SAUGUS Vol. 23, No. 26 ElemenElementary School Rolling Graduation Photo Highlights in ne eek tary School Rolling Graduation Photo Highlights in next week’s Advocate! cate! -FREE- www.advocatenews.net A new chief in command Town Manager Crabtree names Saugus Police Lt. Michael Ricciardelli to take charge at Police Dept. By Mark E. Vogler n what may be one of his most diffi cult – if not the toughest – personnel decision of his career I in administering town government, Town Manager Scott C. Crabtree announced this week CHIEF | SEE PAGE 8 Published Every Friday 781-233-4446 Friday, June 26, 2020 Elementary School Grads roll on Digital Literacy Teacher Alicia Tinkham holds a “Congrats 5th Graders!” sign – pictured with fi rst grade teacher Sarah White, Revere High School Senior Clerk Danielle Ferreira and her daughter, graduate Sydney Ferreira and Paraprofessional Alex Bogdanski. See page 16 for photo highlights. (Advocate Photo by Tara Vocino) A neighborhood battle THE NEW CHIEF AND HIS BOSS: Left to right, Saugus Police Chief Michael Ricciardelli and Town Manager Scott Crabtree. ANGELO’S FULL SERVICE "42 Years of Excellence!" 1978-2020 Regular Unleaded $1.939 Mid Unleaded $2.539 Super $2.599 Diesel Fuel $2.459 KERO $4.159 Diesel $2.219 HEATING OIL 24-Hour Burner Service Call for Current Price! (125—gallon minimum) DEF Available Open an account and order online at: www.angelosoil.com (781) 231-3500 (781) 231-3003 367 LINCOLN A A DA J Local veterans lead the charge against a veterans housing project proposed for Lincoln Avenue By Mark E. Vogler ohn and Rob Nakashian want to buy and tear own the vacant package store at 206 Lincoln Ave. and replace it with a three-story building that would provide 30 apartments that would be occupied exclusively by veterans, with applicants from Saugus getting preference. The Nakashian brothers envisage the same type of success they have achieved for a similar project they opened up in Revere last year, which drew high praise from Gov. Charlie Baker and the state Department of Veterans’ Servic~ Home of the Week ~ SAUGUS - 1st AD Wonderful 10 rm., 3-4 bdrm., 3 bath Split Entry boasting bright and sunny living rm. w/gas (propane) w/seating and additional storage, formal dining rm. w/bow View the interior of this home right on your smartphone. es. That project, and the one they have in mind for Saugus, is aimed at providing housing for homeless and low-income veterans. But veterans – most of them who live in the neighborhood close to the project – were among the most vocal opponents who spoke against the project Wednesday night during a gathering of more than 75 people in the parking lot area of 206 Lincoln Ave. – site of the former Amato’s Liquor Store. “I would like to welcome a facility like this to the Town of Saugus,” Precinct 10 Town Meeting Member Martin Costello told the project’s developers. “But not this location,” said Costello, who identifi ed himself as a Vietnam War Era veteran. Former Precinct 10 Town Meeting Member John Coburn, a retired police officer who lives next door to the site, complained about the drainage problems he and other BATTLE | SEE PAGE 6 EDUCATION Our 81st Year Next Classes DRIVER ~NOW OFFERING~ 30 HOUR ONLINE CLASS INSTRUCTION STARTING JULY 6 REGISTER ONLINE HENRYSAUTOSCHOOL.COM or call 617-387-9121 AUTO SCHOOL E EVERETT A “Successful Key To Driving” Since 1938 Gift Certificates Available Prices subject to change We're all FLEET
Page 2 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – Friday, June 26, 2020 Facebook.com/ advocate.news.ma Lawrence A. Simeone Jr. * Corporate Litigation Attorney-at-Law ~ Since 1989 ~ * Criminal/Civil * MCAD * Zoning/Land Court * Wetlands Litigation * Workmen’s Compensation * Landlord/Tenant Litigation * Real Estate Law * Construction Litigation * Tax Lein * Personal Injury * Bankruptcy * Wrongful Death * Zoning/Permitting Litigation 300 Broadway, Suite 1, Revere * 781-286-1560 Lsimeonejr@simeonelaw.net Saugus’ “Ninja Nana” seeks black belt for her 80th birthday We Now Offer For Your Eating Pleasure “UBER EATS” Convenient Delivery Service Bianchi’s Pizza and Renzo’s Full Menu To Go Open for Takeout for Bianchi’s Pizza and Renzo’s Food 381 Revere Beach Blvd., Revere 781-284-5600 $1. GALLON We accept: MasterCard * Visa * & Discover Price Subject to Change without notice 100 Gal. Min. 24 Hr. Service 781-286-2602 Ginnie’s grandson, JJ Rooney of Danvers, trains his grandmother for her black belt. (Photos courtesy of Ivy Muldoon) M “Ninja Nana” Ginnie Rooney hopes to achieve her black belt for her 80th birthday. Special to Th e Advocate aster Soon W. Hong of Danvers’s Sun Tae Kwon Do Academy would like to congratulate Ginnie Rooney of Saugus on a successful Social Distancing Testing. Ninja Nana, as Rooney is affectionately known, has been attending Saturday morning kickboxing classes as well as biweekly tae kwon do classes via Zoom during these social distance times. Each student tested via Zoom and individually performed board breaks outside of the dojang, carefully adhering to social distance guidelines. Ginnie’s grandson, JJ Rooney of Danvers, who is a black belt at the school, has been enjoying training at the park outside of his middle school during morning class with her. Ginnie’s goal is to achieve her Black Belt for her 80th birthday. She is certainly on her way! Master Soon W. Hong of Sun Tae Kwon Do Academy in Danvers with student Ginnie Rooney
THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – Friday, June 26, 2020 ~ THE ADVOCATE ASKS ~ Page 3 I think he kind of showed me the path on how to move forward with that and move up the ranks in the right way. Q: So, did Chief DiMella give you any advice? A: I reached out to him when the manager told me he was going to give me this opportunity. He was happy for me. I don’t know if he gave me any specific advice; however, he did tell me if I had any questions about anything, don’t hesitate to call him. Q: Anything else that conTOP COP OF HIS TOWN: Newly-appointed Saugus Police Chief Michael Ricciardelli stands in the second fl oor hallway of the Saugus Police Department. The lifelong Saugus resident is a 25-year veteran of the local police force. (Saugus Advocate photos by Mark E. Vogler New Police Chief Michael Ricciardelli discusses his evolution as Saugus’s top law enforcement officer and his plans for the Police Dept. Editor’s Note: For this w eek’s column, we interviewed Saugus Police Chief Michael Ricciardelli, who was appointed to that key town position this week. We asked about his career goals – how he got into law enforcement and what directed him to set out to become the chief of his hometown police department several years ago. Ricciardelli, 47, is a lifelong resident of Saugus. He has been a member of the Police Department for 25 years – the last eight as lieutenant. He is a 1990 graduate of Saugus High School. In 1999 he received his Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from Salem State College, completing a college career that was interrupted in 1995 during his senior year when he decided to take “a leave of absence” to attend the Police Academy and begin his career with the Saugus Police Department. He was 22 years old at the time. Ricciardelli is the fi rst person in his family to make a career in law enforcement. He received a master’s degree in Criminal Justice from Western New England College. Seven years ago, he got married to the former Stephanie Smith of Rowley. He grew up in the house where his parents still reside. Highlights of this week’s interview follow. Q: What would you say had the biggest infl uence – person or circumstances – of you getting involved in law enforcement? A: I don’t know if it was a particular person or not. It just seemed like a really interesting fi eld to me. Here I am sitting behind a desk … but going into the fi eld; it’s not the type of job where you think it’s going to be the same every day or sitting behind a desk. Q: And at what point did you decide, “This is what I want to do”? A: When I got to college, I think. It just seemed like a very interesting major. I grew up across the street from Tim Fawcett. He’s a really friendly guy. I saw him growing up, working hard, and he seemed to love what he did. And that probably had a big infl uence on me. Tim’s dad was a Boston police offi cer, so I think the two of them had a big infl uence on me. Tim is a big, friendly guy. And he always used to say, “Treat people with respect and it will always come back to you in a good way.” He was here yesterday [for the swearing-in], and that was good, because he did play a big part in it – not only the reason why I got into the fi eld – but after I got in the fi eld, he kind of took me under his wing, so Tim had a big infl uence, especially on the fi rst part of my career. On the second part of my career, it was [retired Saugus Police] Chief [Domenic] DiMella, who left a few years ago, so it’s kind of a split. Q: At what point did you say to yourself, “I want to be a chief? This is what I want to be some day”? And if there was somebody who influenced that. A: I became a lieutenant eight years ago. Even at that point, I really wasn’t looking that far ahead. Maybe it was three or four years ago, I started thinking that maybe when Chief DiMella is done, this would be something that I would be interested in. He’s going to leave some day, and maybe I could do well in that position, so he [Chief DiMella] was a good role model for me. When I first started here, he had been on for a few years. When I fi rst started as a patrolman, he made sergeant shortly after that, then worked his way up to lieutenant and chief, so tributed to your development as a police offi cer? A: I think it’s important to note that before I came to work here and while I was going to school at Salem State, I worked for the Essex County Sheriff ’s Department up in Middleton. And I always like to tell anyone who asks that even though I hold a master’s degree in Criminal Justice, I think that the three years I spent there, I learned just an unbelievable amount about people on both sides of the bars – people you work with and also the inmates inside the jail – so it was really a good foundation to work here, coming from there. Q: You worked under Sheriff Frank Cousins? 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 A: I started under Charlie Reardon and then I finished under Frank Cousins. It was a very interesting place. I started there when I was 19 years old. It was interesting, but I’m glad I did it. I had relationships with ASKS | SEE PAGE 10
Page 4 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – Friday, June 26, 2020 ~ Letter to the Editor ~ United Parish Food Pantry thanks residents for successful food drive Dear Editor: The United Parish Food Pantry sends a big thank you to Saugus residents for their support and donations at the second town wide food drive held on Saturday, June 20 to benefi t the Saugus United Parish Food Pantry and the Saugus Senior Center and thank you to the Saugus Board of Selectmen for organizing the food drive. Special thanks to State Rep. Donald Wong, Selectmen Jeff Cicolini, Debra Panetta and Corinne Riley and Lori and Glen Davis and Jeff Hirtle for helping at the food drive. HAPPY HELPERS: A few of the participants at last weekend’s town-sponsored food drive. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate) We were truly overwhelmed at the show of support. Thank you all! Sincerely, Saugus United Parish Food Pantry Sophia Ponte named recipient of SAVE 2020 Environmental Scholarship S augus Action Volunteers for the Environment (SAVE) reFacebook.com/ advocate.news.ma cently announced Sophia Ponte as the winner of the 2020 SAVE Environmental Scholarship. Sophia, the daughter of Lucia and Louis Ponte of Saugus, will be graduating in August from Essex North Shore Agricultural and Technical School in Danvers. In the fall, she plans to pursue a marine engineering major at Massachusetts Maritime Academy with emphasis in the fi elds of sea environment protection, pollution decreasing and waste management and future ocean sustainability. Her goal is to help develop new marine technologies to reduce environmental impacts, to reduce our environmental footprint on the oceans and to fi nd more en505 Broadway Everett, MA 02149 Tel: 617-387-1120 www.gkdental.com • Family Dentistry • Crowns • Bridges • Veneers/Lumineers • Dental Implants • All on 4 Dental Implants • Emergency Dentist • Kid Friendly Dentist • Root Canals • Dentures • Invisalign Braces • Snap On Smile • Teeth Whitening We are the smile care experts for your entire family vironmentally effi cient ways to solve existing and future problems aff ecting our oceans. “We believe that Sophia embodies SAVE’s environmental concerns and goals and we are happy to recognize her achievements and ambitions,” said SAVE President Ann Devlin said. Sophia was an honor roll student at her high school with a 4.5 GPA. She was a captain of the girl’s cross-country team. Her extracurricular activities included the Cultural Awareness Club, the Environmental Action Club and the Environmental Advisory Board. She has worked with Saugus Youth and Rec as a tutor and also with Mass Audubon monitoring the growth of the common reed in salt marshes. “For most people, the future In House Dental Plan for $399 (Cleanings, X-Rays, Exams twice a year and 20% OFF Dental work) Schedule your FREE Consultations today is uncertain and the direction their life is going is not spelled out for them yet,” wrote Sophia in her essay to SAVE. “Personally, I have been given the opportunity to attend a four year technical high school that allowed med to fi nd my passion early on. Essex North Shore Agricultural and Technical School has given me the right set of circumstances to fi nd my passion in the Environmental Technology fi eld early in Life,” she wrote. “I have been studying this specifi c fi eld my entire high school career going through classes such as forest ecology, fi sheries and aquaculture, environmental impacts, coastal ecology, wastewater management and more. Going through this journey has allowed me to learn skill sets and certifications I wouldn’t have had otherwise.” In her essay, Sophia said she plans to use her college education at Massachusetts Maritime A CAREER TO CLEAN UP THE SEA: Sophia Ponte will head off to the Massachusetts Maritime Academy this fall with a goal to learn how to make cruise ships and other vessels more environmentally sound. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate) Academy in pursuit of a career that will “help ensure vessel designs and development activities are steering towards a more environmentally friendly approach.” “It has been known that vessels and cruise ships leave an enormous environmental footprint on the ocean and by gaining this degree, I feel as though I will be able to reduce impacts and fi nd more environmentally effi cient ways to solve problems, operate vessels and manufacture and repair the ocean liners themselves.” “In fi ve years I can view myself traveling on a ship, making an environmental diff erence,” said Sophia. SAVE, a nonprofit environmental advocacy group, awards a $500 scholarship annually to a town resident who is a member of that year’s high school graduating class. The award goes to a student who will be attending a two- to fouryear college or other educational institution while pursuing a degree in an area of study that would positively impact the environment.
THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – Friday, June 26, 2020 Page 5 The Coronavirus Count State reports just 3 new confi rmed Saugus COVID-19 cases, but Saugus still has state’s 21st-highest COVID-19 rate; death toll reaches 36 By Mark E. Vogler O nly three new confirmed cases of COVID-19 were reported in Saugus over the past week – by far the fewest number of cases since the outbreak of the Coronavirus back in early March. It also marked the second consecutive week that there were fewer than 10 cases reported, raising the overall total to 556 confirmed cases, according to new data released late Wednesday afternoon by the state Department of Public Health (DPH). Meanwhile, the DPH notified the town that its death total from the virus had risen to 36 – an increase of two over the same period. The latest statistics are a possible indication that the Coronavirus may be slowing down as the town entered its third week of Phase 2 in Governor Charlie Baker’s Reopening plan. However, the 556 cases reported for Saugus averages out to a rate of 1,956.00 per 100,000 – which is above the state average of 1,475.03 per 100,000 and remains the 21st-highest rate among all communities across the state, according to the data released Wednesday. No information was available on the Saugus residents who died from the virus. As of Wednesday, DPH officials reported 7,152 deaths statewide linked to COVID-19. Of those, 979 have been reported in Essex County The DPH has been releasing numbers of COVID-19 cases for all 351 municipalities, broken down by city and town, every Wednesday. The agency on its website will post the number of cases of people testing positive for the Coronavirus, and the number of cases per 100,000. But officials believe the numbers are substantially underreported in most communities because of the lack of aggressive testing for the virus. “The Saugus Health Department strongly believes that additional unrecognized cases DO exist in Saugus,” the town advised in its press release. “Due to the fact that they are undetected, some of these infected individuals may not be properly isolated or quarantined, which is why Gov. Baker has a safer at home advisory and continues to strongly request that everyone wear a cloth face cover over their face when around others, practice social distancing, avoid gatherings, and to follow the CDC and MDPH guidance.” Of the 3,434 people tested in Saugus so far, 16.19 percent tested positive for COVID-19 – a drop from last week (17.63). The state average for people testing positive is 13.00 percent, also a reduction from last week (13.97). As of Wednesday, there were 15,920 confirmed cases of COVID-19 reported in Essex County, the third highest among the state’s 14 counties. There were 107,611 confirmed cases of the Coronavirus statewide and 7,938 virus-related deaths. There were 1,083 COVID-19-related deaths in Essex County, the second highest among the state’s 14 counties. Nursing home update The most recent Nursing Facility Audit Survey Results through June 12 show that both local nursing homes were “in adherence” with a recent 28-point Infection Control Checklist after being deficient in the first round of audits. The latest state reports showed that 100 percent of the residents and 93 percent of the staff at both facilities had been tested for COVID-19. How Saugus compares to neighboring communities As of press time yesterday, town officials were unaware of any additional deaths of Saugus residents infected with the virus since 36 deaths were reported earlier in the week. Meanwhile, town residents are able to compare the number of COVID-19 cases confirmed in Saugus to those in neighboring cities and towns as well as communities of similar size by going to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health website at https://www.mass.gov/infodetails/covid-19-responsereporting – then click onto COVID-19 cases by city/town. Chelsea (7,718.12 per 100,000), Brockton (4,271.83 per 100,000) and Lawrence (3,986.35 per 100,000) have the highest rates in the state for people testing positive for the Coronavirus. Here’s how nine other area communities compare to Saugus: Lynn: 3,604 cases, 3,571.74 per 100,000 (fifth highest in state). Reve re: 1,748 cases, 2,869.51 per 100,000 (sixth highest in state). Everett: 1,747 cases, 3,599.36 per 100,000 (fourth highest in state). Malden: 1,222 cases, 1,803.59 per 100,000 (30th highest in state). Peabody: 976 cases, 1,750.18 per 100,000. Saugus: 556 cases, 1,956.00 per 100,000 (21st highest in state). Wakefield: 313 cases, 1,159.05 per 100,000. Melrose: 242 cases, 836.73 per 100,000. Reading: 296 cases, 1,076.99 per 100,000. Lynnfield: 93 cases, 798.35 per 100,000. Statewide totals: 102,762 cases, 1,475.03 per 100,000. (Data compiled by the DPH and made public as of June 24, 2020 Count and Rate (per 100,000) of Confirmed COVID-10 Cases in Massachusetts by City/Town, January 1, 2020–June 24, 2020.) On its website, the DPH noted that the rate specifying the number of cases per 100,000 “provides a standardized way to compare the burden of disease in cities and towns regardless of the size of their population.” The DPH stressed “these are reported cases only.” Tips to protect yourself (offered by the Town of Saugus) 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 • Staying home as much as possible – only leave for essential reasons • Covering your mouth and nose with a cloth face cover when around others • Please stay healthy and please call us with any needs. We are her [sic] for you. For more information, contact the Saugus Health Department at (781) 231-4117 and/ or the Town Manager’s office at 781-231-4111. 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Page 6 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – Friday, June 26, 2020 BATTLE | from page 1 neighbors face if the project is built. “You want to add 30 units of runoff water,” said Coburn, who spent 10 years in the Army National Guard. “This has nothing to do with veterans. This has got to do with a quality of life issue for us. Why would we let somebody else benefi t at the expense of us?” Coburn noted that a number of veterans live in close proximity to the proposed site – and all of them oppose the project because of its location. The town’s Conservation Commission heard testimony on the project earlier this SABATINO INSURANCE AGENCY Call for a Quote 617-387-7466 Or email Rocco@sabatino-ins.com We cover: * Auto * Home * Boat * Renter * Condo * Life * Multi-Policy Discounts * Commercial 10% Discounts * Registry Service Also Available A CAPTIVE CROWD: More than 75 residents – many of them neighbors who live near the vacant Amato’s Liquor Store at 206 Lincoln Ave. – showed up Wednesday night to meet the developer of a proposed veterans housing project at the site and ask questions. Everyone who spoke during the hour-long gathering opposed the project. (Saugus Advocate photos by Mark E. Vogler) month, but members continued their review to a meeting set for 7 p.m. July 15 via Zoom videoconferencing. Cogliano clarifi es his position on project Board of Selectmen Chair Anhttp://www.sabatino-ins.com SABATINO 564 Broadway Everett, MA 02149 617-387-7466 Hours of Operation are: Mondays - Fridays 9am to 5pm Saturdays by appointment only thony Cogliano arranged the meeting so that residents of the Lincoln Avenue neighborhood could ask questions of the developers about the project initiated by the Revere-based nonprofi t organization Rising Community & Housing, Inc. Cogliano said he also wanted to give the developers an opportunity to hear fi rsthand from the neighbors how they feel about the project. All the neighbors who spoke opposed the project. “It’s good to hear from the neighbors,” John Nakashian told The Saugus Advocate after the meeting. Does Rising Community & Housing have other options if the Conservation Commission challenges their project? Or, is AN ARTIST RENDERING: Here’s what the three-story, 30-unit veterans housing project proposed by Rising Community & Housing, Inc. of Revere would look like. The Saugus Conservation Commission is scheduled to resume a hearing on the project at its 7 p.m. July 15 meeting that will be held via Zoom videoconferencing. the organization open to other locations? “Right now, I can’t speak about that because there are other equations we are considering,” Nakashian answered. “But, I’m open-minded.” In an interview after the neighborhood meeting, Cogliano said he wanted to clarify misinformation he had heard from residents about his stand on the project, as well as the position of the Board of Selectmen. He stressed that neighbors need to know that this is not a town-sponsored project either. “Right now, I’m neutral,” Cogliano said. “I am not for it as some people have suggested, and I don’t have a vote on the matter. Neither does the Board of Selectmen. It’s before the Conservation Commission, and they have a lot of work to do. But I will tell you this: I won’t support anything that’s going to negatively impact this neighborhood. Selectmen can’t vote on this project. But we have taken a vote that allows the Conservation Commission to hire an attorney to oversee BATTLE | SEE PAGE 7
THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – Friday, June 26, 2020 Page 7 BATTLE | from page 6 the project and to make sure all of the issues are resolved.” There are several major issues which are of concern to residents and town offi cials, the chief one being the longstanding issue of drainage in the area. Another contentious issue is the density of development on the project site, which is slightly more than 23,000 square feet – the minimum size for a house lot in town. The neighbors are upset that the developer is seeking to build 30 units of housing on a house lot suitable for one family. Manoogian questions validity of Dover Amendment “If this project wasn’t within the 100-year fl ood plain, it would be entitled to a building permit,” said Richard A. Salvo, of Engineering Alliance, Inc. of Saugus, the civil engineering and land planning consultants hired by the developer. Salvo noted that a small portion of the property lies within R-1 (Residential A – Single Family) zoning district. The three-story building complies with B-1 (Business-Neighborhood) zoning district, but it is fi ve feet higher than what is allowed in R-1 district. “This falls under the Dover Amendment, so this can be allowed to be built,” Salvo said, referring to a provision in state law which allows protection for any nonprofi t organizations claiming a religious or noneducational purpose. But Precinct 10 Town Meeting Member Peter Manoogian questioned whether the nonprofi t organization has the legal right in this case to claim protection under the Dover Amendment. Manoogian and the other four Precinct 10 Town Meeting members – Peter Delios, Martin Costello, Steven C. DiVirgilio and Darren Ring – appeared at the neighborhood er DISPLAYING THE PLANS: Left to right, Rick Salvo, an engineer for the developer, and John Nakashian, one of the project developers, show off the artist’s rendering of the proposed veterans housing project for the vacant Amato’s Liquor Store at 206 Lincoln Ave. gathering and have all gone on record as opposing the veterans housing project. Selectman Michael Serino was instrumental in pushing for selectmen to support the hiring of an attorney for the Conservation Commission. “We’re putting 30 units on a family-zoned lot,” said Serino, citing his reason for opposing the project. Selectman Debra Panetta told the gathering that the entire Board of Selectmen attended the informal meeting to lend support for the neighborhood. “We don’t have a vote on this, but we all care,” Panetta said. She also expressed concerns about the project being proposed for a house lot. “It’s a quality of life issue,” she said. Salvo, the developer’s civil engineer for the project, told the neighbors that there is nothing that could be done on the project site that would correct the drainage problems that have been plaguing the neighborhood for years. “We can’t solve it,” Salvo said. “We can manage it.” School Committee Member Joseph “Dennis” Gould – another Vietnam War Era vetAluminum Everett 10 Everett Ave., Everett 617-389-3839 Owned & operated by the Conti family since 1958 • 62 Years! “Same name, phone number & address for over half a century. We must be doing something right!” Owned & operated by the Conti family since 1958 • 57 Years! family since 1958 • 60 •Vinyl Siding •Carpentry Work •Decks •Vinyl Siding •Free Estimates •Fully Licensed •Roofing •Free Estimates •Carpentry Work •Fully Licensed •Decks •Roofingf •Roo ing • Fully Insured •• Replacement Windows Replacement Windows www.everettaluminum.com Now’s the time to schedule those home improvement projects you’ve been dreaming about all winter! Everett Aluminum eran who lives in the neighborhood – got irked by Salvo’s comments. “You’re not going to fi x the problem with 23,000 square feet. You can only make it worse,” Gould told Salvo. Gould also took great umbrage with the density of the project being proposed for the property. “We passed a bylaw in this town for house lots to be 23,000 square feet,” Gould noted. “That is [b.s.]. That’s absolutely [b.s.], so stop it,” he told the developers in an apparent protest about the size of the project. John Nakashian emphasized for the people at the neighborhood gathering that Saugus veterans would get fi rst preference on the project. “All the veterans from Saugus are fi rst in line. We decided to have one in Saugus because Saugus doesn’t have one,” Nakashian said of the veterans housing project. In an interview after the meeting, he noted that his company received 300 applications for a similar project located on Shirley Avenue in Revere, which has been open close to a year. He added that it is a bigger building that was built on a 10,000-square-foot lot. • • • www.eight10barandgrille.com The Eight/10 Bar & Grille will REOPEN on Wed., MAY 6 from 4-8 PM for Take-Out and Delivery with our delivery partners... STAY HOME! 8 Norwood Street, Everett (617) 387-9810 STAY SAFE! Summer is Here!
