The Sounds of Saugus

By Mark E. Vogler

 

Good morning, Saugus!

 

If you own a pet that you are very proud of and feel comfortable with showing it off in public, there’s an event tomorrow that you might want to attend. If you don’t own a pet, but are an animal lover with young kids, this still might be worth checking out. Breakheart Reservation will host its First Annual Pet Parade on Saturday, Oct. 28, at 10:30 a.m. in front of the Christopher P. Dunne Visitor Center (177 Forest St., Saugus).

“Hoping for a good turnout. The weather is going to be great,” Joyce Vecchiarelli, of Peter A. Rossetti Insurance Agency, Inc., told me this week.

“Nice parade route has been mapped out by DCR and the Saugus animal control officer will be present, as well as Saugus Animal Hospital, Poochies Grooming and a Pet Trainer,” she said. Joyce is a member of the Friends of Breakheart, which is sponsoring and organizing the contest with Peter A. Rossetti Insurance Agency, Inc.

“Trophies for best personality and cutest animal will be awarded,” Joyce said.

“Costumes would be great but optional. There will be treats, a raffle and giveaways,” she said.

Registration begins at 10 a.m. A $10 cash only donation is requested to enter the contest. Proceeds will be used by the Friends of Breakheart Reservation for park activities and future events.

 

Food Pantry notes

The Saugus United Parish Food Pantry is open today (Friday, Oct. 27) from 9:30-11 a.m.

 

Legion Breakfast today

There’s a good breakfast deal for Saugus veterans and other folks who enjoy a hearty breakfast on Friday mornings. The American Legion Post 210 at 44 Taylor St. in Saugus offers Friday morning breakfasts for the 2023-24 season. Doors open at 7:30, with breakfast served from 8-9:00 a.m. for an $8 donation. Veterans who cannot afford the donation may be served for free.

 

Hammersmith Quilters Show – Nov. 4-5

  The Hammersmith Quilters Show: Around the Block is just two weekends away. It is set for Nov. 4, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Nov. 5, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the Saugus Senior Center at 466 Central St. Admission is $6; age 12 and under free. There will be quilts on display, a boutique with quilts and homemade items for sale, vendors, penny sale baskets and more! The show will feature a featherweight sewing machine raffle as well. Handicap accessible and plenty of parking.

 

Board of Selectmen Food Drive – Nov. 4

The Board of Selectmen will hold a food drive on Saturday, November 4, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the Veterans Memorial Elementary School. The Saugus United Parish Food Pantry needs donations, especially with Thanksgiving and other holidays coming soon, as well as people who need help during the year. Saugus has always been extremely giving, and we are asking for you to drive up to the Veterans School (39 Hurd Ave.) and drop off any food item you would like to donate. Nonperishable items, such as canned vegetables, stuffing mix, canned gravy, cranberry sauce, canned soups, cereal and pasta, or any other food item to help people in need, would be appreciated. Please check the expiration dates on your donations to be sure they haven’t passed the use by date. Thank you for always being there in time of need!

 

“The Old Sachem” to address Saugus Historical Society on Nov. 8

On Wednesday, November 8, at 7 p.m., “The Nation’s First Subway System” will be the topic of the Saugus Historical Society meeting at 30 Main St. Bill Stewart, “The Old Sachem,” who writes a weekly column in The Saugus Advocate, will speak about the beginning of the subway system in Boston – the first such transportation in the country. Light refreshments will be available, and this event will be recorded by Saugus TV. As always, this meeting is free and open to the general public. We are hoping to reschedule the Appleton’s Pulpit lecture, which was canceled due to illness in October.

 

“Saugus Over Coffee” is over

The tenth and final in a 10-month-long series of forums titled “Saugus Over Coffee” ended this week (Monday, Oct. 23) with residents of Precinct 10 getting the opportunity to meet their Town Meeting members and express their concerns about issues in their precinct. As was the case with each one of the previous forums, there were positive aspects and disappointing aspects.

This was probably the most challenging forum for me to moderate, because it took part in the midst of the campaign for the biennial town election. As expected, all five Town Meeting members showed up. I also believed it was necessary to invite the two challengers to sit at the front table in the Community Room and have equal time in answering the questions I asked.

On the disappointing side, the turnout was not as good as I had anticipated. Library Director Alan Thibeault and I set up 50 chairs in the Community Room instead of the usual 24. Alan also brought in two large boxes of decaf coffee. But only a few folks enjoyed the coffee. It was disappointing that only about half of the 20 or less people who showed up were Precinct 10 residents – disappointing because the event had been scheduled 10 months ago.

I also got the “stink eye” from several panelists and people in the audience for my efforts to keep the event from becoming another forum on WIN Waste Innovations, which is located in Precinct 10. I didn’t want it to become a WIN Waste forum. It was a forum dedicated to the residents of Precinct 10 to discuss their chief concerns and frustrations.

