green Boston Red Sox cap.

  Here’s the correct answer, offered by the person who goes by the name of The Sketch Artist:

  “The answer to last week’s sketch is one of our three Saugus Firefighter recipients of the Meritorious medal, Firefighter Greg Cinelli!!

  “I tried to capture in his sketch the ability of his on the job ready for anything and very focused essence.

  “Firefighter Greg Cinelli has been with our Saugus Fire Dept. since 1999.

  “As our Saugus Firefighter, he has received several Commonwealth achievement awards for his service. In 2015 he received an ‘Excellence in Leadership’ Award.

  “Governor Baker, Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito and Public Safety Security Secretary Terrence M. Reid and Fire Marshal Peter J. Ostroskey for the Massachusetts Firefighter Awards Ceremony honored Greg Cinelli with the distinguished Individual Medal of Valor Award which is hard to achieve against an already high expectations standard for Commonwealth Firefighters! What an Achievement!

  “At the same 2021 Awards Ceremony Firefighter Greg Cinelli was also awarded a Group Award of Meritorious Conduct for acts of bravery and dedication along with Captain Vinard and Sean Bohannon!

  “Firefighter Cinelli is a United States Navy Veteran. He then went above and beyond any duty and rejoined the Navy. As a Navy reserve, he spent half a dozen years in combat duty. During these six years, he was away from his family so in all due respect to his family (who served as well) keeping the home fires burning; thank you for serving alongside our servicemen.

  “It’s great what Lt. Governor Karyn Polito had said as quoted in The Saugus Advocate Nov. 24th page 2. Lt. Governor Polito had said at the awards Ceremony: ‘It’s a privilege to recognize this year’s award winners and thank fire services personnel across the Commonwealth for doing such a difficult, dangerous job so well every day.’

  “Thank you for your service and congratulations on your well deserving awards!

  “Yours truly,

  “The Sketch Artist”

A pair of “Shout-Outs” for the week

  We received two nominations this week for people deserving of “Shout-Outs.” The first recognition comes from Sue Fleming:

  “This is a little delayed but I would like to give a Shout Out to the Saugus Public Library Foundation for the fun evening of Virtual Bingo on January 13. It was well organized by Kristen Tozza and John Smolinsky called the numbers and made it very entertaining. It was great to be able to support the Foundation virtually and hopeful that next year we can do it in person.”

  Eugene Decareau offers this “Shout-Out”:

  “Please give a ‘Shout Out’ to all of the volunteers of the Saugus Food Pantry, because they all do such a magnificent job.”

Food pantry seeking driver volunteers

  The Saugus United Parish Food Pantry seeks volunteers to make food and bread pickups on Thursdays and Fridays from 7:30 to 9 a.m. Anyone who has the time and interest to help out should contact Jeff Hirtle at 781-922-0661. The food pantry operates out of the basement at Cliftondale Congregational Church at 50 Essex St. in 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 (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.

A Feb. 4 concert at the MEG

  Tonal Chaos, the Saugus High School a cappella group formerly known as “The Sachimes,” will be performing their International Championship of High School A Cappella (ICHSA) competition pieces, with a few special guests and performances, in a preview concert on Friday, February 4 at 6 p.m. at the MEG Building at 58 Essex St. in Saugus. A suggested donation of $5 per person can be made to the Venmo account @tonal-chaos (please note your name and how many seats you will need), or in cash at the door. There will also be a raffle and bake sale at the event.

  Tickets to the ICHSA performance on Sunday, February 13, 2022, at 3 p.m., can also be purchased:

  Venue: Galvin Middle School, 525 Main St., Wakefield.

  Phone: 781-246-6410.

  Website: http://wakefieldpublicschools.org/WPS/galvin/.

Saugus author/poet pens another book

  Saugus author and poet Thomas Sheehan, in his 94th year (Saugus High School Class of 1947 and Boston College Class of 1956), in the grip of macular degeneration, with four Boston Globe Ideas to date, has just received word that Pocol Press has released with incredible honor their ninth and 10th collections of his Western books, “The Townsman” and “The Horseman Cometh and Other Stories.” The release says readers can ride shotgun with this prolific author as he blazes new Western tales across the prairie in Amazon and Kindle versions. The Saugonian pens moralistic short stories brimming with frothy beverages imbibed at local saloons, passionate revenge, romantic sequences and plenty of gunplay. His understanding of the mythic West in America remains as strong as a cowboy’s rope. And somewhere, Tom Mix is smiling.