Page 8 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – Friday, June 26, 2020 CHIEF | from page 1 his appointment of Lt. Michael Ricciardelli as the Police Department’s new chief. Several weeks ago, Crabtree said in an interview that he was mulling over a challenging choice between two well-qualifi ed candidates that he knew personally and professionally when he was a Saugus police offi cer: Ricciardelli and Assistant Chief Ronald Giorgetti, who has served nearly two years as the interim Saugus police chief. Giorgetti had acquired invaluable experience, fi lling in for former Police Chief Domenic DiMella, who retired during the summer of 2018. Giorgetti had also served as DiMella’s number two officer for six years. “He’s got a lot of great experience and the department is in very good hands,” Crabtree told The Saugus Advocate in a September 2018 interview after naming the Saugus native and then-24-year veteran of the Department its interim chief. But this week, Crabtree decided to go with Ricciardelli over Giorgetti. “It is an honor and a privilege to appoint…Michael Ricciardelli to the role of Saugus Police Chief,” Crabtree said in a press release announcing his decision. “Michael possesses leadership qualities and is motivated to eff ectuate change, both orLucey Travel Co., Inc. I look forward to working with you on your future travel plans. 781-233-6810 Please call me to discuss your plans Kathy Lucey kathy@luceytravel.com ganizationally and within the culture, with the goal of moving the department in the direction of providing and delivering improved public safety and services to the residents of Saugus,” the town manager said. Ricciardelli was sworn in offi cially on Monday “I want to congratulate Michael and his family on this great achievement,” Crabtree said. Thank you for your business over the years “I look forward to seeing all that Michael will undoubtedly accomplish in his new role and working together to continue to move the Town of Saugus forward,” he said. Selectmen laud appointment Three selectmen contacted by The Saugus Advocate greeted Ricciardelli’s appointment enthusiastically. “I have known Mike Ricciardelli for over 40 years, and I’m proud to call him a friend,” said Board of Selectmen Chair Anthony Cogliano. “I was a selectman back in the 90s when he was fi rst appointed and I attended his swearing in. It’s been a pleasure to watch him grow through the ranks and I couldn’t be happier for him and his wife Stephanie today,” Cogliano said. “These are trying times for law enforcement and I know Mike is the right person to lead us through them. I look forward to working with him and letting him know our Saugus Police Dept. will always have the full support of our elected offi cials.” Selectman Jeffrey Cicolini also cited the appointment as one he embraces personally as well as professionally. “Words cannot begin to express how proud I am of Lt. Michael Ricciardelli for being named the permanent Chief of Police in Saugus. For those who don’t know, Mike and I go back over 40 years (yes kindergarten) and I know for certain he will raise the bar even higher for the Saugus Police Department (SPD),” Cicolini said. “Mike has spent his entire career with the SPD and is a lifelong Saugonian and a true asset to our town. Mike is a man of integrity, ethics, discipline and loyalty; these attributes coupled with the respect that he has earned from each of his fellow offi cers will make him an absolutely amazing Chief. Congratulations to Mike on a job well done.” Selectman Debra Panetta said she is “very happy” for Ricciardelli and his family. “Michael has worked for the Saugus Police Department for the past 25 years, and there is no doubt he will continue to do an outstanding job,” Panetta said. CHIEF | SEE PAGE 9 WE WORK FOR YOU! * Have your car repaired by * An I-CAR GOLD CLASS SHOP for 1605 North Shore Road, Revere * 781-284-1200 Visit us at: www.AtlasAutobody.com or call (781) 284-1200 to schedule your appointment today!
THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – Friday, June 26, 2020 Page 9 CHIEF | from page 8 Giorgetti gets praise for “a job well done” Giorgetti has returned to his familiar position as assistant police chief, where he served under retired Chief Domenic DiMella. In an interview this week, Ricciardelli said DiMella was wellqualifi ed for that position. However, the new chief indicated he hasn’t yet made a commitment for Giorgetti to handle the position on a permanent basis. Giorgetti could not be reached for comment and hadn’t responded to an email at press time. Cicolini and Panetta off ered high praise for Giorgetti’s leadership role and service to the town. “To Lt. Ron Giorgetti I want to thank you for all you have done in your entire career with SPD but more so for stepping in as acting Chief over the past two years and leading our men and women through some very diffi cult times,” Cicolini said. “You are the consummate professional and I thank and congratulate you on a job well done.” Panetta said she wanted to publicly thank Giorgetti “for his commitment and service to Saugus.” Giorgetti, 54, was born and raised in Saugus, where he is a 26-year veteran of the town’s Police Department. The Saugus Police Patrol Officers’ Union Facebook page posted a special tribute to Giorgetti: “Assistant Chief Giorgetti served as Interim Chief of Police for the past two years and has led the department through an accreditation recertifi cation process, a global pandemic and an otherwise challenging time in law enforcement. “We wish him well as he returns to his role as Assistant Chief of Police.” How the new chief was selected The Town of Saugus engaged BadgeQuest, a public safety consulting fi rm staff ed by highly experienced individuals with a deep commitment to public safety, to design and administer a candidate assessment process, according to Crabtree. BadgeQuest reviewed all relevant department documents pertaining to the requisite knowledge, skills, abilities and personal characteristics required of the Saugus Police Chief and conducted a job analysis of the Police Chief position, the town manager’s statement said. “Ricciardelli was carefully A SYMBOLIC SWEARING IN: New Saugus Police Chief Michael Ricciardelli gets sworn in by Town Manager Scott Crabtree in a small family ceremony held on June 22 outside at the location of the old police station. That is where Ricciardelli began his career as a patrolman. Crabtree said he hopes a more formal ceremony will be held “at a later date when it is safe and when the Governor’s restrictions may be relaxed.” (Courtesy photos to The Saugus Advocate) chosen as Police Chief after an extensive selection process was conducted in order to select the most highly-qualified individual to perform all the duties required of a Police Chief in Saugus. The process was used to identify the individual who has the management style and values that are most compatible with the needs of the community and the Police department,” Crabtree said. “A formal Police Chief Assessment was then held to evaluate qualifi ed candidates on their leadership, planning and organizing, writing, oral communication, decision-making, interpersonal relations, and administrative and management skills. BadgeQuest compiled all data and made a professional recommendation that was provided to the Town in the way of a score. “In addition, a comprehensive organizational needs and staffi ng analysis of the Saugus Police Department was recently completed in order to strengthen the structure and eff ectiveness within the department, improve and streamline services to residents and increase safety within the community. This organizational needs and staffi ng analysis will be a guide for Chief Ricciardelli and the police department. “Ricciardelli, who was determined by BadgeQuest to be the best fit for the position, has played an integral role in the Saugus Police Department for 25 years. For the past eight years he has served as Lieutenant. Prior to that, Ricciardelli was a Sergeant for two years, and a Patrol Offi cer for 15 years before that Ricciardelli also worked as a Corrections Offi - cer at the Essex County Sheriff ’s Department for several years.” The new chief is an instructor at the Municipal Police Training Committee, where he teaches courses on firearms, legal issues, dealing with the psychologically impaired and applied patrol procedure. He is also a member of the Honor Guard and the Special Operations Unit. Ricciardelli earned his master’s degree in Criminal Justice from Western New England College and a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from Salem State College. 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Page 10 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – Friday, June 26, 2020 ASKS | from page 3 the people that I met there back then that I still have today that are involved in other communities. Q: Right now, what do you see as the biggest challenge facing you as the chief law enforcement person in the town? A: I think you see what’s going on across the country – there’s a lot of anti-police rhetoric out there. By no means am I saying to disregard it. I think those people need to be heard, and there are some things that need to be addressed in this department and every other department, some more than others. But I do want people to understand that it seems like it’s that small group of bad apples – or whatever you want to call them – and we’re getting lumped in with them for some reason. I don’t think that’s fair, but it’s what we’re going through right now. We’re dealing with it. There are certain things you can do to help with that: meet with some community stakeholders and be more transparent. Q: And you have the citizens’ Police Academy. A: Yes, sure, that’s one of the things. Q: If you have some outspoken critics in town – I don’t know if you do – but if you do, maybe ask them, “All right, would you like to be on the citizen’s police academy?” A: Yeah. At the same time – it’s funny, we just had a police support group just drop by. I know the percentage of people [anti-police] is pretty small. Over the past week, I had a lot of people reach out to tell me they do support us. In Saugus, I believe, people support us. I’ve been here for 25 years, and (knock on wood) we haven’t had any major type of incidents like that [the death of George Floyd while being arrested by the Minneapolis police]. Q: During your time on the police force, has there ever been a complaint of police brutality? A: I don’t recall anything. Nothing sticks out. I think it would if it were significant. Like I said, I have been here for 25 years, and I’m proud of the men and women and the work that they do. I haven’t seen anything like that [police brutality]. Whatever force we’ve been involved in, it was certainly justifi ed, reasonable and necessary. Q: You had the two demonstrations recently. It’s not like you have a lot of issues here in Saugus. Q: How did the demonstrations for those two days go? A: It did go well. It did go well. Obviously, we wish we had some more notice, but Lt. [Anthony] LoPresti – who is a member of NEMLEC [Northeastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council], the regional SWAT response team – he kind of put the plans together on how to address both of those demonstrations. And we were ready and they really weren’t a problem at all. Everything went according to plan. We were happy to give them the opportunity to demonstrate peacefully, and that’s what they did. Q: How many offi cers right now? A: From myself down, I think A CAPTIVE AUDIENCE: Students in a class at the Oaklandvale Elementary School listen as then-Lieutenant Michael Ricciardelli reads to them last year during National Read Across America Day. A: No, but you know what, I think it was good that people were given the opportunity to express themselves. Maybe the issues aren’t here in Saugus, but those Saugus residents who demonstrated felt strongly enough about it to get out and do something. So … listen, that’s First Amendment stuff , and we’ll defend that to the end. it’s 60; then we’ve got 13 dispatchers; in addition to that, a small clerical staff . Q: On the Police Department, do you have any African Americans? A: We do not have any African American on the department at this time. We did have one who retired a few years back. What we have done is hire a lot of females. We were down to one at one point over the last couple of years. Now we are up to fi ve, and they are all doing really well. We have ASKS | SEE PAGE 11
THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – Friday, June 26, 2020 Page 11 ASKS | from page 10 a few offi cers of Hispanic descent, one offi cer of Cambodian descent – Brazilian – Portuguese, but no African American. Q: But I guess if there is no interest in it, there’s not much you can do about it. A: We’re a Civil Service community. You take the test and show up on the list, and whoever’s there is there. I have been involved in the hiring process over the course of the last eight years; I really don’t recall many applicants. I’m not really sure what the percentage of African American in Saugus is – maybe four percent – but maybe someday we will have African Americans in the department; hopefully, someday soon. Q: This is a question I’m dying to ask. I am not sure if you looked at the crime trends during the pandemic. Is there anything interesting you can say about the statistics? I would think the DUI [driving under the infl uence]’s are way down because the bars are shut down, but are there any observations you can share? A: Yes. So overall, especially at the beginning, the call volume as a whole went down, but what did go up were domestic disputes – because I think more people were stuck home with each other for more time than they wanted to spend with each other – and dealing with psychologically impaired people. They have a routine and when that routine is disrupted, they have problems. The stay-at-home order with the COVID – they didn’t cope with that very well. So a rise in those two areas were defi nitely noticeable. As far as the drop in DUIs, that was noticeable, too. And the traffi c, especially at the beginning of the shutdown, the volume was way down during the rush hour. Q: But the traffi c – even with fewer cars – there were more idiots on the road, especially at night, going 90 miles an hour or way over the speed limit. A: Word got out – I don’t know if it’s necessarily true or not – that the police officers don’t want to engage you because they’re afraid of catching the Coronavirus, so what we found was that people were just fl ying around, so we, along with the State Police, had to kind of reestablish that those people who are doing signifi cant amounts above the speed limit are still going to get stopped and issued tickets. During the fi rst month when we didn’t really know how contagious it was, overall, I think police offi cers across the state took a step back, but after about a month, we started to realize we needed to get back into what we were originally doing, because people were going just a little bit too crazy, and they could get away with everything. Q: Did your staff or anyone in the Saugus Police Department have any close encounters with COVID-19? A: Yes. We had a couple of offi cers that actually caught it, but we had a system in place… Q: So you had offi cers quarantined? A: Yes. Nobody really got too sick. One had very mild symptoms; the other had flu-like symptoms, but their families were also infected. Q: So, were these cases traced to arrests? A: No. I’m not going to say that. We weren’t really able to determine. Obviously, our biggest worry during this whole thing was having somebody bring it in here and let it rip through the department – and then we’d have manpower issues, but (knock on wood) that hasn’t happened. We’ve had just a couple of people aff ected, and they quarantined, and that kept the rest of us safe. And we’ve taken other steps. I don’t