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SAUGUS S AD Vol. 24, No. 6 -FREEI dentity fraud has gone up by an astronomical 490 percent over the past year, according to statistics released this week by the Saugus Police Department. The amount of identity fraud cases from the period of Feb. 8, 2020 to Feb. 8, 2021 rose from 31 to 183, compared to the similar period over the previous year. That was the most dramatic spike in major crime resulting from an analysis that the Police Department conducted at the request of The Saugus Advocate. Meanwhile, there was a significant drop in several other crimes: • Driving while under the inA year COVID-19 has been driving crime trends in Saugus By Mark E. Vogler percent. • Burglaries — down by 36 percent. • Motor vehicles thefts — down by 21 percent • Shoplifting — down by 17 percent. Overall, arrests were down by 59 percent and the police call volume had dropped by 17 percent, according to the crime analysis compiled by the Police Department. On paper, it looks like the department has done a great job in curbing several major crime categories. But Police Chief Michael Ricciardelli says much of the trends COVID-19 | SEE PAGE 19 Saugus’ newest fi refi ghter, Johnathan Cromby, (right), places a rope around the waist of Paige Canale, a 21-year-old-Saugus resident last Friday (Feb. 5) after she got stuck in the mud along the Saugus River near Stocker Playground. Canale was hiking along the river doing a video for “Tik Tok” before she began sinking knee deep in the mud. She later credited the fi refi ghters who rushed to the scene after her emergency 911 call with saving her life. See inside for story and related photos. (Courtesy photo by Saugus Fire Department Lt. Damian Drella to The Saugus Advocate) Special Town Meeting on Tuesday Improving Route 1 business highway district, a committee for revitalizing Cliftondale Square and a proposal to rename the senior center in honor of the late Dick Barry will be considered By Mark E. Vogler P recinct 2 Town Meeting Member Joe Vecchione says he is concerned about what he sees as a major weakness in the Route One Business Highway Sustainable Zoning District (BHSD) by-law that Town Meeting passed back in 2015. It permitted the Hilltop-Avalon Bay development to have 92 percent of its total square footage of fl oor space residential with the remaining 8 percent commercial. But a revamped BHSD article on the warrant for next Tuesday night’s Special Town Meeting would nearly the amount of total square footage of similar developments — thus increasing the amount tax revenue signifi cantly. “Under the new bylaw, if they were to rebuild that project, hypothetically, that would make it 30 percent of the property for commercial and 70 percent for residential,” Vecchione said in an interview this week. But Vecchione stresses the MEETING | SEE PAGE 17 The Advocate Asks A POSTHUMOUS TRIBUTE: A wide range of town residents from both ends of the political spectrum praise the work and volunteer service of the late Wendy Reed, the longtime clerk to the Saugus Board of Selectmen. Reed, 57, who also served about five years as the unpaid interim director of the Saugus United Parish Food Pantry, died of an apparent heart attack last Friday (Feb. 5). See page 3 for more photos and this week’s “The Advocate Asks.” (Saugus Advocate fi le photo by Mark E. Vogler) ANGELO’S FULL SERVICE Regular Unleaded $2.359 Mid Unleaded $2.459 Super $2.539 Diesel Fuel $2.639 "42 Years of Excellence!" 1978-2020 KERO $4.65 DEF $3.49 9 Diesel $2.259 9 HEATING OIL 24-Hour Burner Service Call for Current Price! (125—gallon minimum) DEF Available by Pump! Open an account and order online at: www.angelosoil.com (781) 231-3500 (781) 231-3003 367 LINCOLN AVE • SAUGUS • OPEN 7 DAYS Happy Valentine’s Day to all our Readers! H OCDVO w.advoa.net et Published Every Friday fl uence — down 46 percent • Larcenies — down by 32 OCATC TE 781-233-4446 Friday, February 12, 2021 Tik-Tok, You’re Stuck! Prices subject to change Happy New Year! FLEET

Page 2 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2021 Stuck in the mud By Mark E. Vogler P aige Canale walked right into harm’s way last Friday (Feb. 5) while hiking along the Saugus River as she filmed a video for Tik Tok. “She thought it would be a good shot of herself going through the mud of the banks of the Saugus river at low tide,” Saugus Fire Department Lt. Damian Drella said. “Well, anyone from around here knows the mud of the ocean is like quicksand and cannot be negotiated with. Luckily she had her phone and was able to call 911 for help when she sank to over her knees in the soft mud,” Drella said. Firefighters pull Lincoln Street resident Paige Canale, 21, from the Saugus River when she got stuck in the mud while out for a hike last Friday morning. (Courtesy photos, WCVB-TV/Stanley Forman) $2.19 Canale, 21, of Saugus, in interviews with the news media, later credited the firefighters who rushed to the scene after But, during the rescue, she kept telling firefighters not to take photos of her — even though she was in her pre“Firefighters were able to crawl out to her wearing water rescue suits and help her get unstuck. She refused medical treatment and was left to Tik-Tok another day,” he said. her emergency 911 call with saving her life. “Watch me risk my life for Tik Tok,: Canale boasted in one post, followed by film footage of her brush with danger. THE RESCUE SCENE: A crew of Saugus firefighters team up to pull Paige Canale out of knee-deep mud to safety last Friday (Feb. 5) along the banks of the Saugus River near Stocker Playground. The 21-year-old Saugus woman got stuck in the mud while filming her walk for Tik Tok, a video-sharing social networking service owned by Chinese company Byte Dance. (Courtesy photo by Saugus Fire Department Lt. Damian Drella to The Saugus Advocate) dicament because of a photo shoot, according to firefighters. Saugus’ newest firefighter, Johnathan Cromby, placed a rope around her waist, and the rescue crew pulled her to safety. Cromby will be attending the Mass fire academy in the near future. Firefighters responded to the scene at about 9:30 a.m. Canale got stuck in the mud along the Saugus River near Stocker Playground. Canale could not be reached for comment, but did not respond to an effort by a Saugus Advocate reporter to contact her by social media. Local doctors weigh in on top COVID-19 variant By Christopher Roberson D espite the downward trend in COVID-19 cases, the variant strain, known as B117, continues to gain momentum. Although other variants exist, Dr. Lou Ann Bruno-Murtha, the division chief of infectious diseases at Cambridge Health Alliance, said B117 has been the most prevalent variant thus far. Yet, she remained confident in the vaccines that were developed by Moderna and Pfizer at the end of last year. "Fortunately, the three variants that have received recent attention appear to remain susceptible to antibodies produced in response to the two authorized vaccines currently in use,” she said. “Although the mRNA vaccines may be mildly less effective against this variant, most vaccine experts do not believe this subtlety will be clinically relevant.” However, Bruno-Murtha said the situation could easily spiral out of control just as it did when the original COVID-19 virus surfaced nearly one year ago. “More variation will occur as the virus continues to widely circulate,” she said. “If infections can be reduced and quickly controlled, there will be less of an opportunity for the viruses to mutant and gain selective advantages. Given some evidence that these variants are more transmissible, ongoing efforts to maximize personal safety remain essential.” Dr. Benjamin Linas, an infectious disease specialist at Boston Medical Center, said B117 is simply the product of “natural mutation.” “It is 100 percent normal and expected for viruses to mutate,” he said, adding that errors are inevitable at some point during the replication process, thus spawning a new variant. “There are a lot of viruses in an infected person’s body and even a tiny percentage of successful mutations will result in new variVARIANT | SEE PAGE 18 Heart Art What’s with this column of red hearts hanging from this tree and where are they located? To find out, read this week’s “Saugus Gardens in the pandemic.” That should get your Valentine’s Day weekend off to a good start. And if you are thinking of buying flowers for a certain someone, read a Valentine’s Day poem called “Flowers,” which might offer you some tips. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate by Laura Eisener)

THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2021 Page 3 ~THE ADVOCATE ASKS~ Saugus residents reflect on the passing of column, we decided to reach out to Saugus town officials and residents and get them to share their favorite stories or remembrances of Wendy Lu Reed, who died suddenly last Friday (Feb. 5) at Melrose-Wakefield Hospital in Melrose. Reed, 57, who lived on Lincoln Avenue in the Cliftondale section of Saugus, was the longtime clerk of the Board of Selectmen at the time of her death. She also spent much of her spare time as the volunteer director of the Saugus United Parish Food Pantry. She served for several years previously as chair of the elected Saugus School Committee. She was known as a private woman with a publicly huge heart for people in need. She championed the cause to fight homelessness with Healing Abuse Working for Change (HAWC). She was a former CCD teacher at Blessed Sacrament Church and was activeWendy Reed, a dedicated town employee and an equally devoted food pantry volunteer ASKS | SEE PAGE 4 Editor’s Note: For this week’s Board of Selectmen Chair Anthony Cogliano, who got SNOW BLOWER SALES, SERVICE & REPAIRS Pickup/Delivery Available A NOBLE CAUSE: Left to right, volunteers Jeff Hirtle, Bill Cashman and Wendy Reed, at work in November of 2017 at the Saugus United Parish Food Pantry, which operates in the basement of Cliftondale Congregational Church. Reed, 57, who died suddenly last Friday (Feb. 5) of an apparent heart attack, served as the volunteer interim director of the pantry, overseeing the all-volunteer staff that runs it every Friday, from 9:30 to 11 a.m. Reed worked about five years as interim director to keep the pantry going because nobody else wanted to fill the position. Town officials and pantry volunteers called her “the heat and soul” of the popular program to serve needy residents. (Saugus Advocate file photo by Mark E. Vogler) thony Cogliano have organized a fundraiser — https://uk.gofundme.com/f/wendy-reedgave-so-much-please-helpher-family. “Wendy dedicated her life to helping those less fortunate. It is now our turn to help the Reed family get through this tough time in their lives,” says a message to the public posted on the “Go-Fund-Me” page. Highlights of this week’s interview follow. 1039 BROADWAY, REVERE 781-289-6466 781-289-6466 WWW.BIKERSOUTFITTER.COM WWW.BIKERSOUTFITTER.COM Gerry D’Ambrosio Attorney-at-Law Is Your Estate in Order? Do you have an update Will, Health Care Proxy or Power of Attorney? If Not, Please Call for a Free Consultation. 14 Proctor Avenue, Revere (781) 284-5657 FUN TIMES AT TOWN HALL: Left to right, the late Wendy Reed and then Saugus Selectman Jennifer D’Eon kid around during a break of a Board of Selectmen meeting in the summer of 1978. D’Eon said the two and took photos together while enjoying a relaxing moment not related to town government. (Courtesy photo by Jennifer D’Eon to The Saugus Advocate) ly involved with the Saugus PTOs (Parent-Teacher Organization), having been the proud mother of three sons, who are known grown up — Stephen (and his wife Kristen) Reed of East Boston, James Reed of Saugus and Scott Reed of East Boston. She also leaves her sister, Joh Reed and her husband Joe Reed, who shared the house overlooking Lincoln Avenue. Reed was born and raised in East Boston and was the daughter of Lucille Reed and the late Charles Reed. She also leaves a brother, Edward Reed and his wife Jennifer of Florida and two nieces — Emily and Anna. The Bisbee-Porcella Funeral Home of Saugus is in charge of arrangements and held a wake yesterday. In lieu of flowers, the family has announced that people can donate in Wendy Reed’s memory to the Saugus United Parish Food Pantry, 50 Essex St., Saugus, MA 01906. Meanwhile, Julie Florentino Mitchell and An

