The Sounds of Saugus

Good morning, Saugus!

  Last Saturday was the last stand for the Saugus High School Class of 2023 together. Close to 180 students walked up to the stage in Christie Serino Jr. Memorial Stadium adjacent to the new Saugus Middle-High School Complex to pick up their diplomas and share one final hour together. It was a great occasion for those young men and women, along with their families and friends who turned out to cheer them on.

Years ago, during my journalism career, most reporters I worked with at various papers looked upon it as a chore to go cover a High School graduation. At this point in my career, it is an assignment I look forward to. In the case of Saugus, this was my seventh graduation. I headed down there several hours early and milled around in the crowd, trying to glean interesting things about the class by talking with students and staff on the field. It’s always a joy to sit back and listen to the handful of commencement speeches crafted by the top students and leaders of the graduating class.

You have to give Saugus High Principal Brendon Sullivan and other school officials a lot of credit for the way they planned two scenarios – commencement exercises outside and indoors – in the event of rain. The principal noted that school officials held out as long as logistically possible for an outdoor ceremony, while still preparing to rush inside when the sky opened up with rain. And the most important thing was for all of the graduates to be able to walk across the stage to get their diplomas. And school officials took that part of the ceremony – which is traditionally at the end – and reversed the order of the program, putting student addresses last instead of first.

So when the skies finally opened up with the pouring rain, the commencement speeches had just begun. That was great planning. Hats off to Principal Sullivan & company. A nice memory for the graduates.

 

A run tomorrow for Mission Ready

  Marine veteran Brandon Montella, the U.S. Marine veteran who completed a 100-mile run last Veterans Day to honor local veterans and to raise money for his nonprofit cause, announced he has scheduled a 5K fund-raising run/walk through Breakheart Reservation this summer. The event – set for 10 a.m. Saturday, June 10 – is to benefit his 501C3 Mission Ready, which provides fitness programs and events to under-resourced youth and veterans. Here’s a link to the event with all the information and sponsors on the site: https://runsignup.com/Race/MA/Saugus/MissionReady5K

 

Return of “The Sketch Artist”

  Frequent Saugus Advocate contributor Joanie Allbee, after a several months break, has resumed doing sketches for a new contest called “Guess Who?” This one replaces the popular “Guess Who Got Sketched” contest that ran for several years. It’s a similar contest with a few variations. Initially, we will be doing it without a sponsor, and the winner will receive a $10 gift certificate to a favorite Saugus restaurant or coffee shop of their choosing Joanie, a local artist, an author and longtime writer of articles for various publications – including The Saugus Advocate – is no longer doing the sketches anonymously after revealing herself in a May column. So, for the most part, the people being sketched will have given their permission in advance. And readers who would like to be sketched or have some suggestions on people worth sketching can contact “The Sketch Artist.” Welcome back, Joanie!

 

Summer Class Registration at the Y

The Saugus Family YMCA opens its registration on Monday, June 5, for members and on June 12 for nonmembers. Summer is our favorite season at the Y. We have hundreds of programs and classes designed to help you build strength, skills and confidence and reach your health and fitness goals – gymnastics swim lessons, sports, weight lifting, strength and conditioning, teen classes, enrichment classes, and more. The Summer Session lasts from June 26–August 27.

 

“Saugus Over Coffee”

The next “Saugus Over Coffee” forum has been set for Tuesday, June 20, at 6:30 p.m., when we will be featuring Precinct 6. We will be sending out invitation soon – via email and letters to the homes of each of the five Town Meeting members

For those unfamiliar with the “Saugus Over Coffee” forums, they are cosponsored by The Saugus Advocate and the Saugus Public Library. The primary purpose is to give citizens in each of the town’s 10 precincts an opportunity to voice their concerns about top issues in their respective precincts. It also gives them an opportunity to meet their Town Meeting representatives and chat over a cup of coffee or tea. Town Meeting members will benefit by getting to know more about concerns in their precincts. Viewers of the forums videotaped by Saugus TV will also get to learn a little about the history or interesting things about the precinct being featured each month.

One of my major hopes for the forums is that it spurs an interest for citizens to become potential candidates for Town Meeting in this fall’s town election. The public should keep in mind that there was a paucity of candidates for Town Meeting seats in the town elections back in 2021. In five of the 10 precincts, only five candidates ran for the five seats. That means half of the 50-member body was elected without competition.