know if you noticed, but the front door [to the public safety building] is locked, so we’re trying to deal with things over the phone, as opposed to having them come into the front desk and fi ll out a report. We have kind of limited the amount of people who come in here. I think that has helped, too, even with the offi cers. We normally have roll call within a room; we have been holding it out in the garage where people can observe the six-foot rule. We’ve defi nitely taken a lot of good steps to try to prevent things. Hopefully, we’re coming out of this. Q: As far as local concerns, what do you see as your top challenges as you look ahead? A: Obviously, I just got sworn in yesterday, but the perception is a big issue. We hope to continue to build up the partnership we have with the people of Saugus. I think we’ve done a good job over the years, but I think it’s more important now than ever. We have to sell ourselves. You can turn on the TV every night and fi nd negative stories about us. But the men and women of this department are doing a lot of good things out there. And one of the things I talked about – being more involved on social media. I think that kind of tears down the wall. If we put out there, “Hey, we’re doing this” – I’m not talking about arrests, but just helping people out in diff erent ways. Policing LOOKING AHEAD: Saugus Police Chief Michael Ricciardelli talks about his department priorities one day after being appointed by Town Manager Scott C. Crabtree to lead the 60-offi cer Police Department. has changed in my 25 years. It’s more about helping people out with quality-of-life issues as opposed to who is breaking the law and what not and making arrests and all of that stuff . Our role is changing. People have been saying we need to hire more social workers than police offi cers. Well, I think police have been acting more like social workers over the last 10 to 15 years, because I’ve seen that change. Q: Have you seen an uptick in the scam crimes recently – particularly Internet-type stuff – since the outbreak of COVID-19? A: This year, specifically, we’ve seen a lot of the identity theft having to do with the IRS. In other words: somebody taking your social security number and name and fi ling for a refund. So we’ve had a lot of people come in and say, “Hey, I didn’t even do my taxes yet and somebody stole my identity and is trying to get a refund.” A lot of it has been caught because of the correspondence that the IRS has been sending them. Q: About how many of those cases have you had? A: Identity theft over the last fi ve to 10 years has gone through the roof, but recently, during the COVID, it seems to be this specifi c IRS scam. Q: How many? A dozen people? A: Oh, more than that; probably a couple of dozen at least. Q: And then you probably had some of that stuff with the fake Comcast emails where these scam artists are doing phishing to get people to give out personal information, like their passwords and credit card numbers. A: Yeah. And that’s another thing we can use our Facebook page for: to try to educate people on the scams. We defi nitely want to get more involved in that. Q: Like the recent scam “We’re changing your email … please respond.” A: Yes. Unfortunately, some people get scammed like that. Q: I’ve gotten about a hundred of those fake emails this year. At least, I have referred that many to the Comcast abuse line [abuse@comcast. net]. Some of these look like they’re from Comcast, but they’re not. A: Yes, you got to be very careful. Q: Okay, so outreach, the image of the department; those are like your main challenges. A: Yes. And also there are going to be some changes in training coming down from the state because of the incidents that happened out in Minneapolis and down in Atlanta. We’ll be making some adjustments. But to be honest with you, I think we are out ahead of the curve with Massachusetts being a pretty liberal state to begin with. Some of the changes they’ve talked about have already happened here. Some of the training they’ve talked about, we’ve already had here. As far as dealing with the mentally ill, police legitimacy, community outreach and things like that – there’s going to be change, but I think we’re ready for it. I don’t think it’s going to be as signifi cant here as other places where they are kind of behind. A lot of the training we have gotten over the last few years is directly related to what’s going on. It probably started back with Ferguson [a 2014 police incident in Ferguson, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis, where an 18-yearold Black man was fatally shot by a white Ferguson police offi - cer, sparking months of unrest in the city, which led to police reforms]. And that’s the reason they put it into eff ect, so it has been addressed over the years, and I’m sure we will continue to address it. Q: Did you watch the video of the Minneapolis case involving the killing of George Floyd? A: I did, but obviously, what’s missing is the officer’s body videocam. I watched the start of it and the end of it, but the middle of it is missing or not released yet. I’m interested in that. I’ll say this: Nothing is going to change my mind. I think those guys, at the end of the video, were dead wrong. I’m not defending them. I’m just curious to see the middle of that: how he ended up on the ground like that. Again, there is no excuse. They should not have kept him down on the ground that long, kneeling on his neck. They did a lot of things wrong. And I think in this state you are going to see some changes, where an offi cer who is not the primary offi cer, sees that things have gone too far, he’s going to have an obligation to say, “Hey, enough is enough.” That is one of the things that I think Cambridge already put into their policy. And I think it’s probably headed this way. I’ve been here 25 years, and we don’t allow chokes. I know it doesn’t look like a choke, but it is. When you put pressure on the outside of somebody’s neck, it cuts the blood fl ow and amounts to a choke. We don’t allow those, and we never have for the whole time that I’ve been here. I think we are a pretty progressive state, ASKS | SEE PAGE 12
Page 12 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – Friday, June 26, 2020 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. A super “Shout-Out” for Marsha Bishop It’s always great to hear about senior citizens who quietly work behind the scenes, doing what they can – without any notoriety – to help their fellow man or woman. Janice K. Jarosz, a longtime journalist and occasional contributor to our “Shout-Out” feature, is recommending that a heap of praise be dumped on Marsha Bishop. “For several months I have been hearing about a woman at Laurel Gardens who goes out of her way to help her ASKS | from page 11 and we outlawed them over 25 years ago. It’s hard to believe that they’re still going on out there [Minneapolis]. Every state is diff erent. Q: Locally, what are the biggest challenges on your plate? I guess you have the traffic unit that has been funded and planned for over a year? A: Yes. It’s been a year or over a year and a half since the citizen’s group [Citizens for a Safer Saugus] formed on social media. I know we worked with the manager and the Board of Selectmen, and one of the things we came up with were the speed monitors that you see – there are four or fi ve of them around town. There is one actually right here on Hamilton Street. And those have seemed to have a pretty big impact. Q: I like the “Thank You” response you get when you slow down to the speed limit! A: Yeah! It seems to have helped a lot and done the job, along with our officers out there enforcing the traffi c regulations. Q: You have to get your feet wet, but how soon do you think that the traffi c unit – the three-person one that was talked about at Town Meeting – and the funding approved will be in place? A: We were looking to get it in place sooner, but we had some unexpected retirements, so the extra manpower that we had planned for that kind of got taken up into patrols. We’ve got four graduating from the Police Academy in a couple of weeks. And then we are going to send three more starting the Academy at the end of next month. When these four graduate, they will have to go through a full trainneighbors – taking them to doctor’s appointments, bringing them shopping, help in cleaning up their apartments – I heard that she never says ‘no,’” Janice wrote me in an email this week. “I thought she would be a good choice. I called her last week and told her I heard great things about her and how she helps out with those disabled or in serious need of support.” Janice marvels at the fact that Marsha, though experiencing some health issues in her late 60s, goes out of her way to help folks. “Marsha surely deserves a shout out. I have only met her once but know so many people she has helped. Please give her a shout out.” No problem. Let’s hear a loud round of applause for Marsha. Hopefully, her good deeds become contagious. 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 of “An Extra Shout-Out.” No more than a paragraph; anything longer might lend itself to a story and/or photo. Go see an outdoor movie at Kowloon Do you have the COVID-19 blues? If you do, maybe it’s time to go see a movie – outdoors – at ing program. That usually takes a couple of months. We will evaluate the situation when they get off of field training and see where we are at. We’ve actually got another retirement coming up, I think next month. That might put us a little behind the eight ball, but I think at this point, with these four guys coming out [of the Academy], it should put us really close to starting something. Q: And this is one of your top priorities? A: Yeah. It’s a priority. We want to give them a little fl exibility to do not do just traffi c, but maybe some other things – maybe some other community outreach type stuff, so yeah, we don’t want to pigeonhole it as strictly a traffi c unit of guys out there writing tickets. Obviously, we’re going to be dealing with the traffi c issues. That’s a primary part of what we’re going to be doing. Q: So, will it be a select assignment of offi cers to a unit or will there be people rotating in and out? A: Again, we haven’t fi gured it all out yet, but most likely it’s going to be a unit. Right now we actually have guys who work in a traffi c capacity. It’s just not a unit. Q: Have you had time to fi gure out the hierarchy of the department? A: I don’t know if you’ve heard – the manager had an organizational study conducted last year. The fi nal draft isn’t finalized, but they did make some recommendations, and I’ve read through that, so yeah, I think you will see some subtle changes. Q: Now, is Lt. Ronald Giorgetti staying on? A: Yes. Before Chief DiMella he was the assistant chief. And he was the interim chief for the last two years, so he’s back as assistant chief. Q: So, he’s going to be your Number Two for the foreseeable future? A: I don’t want to commit to anything right now, but he’s certainly qualified to do the job, and he’s been doing it for a while. Q: He’s been preparing the Police Department budgets now for several years. A: Yeah. Again, I don’t want to commit to anything. Q: Everything else pretty much set? A: So, the job I came from in training, that’s a job that we’re going to post shortly, and someone will be appointed to do that. Once again, given the environment, this is a pretty important position. It’s not just the training itself, but the documentation that needs to go in it – it’s huge. We’re an accredited department, so the accreditation people want us to show them that everybody is accredited correctly. The new legislation that’s coming out – they’re going to be certifying police officers and recertifying police offi cers every three years, so once again, the training records have to be up to snuff and have to be shown in order for the state to recertify us as individual police offi cers. Q: You’ve had a chance to go over the statistics and trends? A: Yes. Q: Anything that you find alarming or of concern – unCOVID-related, that is – if we didn’t have the COVID-19? A: Yes. Identity theft was always a problem, but there has been a specific uptick in the IRS thing, but as far as over the course of my caIT’S MOVIE TIME! This 22-feet-high-by-40-feet-wide movie screen is set up in the parking lot of the Kowloon Restaurant for folks who feel like enjoying a movie outside at the restaurant’s Car Hop & Drive-In. The drive-in will debut next Tuesday night with the popular 1982 science fi ction fi lm titled “E.T. the ExtraTerrestrial,” which was directed and coproduced by Steven Spielberg. (Saugus Advocate photo by Mark E. Vogler) the Kowloon Restaurant Car Hop & Drive-In in the northbound lane of Route 1 in Saugus. The Kowloon Restaurant, reer, I think one of the biggest trends we’ve seen is with psychologically impaired people. When I started here, there were a lot of state institutions. And I think a lot of those state institutions closed down, and they opened up community group homes throughout the town, so you have that, and we deal with those group homes quite often. As I said, at the beginning of my career it just was very rare, and now it seems like a regulartype thing – at least every day – where we are dealing with people, so we have provided a great amount of training over the last couple of years, and our officers seem to be doing well with it. So, looking back over the last 25 years, a couple of things have really come to the top – dealing with identity theft and the psychologically-impaired. Q: In recent years I know your department has been active in the “Dementia Friendly Saugus” program. A: Yes. And that’s been going way back; we always had some way to address it or keep a database – things like that and whatever we can do. Q: So, what about the situation of Kevin Nichols, the veteran police offi cer and longtime fl eet maintenance mechanic who wanted to work up to age 70 instead of retiring at age 65? [Nichols turned 65 on April 10.] A: Last I heard, it was up at the State House and they were waiting to vote on it. I know they weren’t voting on anything for a while because of the COVID. I’m not sure what the status was. I heard a rumor it might have gotten kicked back because of some language issues, so I don’t know where it’s at now. which is owned and operated by the Wong family, is set SOUNDS | SEE PAGE 13 Q: So, is he still on active duty as a police offi cer? A: No. What happened was the state hadn’t voted on it by the time he turned 65, so he had to leave. But according to him, that doesn’t mean that it’s a done deal – that he can’t come back. He seems to think if they vote for it, that he can [return] to the department. We’ll see. I don’t know exactly what’s going on with that. Q: I did see him when he left the auto shop, and he was in regular uniform for a couple of weeks. A: Yeah. He was, but I think what happened was they had hired his replacement [as police department mechanic] in anticipation of his leaving. That person was already hired. I know there was a short transition that he worked with the new guy. I don’t think the town anticipated him staying this long. Once the new mechanic was up there and transitioned in, his last couple of weeks he worked on the street here. Q: Anything else that you would like to talk about? I know it’s early in your days as chief, but you must be thinking about some things. A: Just that I want to continue to move the department forward. This has been a progressive department over the last 10 years, and I want to keep it going that way. We got accredited, which was a big deal. I was a part of that. We stepped up an increase in training over the last 10 years. I want to keep that going. Sometimes there are mandatory changes and sometimes there are changes that you think about yourself. I think in the next couple of years, we’re going to be dealing with the mandatory changes coming from the State House.
THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – Friday, June 26, 2020 Page 13 Saugus gardens in the pandemic Here’s what’s blooming in town this week to make your walks more enjoyable By Laura Eisener W e associate the month of June with roses (Rosa species), but we are likely to continue seeing them as the summer goes on. Anywhere you walk in Saugus you will see gardens with roses of many kinds and colors. Red roses are the most abundant, but pinks and whites and other colors can also be found in every neighborhood. Worldwide there are probably more breeders working with roses than with any other kind of ornamental plant. Their goals vary – bigger fl owers, more intense fragrance, unusual colors, easier maintenance and better disease resistance, to mention a few. We see climbers, shrub roses and carpet roses, characterized by the growth habit of the plant. There are single, double and semi-double fl owers based on the number of fl ower petals in each blossom – single fl owers have fi ve petals. Double fl owers have a lot more than 10 – fully double flowers actually have so many petals that the reproductive parts in the center that would produce the rose hip are completely absent. Semi-doubles have a center and often can produce a fruit but have many more than fi ve petals. What gardeners would call “species” roses are those that grow wild somewhere in the world, but what most of us grow are hybrid roses, crosses between more than one speBEAUTY BLOOMS: This beautiful rose garden can be viewed from Walnut Street in Saugus. (Courtesy photos to The Saugus Advocate by Laura Eisner). cies that breeders considered an improvement over wild types. Roses can also be classifi ed by how old the variety is – any hybridized before 1867 can be considered an “Old Garden Rose” while more recent ones are considered “Modern.” European roses generally bloomed in June only and spent the rest of the summer producing the urn-shaped fruits called hips that are very high in vitamin C. Most of the popular roses in gardens today are double and semi-double varieties that can continue blooming all summer, and in our part of Massachusetts often well into December! As old fl owers fade and are removed, new buds are constantly being produced until the ground is frozen. Very few garden plants continue producing blossoms SOUNDS | from page 12 to open its new Drive-In with a family movie night, slated for next Tuesday (June 30), featuring the Steven Spielberg fi lm “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.” Doors open at 7 p.m. and show time is at 8:30 p.m. Admission is $20 per parking spot and $20 per table on the turf; guests can also bring their own blankets and beach chairs for the turf area. The Kowloon Drive-In, in conjunction with Xfi nity, features a 22-feet-high-by-40-feetwide movie screen and space for cars. A full Kowloon menu – featuring pupu platters, Saugus Wings, sushi, egg rolls, Seafood Fantasy to Kowloon Steak, along with soft drinks and signature Scorpion bowls, mai tais, beer, wine and cocktails – will be available at the outdoor dining, drive-in, turf and carhop venue. Movies will continue to be featured on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. A complete movie lineup still in the works and spanning the entire summer will be sent out soon. For a complete schedule, please call (781) 233-0077 or go to the Kowloon's website at www.kowloonrestaurant.com. “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” is the 1982 American science fiction fi lm directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Melissa Mathison. It tells the story of Elliott, a boy who befriends an extraterrestrial named E.T. who is stranded on earth. The fi lm stars Dee Wallace, Peter Coyote and Henry Thomas, and features special eff ects by Carlo Rambaldi and visual eff ects by Dennis Muren. “E.T.” was released on June 11, 1982, by Universal Pictures, and continues to be a family favorite. The Kowloon Restaurant, Car Hop & Drive-In, 948 Broadway, Route 1 North, Saugus, is open daily 11: 30 a.m. to 11 p.m. seven days per week; (781) 233-0077; www.kowloonrestaurant.com. this much of the year in our climate. Many new street trees were planted this week around town. Saugus Action Volunteers for the Environment (SAVE) in partnership with the Saugus Tree Committee received a $20,000 grant from the Foundation Trust to add trees to town sites in Saugus this year. Thirty-fi ve new street trees have been installed. They were planted and staked by Capone Landscaping, Inc. of Wakefi eld, and the Saugus DPW coordinated the project. Rocky Hill Farms in Saugus generously donated mulch for the areas around the new trees. The new trees include red maple (Acer rubrum), apple (Malus ‘Spring Snow,’) tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera), American elm (Ulmus americana ‘Colonial Spirit’), Sargent cherry Why bother with Zoom videoconferencing? More than 75 people showed up at Amato’s Liquor Store at 206 Lincoln Ave. on Wednesday night. I kind of wondered whether the neighborhood gathering that was organized by Board of Selectmen Chair Anthony Cogliano posed any potential health hazards to folks who weren’t practicing social distancing, wearing facial coverings or both. I guess time will tell. Or, hopefully, if somebody did catch the Coronavirus for not taking proper health precautions, we’ll fi nd out about it. And, hopefully, if there were people infected with the virus, it won’t be too serious. I don’t know about you, but I am growing weary about the Zoom meetings, especially when it’s a crapshoot as to whether low-tech people like myself are able to insert all the right punctuation, numbers and letters to be able to view the meeting online. FLOWERING TREES: These lovely Japanese tree lilacs on Lynn Fells Parkway attract many bees and butterfl ies. (Prunus sargentii ‘Pink Flair’), Callery pear (Pyrus calleryana ‘Chanticleer’) and ‘Okame’ cherry (Prunus incisa ‘Okame’). Central, Ballard and Saville Streets are a few of the places new trees have been planted. They have been outfi tted with gator bags to lighten the load for the volunteers who will be keeping the trees watered. Volunteers are still needed for some of the trees – please email Nancy Prag at nprag@ localiq if you are able to adopt one or more of the new trees for watering. Japanese tree lilacs (Syringa reticulata) are attractive fl owering trees which can be expected to grow about 25 feet tall. In addition to new ones planted this week on Elm and Central Streets, Saugus has a few older Japanese tree lilacs on Given the fact that Saugus High School has a near-traditional graduation ceremony scheduled for Saturday, July 25 at 10 a.m., I really do think the Annual Town Meeting could have been held this year at Stackpole Field or out on the lawn at Saugus Town Hall. Instead, we’re going to see one of those Zoom meetings set for this coming Monday, June 29 at 7:30 p.m. For those folks who want to do their homework in advance of Monday’s meeting, check out the two-hour-plus Finance Committee meeting by googling Saugus TV on Vimeo (https://vimeo.com/ saugustelevision) and punch into the Wednesday night (June 24) FinCom session. I wasn’t able to watch the Saugus version of “Hollywood Squares” live Wednesday because I was interested in learning more about the controversial veterans housing project for Lincoln Avenue. However, I will try to navigate Zoom so I can watch the Annual Town Meeting on Monday. I got Lynn Fells Parkway. The established trees are blooming now, attracting many bees and butterfl ies. The shape of the fl ower cluster is very much like its relative, the familiar Common Lilac (Syringa vulgaris), but in the tree species the fl ower is white and has a diff erent, less sweet fragrance. Editor’s Note: Laura Eisener is a landscape design consultant who helps homeowners with landscape design, plant selection and placement of trees and shrubs, as well as perennials. She is also a member of the Saugus Garden Club and off ered 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!” a feeling that more people attended the neighborhood gathering on Lincoln Avenue than will be watching the Town Meeting on Zoom. Stay tuned. It’s going to be a fi scal meeting Unless you enjoy reading about the price tags of Saugus Town government and estimates on how much COVID-19 is going to cost taxpayers, don’t expect a lot of excitement or drama coming out of Monday’s Annual Town Meeting. The primary mission of the 50-member body at 7:30 p.m. Monday night will be to pass a budget for the new fi scal year, which is set to begin on July 1. I always enjoy covering Annual Town Meetings. But without the traditional format that includes a number of zoning Articles on the Town Warrant, I’m sure the meeting won’t get a lot SOUNDS | SEE PAGE 18
Page 14 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – Friday, June 26, 2020 Waybright School chooses Student of the Year By Tara Vocino G ianna Stasio was selected as this year’s Student of the Year at Waybright Elementary School. “I’m optimistic,” Gianna said while moving on from Waybright on Tuesday afternoon during a rolling ceremony. “I always look on the bright side.” Gianna added that she was stunned when she found out on Zoom that she had been selected as Student of the Year. Her mother, Lisa, said she is proud of Gianna and that her teachers and classmates are like family. Like Gianna, she was shocked at the news. Approximately 28 teachers voted for her using a point rating system. She acknowledged that there were several other students who could have been chosen and thanked her teachers for selecting her. Principal Patricia Romano commented on why they chose Gianna. “What sets Gianna apart from others is her citizenship and excellent academic achievement,” she said. “She demonstrates strong character, mature behavior and integrity.” Romano added that Gianna is involved in several school activities and that she is wellliked by staff and students. Waybright Elementary School student Gianna Stasio, center, with her father, Jay, and mother, Lisa (Advocate photo by Tara Vocino) “She’s such a friendly young lady with a big smile and a positive attitude,” Romano said. Gianna is also a member of Saugus Girl Scout Troop 76134 and the gymnastics program at the Saugus YMCA. —Tara Vocino may be reached at printjournalist1@gmail.com. Teachers Mary Sueltenfuss, left, and Linda Gauthier with Waybright Elementary School Student of the Year Gianna Stasio. (Photos Courtesy of Waybright Elementary School Principal Patricia Romano) Waybright Elementary School Principal Patricia Romano, Student of the Year Gianna Stasio and her mother, Lisa, in front of the school on Tuesday Mass. Teachers Association endorses Gravellese for State Rep oe Gravellese’s campaign for State Representative picked up another education endorsement this week, as the Massachusetts Teachers Association (MTA) announced it is endorsing Gravellese for the 16th Suff olk District (Revere, Chelsea and Saugus). The MTA represents over 110,000 educators across Massachusetts. The MTA joins the Boston Teachers Union, which had J previously endorsed Gravellese in the Democratic primary election, which will be held on September 1. “It’s an honor to work with the educators of the Massachusetts Teachers Association and Boston Teachers Union as we push for the changes our students and teachers need to succeed,” said Gravellese. “Together with educators, we will fi ght for universal pre-K for all kids across Massachusetts. We'll make sure Massachusetts delivers on the promises of the Student Opportunity Act, ensuring we are investing in all students. And we’ll work to tackle the obstacles that get in the way of education for too many.” Voters can learn more about Gravellese’s campaign at www.joegrav.com. Friends, from left to right: Kiara McCarthy, Student of the Year Gianna Stasio, second from left, Sofi a McCarrier, Gianna Stasio, Madison McCarthy and Sydney Ferreira. This week on Saugus TV Sunday, June 28 from 9-11 p.m. on Channel 8 – “Sunday Night Stooges” (The Three Stooges). Monday, June 29 all day on Channel 8 – “Movie Monday” (classic movies). Tuesday, June 30 at 8:30 p.m. on Channel 9 – Board of Health Meeting from June 22. Wednesday, July 1 at 8:30 p.m. on Channel 9 – School Committee Meeting from June 22. Thursday, July 2 at 8:30 p.m. on Channel 9 – Finance Committee Meeting from June 24. Friday, July 3 at 9 p.m. on Channel 8 – “Friday Night Frights” (scary movies). Saugus TV can be seen on Comcast Channels 8, 9, & 22. For complete schedules, please visit www.saugustv.org. ***programming may change without notice***
THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – Friday, June 26, 2020 Page 15 Mystic Valley Regional Charter School fi rst in Mass. to cancel football season First school in state to punt away season, despite opener still three months away By Steve Freker A Malden school has become the first in Massachusetts to punt away its football season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They were the very fi rst charter school to put down roots in the greater Boston community, over 20 years ago, when the doors swung open on Laurel Street at the former Maplewood Elementary School. Since then the Mystic Valley Regional Charter School has had plenty of other fi rsts. The latest one came in midMarch when Mystic Valley became the first school in the state to announce a cancellation of classes due to the coronavirus. That announcement was made way back on March 5, a full week before a global pandemic was declared by the World Health Organization (WHO), and 11 days ahead of Governor Baker's order closing all schools in Mass. until at least early April. First school in state to cancel football This week it happened again when it was learned that the Mystic Valley administration canceled the upcoming football season, the fi rst of over 300 high school teams in all of Massachusetts to do so, citing concerns over COVID-19. According to news reports published online, a statement released by Mystic Valley Superintendent Alexander Dan cited a survey conducted this spring "showed only 16 parents of players who participated in the school’s football program last year felt comfortable making a commitment to varsity football for the fall season." This led to the administration’s decision to cancel the season and work toward creating a non-contact alternative for Mystic Valley athletes, according to the statement. According to reports, the school distributed a letter to studentathletes via social media anTIME OUT: Mystic Valley football coach Danny Kelly and last year's Eagle football captains. Word was out this week that Mystic Valley decided to cancel this fall's football season. (Courtesy Photo) nouncing the decision to cut football for 2020, despite the season-opening kickoff being about three months away. Move is made before any MIAA decisions Also, the move was made in advance of any guidance for fall sports emanating from the overseer of high school