Page 4 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2021 ASKS | FROM PAGE 3 to know Reed about a quarter of a century ago, when he previously served as a selectman and was on the board that hired her. I still can’t believe she’s gone. I was on the Board of Selectmen in 1996 when we hired Wendy Reed and she became an instant asset to our Town. Wendy could remember a vote that took place 20 years ago like it happened yesterday. She treated everyone that entered our office with respect and was as loyal as they come. I developed a great friendship with her and I will miss her terribly. Wendy was quiet and reserved but had no problem putting me in my place when she thought I handled something wrong. Aside from serving as our clerk, Wendy also served as Chairman of the School Committee and was a key figure at the Food Pantry. Wendy was recently recognized as a 2020 community all-star for all she did to help others in need during the pandemic. We will find the right way to honor Wendy for her service and dedication to the Town of Saugus and all of its residents. My sincere condolences to the Reed family and a great big thank you for sharing this wonderful person with us for the past 25 years. Wendy, may you rest in peace my dear friend. Saugus Town Manager Scott C. Crabtree, who knew Reed when he was a Saugus police officer, as a selectman and more recently during nearly a decade as town manager: “It’s a very sad loss, and www.eight10barandgrille.com We Have Reopened for Dine-In and Outside Seating every day beginning at 4 PM Wendy is certainly going to be missed for her work with the town and all of the volunteer events she participated in. My condolences go out to her family — especially her children. I think she made her 25 years working for the town in January. I got to know her very well when I got elected to the Board of Selectmen in 2009. One of her assets was she had vast institutional knowledge about the town. And being a former School Committee chair, the big thing she always advocated for was a town wide school district master plan. She advocated for having a study done on that for years. And she was a strong advocate for local education and for the new Saugus Middle-High School, which we eventually got. State Rep. Donald Wong, WE'RE OPEN! 8 Norwood Street, Everett (617) 387-9810 STAY SAFE! (R-Saugus), who was elected without opposition to his sixth two-year term last fall representing voters of the 9th Essex House District, recalled he got to know Reed well when he was first elected to the Board of Selectmen in 2007. He cited her as an invaluable resource during his four years on the board before running for the State House seat: “She was a very quiet person until you got to know her. She always was very professional and got everything done. It seemed like she had everything in her head and could tell you how things ran, recalling specific dates and the details. As a first-time selectman, she gave me all of my guidance. I looked to her for everything and I learned a lot from her. She had so much knowledge in her head that I can’t see any one person replacing her. And every time I went to her office, she would give me a smile. We talked, she made a joke and I could hear her laughter. “Wendy will definitely be missed for the ways she helped the community. Besides being the selectmen’s clerk, she helped out tremendously with the food pantry program. She was always so helpful. Veteran Saugus School Committee Member Arthur Grabowski, who served six years together with Reed on the School Committee: “Besides being a great friend and confident, she was a great chairman of the Saugus School Committee. She knew all the rules and procedures that we had to follow. She knew what our roles were as School Committee members. She was a great person. She was very private, but she cared a lot for the Town of Saugus. “When she took over the food pantry as a volunteer, it was supposed to be on a short-term basis. But she wound up running it for the past five years. And she never took credit for its success. She always gave the credit to everybody else. Between her knowledge of town government and what she knew as a volunteer leader of the food pantry, she will be sorely missed. You don’t find many people like Wendy who volunteer and care about others before themselves. “She was awesome. I never met anybody as organized as she was. Even now, I could ask about something that happened years ago on the School Committee or the Board of Selectmen, and she could put her finger on any document or minutes of the meeting where the action took place. Her institutional knowledge will never be replaced both on the town side and the school side.” Former Selectman Steve Castinetti, a retired U.S. Navy captain and longtime commander of the Saugus Veterans Council. He got to know her well during his time on the Board of Selectmen and in local veterans events: “I don’t think you will find anybody who has anything negative to say about Wendy Reed. You have to feel bad that she’s gone. But it’s made your life better just knowing her. She was a very unobtrusive person who played a big role in many people’s lives–and I don’t think they realized it. “I met her when I first got elected to the Board of Selectmen in 2007. She was a little intimidating until you got to know her. But once you got to know her, she warmed up. And she had a heart of gold. She was the go-to person for many questions that were put to the Board of Selectmen. She was a key resource for the board. And now they are going to have a tough time filling those shoes because she was ASKS | SEE PAGE 5                                         Like us on Facebook advocate newspaper Facebook.com/Advocate.news.ma

THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2021 Page 5 ASKS | FROM PAGE 4 such a great source of knowledge for the board. Besides all the work she did for the town, she did a lot of volunteer stuff behind the scenes as a member of the Veterans Council Auxiliary. She made sure that the newspapers were apprised of the parades and ceremonies and various events.” Precinct 5 Town Meeting Member Ronald M. Wallace, who go to know Reed from her days as School Committee chair and also sent his Cemetery Commission request letter to the five selectmen: “Wendy’s legacy should be how much she did for Saugus and never wanted credit for any of it.” School Committee Vice Chair Ryan Fisher “A couple of years ago, I had this unexpected, time-sensitive need for information on a vote by the Board of Selectman from the mid-to-late 90s. It was well before social media, and I couldn’t find anything anywhere. I reached out to a few people who had no idea what I was talking about, but everyone said, ‘Ask Wendy, ask Wendy.’ I was getting desperate and ran up to her after a selectmen meeting, hoping she could point in the direction of some box in a basement somewhere. I think it may have been the first time we ever spoke. I didn’t know her and she didn’t know me. She was very kind, immediately recalled the vote, the year, who was on the board at the time, the yays and nays, all off the top of her head. She emailed me everything I needed within a few hours. “My heart breaks for my friends who knew her well whose hearts are breaking, for her family and everyone who knew and loved her, and for the people of Saugus. Not only was she someone who helped countless people in countless ways, but she had a Radar O’Reilly level of institutional memory that can’t be replaced. The next time someone needs something archaic in a hurry, who will we call?” School Committee Member Joseph “Dennis” Gould, who got to know Reed many years ago while working on various volunteer social projects to help less fortunate people in the community: “My fondest memories of Wendy was working with her and Rev Martha Leahy on a behind the scenes homelessness committee. We helped many families and single mothers in Saugus who needed temporary shelter and food. We also helped house and feed HAWC mothers and children that needed a safe place to stay until HAWC could find them more suitable long term shelter. We did that for many years and helped many and Wendy made herself available regardless ofTime of day or day of the week. She really cared about helping others and never was looking for public recognition.” World Series Park Superintendent Bob Davis, who got to see Reed as a helpful, friendly voice of Saugus Town Government: “I was shocked to hear about Wendy. She was such a valuable asset to the Town of Saugus. She was not only very knowledgeable about many things but was very helpful to anyone who needed to know how to try to make something happen in town. Many times I went to her for advice on town matters and came away with what to do. She was involved in one of our Special Olympics Days and contributed a lot by the speech she gave. Wendy was a true Saugonian and really cared about Saugus. She will surely be missed. Bob Davis, World Series Park.” Veteran Services Officer Jay Pinette, who got to know Reed from working out of Town Hall and collaborating on food distribution issues related to needy veterans: “I’ve only known Wendy for the 3 years that I’ve worked in Saugus. I always found her to be very pleasant and easy to work with. She and I coordinated the deliveries of food to the food pantry up by Cliftondale Square (next to the MEG Building) I could tell that she was VERY concerned about the folks that went to the food pantry and motivated to help them. She will be greatly missed.” Board of Selectmen Vice Chair Corinne Riley, who got to know Reed through their respective involvement in local government and volunteer causes for more than a decade: I have known Wendy personally for 11 years. We served on the School Committee for 2 terms together, the Veterans Council and now working with her on the board. She had a memory unlike any other. She could answer anything you had questions with. She served her community in many ways, always gave back and asked for nothing. She had declined 2 recognitions for her dedication to the food bank and other community involvement because she hated the limelight. Wendy was a very private person, she didn’t show her true feelings, or talk about personal issues very often. The first time she said to me “I shouldn’t be telling you this”...I knew she trusted me and believe me, that meant something if she confided in you. She did not pull any punches, no was no and you followed the rules. I respected her so much for that because usually people bypass the right way of doing things for all the wrong reasons. Wendy had a sense of humor that came out once in a while and it was so unexpected that you ASKS | SEE PAGE 7

Page 6 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2021 A reader's perspective Route 1 zoning district needs upgrading to protect Saugus. That’s why Town Meeting needs to pass Article 2 at Tuesday night’s special town meeting M y interest and involvement regarding the revised Route 1 Business Highway Sustainable Zoning District (BHSD) by-law evolved after the completion of the Hilltop-Avalon Bay development. In 2015 when the Route One zoning by-law was passed by Town Meeting, I was not on the Board of Selectmen or a Town Meeting Member. During that time I was Chairman of the Board of Assessors. However, after the completion of the Hilltop-Avalon Bay project I was surprised and upset, like many residents in our community, in regards to the amount of housing (280 apartments) allowed to be developed on the property. After receiving a copy of the plans, I had calculated that residential property contained approximately 324,000 square feet of fl oor space as compared to commercial property representing only 24,000 square feet of fl oor space. This represents a ratio of 92 percent residential vs. eight percent commercial. Considering the fact that the residential tax rate is $12.34 per thousand and the commercial tax rate is $25.74. I became concerned that the loss of our commercial tax base could result in an increase in the tax cerned as to the impact to our school system, police department, fi re department, ambulance service and our civilian dispatchers. This is why I truly hope that Town Meeting will support this article at this time. I do support the mixed use ADJUSTMENTS NEEDED: Selectman Michael J. Serino says the current Route One Business Highway Sustainable Zoning District (BHSD) by-law needs to be revised so Saugus can manage smart growth and development along the town’s major commercial corridor. He is calling on Town Meeting to approve Article 2 when it convenes for a Special Town Meeting set for Tuesday, Feb. 16, via Zoom videoconferencing. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate) rate for our residential property owners. Furthermore, with a signifi - cant increase in housing along Route One, I was also conAUTOTECH 1989 SINCE CA$H FOR YOUR CAR! DRIVE IT - PUSH IT - TOW IT! Cold Hard Cash For Your Car, Truck or SUV! 2008 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 4X4 Crew Cab, Z71 Package, Just Serviced, Clean Title, Only 126K Miles, Warranty! TRADES WELCOME! $11,900 Easy Financing Available! EddiesAutotech.com 2010 MERCURY MILAN 4-Door, Auto., Most Power Options, Clean Title, New Tires, Only 130K Miles, Runs & Drives Great, Warranty! TRADES WELCOME! $3,995 781-321-8841 1236 EasternAve • Malden We Pay Cash For Your Vehicle! concept and the intent of the current zoning by-law. Strip malls are a thing of the past and they do not bring much revenue to the town. However, I do believe we need quality and balanced development. Town Meeting member Joe Vecchione and I had introduced some zoning articles last year. Consequently, with the addition of Alex Mello to the planning department the Town Manager had off ered Alex’s services and suggested we work with him. We have been collaborating for a year regarding the proposed articles. The revised BHSD by-law is not a total revamping of the current document. I would call it an adjustment to the current document. The key changes to the BHSD by-law are: • Requiring a minimum percentage of commercial uses ranging from 10 percent to 35 percent depending on lot size. • Including language requiring that our setbacks be maintained and reserved as open space. • Including language that All developments over 100,000 square feet will require a minimum common space area of at least fi ve percent of the gross fl oor area. • Adjustment in regards to building height setback requirements. • Lowering the units per acre from 30 to 25 units per acre. • Adjusting parking requirements to refl ect realistic parking needs. • Including language to prevent traffic from a development accessing our neighborhood streets. Requiring Route 1 access only. • Encouraging collaboration with MassDOT regarding acceleration / deceleration lanes on Route 1. I hope Town Meeting members will support the revised (BHSD) by-law. If anybody has any questions please feel free to call me @ 781-231-0987. Respectfully, Mike Serino Editor’s Note: Michael J. Serino is a life-long Saugus resident who has been active in local government for many years. Serino, 67, is a 1971 Saugus High School graduate. He is completing a two-year term on the Board of Selectmen. But he served as chair during his previous time on the board. His public service also includes chairing the Conservation Commission, Board of Assessors, the Open Space Committee and the Saugus Resident (First-Time) Homebuyer Program. In addition, he has served as an elected Town Meeting Member from Precinct 10, Vice-Chairman of the Town Meeting Charter Committee and a member of the Saugus Planning Board. He has devoted many hours to planning and zoning issues. Taxpayers Beware Saugus police warn residents of income tax return-related scams (Editor’s note: the following press release was issued recently by the Saugus Police Department) W ith tax season now underway, Chief Michael Ricciardelli and the Saugus Police Department would like to advise the community to be careful with personal and fi nancial information when fi ling, in order to avoid falling victim to common scams. “Tax season is often littered with scams and fraudulent claims from individuals that do not represent the IRS,” Ricciardelli said. “Making sure our residents know about prevention strategies and scam warning signs is of the utmost importance to us, especially this time of year.” One common scam involves residents trying to fi le their taxes electronically, only to learn they had been submitted by another entity. Residents are encouraged to complete and fi le taxes as soon as possible to give potential scammers less time and opportunity to submit a refund using their information. Other scams that have been known to occur, especially during tax season, include scammers calling residents claiming to be from the IRS or another government body. The scammer informs victims that they did not pay, or incorrectly fi led their taxes and now owe money to the IRS, which must be paid promptly through a pre-loaded debit card or wire transfer. If victims refuse to cooperate, they are then threatened with arrest, deportation or suspension of a business or driver’s license. Scammers also sometimes claim to represent the victim’s local police department. Local police do not enforce federal tax laws in any capacity. To avoid becoming a victim of an IRS scam, residents are encouraged to remember the following: • If you owe back taxes, the IRS will contact you by mail, and not by phone, email or social media. • The IRS never requests personal or fi nancial information by email, text or social media. (The IRS says it has no way to text people). • The IRS does not leave prerecorded or urgent voicemails. • The IRS will not ask for payment using a prepaid debit card, gift cards, money order or wire transfer. • The IRS will not ask for a credit card number over the phone. • In the latest scam, an “IRS agent” states that a small fee is required to qualify for a government stimulus check. No government agency, including the IRS, requires anyone to pay anything to receive a stimulus payment. • If you receive a call from an IRS scammer, hang up. Do not engage with these callers. • If you get a call from someone claiming to be with the IRS asking for a payment or if you think you may owe monTAXPAYERS | SEE PAGE 21

THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2021 Page 7 ASKS | FROM PAGE 5 would laugh even harder. She fought for what she believed in, and was versed in so many town related issues. I will always remember her famous “eye rolls”. But, what I feel Wendy was most proud of was her three sons. She talked a lot about them with me, and her face would light up. Even if she was telling me something about them today, I felt the boys were protected by a mom who thought they were still 5 years old. Her love for them was so strong and she showed it. I will miss her terribly, and Saugus has lost a person that did so much for the people who live here. “My favorite story of us was when I was vice-chair on the school committee and she was chair. There was a wake for a friend of her son’s that she was going to attend. I wasn’t on the school committee that long and we had a scheduled Executive session that night, which would have made me chair of that meeting. I was a nervous wreck, it was Superintendent Langlois at the time and he said he would help me along. We were just about to start and close the door when Wendy appeared in the doorway. We hadn’t known each other for more than a month or so and we were still getting to know each other. I spotted her and ran and hugged her because I was so relieved she had gotten there in time. She never forgot that and she brought that up often. I will always remember that day, I will always remember her making sure we followed procedure, policy, and the rules...that doesn’t happen as often as it should and I will do my best to honor her memory by continuing to follow that important part of being a public servant. It still seems so surreal....” Selectman Debra Panetta, who got to work with Reed on several levels–at Saugus Town Hall, Saugus Public Schools and on volunteer community event: “Honestly, I can’t believe Wendy passed. I just talked with her a couple of days ago. It’s absolutely devastating. Wendy loved Saugus and always tried to give back to her community. I served with Wendy on the School Committee and worked with her closely on the Board of Selectmen where she worked as the Clerk of the Board of Selectmen since 1998. She volunteered much of her time to the Saugus United Parish Food Pantry, and coordinated several food ASKS | SEE PAGE 8 THE TEAM Wendy Reed, behind first row in center wearing a blue warmup jacket and blue face mask, poses for a photo with the volunteers who pitched in to help the Saugus United Food Pantry’s Annual Thanksgiving food drive in November 2020. Reed always gave credit to the food pantry volunteers even though she directed the crew’s work. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate)