Stay tuned for more information as “Saugus Over Coffee” continues. Here is the remaining schedule:

Precinct 6 – June 20

Precinct 7 – July 10

Precinct 8 – August 14

Precinct 9 – September 11

Precinct 10 – October 23

Please check with The Saugus Advocate or library for any changes in dates. Residents can check the programming guide on the station’s website (www.saugustv.org) for dates and times. A video of the forum will also be available for viewing on the station’s vimeo page within a day or two after the event – www.vimeo.com/saugustelevision.

 

Knights of Columbus Craft Fair and Flea Market

The Saugus Knights of Columbus will hold its Outdoor Craft Fair and Flea Market Saturday, August 19. Our last events were all sold out. Reserve your space now. A 12 x 12 space costs $30. Vendors must bring their own tables and chairs. Call Paul Giannetta for reservations or info – 978-239-1392.

 

Multiple “Shout Outs”

  Once again, we’ve received several “shout outs” from our readers:

  Linda Mellor: “I’d like to give a ‘shout out’ for Vasi Refrigeration for putting out water bowls along the rail trail at Essex Street/School Street for the dogs. So very neighborly of them!”

  Laura Eisener “I’d like to send a shout-out to the entire Wakefield Conservation Commission for unanimously denying the permit to build the new vocational school on the forest site, and all the people from Saugus and elsewhere who have been working so hard to save the forest adjacent to Breakheart Reservation.”

Saugus Veterans Council Commander Steve Castinetti, retired U.S. Navy captain USN (Ret), Commander gave a mega “Shout Out” to all involved in the town’s annual Memorial Day Parade and ceremonies at Riverside Cemetery: “WIN Waste Innovations, the major sponsor; Ambassador Scott Brown; Families of our Fallen; the Saugus Veterans Council; Saugus Police Department; Saugus Fire Department; Beantown Advertising in Peabody; John Prudent of Saugus TV, who prepared the special video; Veterans Parade Participants; JROTC’s: Revere High School, MAJ Deb Bowker, USA (Ret) Beverly High School, Maj Ahmad Martin, USMC (Ret), Salem High School, Sgt Maj John Sumner, USMC (Ret), Peabody High School, Lt Col Ray Erickson, USAF (Ret); Guy Moley – Vintage vehicles and motorcycles, J&M Italian American Cuisine, Special thank you to all who came out today to help us remember…”

Precinct 6 Town Meeting Member Jeanie Bartolo: “Everyone who knows me knows I decorate my front porch with pots of flowers, sea shells, and glittery rocks (that I steal from fellow Town Meeting Member Rick Smith’s yard!) This ‘Shout Out’ is for a person who left four small sea shells on my porch a couple of weeks ago. I have asked everyone (and their mother!) if they left them but they all said no. I don’t know who this person is but I would like to thank them for their thoughtfulness, the shells are such a pretty addition! Thank you so much for thinking of me!”

 

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.

 

Want to serve on the FinCom?

  Saugus Town Moderator Stephen N. Doherty is seeking volunteers to serve on the Town’s Finance Committee. The Finance Committee is responsible for reviewing all financial articles that come before Town Meeting and advising the members on their feasibility. Applicants can send a letter of interest outlining their qualifications to precinct4steve@gmail.com or can mail it to the Saugus Town Clerk’s Office at 298 Central St., Suite 7, Saugus, MA 01906 marked “Attention Town Moderator”. Letters should be submitted by June 30, 2023, for consideration.

 

Our deceased comrades

  Retired Chaplain LTC Robert Leroe of the Saugus Veterans Council rang the bell during Memorial Day ceremonies in Riverside Cemetery for each of the local veterans who died over the past year while Saugus Veterans Council Commander Steve Castinetti read their names.

Those honored included, from the Veterans of Foreign Wars: Stan King, Carmine Moschella, Ken Nadeau and Lawrence Barry, Jr.; from the American Legion: Paul Ciccarelli, Carmine Moschella, Anthony Wangrocki, William St. Clair, Stan King, Arthur Segaloff and Donald J. MacLeod; from the Disabled American Veterans: Paul Ciccarelli, Thaddeus Schirl and Carl Tedder.

 

Cultural Council meets June 13

  The Saugus Cultural Council will hold a public meeting on Tuesday, June 13, from 6-7 p.m. in the Brooks Room at the Saugus Public Library (295 Central St.). We will have a brainstorming session on how to increase our community engagement and plan the remainder of the year and start building goals for 2024.

All residents are encouraged to come in person and sit in (or join virtually via Google Meets –meet.google.com/rbn-ueds-dhn) and ask questions and share ideas. This would also be a great time to ask questions about our grant process or how to become a Council member.

Can’t wait until the meeting? Then feel free to reach out to us online at saugusculturalcouncil@gmail.com or on Facebook: facebook.com/SaugusCulturalCouncil. We look forward to continuing to advance and promote the arts and culture for our community.