  A more recent release from Winning Writers editor Adam Cohen says: “It gives me great pleasure to announce that Tom Sheehan’s The Saugus Book won First Prize in our 2021 poetry competition. He will receive $1,000; a free marketing consultation with Carolyn Howard-Johnson; a $300 credit at Book Baby; a free ad in our email newsletter (a $175 value); publication of an excerpt from his book at Winning Writers; and a certificate of award.”

  Sheehan has now written 56 books, of which 34 have been by publishers and 22 have been self-published.

Friday breakfasts at Legion Hall still on hold

  Concerns about COVID-19 have led to a temporary shutdown of the popular Friday morning breakfasts at the Saugus American Legion Cpl Scott J. Procopio Post 210 Legion Hall located at 44 Taylor St. Legion Hall was supposed to reopen recently for the breakfasts. But the reopening has been delayed again. Debra Dion Faust, Building Manager of American Legion Post 210, has said the American Legion membership voted to delay the re-opening until Friday, Feb. 4.

Looking for book donations

  The New Friends of the Saugus Public Library are asking for donations of gently used adult hardcover and softcover fiction for the ongoing book sale in the Community Room. They would also appreciate donations of gently used children’s books. Please limit donations at this time to only fiction and children’s books; the library does not have storage space for other genres or media. Please….clean and newer books only. No tattered pages, bad odors, stains or dirty covers!

  Books may be dropped off at the Main Circulation Desk during business hours. Please do not place donations in the outdoor book drops.

A special memorial service for veterans

  Saugus Veterans Council Commander Stephen L. Castinetti, retired U.S. Navy captain, passes along this special invitation to all the veterans of Saugus: The 79th Annual American Legion, District 8 Four Chaplains Memorial Service will be hosted this year by Augustus P. Gardner Post 227, Middleton. The Memorial Service will be Sunday, February 6, and will start at 2 p.m. at the Middleton Congregational Church, (66 Maple St. [Rt 62]). The service will be followed by a collation in the lower hall of the church.

  All Veterans and their families are cordially invited to attend this year’s commemorative service honoring the valiant sacrifice of Four Chaplains of different faiths in the Atlantic on the sinking troop ship Dorchester that February night in World War II.

  Directions: From 128 North, take the Middleton exit (Rt 114) to Middleton square. Take a right onto Rt. 62 (Maple Street). The Church will be on your left just past the Senior Center. If you come from 128 South, you can also take Rt. 62 toward Danvers/Middleton, and the church will be on your right after you pass Farmer Brown’s and Liberty Street.

  There is ample parking at the church (lower level parking lot), and the church is handicapped accessible (side entrance and elevator).

Saugus Plaza sells for $39.5 million

  The Boston Real Estate Times reported late last week that Grossman Companies and North Colony have acquired Saugus Plaza for $39.5 million.

  JLL Capital Markets, which represented the seller, Federal Realty Investment Trust, announced it had closed the “sale of Saugus Plaza, a 165,800-square-foot neighborhood shopping center anchored by Stop & Shop Supermarket and Floor & Décor in the close-in Boston suburb of Saugus, Massachusetts.”

 Stop & Shop, New England’s largest grocer, has been located in Saugus Plaza for more than 40 years. “The 97-percent-leased center’s diverse tenant mix also includes Floor & Décor, Buffalo Wild Wings, North Shore Liquor and King Crab.”

  Saugus Plaza is situated about eight miles from downtown Boston and encompasses 16.58 acres at 180 Main St. along Route 1 South, the primary retail and commuter corridor for more than 110,000 vehicles per day. The plaza “is adjacent to the Simon-owned Square One Mall and in a growing area with more than 1,157 multi-housing units being developed.”

  “The JLL Capital Markets Investment Sales Advisory team representing the seller was led by Managing Director Nat Heald, Senior Managing Director Chris Angelone and Associate Zach Nitsche.”

  “We are very pleased to have been involved in the sale of Saugus Plaza,” Heald said, according to the Times. “Investor demand for grocery anchored properties in metro Boston far outstrips supply, and we saw competitive bidding from the full spectrum of investor-types, including REITs, funds and private groups.”

  “JLL Capital Markets is a full-service global provider of capital solutions for real estate investors and occupiers. The firm’s in-depth local market and global investor knowledge delivers the best-in-class solutions for clients – whether investment sales and advisory, debt advisory, equity advisory or a recapitalization. The firm has more than 3,000 Capital Markets specialists worldwide with offices in nearly 50 countries.”

Live Bingo at the Kowloon

  The Kowloon Restaurant kicked off its Live Bingo this week and will continue with Bingo every Wednesday through March 30, from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Hong Kong Lounge. Prizes will be given away each week with a grand prize set at the finale.