Page 8 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2021 ASKS | FROM PAGE 7 drives to help out the needy. Wendy was also recognized as a 2020 Community All-Star from the Essex Media Group. “At our last meeting, the Board of Selectmen commented on what a great job she did with the annual report, and we all thanked her. I am so happy that we got to acknowledge the excellent job she did one more time. She made time for everyone and took great pride in her work. She also had a great memory of everything that was Saugus related. Wendy was a friend and colleague, and she will be missed. My sincere condolences to her family. She used to tell me how proud she was of her three sons, and my heart goes out to each of them.” Selectman Michael Serino, who knew Reed for more than two decades through their respective involvement in Saugus town government: “I am so sad about the passing of Wendy. I really got to know Wendy back in 1999 when I was first elected to the Law Offices of Terrence W. Kennedy 512 Broadway, Everett • Criminal Defense • Personal Injury • Medical Malpractice Tel: (617) 387-9809 Cell: (617) 308-8178 twkennedylaw@gmail.com Board of Selectmen and she was the Clerk for the Board. Over the years I realized how helpful she was to all who needed guidance in applying for permits from the Board. She was a great resource to Board members and the public alike. Wendy would become known as the sixth Selectman. “My favorite conversations with Wendy were when we quite often would talk about our family’s. She grew up in East Boston where her family still resides today. She would often enjoy her visits back to the family homestead. Her mother like mine was Italian, therefore, we would talk about the Italian dishes they would both make. However, most importantly, she would talk about her children whom she loved deeply. I know they are going to miss her so much. My heart goes out to her entire family.With my deepest Sympathies.” Selectman Jeffrey Cicolini, who got to know Reed while working the past six years as a selectman: “Wendy Reed will be sorely missed by so many people near and far. She gave so much to our town and was such a valuable resource to residents, applicants and town officials. Wendy and I forged a nice friendship over the past 6 years working together. She was a selfless person who was always willing to help out those in need. Her volunteerism at the food pantry was crucial for so many families in need and I am sure it will take several people to fill the void she leaves behind. She was a humble person, one who never sought recognition or praise. My heartfelt condolences go out to her family. May she rest in eternal peace. Saugus Town Clerk Ellen J. Schena, who got to know Reed from having offices in close proximity on the ground floor of Saugus Town Hall: “The passing of Wendy Reed is a loss for the Town of Saugus. I met Wendy over seven years ago when I was newly hired as the Town Clerk. Wendy was so knowledgeable in the workings of the Town. She amazed me on things she remembered that happened on any board, committee and Town Meeting from year’s past. I could ask her anything and she would have the answer right then or get me the answer in a short period of time. During the week, Wendy would come into the Town Clerk’s Office for copying or scanning purposes and we would talk about past events or future town business. We will miss working and seeing Wendy, but her memory will always be with us.” Former Selectman Jennifer D’Eon, who got to know Reed while working as a selectman over a five-year period: Wendy Reed did so much for so many and asked for nothing in return. Wendy was a helpful and devoted Saugonian that gave countless hours to the Town. During her career she was a vital member of our Board of Selectmen team 2015-2019. We could not have done our jobs without her. Wendy always had time to talk, she was very approachable and extremely knowledgeable. Saugus is going to miss Wendy Reed. I’m going to miss her too. I have some fond memories of looking over at Wendy while she fervently tried to signal us to “close a hearing” before making motions.. Robert’s Rules of order can be tricky!! Wendy had so much knowledge and she shared it all. She knew exactly how to fill out complicated liquor licenses; she assisted everyone that came in to apply. I did enjoy chatting with her whenever I came in to sign documents or pick up a packet. She had a great laugh. I remember the last time we spoke. We never said goodbye..just see you later.” Precinct 6 Town Meeting Member William S. Brown, who said he got to build a friendship with Reed several years ago after he volunteered to help as a driver, using his pickup truck to transport food for the food pantry: “Heaven has its newest angel. She was just the sweetest person you would ever want to meet. If you had a question, she had the answers. And I remember one of the last Town Meetings we had at Town Hall, she came up to me before a Town Meeting and wanted to know how her Town Meeting Member stood on an issue. Fortunately, I met her approval. She was just the nicest person. And she will be missed. Longtime town resident and Saugus native Eugene Decareau got to know Reed well during the many years that he and his wife Arlene have volunteered at the food pantry. He says both the town and the food pantry have taken her service to Saugus for granted: “Very few people now realize how important Wendy has been. In my opinion, the town is going to be losing an employee that has done so much for the community. She knew more about bylaws, rules, regulations and procedures than anyone in the community and it’s going to be very difficult to replace her. I only hope that selectmen get involved in the interviews because whoever it is that replaces Wendy will work for them as well as the town. “I’ve known Wendy for years, but I never really got to know her well until I worked with her at the food pantry. She was a dedicated person and she made sure that nobody got special treatment no matter who they were. And she made sure that everybody got treated the same. She knew what she was doing. She knew what she was doing. She didn’t play games. She played it straight and narrow.” Precinct 2 Town Meeting Member Joe Vecchione, who learned about Reed’s real value to Saugus in various dealASKS | SEE PAGE 21 THIS WEEK ON SAUGUS TV Sunday 2/14 at 9 to 11 p.m. on Channel 8 – 'Sunday Night Stooges' (The Three Stooges) Monday 2/15 ALL DAY on Channel 8–'Movie Monday' (Classic Movies) Tuesday 2/16 at 6 p.m. on Channel 9 – Special Town Meeting ***LIVE*** Wednesday 2/17 at 8:30 p.m. on Channel 9 – Planning Board Meeting from 2/11 Thursday 2/18 at 7 p.m. on Channel 9 – Planning Board Meeting ***LIVE*** Friday 2/19 at 8:30 p.m. on Channel 9 – School Committee Meeting from 2/11 Saturday 2/20 at 8:30 p.m. on Channel 22 – SHS Boys Basketball vs. Gloucester from 2/11 Saugus TV can be seen on Comcast Channels 8, 9, & 22 (Public, Government and Educational) For complete schedules, please visit www.saugustv.org ***programming may change without notice***

THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2021 Page 9 The latest Coronavirus Count State health officials notify Saugus of 90 new cases over the past week; death toll increases to 63 By Mark E. Vogler T here was a slight uptick in newly-confirmed COVID-19 cases over the past week as the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) advised the town of 90 new cases yesterday. The latest statistics released by Town Manager Scott C. Crabtree’s office showed the total cases increasing to 3,382. The death toll in Saugus increased by one, raising the overall total to 63. A week ago, the state reported 79 new cases — nearly half as many as the 153 new cases reported during the week. “Our hearts and prayers go out to those families affected by this health pandemic,” Crabtree said in the latest press release updating the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths. “Massachusetts health officials have announced as of February 9, 2021, 82 more people have died in the Commonwealth after contracting COVID-19, bringing the state total to 14,903,” the press release said. “In addition, there were 1,920 newly reported cases. So far, 504,564 cases in total have been confirmed while 14,520,845 total tests for the virus have been administered. The Town of Saugus has partnered with the Commonwealth, Fallon Emergency Medical Services (EMS), and the Square One Mall as a collaborative effort to work to downgrade the Town’s designated “High Risk” red COVID-19 status by establishing and extending the following COVID-19 testing sites in Saugus: • Fallon EMS at the Square One Mall (Far Side Parking Lot on Essex Street), • Located at 1201 Broadway with entry off of Essex Street, will offer free mobile drive-up testing for Saugus residents in their cars Monday through Saturday from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. No appointment is needed. Residents’ driveup and register using a tablet when they arrive. Saugus Police will be assisting with traffic. The testing site will be staffed by 10-12 individuals to handle registrations. All samples go directly to the Broad Institution in Cambridge for immediate testing with a 24-36 hour turnaround time. Notification of results will be made for negative results via emails while phone calls will be made for positive COVID-19 results. These sites do close when it rains because of risk of test contamination. The state has indicated the site will remain open until further notice. This information will be on the Town’s website and on the state’s website: https://www.mass.gov/ info-details/stop-the-spread?rgja#saugusThe Board of Health and the Saugus Health Department will continue to partner with the state and are working on a planned response to the COVID-19. They are analyzing the data from the past couple of weeks and developing specific strategies to combat the spread through additional enforcement and intervention measures. We need to do whatever is necessary to keep ourselves, family, neighbors and communities safe. Continue to wear your masks, wash hands, avoid gatherings, and continue to follow the CDC and MDPH guidelines. The Saugus Health Department strongly believes that adFirst Congregational Church extends clothing drive T he First Congregational Church United Church of Christ Saugus is extending the community clothing drive for hats, scarves and mittens/gloves for youth in need. We are hoping to collect more items on Saturday, February 13 from 10 a.m. to noon. While we have been blessed with many donations for which we are so grateful, we are hoping to get more, as the number of youth in need is greater than the donations we received. We are collecting new, handmade or like new and laundered items. We will also accept jackets for the youth as well. We will be at the church, which is located at 300 Central St. on the corner of Central Street and Hamilton Street across from the Town Hall. Please stop by and support our town's youth who are in need. Any donations are greatly appreciated. The distribution day will be on Saturday, February 20 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the church for those in need. With unity, we can achieve anything. HAPPY PRESIDENTS DAY. WE HOPE YOU ENJOY THE LONG WEEKEND. PLEASE REMEMBER WE’RE CLOSED ON MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15TH IN OBSERVANCE OF THE HOLIDAY. AS ALWAYS, YOU CAN ACCESS OUR ATMS AND ONLINE BANKING ANYTIME. 419 BROADWAY, EVERETT MA 02149 Right by you. 61 7-38 7 - 1 1 10 7 7 1 SALEM ST, LYNNFIELD, MA 01940 7 8 1 - 7 7 6 - 4444 WWW.EVERETTBANK .COM Member FDIC Member DIF ditional unrecognized cases DO exist in Saugus. Due to the fact that they are undetected, some of these infected individuals may not be properly isolated or quarantined, which is why Governor Baker directive is to wear a cloth face cover over their face when around others, practice social distancing, avoid gatherings and to follow the CDC and MDPH guidance. Again, this is a reminder that as the CDC and MDPH has provided guidance to everyone regarding preventing the spread of the COVID-19 virus in the Commonwealth. Please follow CDC and MDPH guidance to prevent COVID-19 illness by: • Cleaning your hands often for at least: 20 seconds • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth • Staying at least six feet between yourself and others • Covering your mouth and nose with a cloth face cover when around others Please stay healthy and please Registration for our G-4 thru G-8 Spring Travel programs is now open. Please register your son or daughter at saugusyouthsoccer.com The cost for the season is $150 and does not include the uniform cost. Please contact Mike Bluette at bluette4@comcast.net for more information or if you have any questions. call us with any needs. For more information, contact the Saugus Health Department at 781-231-4117 and/or the Town Manager’s office at 781-231-4111. Saugus Youth Soccer Association