Some members of the audience and some of the panelists didn’t like the idea that I didn’t allow “cross talk” between the audience and the candidates. I stressed this was not supposed to be a debate, but a forum on Precinct 10 issues, which happened to take place in the middle of an election campaign. The audience was allowed to question the Town Meeting members in the previous forums. My concern was that by allowing questions from the audience in the latest forum, some of the panelists would not get a chance to speak. And that wouldn’t be fair. There was also the danger of the audience trying to make certain candidates look good or bad. That wouldn’t be fair either.

Of course, there were some good points – as has been the case throughout the 10 forums. Though only a few Precinct 10 residents took advantage of the forum by attending, those who did attend and the folks from Precinct 10 who will be watching the forum from home will get to view each of the seven candidates on the ballot answer questions and also make their campaign case to voters in Precinct 10. That’s huge because the Town Meeting races seldom get public attention and here’s a case where seven candidates in one precinct were allowed to spend up to five minutes apiece responding to a moderator’s questions. And any Precinct 10 voter who cares can watch on their home computer what all of their candidates had to say. The voters who view the video will be better informed when they go to the polls on Nov. 7.

Stay tuned for a potential return of “Saugus Over Coffee” next year.

 

Final day of voter registration

Town Clerk Ellen Schena says that tomorrow (Saturday, Oct. 28) is the final day to register to vote for this year’s town election (Nov. 7). This will take place in the Community Room of the Saugus Public Library from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. It will also be the final day for Early Voting in person. As of Oct. 1, there were 21,471 registered voters, according to the town clerk.

 

Deadline for candidate announcements

A reminder: Saugus residents wishing to announce their candidacy for public office in the fall’s town elections may submit a statement along with a photo attached to the email in jpeg format to The Saugus Advocate, which will be published as a courtesy to town voters. Friday, Nov. 3, is the last day for publishing these announcements. We do this as a courtesy to the candidates and the voters. Space is limited. So, please don’t wait until the last minute to submit your announcement. The absolute deadline for submission is Monday at noon, Oct. 30.

 

Special “Shout Outs”

Precinct 6 Town Meeting Member Jeanie Bartolo offered the following nomination:

“This ‘Double Shout Out’ is for The Advocate’s very own Mark Vogler, Editor. All the Saugus residents want to thank you Mark for coordinating and being master of ceremonies for the three Forums he held on Oct. 16, 17, and 18 for the 27 candidates running for the Charter Commission. It was a chance for the residents to meet and hear what the candidates had to say. All the candidates did great presenting themselves.

“The second part of this ‘Shout Out’ is to thank Mark for the 10-part series he held – ‘Saugus Over Coffee’ at the Saugus Public Library. This consisted of a Precinct a month for all 10 Precincts, the last one held on Monday, Oct. 23rd. This was an opportunity for all Town Meeting Members to meet with the residents they represent in their Precinct and hear their concerns. I am proud to say that my precinct, Precinct 6, had a great turnout and the residents spoke out about their concerns for their neighborhood and the town. Many of Mark’s after-work hours went into these two projects for the past year so that the residents of Saugus could be better educated on the candidates who represent them and I thank him for it. Mark you are the best!”

Saugus Advocate Editor Mark E. Vogler: “Thank you for your kind words, Jeanie. I would like to give related ‘shout outs’ to the Saugus Public Library for co-sponsoring the 10-month ‘Saugus Over Coffee’ series, particularly library director Alan Thibeault, who helped set up the Community Room and shared in the coffee costs, and his staff that helped before and after each forum.

“More ‘Shout Outs’ to SaugusTV, for being there to film the ‘Saugus Over Coffee’ series and getting it out soon after filming. ‘Shout Outs’ also for the Saugus TV camera crews that worked with The Saugus Advocate on the three consecutive nights last week of filming interviews we conducted during forums with 23 of the 27 candidates running for nine seats on the proposed Charter Commission, which Saugus voters will be asked to create in the Nov. 7 town election. Also, hats off to Saugus TV operations manager Rachel Brugman for taking a special interest in both projects.”

 

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.

 

Thanksgiving at Saugus United Parish Food Pantry – sign up for a Thanksgiving meal box

Register in person by Friday, Nov. 10, at the times and dates listed below for a meal box that includes a turkey, fresh produce, dessert and other staples (50 Essex St. in Saugus).

Fridays: 9:30-11:00 a.m. during Food Pantry: October 27; November 3 and 10.

Wednesdays: 6:00-7:00 p.m. – sign up only, no Food Pantry: November 1 and 8.

 

Able to donate or volunteer?