 

MEG Foundation offers Dedicated Chairs to Families

  The MEG Foundation Board of Directors is hoping to return former Saugus High School Library chairs, at no charge, which were originally donated to the Saugus High School Library by many families and friends, in their memory. We hope the chairs will find their way back to their loved ones. We have approximately 50 dedicated chairs available to relatives. Please contact Janice Jarosz at 339-222-2178 or Linda Ross at 781-233-4607 for further information.

The list includes the following Dedicated Chairs: Aubrey, Flo & Al; Favuzza, Josephine; Barry, Diane; Favuzza, Frank; Biffin, Theodore; Fioravanti, Ann; Blair, James, A.; Franlins, Beatrice T.; Bly, Belden G. Jr.; Gloria & Jackie (59); Borghetti, Joseph; Harrington, Mike; Bourgeois, Eleanor Statuto; Kelley, Maureen; Braid, Robert M.; MacNeil, Bill; Bucchiere, John; McKinney, William; Butler, Laurence; Mekalian Family; Celandes, Wilbur; Jean Henderson; Class of 1938 –  Melewski, Roberta; Class of 1941 – Melewski, Sophie; Class of 1947 – Morrison, Mary A.; Class of 1960 – Moschella, Carmen Jr.; Class of 1966 – Moylan, Albert J.; Cogliano, Anthony; O’Connor, Mae & Larry; Colby, Virginia; O’Neil, Nellie; Courant, Barbara Henderson; Parrish, Charles L.; Dahlberg, Frank; Pincess, Abraham; Dahlberg, Frank and Sarah; Polese, Lisa A.; DeSteuben, Albert, Jr.; Saugus High School 2001 – Dewling, Debi Sanders; Secor, John; Diamond, Beverly; Sketchley, John; Fabrizio, Bonnie McHale; Sorenson, Andy; Fabrizio, Kenneth; Steward, Doris; Favuzza, Geraldine; Whyte, Chris.

 

SAVE will hold 50th Annual Meeting on June 28

The Saugus Action Volunteers for the Environment (SAVE) will hold its 50th Annual Meeting & Dinner on Wednesday, June 28, at the Continental Restaurant (Route 1 North, Saugus) A social hour begins at 6:30 p.m.; dinner buffet to begin at approximately 7:15 p.m.

SAVE was founded in 1973 “to promote a better quality of life in Saugus through environmental concern and action.” Family, friends, community partners, and the public are invited to join us for dinner and a program featuring a look back at our projects, campaigns and successes over the past 50 years of community involvement and passion for our environment.

The dinner buffet will consist of garden salad, pasta, chicken and fish entrees, potato, vegetable, rolls and butter, dessert, coffee and tea. A cash bar will be available.

Tickets are $30 per person. Please RSVP as soon as possible, but no later than June 19, at https://tinyurl.com/SAVE6-28 to join us for a fun evening of celebration. For further information, please visit http://www.saugussave.org or contact Ann at adevlin@aisle10.net or Mary at Mkinsell@verizon.net

Free parking is available on-site and the facility is ADA-accessible.

 

Attention 2016-18 Saugus High grads

The Saugus High School graduate classes of 2016, 2017 and 2018 Cumulative Record Folders will be destroyed on July 15, 2023. Any graduates from the dates above of Saugus High School wishing to obtain their records before they are destroyed, please email Kim Alba at kalba@saugus.k12.ma.us. The pick-up dates and times will be given to you via email. If you would like them mailed, please include an address in your email.

 

Seeking Sachems sports historical data

If you are knowledgeable about the Saugus High Sachems Boys and Girls sports teams prior to 1969, Saugus Public Schools could use your help. The School District is looking for data on Saugus High Sachems Boys and Girls sports teams prior to 1969 that won a conference, regional and/or State Championship. “For example, we need data on the 1966, ’67 or ’68 Saugus varsity cross country team that won the State Championship,” Saugus School Committee Member Dennis Gould wrote in a press release.

“We need the team, the year and what championship they won. Pictures of the teams, trophies or old banners would be great also,” Gould said. “The data will be used by the School District to generate historical banners to hang in the new complex and to give to the Saugus Sports Hall of Fame for permanent record.”

If you happen to have access or knowledge of such data, please email it to Dennis Gould, School Committee, jdgould1969@aol.com. Dennis can also be reached at 1-617-257-4847.