Page 10 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2021 SAUGUS GARDENS IN THE PANDEMIC Here’s what’s blooming in town this week to make your walks more enjoyable By Laura Eisener I t's an eventful week for holidays: Chinese New Year is today and February 12 is also Abraham Lincoln's actual birthday. Sunday is Valentine's Day, and on Monday we will be celebrating President's Day. Mardi Gras is Tuesday, followed naturally by Ash Wednesday. Wednesday being the 17th of February, that also happens to be the 206th anniversary of Saugus being set aside from Lynn and becoming a separate town. Valentine's Day decorations can be found peeping out through the snow. Our ponds are mostly frozen over, so the swans that dare to winter over are spending more time on the tidal areas of the Saugus River since they don't freeze over. It won't be long before we'll see spring flowers but meanwhile we may have to look inside for spring. Several of the bulbs I potRED FOR WINTER: Andromeda with reddish flower buds at St. John’s Church–flowers will be pink when they bloom. (Courtesy photos to The Saugus Advocate by Laura Eisener) ted up in the garage around Christmas are beginning to poke up above the soil. The one sitting in my dining room window, of blooming tulips, miniature daffodils, and a budding pink oriental hyacinth were a present from my niece. All of the popular spring bulbs Flowers A Valentine’s Day poem to inspire Saugus residents who go shopping for flowers to express their love or friendship By Joanie Allbee F lowers say so much without ever a word. How can this be? Well haven’t you heard? It’s in the Bouquet that’s where the floral secrets lay. Out in the open for visual display. What form does it take? Look for the line it’s very opaque. A horizontal line implies rest, plenty of time don’t toil. Vertical and straight? Punctual, formal and royal. Is the line more angled than straight? This implies energy like a horse coming out of a gate! can be forced to bloom in the house, a little earlier than outdoors, if they get their required cold period before being brought inside and introduced to light–real or artificial. It's a great way to stretch out the flowering bulb season despite snow swirling outside. Always have a focal point where the eye will zoom. Give a showy piece plenty of room. Make the composition like a peacock plume. Give a smaller version for a friend in a hospital room. Love in your heart but you can’t say? A bunch of red roses will pave the way. They may even already portray what you can’t display. The container speaks volumes too. For there is another component to the clue. Smooth and shiny formality of brass. Gentle elegance of glass, baskets and pottery informal ease. A garden flower filled basket for a nice country breeze. Such a sensory gift to cherish, please and appease. Editor’s Note: Saugus resident JOANIE’S HEART GARDEN: If the weather is warm and sunny, Joanie Allbee can always enjoy this heat-shaped flower bed right outside her Saugus apartment. She notes that it doesn’t take up much room. Joanie Allbee, a local artist and frequent contributor to The Saugus Advocate, offers this poem as a Valentine’s present for Saugus. She hopes it might be beneficial to people picking flowers out for Valentine’s Day and flower painting — perhaps inspiring others to buy flowers with a little understanding of the languages of flowers known by florists. Allbee acknowledges that being born on Valentine’s Day has inspired her arJOANIE’S FOREVER KITCHEN FLOWERS: No matter what season it is, Joanie Allbee can always go into her kitchen if she wants a fresh bouquet of flowers to look at — the floral moral she painted. (Courtesy photos to The Saugus Advocate by Joanie Allbee) tistic talents and interests. “My birthday, Feb14th, that’s why I think I love roses, hearts, and the color ‘red’ so much I believe it’s been embedded and enmeshed throughout my DNA,” she says. “The poem I wrote for my book, “Tapestry,”...many moons ago, came out of the knowledge I learned from taking a Floral Design Program (After work hobby). With all the fascinating floral design knowledge learned, I wanted to find a way to share the knowledge with others so I wrote it in the form of a poem; short, concise and factual. One way to have flowers on Valentine's Day is to paint them! or grow them in the shape of a heart and replace flowers as seasons change! “Albee has such a “heart garden” outside her home. She has also painted a floral mural in her kitchen so “I always have a fresh bouquet of flowers to look at and enjoy, especially on Valentine’s Day!” DINING ROOM BLOOMS: Tulip, daffodil, and budding pink oriental hyacinth in pot in my Window. Reminders of the season are everywhere. After walking a mile or so in the snowy woods of Breakheart recently we came upon a fun discovery of a festive group of red hearts! I hope whoever put them up will remember to carefully cut off the zip ties before too much time has passed though, or they will kill the tree, which was surely not the intention. As the trunks expand, the plastic will prevent the cambium from growing, effectively cutting off circulation of sap if it is not removed. Anything encircling the trunk or branch GARDENS | SEE PAGE 11

THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2021 Page 11 Working out water woes Town Meeting Member Bill Brown gets a $1,000 water bill cut in half after complaining about a broken water meter By Mark E. Vogler P recinct 6 Town Meeting Member William S. Brown shook his head in disbelief last after receiving a $1,075 water bill earlier this month — nearly double the one ($581.97) he received back in June. The unexpected hike came after he and an overwhelming majority of his fellow Town Meeting members voted 2719 against a 4 percent increase back in December. Town officials had said at the time that residential water users would receive an average increase to an average bill of $482 twice a year — or $18 total by approving the water rate increase. But it irked Brown when he learned he would be paying $2,150 for the year — more than twice the average annual GARDENS | FROM PAGE 10 which does not decompose is very harmful to the tree. Flower buds all over town are ready and waiting for warmer weather and longer days. Even at the rate of a few minutes each day, it is noticeable that the sun is setting later. Buds on pussy willow (Salix discolor) at the edges of ponds and French pussy willow (Salix cabill because of billing that was based on the use of a busted water meter, “There’s no reason on earth why the water bill should jump like this,” Brown complained in an interview last weekend after mailing out a check for the full $1,075 for a six period. He had attached the check with a formal request to the town seeking an abatement. He noted in his request to the town that the “sudden increase in water consumption (50 percent) is unexplainable.” “Several years ago a town technician said the water meter was broken. I have requested a new water meter and pulse reader.” Brown had bolstered his complaint by calling the town’s water billing department, and apparently he received the desired results. prea) in gardens are beginning to expand and open up. The tiny flower buds of red maple (Acer rubrum) also look a little larger than a month ago and will certainly be opening by next month. While there are many other flower buds that are less conspicuous, those of magnolia, rhododendron and andromeda are quite noticeable in every neighborhood. Most rhododendron species He received a letter this week for just $509.99 — more than a 50 percent reduction in the monster bill he had protested a couple of weeks ago. “My screaming and yelling must have paid off because it was a quick response and they cut it in half,” Brown said in an interview Monday. “This is just a glitch in the system, but I’m tired of it. And I want it fixed. There is no way that I should be paying a $1,000 water bill for a half a year. That’s got to be straightened out.” The town’s response was a message to Brown that the water usage for the billing period of February 2020 to August 2020 has been revised to the threeyear average for the same billing period in 2019, 2018 and 2017. “It appears that the ERT is registering the pulse of the water consumption on the meter in WHAT THE HECK! Precinct 6 Town Meeting Member William S. Brown was outraged about his recent water bill — which amounted to more than $1,000 for a six-month billing period. The town cut the bill in half after Brown protested that the billing was based on a busted water meter. (Saugus Advocate photo by Mark E. Vogler) the property, however, the dials have stopped working on the meter, therefore resulting in the reduction based on the average,” it said. Officials at the Department of Public Works and the Water Meter Technician told Brown that they will replace the inside water meter. TOGETHER: A pair of swans on Hawkes’ Pond in North Saugus. WAITING FOR WARMER WEATHER: Catawba rhododendron and P.J.M. rhododendron at Saugus Youth and Recreation building with conspicuous flower buds. keep their leaves all winter, and their flower buds are formed almost 11 months before they will actually bloom. The most popular rhododendrons are the May flowering P.J.M. rhododendrons and the June blooming Catawba hybrids. P.J.M rhododendrons were developed by Weston Nurseries of Massachusetts in the early 20th century. Through the winter the small leaves are usually a reddish purple, and when the weather is particularly First Congregational Church of Saugus announces Ashes to Go and Ash Wednesday service T he First Congregational Church of Saugus, UCC, will be providing Ashes for the community on Feb. 17 from 8–10 a.m. Pastor Katie Omberg will be on the church corner of Central Street and Hamilton Street (300 Central St. in Saugus) for an imposition of ashes. If the weather is bad, they will be under the front door on Central St. The church is Open and Affirming: all are welcome, no matter where you are in the journey of life or the journey of faith. The church will also hold an Ash Wednesday service at facebook.com/uccsaugus at 6 p.m. All are welcome. cold they may roll up to conserve moisture, only to unroll as soon as the temperatures rise a bit. The Catawba rhododendron foliage is six to eight inches long and remains green all winter, although it too will curl up in response to cold. Every morning you can look out your window at them and get an idea of how much you need to bundle up for your walk. What shrub it is that has little bell-shaped flowers, almost like lily of the valley, blooming now? I have been asked this question more than once. Actually, it is not really in bloom yet–those are the flower buds, formed late last spring, which will not fully open until April. Japanese andromeda (Pieris japonica) with drooping flower clusters and evergreen foliage is the most popular. A North American native relative called mountain andromeda (Pieris floribunda) with upright flower clusters is sometimes grown in gardens here. The flowers are usually white when in bloom. There are also pink flowering varieties. One of these is near the arched gate of St. John's Church memorial garden on Central Street. It looks like the variety 'Valley Valentine' which is known for flower buds that look deep red throughout the winter. Editor’s Note: Laura Eisener is a landscape design consultant who helps homeowners with landscape design and plant selection, placement of trees and shrubs, as well as perennials. She is also a member of the Saugus Garden Club and offered to write a series of articles about “what’s blooming in town, since so many people have taken to walking the streets in their neighborhoods as a way to get some exercise and get out of the house” during the global pandemic.

Page 12 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2021 Sachems score win in Varsity Boys’ Hockey Senior Night game By Tara Vocino T he Saugus High School Sachems Varsity Boys’ Ice Hockey won 6-3 against Swampscott Big Blue Hockey on Saturday night during their Senior Night at the Kasabuski Rink. “[I’m] really proud of the way the team stuck with it and played a really strong third period,” Head Coach Jeffrey Natalucci said. “I’m happy for the seniors to get a win on Senior Night.” Natalucci added he’s also happy their parents received the opportunity to see them play live. Due to rink regulations, spectators and team photographs were prohibited to reduce the spread of COVID-19, according to Saugus High School Athletic Director Terri Pillsbury. Thus, seniors didn’t take the chance to play lightly. Co-Captain Nicholas DiVola, who added it’s an honor to be a senior and a captain, said he felt especially honored in times like this to participate in a Senior Night. After graduation, he plans to enter the United States Army as an infantry soldier. Co-Captain Andrew Cipriano said although conditions aren’t ideal due to COVID-19, they are doing the best they can to honor them safely, and they appreciate it. “Usually, the rink is packed with family and friends cheering us on,” Cipriano said, who plans to study criminal justice at Westfield State University to become a police officer. Senior Devon Burke said his teammates all worked so hard this season, and it means a lot to them. “We’re like family,” Burke said, whose top choice is Pennsylvania State University to hopefully become a medical engineer. “We’re looking to have a great end to the season.” On the ice are, proud mother Lauri, Nicholas, and father Robert DiVola during Saugus High School Varsity Boys’ Ice Hockey Senior Night at Kasabuski Rink on Saturday. On the ice are, proud parents Joanne and Derek with their son, Andrew Cipriano. Co-Captain Nicholas DiVola with his senior banner. Co-Captain Andrew Cipriano with his senior banner. Devon Burke by his senior poster before the winning game. On the rink are, proud parents Colleen and Robert with their son, Derek Burke. Seniors Devon Burke and Co-Captains Andrew Cipriano and Nicholas DiVola are congratulated by Head Coach Jeffrey Natalucci on their Senior Night win against Swampscott High School. (Advocate photos by Tara Vocino)

THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2021 Page 13 Jarosz returns to Town Hall Crabtree asked her to fill the vacancy left by Wendy Reed’s death By Mark E. Vogler (Feb. 5). Janice K. Jarosz, who worked T own Manager Scott C. Crabtree has called on the former town employee who trained Board of Selectmen Clerk Wendy Reed about a quarter of a century ago to fill the vacancy left by Reed’s unexpected death last Friday eight years as clerk of the Board of Selectmen prior to Reed’s appointment in 1996, has been hired to serve as the selectmen’s interim clerk, Crabtree said Wednesday. Crabtree said he plans to find a permanent replaceU.S. Attorney Warns Public to Be Wary of COVID-19 Vaccine Scams P ORTLAND, Maine: U.S. Attorney Halsey Frank is cautioning the public to be extremely skeptical of unsolicited offers to purchase COVID-19 vaccines. Federal, state and local agencies have received complaints about scammers capitalizing on demand for the vaccine to access individuals’ personally identifiable information such as Social Security numbers, and money, using various schemes. Among the tactics the scammers use are advertisements that promise early access to COVID-19 vaccines in exchange for a deposit or fee as well as offers to be put on a vaccine waiting list, again in exchange for money. “These scammers are ruthless and relentless, and everyone needs to have their guard up,” said U.S. Attorney Frank. “People here in Maine, particularly the elderly, are desperate to get vaccinated as quickly as possible, and the con artists are exploiting that desperation to get access to their money and personal information.” The FBI recommends checking your state’s health department website for accurate information on vaccine availability. The Maine CDC website has up-to-date information on COVID-19 vaccine availability. For more information on COVID-19 scams, visit fbi.gov/ coronavirus. If you are the victim of a scam or attempted fraud involving COVID-19, contact the National Center for Disaster Fraud hotline at 866-720-5721, or online at justice.gov/DisasterComplaintForm. Citibank to pay nearly $900K to thousands of Massachusetts consumers for credit card overcharges A ttorney General Maura Healey recently announced that Citibank will refund $895,000 to approximately 5,474 Citibank credit card holders in Massachusetts to resolve allegations that it overcharged them for credit card interest. The funds are part of a $4.2 million multistate settlement achieved in partnership with the attorneys general of Iowa, New Jersey, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania. Approximately 25,000 current and former Citibank customers are receiving refund checks as a result of the settlement. The Massachusetts assurance of discontinuance was filed in Suffolk Superior Court today. “Citibank charged consumers excessive interest on their credit cards and violated the law,” said Healey. “With this settlement, Citibank is required to compensate thousands of consumers in Massachusetts for years of overcharges.” The investigation arose from Citibank’s failure, from 2011 to August 2017, to properly reevaluate and reduce the annual percentage rate (APR) for certain consumer credit card accounts consistent with the requirements of the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009 (CARD Act). For more than six years, Citibank failed to properly lower credit card interest rates for certain consumers who were entitled to reductions in their APR. AG Healey’s Office alleges that Citibank’s failure to reevaluate credit card interest rates further violated the Massachusetts Consumer CITIBANK | SEE PAGE 19 about 20 hours a week — and pays about $20 an hour. It is not the type of position ment for Reed, 57, who died of an apparent heart attack. The town manager said he doesn’t know what his timetable is yet and whether he will fill the position from inside the ranks of town government or advertise for outside candidates. The position is part-time — that will attract candidates from outside the community, as Saugus has had trouble recruiting full-time positions that pay a lot more, he said. Jarosz was unavailable for comment. She has been a local journalist for many years, writing about her hometown. But she has also been active in local government and civic affairs. Jarosz received the Woman of The Year Award during the 2008 Founders Day celebration because of her contributions to the betterment of the community. She is a former member of Town Meeting, the Board of Selectmen and was the first chair of the Saugus Recycling Committee. She worked eight years as clerk of the Board of Selectmen. And for the last decade, she has been president of the MEG Foundation. DCR announces family-friendly, self-guided opportunities for February school vacation week T he state Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) recently announced that it will offer family-friendly Trip-Tips, self-guided adventures and suggested hikes for approximately 20 state park facilities during the traditional February school vacation week. Programming can be enjoyed at any time starting on Saturday, February 13, 2021. DCR Trip-Tips provide children and their families with self-guided activity ideas to lead their exploration of a local state park or watershed. The Trip-Tips include activities like winter birding, wildlife observation, history tours, and scavenger hunts. For a full list of Trip-Tips, visit DCR’s website. “This winter, DCR is thrilled to offer school vacation TripTips encouraging children and their families to enjoy the fresh air and experience self-guided opportunities in their local state park,” said DCR Commissioner James Montgomery. “The Baker-Polito Administration continues to increase both access within our state parks system and opportunities for the public to enjoy the many recreational resources available to them.” In addition to the school vacation week programming, DCR is offering public skating at Kelly Outdoor Rink from noon to 7:30 p.m. Sundays through Fridays and 2 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Saturdays. The DCR is also offering self-guided suggested hiking adventures at approximately 70 locations statewide. The DCR TripTip itineraries and self-guided recommended hikes can be found on the DCR website. For winter hiking safety tips, visit the DCR YouTube page. Some programming highlights include: Beaver Lodge Hunt and Find Location: Bradley Palmer State Park, 40 Asbury St. in Topsfield Harold Parker State Forest, 305 Middleton Rd. in North Andover Explore the woods and find the homes of nature’s engineers! The beaver is a rarely seen, secretive animal, but their signs are easily noticed if you know where and how to look. This self-guided Trip-Tips takes you on a beaver lodge discovery tour in two parks to find lodges in four different locations. Sharpen your skills of observation as you look for signs that are hidden in plain sight—things that a lot of people just don’t see. Your journey will take you to Bradley Palmer State Park in Topsfield and Harold Parker State Forest in North Andover, two forested parks that are about 30 minutes apart. Suitable for all ages. No parking fees apply. Explore the Winter Shore Location: Halibut Point State Park, Gott Ave. in Rockport Revere Beach Reservation, Revere Beach Blvd. in Revere Belle Isle Marsh Reservation, 1399 Bennington St. in East Boston Explore history and nature on the shore this winter! These self-guided Trip-Tips feature three DCR parks that are located along a scenic ocean drive: Halibut Point State Park, Revere Beach Reservation, and Belle Isle Marsh Reservation. Activities include viewing the harlequin ducks, eider ducks, and loons at the rocky coastal water’s edge of Halibut Point, searching for and photographing noteworthy buildings and structures that grace the shoreline, and exploring a saltmarsh filled with a variety of winter birds including the American Black Duck, Brant and, Great Blue Heron at Belle Isle Marsh Reservation. Don’t forget to bring along your binoculars, spotting scope, camera, and sketch pad! Suitable for all ages. No parking fees apply. Visitors are encouraged to tweet, post, and tag photos on social media using @MassDCR and #DCRTripTips. The DCR asks visitors to park in designated areas only, and to come back another time if a parking lot is full. Many visitor centers remain closed. However, restrooms or porta-johns within many DCR parks remain open. Dogs are required to be on leash in state parks unless signage designates otherwise. Dogs are not permitted on DCR Water Supply Protection areas. To find a dog-friendly park, visit the DCR website. When visiting state parks, DCR offers general guidance for visitors to follow: • If a facility or park is crowded, please consider leaving the area and either visiting a different location or returning at a later date or time (typically state parks are less busy during the week and/or early in the morning); • Follow posted rules, such as “carry in, carry out” trash policies and posted parking restrictions and pet waste disposal policies; • Stay within solitary or small groups, and avoid gatherings of ten or more people; • Practice social distancing of at least six feet between individuals; • Wear a facial mask or covering in public; • Practice healthy personal hygiene, such as handwashing for at least 20 seconds; and, • Stay home if ill, over 70, and/or part of a vulnerable population.

Page 14 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2021 THE SOUNDS OF SAUGUS By Mark E. Vogler H ere are a few tidbits that you might want to know about this week in Saugus. Calling young artists If you are a school aged student living in Saugus and love to draw or paint or take photographs, here’s your chance to display your artistic talents — for everyone in your hometown to see. The Selectmen’s Office is seeking any original artwork and / or photographs created by any Saugus school aged child to be included in the Town of Saugus Annual Report. One will be chosen for the Annual Report cover. Artwork should include student’s name and age and may be sent to: Saugus Board of Selectmen, 298 Central Street. Art work must be received by the selectmen’s office no later than Feb. 25. This sounds like a great opportunity. We have a winner! We have a winner in last week’s “Guess Who Got Sketched” contest. Congratulations to Lauren Greene, who contacted us first and offered the correct answer. Thanks to other readers who responded by email or phone message. Try again this week. Here’s last week’s answer, offered by the person who goes by the name of The Sketch Artist: “The answer to who the sketch is ...one dedicated and steadfast Cosmetologist Lisa Barras! Lisa was a salon owner for 15 years in Stoneham but pursued her career in her hometown of Saugus to be close to her children, who were attending school at the time. . She works at The Hair Lounge on Central Street Saugus and in addition to this she serves as a Caregiver. She has been a cosmetologist for over 40 years; she is a friendly hardworking hairdresser who knows her stuff! Lisa graduated Wakefield Vocational School in 1980. She has three grown children: Adam, Alyssa and Erika; and two grandchildren, Steven and Layla. She joined the Saugus Elks To participate in their outreaches and to give back to the community. Thank you for your time Lisa keep on shining you truly are a star! Yours truly, The sketch Artist A food drive later this month This just in from Board of Selectmen Vice Chair Corinne Riley “The Town of Saugus, organized by the Board of Selectmen, has scheduled a much needed drop-off food and necessities drive to benefit the Saugus Senior Center and the Saugus Food Pantry, on Saturday, February 27th from 10 a.m. to noon at the Saugus Senior Center, 466 Central St. If inclement weather, it will be held the following Saturday, March 6th, same time. “All items are appreciated, but items that are most needed are small individual boxes of cereal as well as full size boxes of cereal, oatmeal, canned fruit, bread, canned tuna fish, soup, hand sanitizer and sanitizing wipes, toilet paper, sanitizer, shelf stable milk, snacks/crackers, peanut butter, jelly, canned vegetables, canned spaghetti sauce, pasta and macaroni and cheese. “This food drive will be missing Wendy Reed, who was the Director of the Saugus United Parish Food Pantry. There are many great people who volunteer their time for those in need, and although Wendy will be sorely missed, this work will continue to help those in our community who have fallen on hard times.” If you feel like doing something to honor Wendy’s memory, this is that type of event. A “Super, Super Shout Out” for Wendy Some of our readers suggested this week that we dedicate a super large “Shout Out” for the late Wendy Reed, the longtime clerk of the Saugus Board of Selectmen, who died last Friday of an apparent heart attack. As most followers of Saugus Town Hall know, Wendy was a key resource, goodwill ambassador and vastly underpaid town employee who accomplished GUESS WHO GOT SKETCHED? 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’s being sketched this week? If you do, please email me at mvoge@comcast.net or leave a phone message at 978 683-7773. The first reader to respond and identify the Saugonian being sketched correctly between now and Tuesday morning is the winner of a $10 gift certificate, compliments of Dunkin’ Donuts at the 1204 Broadway Saugus location, at Route 1 North. 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”) After returning to Saugus as a reporter for the first time in 24 years (I had covered the town while with North Shore Sunday for five and a half years up until the spring of 1991 — when Sunday was a must-read for 11 North Shore cities and towns, including Saugus), it took Wendy and me a few month to get comfortable dealing with each other. But once we both understood where we were coming from, the working relationship was just fine. Wendy was one of the few people who could relate to the town officials I knew back in the late 80’s and early 90’s during my previous stint covering Saugus. And we shared common recollections of those days while waiting for selectmen’s meetings to start or during Wendy’s cigarette breaks outside Town Hall during weekdays. One of the things I admired a lot about Wendy, she was so organized that she knew where to draw the line between her public life and private life. She would get mad at me if I sent her an email requesting public more in a 20-hour-a-week time slot than some fulltime town employees did. In addition, she put in many hours of volunteer work as the interim director — and essentially the heart and soul of the Saugus United Parish Food Pantry. She also worked behind the scenes with the Saugus Veterans Council to help organize and promote parades and other patriotic community events. Besides being highly organized, well-versed on local government policies and procedures, knowledgeable of hundreds of town government actions taken by selectmen and the School Committee over the quarter of a century or so that she was a central fabric of Saugus town government, she was easily the most accessible and meaningful resource that town government could offer its citizens. That’s my observation of Wendy after having covered town government for nearly a half decade with The Saugus Advocate. records to her personal email address. And likewise, she expressed some dismay if I sent an email requesting information about the food pantry or some other volunteer activities to her office email address. Another impressive thing, her eyes would get big and she would flash a giant smile when I asked her about good human interest stories and colorful Saugonians who might be worth writing about. She loved to put the spotlight on positive things people were doing in her adopted hometown. We also would talk frequently about open government in Massachusetts as it related to Saugus. She encouraged me to report tenaciously about the state Open Meeting Law violations involving the Saugus School Committee and about the issues related to the privatization of custodial services which cost 21 men and women their jobs two years ago. Wendy apparently was a well-respected chair of the Saugus School Committee who prided herself on fairness and following the rules. So, we dedicate this week’s “The Advocate Asks” to Wendy Reed as I reached out personally to about 40 town officials and residents over several days this week, receiving comments from the entire Board of Selectmen among the 20 people who responded to my texts, emails and telephone calls. So it was that while driving to Swansea in the southeastern part of the state last Friday morning to take my brother Wayne to a doctor’s appointment that I received a very sad call from Bob Davis, the superintendent of World Series Park. Bob wanted me to know that Wendy had passed away. For the most part, we enjoyed a formal reporter-source relationship. We never shared a cup of coffee or lunch. So, while driving down Route 24, the news hit particularly hard, as if Wendy were a friend or acquaintance, even though she was neither. But, I am glad that I got to spend considerable time over the past five years talking to Wendy or emailing her about Saugus government or the food pantry. I know she will be missed by the people of Saugus. All 20 of the Saugus people I interviewed this week — who spanned both ends of the town’s political spectrum — agreed wholeheartedly. 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 the mention in the subject line, “An Extra Shout Out.” No more than a paragraph. Anything longer might lend itself to a story and/or photo. Rev. Beach begins new book discussion group If you missed the compelling book discussion group that the Rev. John Beach of St. John’s Episcopal Church led last fall on politics and religion in the midst of a divisive presidential campaign, you should check out a new book study group that begins next week. “I will be leading another book discussion group through the Saugus Library on David Brooks, The Second Mountain,” Rev. Beach wrote in a recent email. The discussion group led by Rev. Beach will be held on Tuesday Evenings, from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. during the period of Feb. 17 through March 30. To register, or to receive more information, please email revjbeach@ gmail.com . The Washington Post calls the book “Deeply moving, frequently eloquent and extraordinarily incisive.” It does sound pretty interesting, based on the press release we received from Rev. Beach: How can we come together with our neighbors and discuss those things that matter to us? Come join our book discussion group! In The Second Mountain, New York Times commentator David Brooks explores the four commitments that define a life of meaning and purpose: to family, to a vocation, to a philosophy or faith, and to a community. Our personal fulfillment depends on how well we choose and THE SOUNDS OF SAUGUS | SEE PAGE 15

THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2021 Page 15 THE SOUNDS OF SAUGUS | FROM PAGE 14 execute these commitments. Brooks looks at a range of people who have lived joyous, committed lives, and who have embraced the necessity and beauty of dependence. He gathers their wisdom on how to choose a partner, how to pick a vocation, how to live out a philosophy, and how we can begin to integrate our commitments into one overriding purpose. In short, this book is meant to help us all lead more meaningful lives. But it’s also a provocative social commentary. We have taken individualism to the extreme— and in the process we have torn the social fabric in a thousand different ways. The path to repair is through making deeper commitments. In The Second Mountain, Brooks shows what can happen when we put commitment-making at the center of our lives.” If you love to read and participate in book discussion books on a very global level involving religion and life, there’s still time to participate. I’m getting COVID-19 fatigued I’m growing weary of those ungrateful readers who express dismay about us not covering a particular local government reading like we are recorders rather than reporters trying to make sense of the doings of town government. If you want a blow-by-blow description of what happens at every meeting, watch the rerun on vimeo.com/saugustelevision. We do try to monitor important meetings like next Tuesday’s Special Town Meeting, which will begin at 6 p.m. However there is so much space and time you can spend on gleaning useful information to our readers. And to tell you the honest truth, it’s pretty darn easy to get “Zoomed out” during these crazy days of COVID-19. And with The Saugus Advocate, we try to present balanced coverage that just doesn’t have to do with Saugus Town Hall government and politics. How about a little bit of sports, arts, culture, history too? All government coverage can make Jack or Jill a dull boy or girl. If I had my druthers, I would drive from Methuen down to Saugus to cover a Board of Selectmen or Board of Health meeting and follow the discourse, especially reaction from citizens in the audience who may be affected by the actions taken by the local government body. Back in normal times, after a voter, I would follow citizens leaving the second floor auditorium at Saugus Town Hall and hand and/or their attorney a business with my telephone numbers and emails in case they wanted to comment on the government action taken. As an observer of Saugus town government, that aspect of journalism no longer exists when you have to settle for watching the “Hollywood Squares” version of Saugus town government via “Zoom” video conferencing. And I hate the distractions. The major one is local government officials who don’t know when to turn off the mute button or when to turn it on. Sometimes you can see people’s jaws moving, but no words being spoken. Other times, you can pick up the background noise of dogs barking, toddlers babbling, or spouses squabbling in the background. That’s not real reporting, folks. I long for the 45-minute, one-way drives to and from Saugus Town Hall again. Hopefully late spring or early summer. Stay tuned. Healthy Students-Healthy Saugus (HS2) continues With the start of 2021, the Grab-N-Go meals program is back for another year at the Saugus Public Schools to keep needy students from going hungry. Healthy Students-Healthy Saugus (HS2), in partnership with Whitsons Food Service, continues with its noble program. Breakfasts and lunches will be available for pick up at the Veteran Memorial School at 39 Hurd Ave, every Tuesday and Friday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information or assistance please email hs2information@gmail.com or visit the Healthy Students-Healthy Saugus Facebook page. Healthy Saugus-Healthy Students (HS2) is a non-profit group that helps to offset food insecurity households. HS2 provides a weekend supply of nutritious food for weekends or school holidays during the school year. For more information or assistance please email hs2information@gmail.com or visit the Healthy Students-Healthy Saugus Facebook page. Healthy Saugus-Healthy Students (HS2) is a non-profit group that helps to offset food insecurity households. HS2 provides a weekend supply of nutritious food for weekends or school holidays during the school year. Food Pantry still open The Saugus United Parish Food Pantry will continue to remain open on Fridays 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 located in the basement of the Cliftondale Congregational Church at 50 Essex St. in Saugus. Food help for veterans Saugus offers a Veterans Food Pantry on the third Wednesday of each month. “We have been holding it in Melrose since the Saugus Senior Center has been closed, “Saugus Veteran Services Officer Jay Pinette says, “The pantry provides a mix of fresh produce and non-perishable foods. The pantry is open to Veterans and/or surviving spouses. Registration is required and may be done by contacting the Veterans Services Office,” The food market is generally held at the Saugus Senior Center, but given the current COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently offering a contact-free, drive-thru food pantry at Memorial Hall on Main Street in Melrose. If you are unable to pick-up, some limited deliveries may be available. This offering is year round. Please call the Saugus Veterans’ Service Office at 781231-4010 or e-mail VeteransServices@saugus-ma.gov in order to register. Proof of Veteran status is required. Helping the Vets During these challenging times, your local Veterans’ Service Officers would like to share some information on a benefit program that is available to those who qualify. If you are a Veteran or the surviving spouse of a Veteran, the “Chapter 115 Benefits Program” is a Massachusetts state initiative that provides financial aid for Veterans and/or their surviving spouses who reside in Massachusetts and meet certain income and asset guidelines. Benefits may include monthly ordinary benefits and/or payment/reimbursement for medical expenses. Whether laid off, in transition or living on a fixed income, the program is designed to provide short term or long term assistance as needed to provide relief. The program is overseen by the Massachusetts Department Veterans’ Services (DVS), which runs the program in partnership with local Veterans’ Service Officers (VSOs). Every town or district in Massachusetts has a VSO. VSOs assist Veterans and their dependents in learning about, applying for, and receiving Chapter 115 benefits. VSOs can also help you in applying for other benefits and connecting with local resources. Your local VSO handles applications, obtains program approval from DVS, and provides local benefits. The program is funded by a combination of state and local funds. DVS pays for 75 percent and your city or town pays for 25 percent of the approved benefits. There are income and asset limits for the program. As a general rule, income and asset requirements are: Family of one-monthly income less than $2,081and an asset limit of $5,000 Family of two-monthly income less than $2,818 and an asset limit of $9,800 To determine if you may be eligible for financial assistance through the Chapter 115 program, visit the following link and follow the instructions: https:// massvetben.org/ or call your local VSO for more information. The VSOs are also able to help Veterans apply for Federal VA benefits, local benefits and provide food assistance monthly. For example, did you know that if you own a home and have a VA service-connected disability, you are eligible for a partial or full exemption of your property taxes? Please contact your local Veterans’ Service Officer for more information on any of the services mentioned. We are all here to assist. We are regularly checking voicemails and emails as we continue to work remotely and in our offices throughout COVID-19. Melrose: Karen Burke 781-979-4186 kburke@cityofmelrose.org Wakefield: David Mangan 781-246-6377 dmangan@ wakefield.ma.us Saugus: Jay Pinette 781-231-4010 jpinette@saugus-ma.gov Buy a brick to honor your vets “Veterans Buy-a-Brick Program. Due to the low number of orders and the uncertainty of how a Veterans Day ceremony will be allowed, the program will be extended until May. The installation of bricks will be during the Memorial Day ceremony. We will be contacting the people who have already purchased a brick. Any questions, please call 781-231-7995.” Side Door Pickup at the Saugus Public Library To help keep the building and staff warmer during the winter, the Saugus Public Library moved its Front Door Pickup service from Central Street to Taylor Street in mid-December Patrons are required to place items on hold via the library’s online catalog and then, once notified that their item(s) are ready, schedule a pickup date. Pickup times remain the same: Tuesday: 3:30 pm to 6:30 pm Wednesday: 10:30 am to 2:00 pm Thursday: 3:30 pm to 6:30 pm In addition to the slight change in location, the library has made it easier for its patrons to retrieve their items. Instead of waiting for a librarian to place your item on the table, we’ll place all scheduled holds on a table in the Taylor Street hallway. All you’ll have to do is walk in (one at a time, please, and don’t forget to wear a mask!) and retrieve the bag with your name on it. The library also provides remote printing pick up and take & make crafts from the Taylor Street hallway. Should you need assistance; a librarian will be standing by near the hallway to help. Fast, simple, and easy! For more information on this and other services, visit http://www.sauguspubliclibrary.org 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 nearly five 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 while practicing social distancing outside a local coffee shop. And, I’ll buy the coffee. Or, if you prefer to be interviewed from the safety of your home on the phone or via email, I will provide that option to you as the nation copes with the Coronavirus crisis.

Page 16 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2021 Nine JV Girls’ Basketball Sachems score in home game T By Tara Vocino he Saugus Sachems Junior Varsity Girls’ Basketball lost 28-38 to the Danvers Falcons at home last Friday night. According to Saugus High School Athletic Department Clerk Marybeth Bertrand, the game’s top scorers were Madison Riera, who had six points, while Sara Rovcanin scored five points. In total, nine players scored, and the Sachems hit five three-pointers. Saugus Girls’ Junior Varsity Girls’ Basketball Sachems, shown front row, from left to right, are: Juliana Power, Paige Hogan, Jessica Valley, Lily Comeau, Kristyn Camacho, and Madilyn Femino. Pictured back row, from left to right, are: Sachems Head Coach Erik Stockwell, Kaitlyn Pugh, Felicia Alexander, Sara Rovcanin, Madison Riera, Kate Grant, Amelia Pappagallo, and Enisa Karhiman. TOTAL FOOTBALL By The Old Sachem, Bill Stewart H endrick Johannes Cruiijff, known as Johan Cruyff internationally, was one of the greatest soccer, (internationally it’s known as football) players. He was born on April 25, 1947 in Amsterdam, Netherlands, and died on March 24, 2016. He developed a philosophy known as TOTAL FOOTBALL (which we know as soccer). A Dutch professional footballer, both player and coach, and is valued as one of the most prolific players in the sports history. He also played baseball in the Netherlands as a youngster and was prized as both a pitcher and catcher during his school days. The high levels of the sport were pretty much unknown before the 1960s in his land, but Johan brought the sport to prominence in the Netherlands. As a player he was awarded the Ballon d’Or, the trophy awarded to the most outstanding player for the current year. He was honored with the award three times, 1971, 1973, and 1974. In 1974 he led his nation to the finals of the World Cup and he received the Golden Ball as the outstanding player of the tournament. He was the first to wear a number greater than eleven (he wore 14), while all players on teams wore 1 through 11. He also started the system of the center midfielder to be an attacker rather than a safety. In the World Cup Head Coach Erik Stockwell addresses the team before the game. (Advocate photos by Tara Vocino) the Netherlands beat Argentina 4-0, East Germany 2-0, and Brazil 2-0, before losing to West Germany in the final 3-1. Cruyff started his career with Ajax in Holland as a semi-professional youth in 1957 to 1964. In 1964 he was promoted to the Ajax professional team, the club winning eight Eredivisie (Netherland) championships, three European Cups, and one International Cup with the talent of Cruyff. Johan moved to Barcelona for a world record transfer fee at the time, an assisted the club to winning the La Li Liga Cup (the Spanish Championship) in his first year. For his play that season, he was named European Footballer of the Year. He remained with Barcelona until 1978, then moved to the United States to play for the Los Angeles Aztecs. In 1980 he moved to the Washington Diplomats, then in 1981 he went back to Europe with Levante in the Spanish professional League. Late in 1981 he returned to Ajax, then played for Feyenoord in the Dutch professional league in 1983-1984. He was selected to the Netherlands National team in 1966 through 1977. Johan became a coach for Ajax from 1985 to 1988, for Barcelona from 1988 to 1996, and Catalonia from 2009 to 2013. During his time with Ajax as a player, the team won six league championships (1966, 67,68, 70,72, 73) and at Barcelona they won in 1974 with Johan as the team leader. As a coach (in Europe they call them managers) with Barcelona his team won four consecutive championships, 1991 through 1994. Cruyff was voted European Player of the Century in an election held by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics, and came in second to Pele as the World Player of the Century. Johan was selected for the World Team of the 20th Century in 1998, the FIFA World Cup Dream Team in 2002 and in 2004 was named to the FIFA 100 list of the world’s greatest living players. Cruyff played professionally for twenty seasons having 514 appearances, and scoring 412 goals during those years. Between 1966 and 1977 he appeared in 48 international games for the Netherlands National team and scored 33 goals in tournament play. As written as the title Cruyff developed a style of play known as TOTAL FOOTBALL. It is a system where a player who moves out of position, usually to attack, is replaced by another player on the field, to allow the team to keep their intended organizational structure. The system was started by Ajax manager, Rinus Michels, and enhanced by Cruyff. Cruyff was known for his technical ability, speed, acceleration, dribbling, and vision, where he knew the positions of his teammates as play unfolded. In his autobiography he explained the fourteen rules for effective play in football, which we know as soccer. 1. Team player – ‘To accomplish things, you have to do them together.’; 2. Responsibility – ‘Take care of things as if they were your own.’; 3. Respect – ‘Respect one another.’; 4. Integration – ‘Involve others in your activities.’; 5. Initiative – ‘Dare to try something new.’; 6. Coaching – ‘Always help each other within a team.’; FOOTBALL | SEE PAGE 17

THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2021 Page 17 MEETING | FROM PAGE 1 major reason why Town Meeting needs to pass the article is because the two-yearold building moratorium on multi-family dwellings of three or more units will expire sometime this summer, making the town vulnerable to development which would be less favorable to the town economically. “The commercial tax rate is much higher than residential. So, if Town Meeting doesn’t pass it, we haven’t done anything to improve the district or tweak the district at all,” Vecchione said in an interview. “So the purpose of this article is to tweak the zoning to be more molded to Route 1. We’re tryin to maintain the balance between commercial and residential that’s been missing since this bylaw was first enacted,” he said. FOOTBALL | FROM PAGE 16 7. Personality – ‘Be yourself.’; 8. Social involvement – ‘Interaction is crucial, in sport and in life.’; 9. Technique – ‘Know the basics.’; (For a related story, please see “A reader's perspective) Route 1 zoning district needs upgrading to protect Saugus. That’s why Town Meeting needs to pass Article 2 at Tuesday night’s special town meeting” in this week’s Saugus Advocate. Article 2 — which consumers more than 20 pages — is expected to draw the most discussion at Tuesday’s Special Town Meeting, which is set to begin at 6 p.m. on Tuesday (Feb. 16), via Zoom video conferencing. Also on the warrant are articles to: • Create a special committee to study the revitalization of Cliftondale Square • Rename the Saugus Senior Center in honor of the late Richard J. “Dick” Barry, a long-time leader in Saugus local government and community affairs who spent many years as chair of the town’s Council on Aging 10. Tactics – ‘Know what to do.’; 11. Development – ‘Sport strengthens body and soul.’; 12. Learning – ‘Try to learn something new every day.’; 13. Play together – ‘An essential part of any game.’; and was active in developing the Saugus Senior Center “There are plenty of opportunities to look outside the box on Route 1 and improve the zoning district and help us determine what’s best for the community,” Vecchione said. “But we need to do something before the building moratorium expires because we’re starting to see developers come in with proposals to freeze zoning,” he said. “There’s a lot of room for interpretation of the existing bylaw. And in my opinion, the town is being taken advantage of,” he said. Vecchione had introduced a zoning article for last year’s Annual Town Meeting, but it was among a package of zoning articles that was never considered after the outbreak of COVID-19. Vecchione said he has worked for about seven months with Selectman Michael Serino and 14. Creativity – ‘Bring beauty to the sport.’; These fourteen rules stand as a legacy for one of the greatest footballers of all time, and in many ways is a guide to compete in any sport, and even in everyday life. 600 Sq. Feet, 2 Parking Spots, 2 levels Private Bath, Prime location on Main Street at the top of Broadway Circle - $2K/Month Contact SHEILA: (310) 508-3119 SHEILAMBRUZZESE@GMAIL.COM Alex Mello of the Planning Department in making adjustments in his original proposal. He has offered another article that will be considered Tuesday night, one that would create a special 10-person committee to consider ways to revitalize Cliftondale Square. “This is something I have lobbied for now for almost a decade,” Vecchione said. “The focus really needs to be set on what we can do to revitalize business in Cliftondale because the last 30 years has been focused on what we can’t do,” he said. “How can we make physical progress at the square instead of just talking about it and doing nothing? There’s plenty of data and studies available since 1982 which shows what we can do,” he said. Vecchione said he plans to offer an amendment that would link the committee to the Town Manager’s Economic Development Committee. 81 Main St., Everett, Available March 1, 2021 Commercial Property For Rent