athletics, the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA). High school athletic directors and principals have been anxiously awaiting news from the MIAA regarding football and fall sports in general, before deciding on how to proceed. No other school in Massachusetts had announced any decisions on fall sports to date, Mystic Valley being the fi rst. Behind the scenes, a number of athletic directors and fall coaches have speculated about the potential risks of fall sports like football and soccer and the close contact involved with both, in practices and games. Cross country teams and their close group running has also been cited as a potential risk, along with girls fi eld hockey. Another fall sport is girls’ volleyball, played in close quarters and indoors. Mystic Valley second-year head coach Danny Kelly was he was surprised and disheartened by the decision to cancel the season this early, in June. In an online report, the Eagles coach said he found out Saturday, but had to keep it to himself until school families were informed. Season taken away three months in advance “It’s one thing if the MIAA said there was no season, we’d be OK with that. But to have this taken away from them when the season is still three months away was tough," Coach Kelly told a Boston newspaper in an online report. “We were just getting ready to start our off - season conditioning program. Then I have to tell them that their season was over, it was taken away from them. It was not an easy thing to do, especially for the seniors." If Mystic Valley's decision proves to be a harbinger of what is to come and fall sports becomes a casualty of the coronavirus, it would become a painful, one-two punch to high school sports, following the cancellation of spring sports season, announced in late April. T he SBA, working with the Department of the Treasury, announced the release of new Form 3508EZ for certain Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) borrowers in order to apply for forgiveness of the PPP loan. This Form is much simpler than the initial forgiveness loan application. This will not only streamline the process for the PPP borrowers, but also for the lenders that served as the intermediary between the SBA and the borrower. The lender is the one that has to actually approve the forgiveness loan application. In order to be eligible to complete Form 3508EZ, borrowers must meet the following criteria: The borrower is selfemployed and has no employees; or Did not reduce the salaries or wages of their employees by more than 25% and did not reduce the number of hours of their employees; or Experienced reductions in business activity as a result of health directives related to COVID-19 and did not reduce the salaries or wages of their employees by more Paycheck Protection Program EZ Forgiveness Form than 25%. On page one of the instructions to Form 3508EZ you will fi nd a checklist with 3 checkboxes. If you can check off at least one of those 3 checkboxes, you will be able to complete Form 3508EZ, which is only a two-page form. On page two of Form 3508EZ, the borrower must check off certain representations and certifi cations. The first page of the application has the fo r g iveness amount calculation: Line 1: list the gross payroll for the covered period Line 2: list business mortgage payments made during the covered period Line 3: list business rent paid during the covered period Line 4: list business utility payments made during the covered period Line 5: add the amounts on lines 1 through 4 Line 6: insert the amount of the PPP loan Line 7: divide line 1 by 60 percent (this is the payroll paid out requirement) Line 8: the forgiveness amount. The lesser of lines 5,6 or 7 The covered period is either the 8 - week period following the date your loan was funded, if you so elect, or the new 24week period following the date your loan was funded. Many businesses will need to take advantage of the new 24- week period in order to meet the 60% of gross payroll test. This new form was welcomed relief to borrowers and lenders of the PPP. Joseph D. Cataldo is an estate planning/elder law attorney, Certifi ed Public Accountant, registered investment advisor, AICPA Personal Financial Specialist and holds a masters degree in taxation. Follow us on Twitter advocatenewspaperma
Page 16 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – Friday, June 26, 2020 Waybright graduates roll on in 2020 By Tara Vocino Approximately 25 teachers sent off 28 graduates during a rolling moving on ceremony at Douglas Waybright Elementary School on Tuesday morning. (Advocate photos by Tara Vocino) “Waybright is Way Better:” Digital Literacy Teacher Alicia Tinkham, Paraprofessional Ashley Giuffrida, graduate Matthew Cheney, Paraprofessional Alex Bogdanski and Principal Patricia Romano. Paraprofessional Ashley Giuffrida holding a “Way to go Wizards!” poster, graduate Caden Diozzi and Paraprofessional Alex Bogdanski. Digital Literacy Teacher Alicia Tinkham holds a “Congrats 5th Graders!” sign – pictured with fi rst grade teacher Sarah White, Revere High School Senior Clerk Danielle Ferreira and her daughter graduate Sydney Ferreira and Paraprofessional Alex Bogdanski. First grade teacher Sarah White, Paraprofessional Ashley Giuff rida, graduate Gavin Luongo, Paraprofessional Alex Bogdanski and Principal Patricia Romano. First grade teacher Sarah White, Digital Literacy Teacher Alicia Tinkham, graduate Jaeda Jackson, Paraprofessional Alex Bogdanski, with Paraprofessional Ashley Giuff rida . Paraprofessionals Alex Bogdanski, Laurie Reissfelder and Linda Wyman hold signs. Lunch monitor Debbie Genzali holds a “Congratulations, WAYBRIGHT 5TH GRADE GRADUATES, I will miss you” poster. Graduate Alexandra Dembro by her Class of 2020 car sign during Tuesday morning’s rolling moving on ceremony at Douglas Waybright Elementary School Registered Nurse Erin LeDrew, pictured with graduate Jayden Melanson, holds a “Congratulations! You made it!” sign. Graduate Kiara McCarthy by the Class of 2020 photo spread Graduate Eduarda Mizieski, in center, by her decorated car Graduate Chris Loper by his car name badge Father Tony, graduate Joey and mother, Stephanie Mastrocola
THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – Friday, June 26, 2020 Page 17 Beacon Hill Roll Call By Bob Katzen THE HOUSE AND SENATE: The House and Senate continued to hold remote sessions with just a few members in the chambers to avoid spreading the COVID-19. Most members watched and listened to the debate from their home or business offi ce through their computers and voted via phone. Beacon Hill Roll Call records local senators’ votes on roll calls from the week of June 15-19. There were no roll calls in the House last week. EXPAND VOTING (S 2755) Senate 40-0, approved a bill that would provide registered voters three options to cast a ballot in the September 1 primary and November 3 general election including extended early voting periods, voting in-person on Election Day and voting-by-mail. The House has already approved its own version of the bill. Last week, a sixmember conference committee made up of three senators and three representatives was appointed to hammer out a compromise version that would pass both branches. The Senate measure requires an application for a voter to request an early voting ballot for the September 1 primary election to be mailed by Secretary of State Bill Galvin to all registered voters by July 15, 2020. Galvin will then mail a separate application to vote by mail in the General Election along with the voter booklet sent out in the fall. Another key provision allows early voting for the September 1 primary to take place from Saturday, August 22 through Friday, August 28. Early voting for the November 3 general election would be available from Tuesday, October 17 to Friday, October 30. The measure also expands absentee voting by allowing any person taking precautions related to COVID-19 to vote absentee via secure drop boxes that will provide a sanitary drop-off method. Other provisions impose safety measures to be taken at the polls to prevent the spread of the virus to voters and poll workers; allow cities and towns to count vote totals prior to Election Day, provide pre-addressed envelopes for voters to return their applications for an early ballot; requires Secretary Galvin’s offi ce to create an online portal by October 1, 2020 to take some burden off the city and town clerk’s offi ces and make it as easy as possible for people to apply for General Election early voting ballots electronically. “Our goal with this legislation was to make it easier for people to exercise their fundamental democratic right to vote during these unprecedented times,” said Sen. Barry Finegold (D-Andover), the Senate chair of the Election Laws Committee. “This is the fi rst time in the history of the commonwealth that we are off ering early voting for primaries, sending out applications to vote by mail and counting ballots after Election Day.” MassVOTE Executive Director Cheryl Clyburn Crawford said while the organization is disappointed that voters will not automatically receive ballots this fall, she applauds the Senate for passing the legislation. “This Fall’s elections will undoubtedly prove challenging,” said Crawford. “Nevertheless, we believe the Senate bill passed today will provide local election offi cials the tools they need to run our elections this fall, while allowing voters to cast their ballot in a safe, secure manner.” “The elections bill passed today is a historic step that dramatically increases voting access in our commonwealth,” said Senate President Karen Spilka (D-Ashland). “This bill would allow voters, for the fi rst time, to cast ballots by mail, vote early and safely vote in person— allowing residents to safely exercise their important right to vote during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The Senate has always championed greater participation in our democracy, and I am proud that ideas we’ve originated over the years are contained in this bill.” (A “Yes” vote is for the bill.) Sen. Brendan Crighton Yes MORE DETAILS ON ENSURING SAFE AND ACCESSIBLE ELECTIONS (S 2755) Senate 16-23, rejected an amendment that would replace a provision in the bill that requires Secretary Galvin, in conjunction with the Department of Public Health, to establish regulations requiring public health safeguards at early voting sites and polling places. The safeguards include requiring the distancing of voters and election offi cers, frequent use of sanitizers, appropriate clothing and the use of marking pens. The amendment includes many more specifi c details and ultimately allows cities and towns to make the final decision on what safeguards it wants to impose. The amendment includes requiring Galvin to provide comprehensive guidance to municipalities on designing polling locations to ensure six-foot physical distancing throughout the voting process; proper signage in and outside of the polling site; implement curbside voting for voters with physical or health limitations; establish a statewide volunteer portal so that all municipalities have adequate poll workers; planning for volunteer poll worker shortages and outreach, recruitment, and training of additional and reserve poll workers to ensure that the burden of administering the in-person election does not fall on older and vulnerable poll workers at greater risk to COVID-19. Another key detailed provision requires the guidance to include protection of poll workers with personal protective equipment, adequate access to cleaning supplies throughout the day, access to hand-washing and bathrooms with adequate soap, water and disposable paper towels and other public health measures to protect poll workers and voters from the spread of coronavirus. “I filed this amendment to ensure that our city and town clerks and their staffs, voting registrars, and voters are as safe as possible, at the election polls,” said Sen. Jamie Eldridge (D-Acton), the sponsor of the amendment. “While voting by mail will surely increase as a result of the Legislature’s actions in this bill, if we truly consider voting as a right, the state should be providing as much guidance, personal protection equipment, enforcement of physical distancing, and no-contact options for people to vote this fall … [The] pandemic has already resulted in challenges for cities and towns to fi nd more election volunteers [and] this volunteer portal will also better support our municipal election clerks.” “[The bill itself] covered the majority of the concerns raised in [Sen. Eldridge’s amendment] … but in broader terms,” said Election Laws Committee chair Sen. Barry Finegold (D-Andover) who was leading the charge for the bill. He noted that he already had commitments from Galvin to implement the rest of Eldridge’s amendment that was not in the bill. (A “Yes” vote is for the amendment. A “No” vote is against it.) Sen. Brendan Crighton No UNIFORM EARLY VOTING/ ABSENTEE BALLOT APPLICATIONS (H 2755) Senate 14-25, rejected an amendment that would standardize early voting/absentee ballot applications, ballots and permits including voter indication of early voting or absentee voting on applications to track non-voter-specifi c rates of early voting and absentee voting. “A uniform application and ballot would help to eliminate voter confusion and reduce processing ineffi ciencies and unintentional errors that could lead to potentially invalid ballots,” said the amendment’s sponsor Sen. Diana DiZoglio (DMethuen.) “Clerks in my district have faced the issue of whether a ballot should count because the voter received or submitted the wrong type of ballot. No one’s vote should be excludible on account of a mistake in form. This amendment makes an inBEACON | SEE PAGE 19 Thank you to all the first responders, healthcare workers, and all other essential workers who are working hard to keep our community safe and healthy. RIGHT BY YOU 419 Broadway, Everett, MA 02149 • 617-387-1110 www.everettbank.com Member FDIC Member DIF
