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Editor’s Note: For this week’s column, we sat down with Town Meeting Member Mark J. Bell to ask him what makes Precinct 1 so special and what he sees as the top issues in the Saugus neighborhoods he represents. Bell is a Stoneham native who graduated from Stoneham High School (1999). He received his bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Merrimack College (2003) and his Public Administration Master’s from UMass Boston (2009). Bell’s wife, Andrea, is a 2000 graduate of Saugus High School. They have been married since 2009 and have two sons – Matthew, a fifth grader, and Jonathan, a second grader – both students at Belmonte STEAM Academy. Andrea is an elementary school teacher in Medford. Bell works as a whistleblower investigator for the U.S. Department of Occupational Safety and Health. Bell and his wife bought their first home in Saugus on Foster Street in Precinct 8. In April 2021, they bought their current house on Pleasant Street from Precinct 1 Town Meeting Member Ann Devlin. Later that year, Bell ran for her seat and was elected to his first two-year term on the Saugus Annual Town Meeting. He said he plans to run for at least one more term later this year in the town elections. Bell’s community activities include coaching basketball and baseball as a volunteer for the town’s Department of Youth & Recreation. He is also an assistant adult leader of Saugus Cub Scout Pack 62. Bell said he plans to attend the first in a series of “Saugus Over Coffee” forums set for 6:30 p.m. Monday in the Community Room of the Saugus Public Library. He is interested in meeting residents of Precinct 1 and encourages them to attend the forum, which is co-sponsored by The Saugus Advocate and the Saugus Public Library. Highlights of this week’s interview follow.
Q: What makes Precinct 1 special as far as history, features, landmarks and businesses? Please tell me a little bit about Precinct 1.
A: Precinct 1, I think, is special just because, first of all, we have a national historic site: the Saugus Iron Works. And I think that’s pretty unique for the town to have it in the precinct. It’s a beautiful, open space where people can go. There’s a lot of history to it. And it’s really an area where I still walk around and learn something new each time that I’m there.
And another thing with Precinct 1 – another nice area it has – is Prankers Pond and Stackpole Field; it’s a good area where I sometimes take my kids if they have to work on their hit and swing [baseball]. And if I want to throw the frisbee around, my dog is right there.
Also, Precinct 1 has some very important buildings, such as several churches – the Town Hall. There’s also a small historic site on Appleton Street called Appleton’s Pulpit that goes all the way back to the Colonial days. And it also has the Saugus Public Library as well – that’s really convenient, as a parent, if I want to get something to read to my kids. It’s right there within walking distance. And Precinct 1 also has the Procopio Post [Scott J. Procopio Saugus American Legion Post 210]. And you have another historic building – what used to be the Roby School.
Q: Do you have any pet peeves or pressing projects in Precinct 1? In your mind, what are the top issues or challenges facing Precinct 1?
A: Just talking with people in Precinct 1, what I hear them talk a lot about is how to preserve what’s left of Prankers Pond, once the Saugus Ridge Development is completed. That is a massive project. I believe it’s going to be around 300 units, and it’s going to be a massive project. I think you’re going to have a lot of foot traffic at Prankers Pond. Obviously, everyone is entitled to use Prankers Pond any time. But I think now the main concern for residents is just preservation of what’s left at Prankers because people still walk their dogs, play ice hockey, go fishing and things of that nature. The question is how as a precinct do we move forward with preserving what’s left. I think people in the precinct are also interested in seeing what becomes of what’s left of development by the Central Street Mills. And I think that Prankers is interrelated with that because I don’t think people are anti-development. I just think they want to make sure that no more green space or the river keeps getting affected. Other than those two things, I think there are general things like sidewalks, trees, speeding and things of that nature.
Q: And the potential reuse of the Roby School is a matter of concern to people in your precinct, too?
A: Yes. But the Roby is going to be a question of what the town is going to do with that, because the Roby – in regards to the schools – all the other schools have open, green space, where the Roby does not. It’s in a congested area. That’s what makes the Roby unique from the other schools that are closed. People have mentioned that they are curious as to what the town is going to do with the Roby.
Q: Do you have a preference as to what they would do with the Roby School?
A: One thing that was mentioned to me – because you have the American Legion post right there – would be a place for veterans housing; just because that post is right there. Another idea is if the town wanted to make some foot traffic in that area, you could possibly make it into a restaurant, because one thing that was mentioned to me was people used to come down here to La Vita Mia [former Italian restaurant on Hamilton Street]. It was a good restaurant – a good area that was within walking distance where you would know people. It just had a good community feel to it. One of the things that people have mentioned is that it would be nice if they could put a restaurant like that in the center of town. And they ask if the Roby has the capacity to do that. That could also be an idea for possible reuse of the building as well.
Q: But La Vita Mia was not in your precinct.
A: Right, it was over on Hamilton Street, across from the Fire Station. But when I lived in Precinct 8, my wife and I – just like a lot of people – would love to walk down or drive down to the restaurant. It just had that kind of community feel to it. And people miss that.
Q: Any other thoughts? Anything else you want to share? Do you think you will get a big turnout on Jan. 30 at the Saugus Public Library for the first in a series of “Saugus Over Coffee”?
A: I think we might get a turnout because people will want to see what “Saugus Over Coffee” is about. So, not only will you have people from the precinct come, but I think you might have maybe either Town Meeting members or other town officials attend. And because Precinct 1 will be the first, you will get Town Meeting members and residents curious as to what it’s about and what people in Precinct 1 think is their most important issue.
Q: When you think of Precinct 1, what is the landmark that comes to mind? One landmark.
A: The Saugus Iron Works. Saugus Iron Works is beautiful, especially in the fall – October and November; it’s absolutely beautiful there with the foliage, along with the crisp autumn air. And what’s special about the Iron Works is this past summer they had a concert series there. And a lot of people really enjoyed that, especially people in the precinct, because a lot of times you could just go outside your house and pull up a chair and just basically hear everything. I think people really enjoyed the concert series at the Iron Works. Not only is it a beautiful place and a historic site, but I think you are starting to see the town really utilize that, especially for the summer concert series.
Q: If there’s a historic figure who figures into Precinct 1, who would that be?
A: I think it would be Major Appleton. And if you go up along Appleton Street, right in the middle there’s a big rock, and unless you actually slowed down, you would hardly know it’s even there. It’s the place where Major Appleton gave his speech against the royal governor [Sir Edmund Andros] at the time, who was part of the British Colonial Empire. A watch was stationed on the hill in case any of the British officers approached.