Page 18 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2021 Beacon Hill Roll Call By Bob Katzen A note from Bob Katzen, Publisher of Beacon Hill Roll Call Join me this Sunday night and every Sunday night between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. for my talk show “The Bob Katzen Baby Boomer and Gen X Show.” Jump in my time capsule and come back to the simpler days of the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. My guest on Sunday, February 14th on my WMEX 1510 AM Radio and online show will be Jay Gordon, a nationally known Elvis expert who hosted a renowned weekly nationally syndicated radio show “Elvis Only.” The show was all about the music and life of the King of rock ’n’ roll. Jay was also a disc jockey at the former Oldies 103 Radio, WZLX and many other Boston radio stations. His knowledge about and love for Elvis is unsurpassed. There are many ways you can listen to the show from anywhere in the world: If you have a smart speaker, simply say, “Play WMEX on RADIO. COM” Download the free RADIO.COM app on your phone or tablet Listen online at: www.radio. com/1510wmex/listen Tune into 1510 AM if you still have an AM radio THE HOUSE AND SENATE. There were no roll call votes in the House or Senate last week. This week, Beacon Hill Roll Call reports local senators’ roll call attendance records for the entire 2020 session. The Senate held 330 roll calls in 2020. Beacon Hill Roll Call tabulates the number of roll calls on which each senator was present and voting and then calculates that number as a percentage of the total roll call votes held. That percentage is the number referred to as the roll call attendance record. In the Senate, 84.6 percent (33 senators) have 100 percent roll call attendance records. Only six senaVARIANT | FROM PAGE 2 ants emerging. This is an evolutionary survival of the fi ttest situation” Linas also said the spike protein found in B117 is much more potent than the spike protein in the original COVID-19 virus. “This is what makes the virus more infectious — it is better at getting into host cells,” he said. In addition, Linas agreed with Bruno-Murtha regarding the effi cacy of the vaccines. “The good news is that the same things we do to prevent COVID will also work against tors have missed any roll calls. Beacon Hill Roll Call contacted these senators who missed roll calls and asked them for a statement. More senators have 100 percent roll call attendance records than in recent memory. This can be attributed to the fact that most senators were not at the Statehouse and participated in these Senate sessions remotely from their homes because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of senators who had 100 percent roll call attendance records in the prior four years was 28 in 2019; 20 in 2018; 24 in 2017; and 17 in 2016. The senator who missed the most roll calls is Sen. Nick Collins (D-Boston) who missed 12 roll calls (96.3 percent attendance record). “My wife and I were overjoyed to welcome our second daughter into the world last June,” said Collins. “As a result, I was unable to cast votes in person for several days. Eleven of the 12 votes I missed were while I was on paternity leave. It was incredibly important to be with my wife and daughters in those precious moments. The fi nal missed roll call was for a land conveyance in the town of Dunstable, taken at 4 a.m. at the very end of the session as I was caring for my newborn.” Sens. Pat Jehlen (D-Somerville) and Mike Rush (D-West Roxbury) each missed fi ve roll calls (98.4 percent attendance record). “On January 16, [2020] I was home with the fl u,” responded Jehlen. “There were fi ve roll calls that I missed [that day]. It’s the only session I missed.” “I was out of state on offi cial orders, training with the U.S. Navy from January 10, 2020 to January 19, 2020,” wrote Rush. Former Sen. James Welch missed two roll calls. He could not be reached for comment. Sens. Michael Rodrigues (D-Westport) and Barry Finegold (D-Andover) each missed one roll call. “I was in session participating in the debate on the climate change bill and I don’t remember missing a roll call,” responded Rodrigues. Finegold did not respond to repeated requests by Beacon Hill Roll Call for a comment. 2020 FINAL SENATE ROLL CALL ATTENDANCE RECORD The percentage listed next to the senator’s name is the percentage of roll call votes for which the senator was present and voting. The number in parentheses represents the number of roll calls that he or she missed. Sen. Brendan Crighton 100 percent (0) HOW LONG WAS LAST WEEK’S SESSION? Beacon Hill Roll Call tracks the length of time that the House and Senate were in session each week. Many legislators say that legislative sessions are only one aspect of the Legislature’s job and that a lot of important work is done outside of the House and Senate chambers. They note that their jobs also involve committee work, research, constituent work and other matters that are important to their districts. Critics say that the Legislature does not meet regularly or long enough to debate and vote in public view on the thousands of pieces of legislation that have been fi led. They note that the infrequency and brief length of sessions are misguided and lead to irresponsible late-night sessions and a mad rush to act on dozens of bills in the days immediately preceding the end of an annual session. During the week of February 1-5, the House met for a total of six minutes while the Senate met for a total of eleven minutes. Mon. February 1 House 11:03 a.m. to 11:05 a.m. Senate 11:11 a.m. to 11:16 a.m. Tues. February 2 No House session Wed. February 3 No House session Fri. February 5 No House session No Senate session No Senate session Thurs. February 4 House 11:02 a.m. to 11:06 a.m. Senate 11:27 a.m. to 11:33 a.m. No Senate session Bob Katzen welcomes feedback at bob@beaconhillrollcall.com B117,” he said. “The vaccines we have now are eff ective against B117.” Dr. Mark Siedner, an infectious disease specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital, said B117 is estimated to be 50 to 60 percent more contagious than the original strain of COVID-19. “This virus is becoming increasingly predominant,” he said. However, Siedner said safeguards are now in place to prevent a shutdown similar to what happened last spring. “The protective measures that keep us safe don’t change, social responsibility doesn’t change,” he said. “I don’t foresee us going back in time; we should not be where we were a year ago.” However, Dr. Richard Ellison, an infectious disease specialist at UMass Memorial Medical Center, was not as optimistic about the vaccines’ to ability to guard against B117. “We don't have any good evidence at all,” he said. “It’s defi - nitely very worrisome.” Ellison also called attention to the havoc that B117 has already caused in the United Kingdom. “What we saw in England could realistically happen here,” he said. S y Senior ni r How to Choose a Sa e a BY JIM MILLER t Ch Medical Alert System Dear Savvy Senior, I am interested in getting my mom, who lives alone, a medical alert system with a wearable pendant button that will let her call for help if she falls or has a medical emergency. What can you tell me to help me choose one? Too Many Choices Dear Too Many, A good medical alert system is an eff ective and aff ordable tool that can help keep your mom safe and living in her own home longer. But with all the diff erent products and features available today, choosing one can be challenging. Here are some tips that can help. Three Key Questions Medical alert systems, which have been around since the 1980s, provide a wearable help button – usually in the form of a neck pendant or wristband – that would put your mom in touch with a dispatcher who could summon emergency help or contact a friend or family member as needed. To help you narrow down your options and choose a system that best fi ts your mom’s needs, here are three key questions you’ll need to ask, along with some top-rated companies that off er these products. Does your mom want a home-based or mobile system? Medical alert systems were originally designed to work inside the home with a landline telephone, which is still an option. But since fewer and fewer households have landlines these days, most companies today also off er home-based systems that work over a cellular network. With these systems, pressing the wearable help button allows you to speak to a dispatcher through a base unit located in your home. In addition, many companies offer mobile medical alert options, too. You can use these systems at home, but they’ll also allow you to call for help while you’re out and about. Mobile alerts operate over cellular networks and incorporate GPS technology. They allow you to talk and listen to the operator directly through the pendant button, and because of the GPS, your location would be known in order for help to be sent. If your mom doesn’t leave the house very often, she may not need a mobile system, but if she is still active, she may want added protection outside the home. Should her system be monitored or not? The best medical alert systems are monitored, meaning that the help button connects you with a trained operator at a 24/7 dispatching center. But you also have the option to choose a system that isn’t monitored. With these, when you press the help button, the device automatically dials a friend or family member on your programmed emergency call list. These products can often be set up to call multiple people and to contact emergency services if you don’t get an answer from someone on your list. Should you add a fall-detection feature? Most medical alert companies today now off er the option of an automatic fall detection pendant for an additional fee of $10 to $15 per month. These pendants sense falls when they occur and automatically contact the dispatch center, just as they would if you had pressed the call button. But be aware that this technology isn’t full proof. In some cases, this feature may register something as a fall that isn’t. The alarm might go off if you drop it or momentarily lose your balance but don’t actually land on the ground. Top Rated Systems Here are four top companies, rated by Consumer Reports that offer home and mobile monitored medical alert systems: Bay Alarm Medical: Fees range between $20 and $40 per month; BayAlarmMedical.com; 877-5229633. GreatCall’s Lively Mobile Plus: The device costs $50 plus a $25 to $40 monthly service fee; GreatCall.com; 800-650-5921. MobileHelp: Monthly fees run $20 to $45; MobileHelp.com; 800809-9664. Phillips Lifeline: $30 to $50/ month, plus a onetime device/ activation fee of $50 to $100; Lifeline.Philips.com; 855-681-5351. Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior. org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book. Seni nior ior

THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2021 Page 19 CITIBANK | FROM PAGE 13 Protection Act. The attorneys general will be distributing the settlement to eligible consumers through Epiq Class Action & Claims Solutions, Inc., a settlement administrator. Consumers do not need to take any action to receive their funds, which will be sent as checks to eligible consumers in the middle of 2021. Only those Citibank credit card customers who meet certain criteria set by the settling states will receive a refund check. Consumers who have questions can call Epiq, the settlement administrator, at 855-914-4657. As detailed in a 2018 consent order between Citibank and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), the CARD Act requires credit card issuing banks to perform a “look back” at least every six months to review whether, for accounts where the bank has increased the APR due to credit risk or other factors, the factors that prompted the increase have changed. When indicated by the look back review, the CARD Act requires the bank to reduce the account’s APR. The CFPB’s Consent Order alleges that Citibank failed to properly implement the CARD Act’s look back requirements from 2011 to 2017. COVID-19 | FROM PAGE 1 are based on nearly a year of the Police Department doing its job in the midst of a Coronavirus pandemic. “I think it’s (COVID-19) definitely made a difference,” Ricciardelli told The Saugus Advocate in an interview on Wednesday (Feb. 10), attempting to put the crime trends into perspective. Fraud crime is thriving Clearly, people — particularly town residents with families — are doing a lot less driving because Saugus Public Schools have been shut down most of the year while people are doing more work from home to avoid the spread of the dangerous virus which has killed 62 Saugus residents since the outbreak locally last March. But fraud has been thriving 1. On Feb. 12, 1941, at what university on an island was the first injection of penicillin into a human? 2. How many Super Bowls has Tom Brady played? 3. What is the world’s most northern capital city? 4. On Feb. 13, 1946, the ENIAC, first electronic digital computer, was first demonstrated; what does ENIAC stand for? 5. In what decade were grape tomatoes introduced in the United States? 6. What long-limbed American president is in the Wrestling Hall of Fame? 7. February 14 is Valentine’s Day; Bay Stater Esther Howland, the “Mother of the American Valentine,” manufactured them in an assembly line in what Massachusetts city? 8. In what region would you find a gentoo penguin? 9. How are Alouette, Cannon Ball, Flying Yankee and Monadnock similar? 10. What U.S. president stopped school at age 11 and later became a land surveyor and joined a militia? 11. What has been frequently recommended to sing while washing hands to ensure a long enough time? 12. On Feb. 15, 1903, in what U.S. city did the first teddy bears go on sale? 13. What son of Abigail Adams grew up on a Massachusetts farm and was known to like fresh fruit? 14. What is the abbreviation for binary digits? 15. February 16 is the Mardi Gras Carnival in New Orleans; what does Mardi Gras mean? 16. How are “Bathing Beauty,” “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” and “Million Dollar Mermaid” similar? 17. What is the most popular poker game? 18. On Feb. 17, 1996, Deep Blue was defeated, which was what? 19. What are the Northern Lights also known as? 20. On Feb. 18, 1564, what Italian painter of “The Creation of Adam” died? ANSWERS during the days of COVID-19, according to Chief Ricciardelli, who noted that unemployment-related fraud had increased by 43 percent. “Unemployment fraud has seemed to have tailed off over the last few months,” the chief said. ”Now, we are seeing an increase in tax fraud, with people posing as IRS agents and in other cases, filing phony returns to steal peoples’ checks,” he said. One category of crime that has been induced significantly by COVID-19 has been disturbance gatherings — up 77 percent. “You get a lot of people who call when they see more than 10 people gathering outside,” Ricciardelli said. He noted that social distancing guidelines for crowds outside has put a cap on 10 people. “Obviously, we don’t want people congregating in big groups,” the chief said. “We’ve been getting calls about cookouts … or if somebody was throwing a graduation party. We don’t want this to turn into a super spreader event,” the chief said. He noted that police responded to a handful of graduation parties where the crowd was estimated around 50 people. In those instances, police responded to the parties and cleared the crowd, while trying to educate the homeowner about the potential health concerns of such a gathering. The chief said he found a five percent reduction in drug overdoses — not much of a change (83 to 79) — but of great concern. “It’s significant,” he noted, “in a year when a lot of other things are way down.” It shows that people with serious drug abuse problems are still desperate to satisfy their drug habits, he added. “Cabin fever doesn’t help” There were several crime categories which the chief believes were influenced greatly by people forced to stay at home. “Neighborhood disputes were up 30 percent. You attribute some of that to cabin fever,” he said. Domestic disputes were up by 10 percent. Cases involving psychologically-impaired were up by 10 percent, he noted. “Being stuck at home with cabin fever doesn’t help,” the chief said. In the early weeks of COVID-19, police used some discretion in making traffic stops to protect themselves from being infected with the virus. “In the early days when we were trying to process things out, it would take something egregious to pull them over,” the chief said. That has changed over the past few months, where police have been making more traffic stops, he added. Car accidents have dropped significantly as a result of COVID-19, with fewer people driving. For instance, the recent analysis by the Police Department showed that non-fatal motor vehicle accidents dropped from 344 to 266 and that crashes with property damage dropped from 585 to 401. “That’s pretty significant,” the chief said. “More people are working remotely and the schools are closed. It definitely has had an effect,” he said. Office/Commercial Space for Lease 3 Large rooms, each with walk-in storage area. Ideal for Law Office or Aerobics Studio. Like new condition. Second floor elevator direct to unit. Seperate entrances - New Baths - Large Parking Area. On MBTA Bus Route #429. Located on Route 1 South at Walnut Street. Rollerworld Plaza Rte. 1 South 425 Broadway Saugus Call Michelle at: 781-233-9507 1. Oxford in England 2. 10 3. Reykjavik, Iceland 4. Electronic Numerical Integrator and Calculator 5. The 1990s 6. Abraham Lincoln 7. Worcester 8. Antarctica and nearby islands 9. They are former B&M passenger trains. 10. George Washington 11. “Happy Birthday” 12. NYC 13. John Quincy Adams 14. Bits 15. Fat Tuesday (in French) 16. They are movies that starred competitive swimmer Esther Williams. 17. Texas Hold’em 18. An IBM chess playing computer (defeated by World Chess Champion Gary Kasparov) 19. Aurora borealis 20. Michelangelo