  A full Chinese gourmet spread is available during Bingo – featuring pupu platters, egg rolls, crab Rangoons, Saugus Wings, General Gau’s chicken, lobster sauce, fried scallops, lo mein, moo shu pork, salt and pepper calamari and sushi – along with a full bar menu including, the signature mai tais.

  Call the Kowloon Restaurant at 781-233-0077 to reserve your table.

 

Town posts Compost Site Winter Schedule

  The Town of Saugus has announced that the community’s compost site and recycling center will be open to residents the third Saturday of the month during the winter months. The site will be open Feb. 19 and March 19 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. The site is located behind the Department of Public Works at 515 Main St.

  Yard waste must be disposed of in brown compost bags or open containers. The Town will accept grass clippings, leaves and brush. As in years past, no branches or limbs larger than three inches in diameter are permitted.

  At this time residents will not need a compost site sticker to access the site. The Town asks all residents to please wear a mask and maintain and respect social distancing from others while visiting the site.

  Residents may call Lorna Cerbone at the Solid Waste and Recycling Department at 781-231-4036 with questions or for more information.

Want to be a Knight?

  The Knights of Columbus is looking for new members to join. If you are interested in becoming a member of this local organization, please call 781-233-9858.

Healthy Students-Healthy Saugus program

  (Editor’s Note: The following info is from an announcement submitted by Julie Cicolini, a member of the Board of Directors for Healthy Students-Healthy Saugus.)

  Who we are: Healthy Students-Healthy Saugus (HS2) is a nonprofit group of volunteers that are helping to offset food insecurity in households. HS2 provides students/families who enroll in the program a supply of nutritious food for when school lunches and breakfasts are unavailable to them on weekends.

  How HS2 can help you: HS2 bags are distributed at school on Fridays to take home. Bags include such items as peanut butter, jelly, a loaf of bread, canned meals/soups/tuna/vegetables, pasta/sauce, fruit cups, cereal, oatmeal, goldfish, pretzels and granola bars. To sign up go here to complete online form: https://forms.gle/gmMGguycSHBdziuE9.

  Want to partner with us: HS2 relies on donations to create take-home bags for a weekend full of meals. All food is provided to children free of charge. It is our hope these resources will support the health, behavior and achievement of every student who participates.

  We would love to partner with organizations, youth groups, PTO’s, businesses and individuals to assist in feeding students of Saugus. To learn more about how you can partner with us, visit the Healthy Students-Healthy Saugus Facebook page or email us at HS*******@***il.com.

  Checks can also be sent directly to Salem Five C/O Healthy Students-Healthy Saugus, 855-5 Broadway, Saugus, MA 01906. Online donations can also be made at https://givebutter.com/HealthySaugus.

 

Food Pantry still open

  The Saugus United Parish Food Pantry continues to remain open between 9:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. on Fridays despite concerns over the Coronavirus. They have made adjustments to protect their core of volunteers and the needy people who receive the food. For the protection of volunteers & clients, and to limit personal contact and crowding/gathering, the food pantry has been distributing pre-bagged groceries.  Even though clients may receive items they don’t want or need, food pantry organizers feel this is the best course of action to mitigate the potential spread of COVID-19. Those in need, even for short-term or one-time assistance, are encouraged to come.

  The food pantry is in the basement of Cliftondale Congregational Church at 50 Essex St. in Saugus.

Clarifying some veterans’ issues

  Jay Pinette, the Veterans Service Officer for the Town of Saugus, wanted to pass along a few words to promote a better understanding of how his office works. “Veterans Service Officers (VSOs) are not VA employees and do not have direct access to VA systems or information,” Jay wrote in an email to us. “Local VSOs are employees of their respective cities and towns. VSOs are generally able to assist veterans and eligible dependents with VA-related claims and benefits activities.

  “One of the primary duties of the VSOs is to administer a program for veterans and eligible dependents that is referred to as ‘Chapter 115’. Under Chapter 115 of Massachusetts General Laws (M.G.L. CH. 115), the Commonwealth provides a uniform program of financial assistance for low income veterans and their dependents. Qualified veterans and their dependents who meet the income and asset eligibility criteria may receive monthly financial benefits that are intended to assist the veteran with housing and living expenses.

  “If local Veterans wish to enroll in VA healthcare and/or obtain a VA ID card, representatives from the VA Bedford will be on-site at the Lynn VA Clinic twice a month. The on-site enrollment will be held on the 1 ^st and 3 ^rd Tuesday of each month from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. Appointments are advised and the dates and times are subject to change. The Lynn VA Clinic is located at 225 Boston Street, Suite 107. For more information or to schedule an appointment for enrollment, call 781-687-3348 or e-mail va***********@**.gov.