 

Kowloon outdoor dining and concerts

The Kowloon Restaurant, which is located at 948 Broadway (Route 1 North) in Saugus, opened its outdoor dining venue on May 17 – serving a full food and bar menu. The Kowloon Restaurant is open every day from noon till closing, and the outdoor venue is open Wednesday to Sunday from 5 p.m. to closing. This month’s Outdoor Concert Lineup:

This month’s Outdoor Concert Lineup includes:

  June 9: Live Music: World Premier Band – 8:00 p.m. – free admission, reserved seating is $10 per person.

June 10: Live Music: Dave Macklin Band – 8:00 p.m. – free admission, reserved seating is $10 per person.

  June 11: Sunday Country Night Live with Whitney Doucet & Moonshine Band – 6:00 p.m. – free admission, reserved seating is $10 per person.

  June 16: Live Music: Back to the 80’s Band – 8:00 p.m. – free admission, reserved seating is $10 per person.

  June 18: Sunday Country Night Live with Cashwood – 6:00 p.m. – free admission, reserved seating is $10 per person.

  June 24: Live Music: WildFire Band – 8:00 p.m. – free admission, reserved seating is $10 per person.

  June 25: Sunday Country Night Live with Houston Bernard Band – 6:00 p.m. – free admission, reserved seating is $10 per person.

 

Bingo is back!

  The Kowloon Restaurant announced Bingo every Wednesday from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Hong Kong Lounge. Prizes will be given away each week. 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 and scorpion bowls.

 

Summer Track camps gearing up

Chris Tarantino – a 1990 Saugus High School graduate who has a reputation for mentoring young athletes in the sports of track and field – is gearing up for the start of another Saugus Sachems summer track camp. Tarantino said the summer program targets kids in grades 1 to 8, in the age bracket of five to 14. The program is sponsored by the town’s Youth & Recreation Department.

Here are some of the details: The camp will be scheduled on running days behind the Belmonte, from 6-8 p.m. Some important dates for six to18 year olds:

June 19-22: Trial and final registration week.

June 26-30: First formal week.

July 3-7: Second formal week.

July 7: Pasta Dinner at Prince Pizzeria at 6 p.m.

July 8: In-house meet at Belmonte starting at 10 a.m.

July 10-13: Retrain week.

July 15: Summer Showdown – Cranston, R.I.

First-year runners will be charged $250. The price will be $200 for runners returning from spring; $150 for returning runners from spring who have a uniform; $100 for runners with three-plus years in the program; and $50 for those with three-plus years in the program who have a uniform. The cost includes: Camp t-shirt, pasta dinner, entry in Summer Showdown and uniform. Please register for Summer Track Camp by June 1 to assure a uniform for Cranston.

For more details, you can reach Coach Tarantino by calling him at 781-854-6778 or emailing him at christophertarantino24@gmail.com.

 

C.H.a.R.M. Center is open

The Town of Saugus announced that the community’s compost C.H.a.R.M. Center will be open to residents on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. The site is located behind the Department of Public Works at 515 Main St.

Stickers are required to gain seasonal access to the site. Stickers may be purchased for $25.00 at the Department of Public Works (DPW) located at the Compost Site when making your visit to the Compost Site. The Town accepts checks only for payment of the $25. No cash will be accepted. Kindly bring a check when visiting. Thank you! Compost site stickers must be permanently placed on the lower left corner of residents’ automobile windshields. Vehicles registered out of state are not permitted.

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.

Residents may call Scott Brazis at the Solid Waste and Recycling Department at 781-231-4036 with questions.

 

Sharon’s Sneaker Crew is back

  Sharon Genovese and her group – Sharon’s Sneaker Crew – will be walking on Oct. 1 in the Boston Marathon Dana-Farber Jimmy Fund Walk. The group will also be holding a Jimmy Fund yard sale on Saturday, June 17, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 23 Lily Pond Ave. The crew will also be sponsoring a craft fair in September. All the proceeds will be going to the Jimmy Fund. If you need any more information, you can call or text Sharon at 617 966 3475 or email her at sunkin1@aol.com.

 

Food Pantry notes

  The Saugus United Parish Food Pantry is open today (Friday, June 9) from 9:30-11 a.m.

 

Veterans bricks available

  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 for someone from your family, school, etc., the general pricing is $100 for a 4″ X 8″ brick (three lines) or $200 for 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. 15 to ensure the bricks will be ready for Veterans Day. Please contact Corinne Riley at 781-231-7995 for more information and applications.

 

Selectmen will honor town employees

With the state Department of Public Health ending COVID-19-related safeguards and requirements on May 11, selectmen have decided they want to honor town employees who helped the town get through three-plus years of the global pandemic. They have sent out invitations to their June 13 meeting at 7 p.m. in the second floor auditorium to thank town employees personally for their “selfless commitment and dedication in putting the health and welfare of our community first.” In addition, there will be a reception for all town employees between 6 and 7 p.m. in the auditorium.