Page 18 J& $45 yd. S PICK-UP or DELIVERY AVAILABLE 617-389-1490 Premium Hemlock or Pitch Black BELOW WHOLESALE COSTS LANDSCAPERS WELCOME $4 yd. $40 yd. $3 yd. THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – Friday, June 26, 2020 SOUNDS | from page 13 LANDSCAPE & MASONRY CO. MULCH SALE! Discount Spring Special of attention from folks who decided they want to watch the proceedings live. Stay tuned. From the desk of the town clerk Town Clerk Ellen J. Schena has a couple of announcements she wanted to issue this week for Saugus residents. First, the Town Clerk’s Offi ce has postponed the late fee for Dog Licenses to September 1, 2020. “Please license your dog by mail until the Town Hall re-opens to the public. A copy of the Dog Application can be found on the Town’s website,” Ellen wrote in an email to us this week. Secondly, The Town Clerk’s Offi ce seeks help from High School Students to work as election workers for the Sept. 1 and Nov. 3 Elections. “Students must be 16 years old and older,” Ellen says. “Many diff erent time shifts. The position pays $12.00 an hour or can be used towards community service. Please contact the Clerk’s offi ce as soon as possible.” This sounds like a great opLike us on Facebook advocate newspaper Facebook.com/Advocate.news.ma portunity for retired people who want to do something interesting while earning a little pocket money. What a great learning experience as well as a potential income source for high school students who are at least 16 years old. 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. despite concerns over the Coronavirus. But they have made adjustments to protect their core of volunteers and the needy people who receive the food. “For the protection of our volunteers & clients, and to limit personal contact & crowding/gathering, the food pantry has been distributing pre-bagged groceries,” says Wendy Reed, Clerk of the Saugus Board of Selectmen, who also oversees the operation of the all-volunteer food pantry. “We understand clients may receive items they don’t want or need, but feel this is the best course of action to mitigate the potential spread of COVID-19. Those in need, even for short term or one-time assistance are encouraged to come.” The food pantry is in the basement of Cliftondale Congregational Church at 50 Essex St. in Saugus. Food help for veterans This came in from Saugus Veterans Service Offi cer Jay Pinette: “We want to share a couple of opportunities with you for food assistance that are being off ered to Veterans and/or their surviving spouses. First, the Melrose-Wakefi eld-Saugus Veterans’ Services Offi ces partner with the Greater Boston Food Bank to provide food to Veterans and their surviving spouses on the third Wednesday of each month. The food market is generally held at the Saugus Senior Center, but given the current COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently off ering 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 off ering is year round. Please call the Saugus Veterans’ Service Offi ce at 781-231-4010 or e-mail VeteransServices@saugus-ma.gov in order to register. Proof of Veteran status is required.” Main attractions at the Saugus Public Library All programs and events scheduled at the Saugus Public Library are cancelled until further notice. Anyone who has books to return to the library gets a pass during the time the library is closed, according to Library Director Alan Thibeault. Meanwhile, the library announced a series of virtual programs that can be viewed each week on Zoom: • The (virtual) Yoga Experience: Join us each Wednesday evening at 6:30 p.m. for a free, basic yoga class that is ideal for beginners. This 45-minute slow fl ow SOUNDS | SEE PAGE 19
SOUNDS | from page 18 class opens with a brief meditation, followed by a gentle warmup, some core strengthening, standing postures, and fl exibility poses. Each session winds down with deep relaxation. This event will be held via Zoom. You can participate from your personal computer, mobile device, or smart TV. For best results, download the Zoom app to your device. Registration is required and you must register separately for each weekly session. To register, please send an email to sau@noblenet.org and type the word YOGA into the subject line. You will receive an email within a few days containing a link for the event. Please register before noon on the day of the event. Spaces are limited. Lisa Poto is a registered yoga teacher and a member of the Yoga Alliance. She graduated from Barre & Soul’s 200-hour yoga teacher training program. “Yoga is my passion, and has been transforming in my life. I believe that yoga is for everybody. It is your own personal exploration and journey”. • Virtual Music & Mother Goose: Every Thursday at 10:30 a.m.; registration required. Email melton@noblenet.org to register! Recommended for children ages one to four years. Join us for music & rhymes, dancing & skipping, shaking & marching! • Virtual Meditation: Join us online for meditation on Tuesdays at 6 p.m. This is a free program, held via Zoom, but registration is required. Please email us at sau@noblenet.org to register. Type the word MEDITATION in the subject line. You will receive an email with the log-in information. You can participate from your personal computer, mobile device or smart TV. For best results, download the Zoom app to your device. The session will be led by Crayola Tidd, a certifi ed mindfulness meditation teacher. Crayola led a meditation class at the library last February, and we are very pleased to welcome her back, although in virtual form! If anyone in town has any ideas they want to bounce off Library Director Thibeault, you can call him by phone at 781231-4168 x3122 or email him at athibeault@noblenet.org. Murder at Breakheart Laura Eisener wanted us to know about this interesting, upcoming program set for the fall, providing social distancing is no longer an obstacle: “Since the May meeting of the Saugus Historical Society had to be cancelled due to COVID-19, the program planned has been rescheduled to Sept. 9. Doug THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – Friday, June 26, 2020 BEACON | from page 17 Heath and Alison Simcox have agreed to speak about their upcoming book which gives new details about the murder at Breakheart in the early 20th century. It will be the fi rst program in the newly enlarged Saugus Historical Society building since the SCTV moved in and began broadcasting from this site. All Saugus residents, whether or not members of the Saugus Historical Society, are welcome free of charge.” For more details, contact Laura at 781-231-5988. Buy a brick to honor your vets The Saugus War Monument Committee, once again, is sponsoring the Buy A Brick Program to honor all those who have served their country. If you would like to purchase one in the name of someone who is presently serving or has served, in the memory of a loved one, or just from your family, school, etc., the general pricing is $100 for a 4 X 8 brick (three lines), $200 for 8 X 8 brick (fi ve lines) and $500 (fi ve lines) for a corporate brick. Each line is a maximum of 15 characters. The improvement and upkeep of the monument on the corner of Winter and Central Streets rely on the generosity of donors through fundraising. The brick application must be in by Sept. 30 to ensure the bricks will be ready for Veterans Day. Please contact Frank Manning at 781-929-9723 for more information and applications. Helping the Vets During these challenging times, your local Veterans’ Service Offi cers (VSOs) would like to share some information on a benefi t program that is available to those who qualify. If you are a Veteran or the surviving spouse of a Veteran, the “Chapter 115 Benefi ts Program” is a Massachusetts state initiative that provides fi nancial aid for Veterans and/or their surviving spouses who reside in Massachusetts and meet certain income and asset guidelines. Benefi ts may include monthly ordinary benefi ts 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 longterm 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 VSOs. Every town or district in Massachusetts has a VSO. VSOs assist Veterans and their dependents in learning about, SOUNDS | SEE PAGE 20 vestment in our electoral system that can reduce costs in the long run, by simplifying the process for requesting, receiving and returning ballots. With the fi nancial burden the pandemic has imposed on the commonwealth, we must think outside the box and make investments that will provide reduced cost returns.” “I support options to limit confusion for voters and our clerks,” said Finegold who opposed the amendment. “However, there are diff erent legal requirements for absentee voting and early voting by mail, which is why two separate applications are standard.” (A “Yes” vote is for the amendment. A “No” vote is against it.) Sen. Brendan Crighton No PROCESSING OF ABSENTEE BALLOTS (S 2755) Senate 10-29, rejected an amendment that would require absentee ballots only be processed during the normal hours of operation of the city or town hall and that a member of the board of registrars in the city or town representing the two leading political parties be notifi ed about the time and location of the processing and be permitted to observe. “The purpose of this amendment is to create more safeguards around the expansion of absentee voting and the processing of absentee ballots during this election cycle,” said the amendment’s sponsor Sen. Ryan Fattman (R-Sutton). “I believe that it is necessary to add these layers of additional protection to minimize the risk of fraud and abuse with election ballots.” “I respect and understand what Sen. Fattman was trying to do with this amendment,” said Sen. Finegold. “Unfortunately, it is too prescriptive for what we are trying to do with this legislation. We’ve spoken with Secretary Galvin and are confi dent that his regulations will provide an opportunity for public observation.” (A “Yes” vote is for the amendment. A “No” vote is against it.) Sen. Brendan Crighton No VOTING BY MAIL APPLICATIONS (S 2755) Senate 39-0 approved an amendment to a section of the bill that requires Secretary Galvin to include early voting by mail applications with the voter information booklet that gets sent to every Bay State household in the fall. The amendment guarantees that the cover or exterior envelope of the voter booklet will clearly state that voting by mail applications are included inside, and that the booklets and applications will be mailed to households by October 5. It also requires that any vote by a select board or city or town Page 19 council to relocate regular polling places be both public and recorded and directs the secretary of state to conduct a public awareness campaign to promote the new voting options included in the bill. “I’m proud that the Senate unanimously adopted my amendment … in a bipartisan show of support for equity and education when it comes to ballot access and vote by mail,” said Sen. Becca Rausch (D-Needham). “This amendment … enhances voter education and outreach promotes government transparency. “We know that historically, Black and Latinx voters rely on inperson polling places, and that changes to those locations, especially at the last minute, have a disproportionate impact on voters of color,” continued Rausch. “Thanks to my amendment, if city and town offi cials vote to relocate regular polling places, the votes must be both public and recorded. This is a crucial change for government transparency— if our local elected offi cials are going to make these changes just weeks before an election, it’s critical that they stand up and own their votes.” (A “Yes” vote is for the amendment). Sen. Brendan Crighton Yes 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 latenight 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 June 1519, the House met for a total of one hour and 11 minutes while the Senate met for a total of two hours and 46 minutes. MON. JUNE 15 House 11:01 a.m. to 11:07 a.m. Senate 11:07 a.m. to 11:26 a.m. TUES. JUNE 16 No House session. Senate 11:30 a.m. to 12:16 p.m. WED. JUNE 17 No House session No Senate session THURS. JUNE 18 House 11:02 a.m. to 12:07 p.m. Senate 11:14 a.m. to 12:55 p.m. FRI. JUNE 19 No House session No Senate session Bob Katzen welcomes feedback at bob@beaconhillrollcall.com 1. Karlheinz Stockhausen created music for a string quartet and the sound of what method of transport? 2. What hair cut purportedly derives from a style worn by the Yale rowing team in 1927? 3. What car manufacturer created the Thunderbird? 4. What black and white dog breed resulted from crossing a white terrier and a bulldog? 5. What U.S. president had two beagles named Him and Her? 6. What comic superhero is known as The Web Slinger? 7. What does the nautical term “avast” mean? 8. On June 28, 1904, Helen Keller graduated with honors from what Massachusetts college? 9. What wild grass is Vermont’s state fl ower? 10. On June 29, 1776, what Western city named after a saint was founded? 11. The word “amazon” used to describe a woman originated in what culture? 12. Grant Wood’s painting “American Gothic” portrays what people? 13. On June 30, 1948, Bell Laboratories announced what as a radio tube substitute? 14. In what city would you find a museum with air vehicles, including the Wright brothers’ plane? 15. In what month do the Dog Days of sultry weather begin? 16. On July 1, 1897, Congress authorized issuing postage stamps; before that who paid for the mail? 17. In sports, what do clay, grass and cement have in common? 18. At the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Expo in St. Louis, what dessert treat was invented? 19. On J u l y 2 , 1776, what organization resolved to sever ties with Great Britain? 20. What fl avor do arak, ouzo and sambuca all have? ANSWERS 1. Helicopters (the “Helicopter String Quartet,” which was first performed in Amsterdam on June 26, 1995) 2. Crew cut 3. Ford 4. Boston terrier 5. Lyndon Johnson 6. Spider-Man 7. Stop or cease 8. Radcliff e 9. Red clover 10. San Francisco 11. Ancient Greece 12. A farmer and his daughter 13. Transistors 14. W ashington, D.C. (Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum) 15. July 16. The recipient 17. They are all tennis playing surfaces. 18. The ice cream cone 19. The Continental Congress 20. Anise