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THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2021 Page 21 FBI Cautions Public to Beware of Romance Scammers Looking for More Than Love T he FBI Boston Division is continuously working to raise awareness about online romance scams, also called confidence fraud. In this type of fraud, scammers take advantage of people looking for companionship or romantic partners on dating websites, apps, chat rooms, and social networking sites with the sole goal of obtaining access to their financial or personal identifying information. Romance scams are prevalent, especially during this time of year. Increased isolation brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic has also resulted in more people looking for love online. The criminals who carry out romance scams are experts at what they do. They spend hours honing their skills, relying on well-rehearsed scripts that have been used repeatedly and successfully, and sometimes keep journals on their victims to better understand how to manipulate and exploit them. In some cases, victims may be recruited, unknowingly, to transfer money illegally on behalf of others. “The consequences of these scams are often financially and emotionally devastating to victims who rarely get their money back and may not have the ability to recover from the financial loss,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “While we recognize that it may be embarrassing for victims to report this type of fraud, it’s important to do so, so that the FBI and our law enforcement partners can do everything in our power to ensure these online imposters are held accountable.” According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), which provides the public with a means of reporting internet-facilitated crimes, romance scams have resulted in one of the highest amounts of financial losses when compared to other online crimes. Nationwide in 2020, almost 23,768 complaints categorized as romance scams were reported to IC3 (4,295 more than the previous year), and the losses associated with those complaints total approximately $605 million. Here in the Boston Division which includes all of Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island, 569 complaints were filed with financial losses totaling approximately $11.7 million. 57 victims in Maine reported financial losses totaling $1,514,636. 361 victims in Massachusetts reported financial losses totaling $8,006,260. 71 victims in New Hampshire reported losing $820,326. 80 victims in Rhode Island lost approximately $1,381,336. The reported losses are most likely much higher as many victims are hesitant to report being taken advantage of due to embarrassment, shame, or humiliation. Be careful what you post online because scammers can use that information against you, and always assume that con artists are trolling even the most reputable dating and social media sites. If you develop a romantic relationship with someone you meet online, consider the following: • Scammers can use details shared on social media and dating sites to better understand and target you. • Research the person’s photo and profile using online searches to see if the image, name, or details have been used elsewhere. • Go slowly and ask lots of questions. • Beware if the individual seems too perfect, or quickly asks you to communicate “offline.” • Beware if the individual attempts to isolate you from friends and family. • Beware if the individual claims to be working and living far away, whether it’s on the other side of the country or overseas. • Beware if the individual promises to meet in person, but then always cancels because of some emergency. • Beware if you’re asked to send inappropriate photos or financial information that could later be used to extort you. • Never send money to anyone you don’t know personally. • Never help anyone move money through your own account or someone else’s. You could become an unwitting money mule for the perpetrator helping to carry out other theft and fraud schemes. If you suspect an online relationship is a scam, stop all contact immediately and if you have already sent money, it is extremely important to report any transfer of funds to your financial institution and file a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov. Saugus student-athlete named to Endicott College Dean’s List B EVERLY–Olivia Valente of Saugus was named to the Dean’s List at Endicott College for the fall 2020 semester. Valente is a member ASKS | FROM PAGE 8 ings at Town Hall as a concerned citizen and more recently as an elected town representative: “I just hope the person who replaces her to be as good a public servant as she was for the Town of Saugus. She was always very meticulous and helpful in getting answers to questions citiTAXPAYERS | FROM PAGE 6 ey, hang up and call the IRS directly at 800-829-1040. If you get a scam call and do not owe taxes, fill out the “IRS Impersonation scam” of Endicott’s women’s basketball team. In order to qualify for the Dean's List, a student must obtain a minimum grade point zens had. “Wendy Reed was a servant that gave a lot to the Town of Saugus and it was tough to see her pass.” Retired Saugus Police Department auto mechanic Kevin Nichols and Bev Milward, longtime friends of Reed: We have known Wendy for many years. I knew her as a dedicated person not only to form online at treasury.gov, or call the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at 800-366-4484. The IRS also advises residents to forward scam emails to phishing@irs.gov, average of 3.5, receive no grade below a "C,” have no withdrawal grades and be enrolled in a minimum of 12 credits for the semester. her job but to her children as well. Her work on the School Committee as well as clerk for the Board of Selectmen and her involvement in the food pantry. For all of the years I have known her, she was always there to advise you or point you in the right direction and help you when she could. The town has lost a fine person and loyal employee. She will be greatly missed. and to not open attachments or click on links in those emails. If you are ever unsure about a potential scam, contact the Saugus Police Department at 781-941-1199.

Page 22 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2021 OBITUARIES Janet Claire Dearing Trovas Of Pensacola, FL, passed away on Monday, January 18, 2021 at the age of 86. Janet was born on Feb. 15, 1934 in Everett and raised in Saugus. Janet was preceded in death by her parents Arthur Dearing and Lorinda (Albee) Dearing from Boston, brother David F. Dearing and grandson Nicholas S. Ford. She is survived by two sisters Barbara Celata and Eleanor Smith–a daughter, Donna Lynne Ford of Carrollton, Georgia (husband Thomas, granddaughter Christine and greatgrand daughter Nora.) Also she is survived by a son Christopher Milton Trovas of Santa Rosa Beach, FL. (and wife Ivy). She is also survived by her nieces Lorinda Dearing Howard and Debbie Celata, and her nephew Richard Celata. She was predeceased by her nephew Stephen Celata. Janet was active in the Olive Baptist Church in Pensacola. She enjoyed singing in the choir as she had a beautiful voice. Janet loved to cook. She was always preparing great food for her family and many church events. She passed this love of cooking to her son Chris. She inspired her son to do what he loved, and his restaurant business has been very successful. Her daughter Donna has worked with the City of Carrollton Parks & Recreation as superintendent of programs for many years. She has been a successful superintendent with the Parks & Recreation Department. Janet was always with Milt, her beloved late husband. They both loved each other so much. Milt new he had the love of his life and Janet never second guessed her husband, Milt. They were a great couple. Janet and “Milt” are reunited again and everyone knows they have a smile on their face as they continue their Journey together. Contributions in her memory may be made to the Olive Baptist Church; 1836 E. Olive Road, Pensacola, FL 32514. Helen Ann Crescenzo 92, passed away on February 3, 2021. Helen was born on February 12, 1928 in East Boston, Massachusetts, to Gaetano and Concettina DeRocco. Sister to Patrick DeRocco, of Melrose, Massachusetts and surviving sister Christine Rinaldi of Saugus, Massachusetts. Married to John Matthew Crescenzo of East Boston, Massachusetts, and survived by sons John Crescenzo and wife Paulette of Saugus, Massachusetts and Richard Crescenzo and wife Diane of Malden, Massachusetts. Grandsons Guy, John, Nathan and Matthew. She also leaves many nieces, nephews as well as many great nieces and nephews. As a young woman, Helen lived and worked as a seamstress in East Boston. One of Helen's favorite past-times was candle pin bowling where she met the love of her life, John, also one of his favorite past times. Helen and John married on May 25, 1952 and eventually purchased their home in Saugus, where they raised their two sons. Helen enjoyed raising her family while working together with her husband in the family owned business. Family and friends where everything to her. Helen and John enjoyed yearly vacations with family and friends in Wells Beach, Maine. Helen and John continued their passion for bowling for many years in league competition. They loved to spend time together. To Helen, her happiness was her family and friends. In lieu of flowers contributions may be made in Helen’s memory to the Perkins School of the Blind, 175 North Beacon St., Watertown, MA 02472 or to a charity of your choice. Anthony John Serino Born on June 28, 1934 in Saugus, passed away on February 5, 2021 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s Disease and diabetes. Born, raised and a lifelong resident of Saugus, Anthony was the son of the late Carmine and Louise (Barrasso) Serino. He retired from his career at Raytheon in Andover where he worked for 50 years traveling to all parts of the world. Anthony served 4 years in the Navy and graduated from Northeastern University. Anthony is survived by his beloved wife of 60 years, Margaret (Passariello) Serino; three daughters, Lori McLoughlin and her husband John of Saugus, Michelle Small and her husband Leon of Carlisle, Maria Bambury and her husband Jeffrey of Saugus. Anthony was also a beloved PaPa to his four grandchildren, Nicole Small, Tyler Small, Zackery Bambury and Michael Small. He is also survived by his brother, Richard Serino of Stoneham and sister, Doris Siafakas of Saugus Anthony was a huge sports fan and a member of the Saugus High School Hall of Fame. He attended all four of his grandchildren’s sporting events as one of their biggest fans. He was also a member of the Knights of Columbus. In lieu of flowers, donations in Anthony’s memory may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association of MA at alz.org/ manh.

THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2021 Page 23 Follow Us On: COMMERCIAL & RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY SALES & RENTALS Sandy Juliano Broker/President WE KNOW EVERETT!! Call TODAY to sell or buy with the best! NEW LISTING BY SANDY UNDER AGREEMENT! SINGLE FAMILY UNDER AGREEMENT! 40 EASTERN AVE., REVERE $464,888 LISTED BY SANDY 3 BEDROOM SINGLE 158 GROVER ST., EVERETT $589,900 NEW LISTING BY NORMA SOLD! TWO FAMILY 45-47 SYCAMORE ST., EVERETT $724,900 NEW LISTING BY MARIA TWO FAMILY 141 GARLAND ST., EVERETT $925,000 CALL SANDY FOR DETAILS: 617-448-0854 LISTED BY ROSEMARIE NEW COMMERCIAL LISTING SQUIRE RD., REVERE $1,300,000 CHELSEA RENTAL 3 BEDROOMS, 2ND FLOOR AVAILABLE NOW PLEASE CALL MARIA FOR DETAILS 781-808-6877 EVERETT RENTAL 2 BEDROOMS MOVE IN CONDITION COMMERCIAL BUILDING 14,000 SQ FT LOT SQUIRE RD., REVERE $1,700,000 PLEASE CALL NORMA FOR DETAILS 617-590-9143 SOLD! 17 EVELYN RD., EVERETT $519,900 SOLD! 25 HAWKES ST., SAUGUS NEW PRICE! $434,900 LISTED BY NORMA Open Daily From 10:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M. 433 Broadway, Suite B, Everett, MA 02149 Open Daily From 10:0 Joe DiNuzzo - Broker Associate :0 00 AM 5:00 PM www.jrs-properties.com Follow Us On: 617.544.6274 Norma Capuano Parziale - Agent Denise Matarazz - Agent Maria Scrima - Agent Rosemarie Ciampi - Agent Michael Matarazzo -Agent Mark Sachetta - Agent

Page 24 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2021        Kasey Khloe Littlefield Real Estate

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