 

Saugus High Class BBQ on Aug. 26

Saugus High alumni Mike Allan (1979) and Pete Nicolo (1980) are hosting this year’s annual Saugus High Class BBQ, which is set for 1 to 5 p.m. at Saugus Everett Elks Grove on Saturday, Aug. 26. There’s an outdoor shelter, so the event will go on, rain or shine.

“Last year we had over 250 people attend (mostly Saugonians) and we are expecting maybe even a larger crowd,” Nicolo said. “Saugus High Classmates from multiple years, along with some of our Saugus Politicians, Coaches and Teachers attended.”

All Saugus High Classes are welcome. There will be a cash bar during the day event. The action will move to Elks Hall at 401 Main St., from 5 to 8 p.m.

“Most of us have kept in touch with some of our classmates / friends throughout the years,” Nicolo wrote in a recent letter. “But what about the classmates/friends that you would love to see and have not seen in decades? This is what made our recent Saugus High Class BBQ this past September 2022 such a success. Take advantage of this Opportunity to possibly meet them there or reach out to anyone you’d like to see and reconnect!”

“Last year’s Saugus High Class BBQ had some classmates traveling from places as far away as England, Hawaii, California, Florida, North Carolina and other parts of the US. Many old friendships were rekindled, while new friendships with old Classmates were made,” Nicolo said. “Some friends/classmates had not seen each other in decades (over 40 years), while so many from surrounding classes mingled together and had a blast. It was quite a wonderful experience for many.”

Nicolo said the event has already generated great interest, but asks that people who plan to go RSVP by Aug. 5 or sooner to help the organizers plan the event better. Make checks ($45 per person) payable to: Saugus High Class BBQ, 13 Bourbon St., Unit 55, Peabody, MA 01960 or Venmo: Pete Nicolo@Pete-Nicolo

Alumni with questions can contact Peter Nicolo (1980) at psnicolo2533@comcast.net – 978-815-8234 or Mike Allan (1979) at Allan7915@gmail.com – (781) 953-2279.

 

What’s happening at the Saugus Public Library

  For schoolchildren looking for interesting projects and programs to participate in this fall, there’s plenty to do at the Saugus Public Library. There are some very good programs offered for grownups, too.

Teen Summer Reading 2023! June 20-August 25: Visit our website (sauguspubliclibrary.org) to fill out a book review form for every book you read or listen to over the summer. All books count – fiction, nonfiction, manga, graphic novels, audio books, required reading, etc. One reader will win a $50 gift card to Amazon! The more you read, the better your chance!

Tween and Teen Crafts & Snacks! June 30; July 7, 14 and 28; August 4, 11, 18 and 25; weekly summer crafts Fridays from 10-11 a.m. in the Brooks Room for 5^th-12^th grades. No registration necessary; just come by and bring your friends! We will be making bracelets, clay animals, flower prints, earbud holders, wizard wands, mini light sabers and fabric bookmarks and doing some cookie decorating.

Adult Coloring Group:  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! Space is limited; please call 781-231-4168 x 3106 to register. Interested folks should show up at the library on Wednesday, June 14, at 10 a.m. in the Brooks Room on the second floor of the library.

  Join our Teen Advisory Board: first Tuesday of each month at 6 p.m. in the Teen Room; fifth grade and up. Meet with the Teen Librarian once a month to talk about what you’d like for programs and materials at the library. Your opinion matters! No registration required. Snacks provided! (sauguspubliclibrary.org – 781-231-4168)

  Just Sew! Saugonians are welcome to join a monthly sewing class for adults that is held the third Monday of each month from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Community Room of the Saugus Public Library. The class covers basic topics like sewing buttons, hemming clothing and mending torn fabric and will move on to more advanced topics in the coming weeks. This class is free. (See sauguspubliclibrary.org)

 

First Baptist Church presents “Can We Talk…”

  First Baptist Church Pastor Leroy Mahoney invites troubled people to join others in a special program called “Can We Talk … Community conversations on Trauma and Healing” the first Thursday of every month from 6 to 7 p.m. at Rev. Isaac Mitchell Jr. Fellowship Hall (105 Main St. in Saugus). “Join us as we gather in community to share our stories, thoughts and feelings about whatever you are going through,” Rev. Mahoney states in a written announcement.

“As always, it is a safe space to come together in community,” he says.

 

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.

 

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 six and a half 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 mvoge@comcast.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 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, my preferred site for a coffee and interview would be the picnic area of the Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site.