Give thanks by helping us to support our neighbors and strengthen our communities! Contact office@cliftondalecc.org to set up a food drive or volunteer. Donate by Friday, November 10: jarred or canned gravy, cranberry sauce, canned veggies, canned fruit, boxed stuffing mix, boxed mashed potatoes, boxed mac & cheese, corn bread mix. Other nonperishable foods like pasta, rice, canned soup, canned beans, etc. are also welcome.

Volunteer Friday, November 17 from 11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. and/or Saturday, November 18 from 7 a.m.-12 p.m.: help to sort, pack and distribute.

 

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.

Tarot for Teens: Thursday, November 2, 4-5 p.m. in the Brooks Room; age 11 and up. Learn the meanings of the cards and have a group reading done.

 

Comedy lineup at The Kowloon Restaurant

The Kowloon Restaurant, which is located at 948 Broadway, Route 1 North, Saugus, has set its autumn comedy lineup continuing into November with shows starring Tony V and Harrison Stebbins from Comedy Central. Here’s the schedule:

  Oct. 27: Harrison Stebbins (Comedy Central, Comcast Comedy Spotlight), Sean Sullivan, Matt Misci.

  Nov. 3: Brad Mastrangelo (“Comics Come Home”), Danny Kelly, Dustin Pueschel.

  Nov. 10: Tony V (“Seinfeld,” “The Heat” and “The Town”), Mark Scalia, Andrew Della Volpe.

  Nov. 24: Mark Riley (Boston Comedy Festival Runner-Up, former NHL referee), Carolyn Plummer, James Hamilton.

Shows start at 8:00 p.m. Tickets for reserved seating are $20. Must be 18 years or older to attend. For tickets, call the Kowloon Restaurant at 781-233-0077 or access online (www.kowloonrestaurant.com).

 

Curbside pickup begins Monday

The Town of Saugus announces that fall curbside leaf collection will take place during the following weeks:

Monday, November 6 – Friday, November 10, 2023

Monday, November 27 – Friday, December 1, 2023

Residents should place leaves outside by 7 a.m. during their regularly scheduled collection day on the dates listed above. Please ensure that leaf containers are physically separated from trash and recycling.

Paper leaf bags are the preferred method of leaf disposal. If using barrels, however, 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 or at the DPW at 515 Main 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

 

Reaching out to Sachem sports champs

Calling all former Saugus High School athletes – boys and girls – who played on regional and/or state championship teams. Saugus Public Schools officials invite you to be part of a special upcoming event planned for the fall that seeks to honor any members of Saugus High School Girls and Boys sports who were on Conference, Regional and/or State Championship teams who could come to New MSHS complex for the unveiling ceremony for new banners in the Gym. The Saugus School Committee’s Athletic sub-committee, along with Acting Superintendent Mike Hashem, are looking to locate Saugus High School athletes who participated on the following Conference and/or State Championship Teams to invite them to the unveiling of the Saugus High School Championship Banners.

This event will take place on Tuesday, November 21, at 6 p.m. during Saugus High Spirit Week. If you played on any of these girls or boys teams, please email Saugus School Committee Member Dennis Gould at jdgould1969@aol.com or call him at his cell phone – 617-257-4847. Any members of these championship Saugus High School teams in their respective sports will be welcome guests on Nov. 21.

  Girls Volleyball: 2021.

  Girls Softball: 1972, 1975, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1988, 1999, 2001, 2011, 2021 and 2023.

Girls Field Hockey: 1978, 1982, 1986, 1987, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006.

  Girls Basketball: 1973, 1984, 1985, 1987, 2017, 2019 and 2023.

  Girls Soccer: 2004, 2005 and 2018.

  Girls Tennis: 2004, 2005 and 2006.

Girls Track Indoors: 2005, 2006 and 2007.

  Outdoors: 2005.

  Cheerleading: 1984, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1997,2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2012.

  Boys Baseball: 1969 and 1984.

  Boys Basketball: 1991 and 1984.

  Boys Hockey: 1948, 1960, 1965, 1970, 1983, 1986, 1987, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005.

  Boys Soccer: 1975, 1995, 1997 and 2022.

  Boys Golf: 1981, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2002.

Boys Track Indoors: 2020.

Boys Tennis: 1997 and 2007.

  Boys Football: 1944, 1959, 1975 and 1977.

  Boys Cross-Country: 1967.

 

Free Health and Wellness Fair on Nov. 11

The Saugus Family YMCA will host their Health and Wellness Fair on Saturday, November 11, 2023, from 12-4 p.m. This is a free community event where you can get the latest information and products from some of our wellness partners: Juice Conmigo, MCR Chiropractic and more! Sign up today by emailing David Colarossi at dcolarossi@metronorthymca.org.

 

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.