  “The Veterans Services Offices of Saugus and other surrounding communities have partnered with the Greater Boston Food Bank to hold monthly mobile food markets for veterans. With the closure of the Saugus Senior Center during the pandemic, the food market was moved to Melrose. We have now moved the food market back to the Saugus Senior Center. The veterans mobile food market is held on the third Wednesday of each month. Veterans and eligible dependents must sign up with the Saugus Veterans Service Office to determine eligibility. VSO Jay Pinette can be reached at 781-231-4010 or at jp******@*******ma.gov. Or on the first floor of Saugus Town Hall at 298 Central Street, Saugus MA 01906.”

A smoke alarm alert for seniors

  The state Fire Marshal’s Office has launched a new public service announcement campaign that is geared toward encouraging smoke alarm awareness among senior citizens – the people who are at greater risk of dying in a fire. And this should be of particular interest to Saugus residents who may recall the house fire that killed two elderly people on Richard Street last July. Fire investigators found no evidence of smoke alarms or carbon monoxide alarms in the home.

  The “Dear Grandma / Querida Abuela” campaign began this month on television and radio stations in the Boston, Worcester and Springfield media markets. Recorded in both English and Spanish, it features a granddaughter writing a letter to her grandmother about all the things she looks forward to doing together, interspersed with messages about the importance of having working smoke alarms and replacing alarms after 10 years.

  “In Massachusetts and nationwide, people over 65 have a disproportionately high risk of dying in a fire,” state Fire Marshal Peter J. Ostroskey said in a press release this week. “Everyone should have working smoke alarms in their homes, but we developed this PSA to reach older adults in particular because of the higher statistical risk they face. Installing smoke alarms on every floor of the home, checking them regularly, and replacing them after 10 years can dramatically reduce that risk.”

  Nationwide, about 60 percent of fatal fires occur in homes without working smoke alarms. And in Massachusetts, people 65 and older comprise about 17 percent of the population but about 50 percent of last year’s fatal fire victims.

  “Working smoke alarms are often the first line of defense against injury and tragedy in a fire,” Ostroskey said. “We invite our partners in the fire service, family members, caregivers, and social service providers to share these PSAs and emphasize the importance of working smoke alarms, especially among seniors.”

  Last year when Louis Gallo, 78, and his sister Rosemarie Naples, 80, died in the three-alarm house fire on Richard Street, fire officials stressed that working smoke alarms in your home can double your chances of survival if a fire occurs. Home fire deaths have been cut in half since the early 1970s, when smoke alarms were first marketed, and about 40 percent of fire deaths in the United States take place in the four percent of homes without smoke alarms.

  People should install smoke alarms throughout their home, test them monthly and replace the batteries when they change their clocks. If your smoke alarm is more than 10 years old, it should be replaced, according to fire officials.

  The PSAs are available for distribution through the Department of Fire Services (DFS). They can be downloaded at the DFS webpage and can be linked or shared from the DFS YouTube channel. They complement the DFS Senior SAFE program, which provides grant funding for local fire departments to provide fire and life safety education for older adults.

Let’s hear it!

  Got an idea, passing thought or gripe you would like to share with The Saugus Advocate? I’m always interested in your feedback. It’s been close to six years since I began work at The Saugus Advocate. I’m always interested in hearing readers’ suggestions for possible stories or good candidates for “The Advocate Asks” interview of the week. Feel free to email me at mv***@*****st.net.

  Do you have some interesting views on an issue that you want to express to the community? Submit your idea. If I like it, we can meet for a 15- to 20-minute interview over a hot drink at a local coffee shop. And I’ll buy the coffee or tea. Or, if you prefer to continue practicing social distancing and be interviewed from the safety of your home on the phone or via email, I will provide that option to you as the nation recovers from the Coronavirus crisis.

  If it’s a nice day and the temperature is 50 degrees or better, my preferred site for a coffee and interview would be the picnic area of the Saugus Iron Works.

CONTEST SKETCH OF THE WEEK

GUESS WHO GOT SKETCHED! If you know the right answer, you might win the contest. In this week’s edition, we continue our weekly feature where a local artist sketches people, places and things in Saugus. Got an idea who was sketched this week? If you do, please email me at mv***@*****st.net or leave a phone message at 978-683-7773. Anyone who between now and Tuesday at noon correctly identifies the Saugonian being sketched qualifies to have their name put in a green Boston Red Sox hat with a chance to be selected as the winner of a $10 gift certificate to J&M Italian American Cuisine (340 Central St., Saugus). But you have to enter to win! Look for the winner and identification in next week’s “The Sounds of Saugus.” Please leave your mailing address in case you are a winner. (Courtesy illustration to The Saugus Advocate by a Saugonian who goes by the name of “The Sketch Artist”)