Page 20 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – Friday, June 26, 2020 SOUNDS | from page 19 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% and your city or town pays for 25 percent of the approved benefi ts. 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 fi nancial 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 benefi ts, local benefi ts 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 Offi cer 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 offi ces throughout COVID-19.” Melrose: Karen Burke, 781979-4186, kburke@cityofmelrose.org. Wakefield: David Mangan, 781-246-6377, dmangan@ wakefi eld.ma.us. Saugus: Jay Pinette, 781-2314010, jpinette@saugus-ma.gov. Recyclers won’t touch contaminated bins/barrels Due to increasing contamination rates in curbside recycling, JRM will not collect any bin/barrel with contamination, according to Town Manager Scott C. Crabtree’s Offi ce. Bins should contain aluminum/ steel cans, food and beverage cartons, bottles and jars, mixed paper, newspaper, magazines and cardboard and kitchen, laundry and bath plastic containers. Please empty and rinse containers. Please remember: no plastic wrap or bags, clothing, hoses, Styrofoam, rigid plastic, toys, electronics, metal pans or glass dishes. These items would cause your bin/barrel to be rejected. Please contact Solid Waste/ Recycling Coordinator Lorna Cerbone at 781-231-4036 with any questions. For JRM Customer Service, please call 1-800323-4285. Update for compost/ recycling drop-off site “At this time the compost/ recycling site is open by appointment only. We are currently open Monday – Saturday 7:30 am – 2:00 pm. You can call 781-231-4036 to schedule an appointment. You can also e-mail lcerbone@saugusma.gov for an appointment. We are no longer accepting the rigid plastic for recycling, you can dispose of curbside on your trash day with a $2.00 green sticker. Town stickers are available at the Stop and Shop and the Big Y at their courtesy booth. Thank you” 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 four 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 coff ee shop. And I’ll buy the coff ee. 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. Heather A. Castater L ate resident of Saugus, Heather entered eternal rest Saturday morning, June 20, 2020 at the Melrose Wakefield Hospital. She was 47 years of age. Born in Revere she is the daughter of Adele K. (Cannizzaro) Shanbar and Robert J. Castater, Jr. of FL and loving step-daughter of Gary I. Shanbar of Saugus. Heather grew up in East Boston and attended St. Lazarus Elementary School. She graduated from Saugus High School, Class of 1990. Heather worked in early childhood education at the former Melrose Nursery and Day School in Melrose. Working at Melrose Nursery and Day School were the James F. DesRosiers, Sr. A ge 67, died on Sunday, June 21. He was the husband of Rosanne (Annese) DesRosiers, with whom he shared 43 years of marriage. Born in Lynn and a lifelong resident of Saugus, he was the son of the late Joseph A. and Mary Rita (Forest) DesRosiers, Sr. He was a 1971 graduate of Saugus High School. Mr. DesRosiers worked as a machinist at General Electric in Lynn until his retirement. He loved carpentry and building things. In addition to his wife, he is survived by his children, James F. DesRosiers Jr. of Groveland and Lori DesRoseirs of Saugus; his brother Joseph A. DesRosiers, Jr. and his wife Charmaine of NH, sister Rita A. Benson and her husband Gregory of KY, son in law of Rose Annese of Saugus, brother in law, Michael Annese and his wife Terri of Peabody, sister in law, Betteann Annese and her husband Marco Aismondo of Billerica and brother in law Peter Zates of Peabody. He is also survived by several nieces and nephews. He is predeceased by his sister Mary Brenda Zates and his father in law Michael Annese. In lieu of fl owers donations may be made in James’ memory to the Wounded Warrior Project at https://support. woundedwarriorproject.org. Obituary happiest days of her life. She loved working with children and all of the other teachers at the school, who over time became her closest friends. She dedicated 6 years as a teacher there until the school closed in 2004. Since leaving the school, Heather has worked as a sales manager for a family business, P&G Auto Body Supply Company in Saugus. In her spare time Heather enjoyed antiquing and refurbishing furniture. She spent her life devoted to her family and she helped care for her 94 year old grandmother. Her special joy was her 3 daughters and grandsons. She will be forever missed by all who loved her. Heather is the devoted mother of Stephanie Castater and her fi ancé Jhonny Encarnacian, Amanda Gobbi, Marissa Gobbi and her fi ancé Vincenzo DeNardo, all of Saugus. Former wife of Frederick Gobbi and Donald J. Martin. Dear sister of Robert J. Castater III of Saugus. Loving granddaughter of Tillie Cannizzaro of Saugus and the late Dominic Cannizzaro, Esther Driscoll, Robert J. Castater, Edward Lamoureux, John Driscoll. Also lovingly survived by 3 grandsons, J.J. Encarnacion, Aizen Encarnacion, Santino DeNardo, all of Saugus and many aunts, uncles and cousins. Heather’s visiting hours will be held on Saturday morning, June 27th at the Carafa Family Funeral Home, 389 Washington Ave., Chelsea, from 8:30 – 11:00 A.M. All attendees are required to wear face coverings, practice social distancing when greeting the family, pay their respects and exit the funeral home to allow other guests to enter. Please be advised that Heather’s funeral prayers with Clergy at 11:00 A.M. will be for the immediate family only. Interment will be private. Kathleen M. “Kathy” Hurley A REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS Copyrighted material previously published in Banker & Tradesman/The Commercial Record, a weekly trade newspaper. It is reprinted with permission from the publisher, The Warren Group. For a searchable database of real estate transactions and property information visit: www.thewarrengroup.com. BUYER1 BUYER2 Reed, Annette M Joseph, Valery Capaldo, Paul M SELLER1 Reed, Gregory J Graham, Lauren A Lord, Christopher A SELLER2 Lord, Cindy A Gloria M Pizzotti RET Pizzotti, Stephen J Gosselin, Elizabeth ADDRESS 17 Makepeace St 242 Lynn Fells Pkwy Gosselin, Matthew C 15 Addison Ave CITY Saugus Saugus Saugus DATE 09.06.2020 04.06.2020 03.06.2020 PRICE $495 000,00 $650 000,00 $410 000,00 ge 71, of Saugus, formerly of Malden and Everett, June 18, 2020. Daughter of the late Joseph P. and Helen (Connors) Hurley. Beloved sister of Carol Burgess and her husband George of Malden, Joseph P. Hurley, Jr. and his wife Doreen of NH and Maureen Vona of Saugus. Also survived by 7 nieces and nephews and 6 greatnieces and great-nephews. In lieu of fl owers, Kathy’s family is requesting donations in her name to Bridgewell, 10 Dearborn Rd., Peabody, MA 01960, Attn: Development & Marketing, or online: Bridgewell.org/ donate or to Project Triangle, Inc., 420 Pearl St., Malden, MA 02148. Nunziante “Ray” Navarro 87 of South Yarmouth and formerly of Saugus died Friday June 19, 2020, after a short illness. He was the husband of the late Charlotte Longfellow Navarro who died in 2009. Married for 41 years, Charlotte was the love of his life. Born in Boston, Ray was the son of the late Roberto and Rose Mazzeo Navarro. He was raised in Everett and graduated from Everett High School and later attended Ana Maria College where he received his Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice. Ray served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. He was passionate about his musical abilities and played the saxophone and clarinet in the military band. He later played in his own band, “The Ray Navarro Orchestra.” For over 30 years, Ray worked for the Everett Police Department and was a Sergeant at the time of his retirement. An avid golfer, Ray enjoyed cooking, spending winters in Florida, summers on Cape Cod, and he was happiest when he was spending time with his family and friends. Ray is survived by two sons, Robert and Albert Navarro; a OBITUARIES | SEE PAGE 21
THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – Friday, June 26, 2020 Page 21 Obituary OBITUARIES | from page 20 daughter, Deborah Jimenez and her husband, Scott; a stepson, David Merritt and his wife, Phyllis; a stepdaughter in-law, Janis Merritt; a sister, Jennie Labonte; a stepsister, Susan Petrone; a stepsister in-law, Adele Petrone; six grandchildren; three great grandchildren; several nieces and nephews; and many dear friends, including his longtime companion, Mary Connors; and his two special friends, Frank Ramos and Doug Rice. In addition to his wife and parents, he was predeceased by a son, Anthony Navarro; a stepson, Alan Merritt; two sisters, Mary Lattanzio and her husband, Alfred, and Suzy Kunkel; a half-brother, Al Navarro; and two stepbrothers, Aldo and Michael Petrone. Funeral services at Woodlawn Cemetery in Everett will be held at a later date. As an expression of sympathy, memorial donations may be made to the Cape Cod Healthcare Foundation for Cape Cod Hospital, P.O. Box 370, Hyannis, MA 02601. ~Handyman Services~ •Plumbing •Electric •Ceiling Fans •Waterheaters + More Call Tom 781-324-2770 P.T. HELP WANTED Part-time Secretary wanted for Everett contractor. Duties include answering phone, customer service, and receivables/payables. Experienced preferred but will train. Hours/days negotiable. Job pays $20/hour. Call 389-3839 Ask for Peter Call for Classifi ed Advertising Rates 781-233-4446 Space for Lease 3 Large Rooms, each with Large Walk-in Storage Area. or Aerobics Studio. Located at Route 1 South at Walnut Street. Rollerworld Plaza, Route 1 South, 425 Broadway, Saugus. Call Michelle at: 781-233-9507 Anna R. (Fiore) Ragucci A ge 82, passed away peacefully on Monday, June 22, 2020, at her home in Saugus. She was born on August 29, 1937 in Everett to Constantino and Angelina Fiore, where she lived, worked and raised her children. She was the beloved wife of the late John A. Ragucci of Charlestown, Massachusetts. She was the devoted mother of Debra Capozzi and her husband the late Richard and John Ragucci and his wife Meredith (Billington). She was a cherished grandmother of Richard Capozzi. Dear sister of the late Joe Fiore, Claire Savard, Margret Silva and Caroline Wilde. One Call Does It All! * Crack Repairing * Pot Hole Filling * Striping Handicapped Spaces * Free Estimates Tom’s Seal Coating Call Gary: 978-210-4012 WASTE REMOVAL & BUILDING MAINTENANCE • Landscaping, Lawn Care, Mulching • Yard Waste & Rubbish Removal • Interior & Exterior Demolition (Old Decks, Fences, Pools, Sheds, etc.) • Appliance and Metal Pick-up • Construction and Estate Cleanouts • Pick-up Truck Load of Trash starting at $169 • Carpentry LICENSED & INSURED Call for FREE ESTIMATES! Call for a Free Estimate LANDSCAPING & IRRIGATION/CONSTRUCTION & DEMOLITION EXCAVATION & SITE WORK • SPRING CLEAN-UPS • WEEKLY/BIWEEKLY LAWN SERVICE • NEW LAWN INSTALLS • MULCHING & EDGING • TREE & SHRUB PLANTING • BUSH & SHRUB TRIMMING • BOBCAT & EXCAVATION WORK • DEMOLITION & REMOVAL SERVICE • DUMPSTER RENTALS 781-808-1061 617-908-0436
Page 22 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – Friday, June 26, 2020 “COMPLETE GLASS SERVICE CENTER” Storefronts & Entrance Doors Custom Mirrors • Table Tops • Auto Glass Insulated Glass • Window & Screen Repairs 2034 Revere Beach Parkway, Everett 617-389-GLAS We follow Social Distancing Guidelines! Advocate Call now! 781-233-4446 advertise on the web at www.advocatenews.net Classifi eds eds
THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – Friday, June 26, 2020 Page 23 Follow Us On: COMMERCIAL & RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY SALES & RENTALS Sandy Juliano Broker/President Hope to reopen soon to continue to serve all your real estate needs. In the meantime please stay safe at home! NEW LISTING BY SANDY WE KNOW EVERETT!! Call TODAY to sell or buy with the best! NEW LISTING BY NORMA NEW LISTING BY NORMA OPEN HOUSE SUNDAY JUNE 28, 2020 11:00-1:00 67 CLARENCE ST., EVERETT 6 ROOM SINGLE WITH FINISHED BASEMENT NEW PRICE! $559,900 REVERE APT. RENTED! 781-808-6877. COMING SOON! SINGLE FAMILY 39 LEXINGTON ST., EVERETT $725,000 LISTED BY SANDY UNDER AGREEMENT! SINGLE FAMILY 33 WOODWARD ST., EVERETT NEW PRICE! $399,900 NEW LISTING BY NORMA SOLD BY SANDY! SINGLE-FAMILY UNDER AGREEMENT! 67 DARTMOUTH ST., EVERETT NEW PRICE! $484,000 RENTED! IE 617-957-9222. Joe DiNuzzo - Broker Associate O Dil F 10 00 AM Norma Capuano Parziale - Agent Open Daily From 10:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M. 433 Broadway, Suite B, Everett, MA 02149 www.jrs-properties.com 500 PM Denise Matarazz - Agent Maria Scrima - Agent Follow Us On: 617.544.6274 Rosemarie Ciampi - Agent 11 FAIRLAWN ST., EVERETT TWO FAMILY $759,900 LISTED BY SANDY SOLD BY SANDY! 123 CENTRAL AVE., EVERETT SINGLE FAMILY $449,900 Kathy Hang Ha -Agent Mark Sachetta - Agent
Page 24 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – Friday, June 26, 2020 # 1 “Experience and knowledge Provide the Best Service” View our website from your mobile phone! 335 Central St., Saugus, MA 781-233-7300 SAUGUS - LAST LOT available in Bellevue Heights! Beautiful views, great sub-division surrounded by exclusive, custom homes that are perfectly maintained. Build your dream home...........$289,900. parking, half bath, kitchenette area, spac., corner lot, conveniently located just outside of Cliftondale Sq...........................................$329,900. SAUGUS - Residential lot on side street. Great opportunity to build an affordable home on 27,000 sq. ft. lot. Call for more information........................................$99,900. EXCEPTIONAL SELLERS MARKET! Call today for a Complimentary Market Evaluation of your home – Values are fantastic! HINGHAM - Beal Cove Village condo offers 5 rms., 2 bdrms., updated kit. and bath, open dining rm. and living rm., coin-op laundry in building, off st. parking, close to Hingham Shipyard – great unit, great opportunity...................................$295,000. Listings are scarce – Buyers are in abundance! Interest Rates are incredible. Take advantage of a GREAT market and work. hrdwd., eat-in kitchen, sunroom, newer windows & roof, central air, alarm, fenced yard, attached garage PLUS ROWLEY - Desirable Woodside Condominiums parking, great opportunity to own!............$199,900. SAUGUS - Perfect starter home in this 5 rm. Ranch vinyl siding, side st. loc. in Golden Hills..........$339,900. LYNN - 1st AD Cozy renovated 5 rm. Col., 3 bdrms., welcoming foyer w/built-in coat rack & bench seat, bright & sunny kit. w/stainless SAUGUS NEW CONDO conversion – 3 bdrm. units, NEW kits w/quartz, oversized center island, stainless, NEW WONDERING WHAT YOUR HOME IS WORTH? CALL FOR YOUR FREE MARKET ANALYSIS! LITTLEFIELD REAL ESTATE SAUGUS ~ Rehabbed colonial. New windows, siding, new kitchen with quartz counters, stainless appliances, new cabinets. New hardwood flooring throughout house. New heat. Central AC. New maintenance free deck..........$570,000 WAKEFIELD CONDO ~ 3 rooms, 1 bed, 1 bath, newly renovated, SS appliances, granite, high ceilings, deeds parking, pets allowed ....... $269,900 SAUGUS ~ Rehabbed colonial, 4-5 bedroom, 2 full baths, gas heat, central AC, new siding, new roof, hardwood flooring, fresh paint, new kitchen with SS appliances quartz counters ...............$559,900 38 Main Street, Saugus MA WWW.LITTLEFIELDRE.COM 781-233-1401 WAKEFIELD ~ New construction duplex. 3 bed, 2.5 baths, 2400 sq feet, garage under, central AC, Gas heat, fireplace living room............. Call Keith Littlefield for pricing REVERE BEACH ~ Condo, 2 beds, 2 baths, quartz counters, SS appliances, central AC, beautiful ocean views, indoor pool, gym, sauna...... $394,900 WILMINGTON ~ Colonial featuring 4 beds and 2 full baths, great dead end location, central AC, hardwood flooring, finished lower level..$534,900 SAUGUS ~ 3 bed, 1.5 bath colonial. Open concept 1st floor, 2 car garage, newer gas heat, roof and HW heater, prof landscaping....$439,900 SAUGUS ~ Oversized split entry, stainless appliances, granite counters, great location, large 3 season sun room. in-law apartment... $644,900 Call Rhonda Combe For all your real estate needs!! 781-706-0842 MELROSE ~ Single family, 4 bed, 2 full bath, SS appliances, new gas heat, quartz counters, Central AC, Garage under...................$650,000 LAND FOR SALE SAUGUS Call Rhonda Combe at 781-706-0842 for details!! Call Eric Rosen for all your real estate needs. 781-223-0289 SOLD SOLD SOLD SOLD UNDER UNDER CONTRACTCONTRACT
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