Page 12 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, JAnUAry 12, 2024 The Sounds of Saugus By Mark E. Vogler Good morning, Saugus! As we all know, Monday will be a federal holiday: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day – also referred to as MLK Day – in honor of the late civil rights leader who led the nonviolent civil disobedience-style battle against racial discrimination and injustice during the 1950s and 1960s, up until the time of his assassination on April 4, 1968. Ever since 1986, when the holiday was first observed, most of America has paused to celebrate the life and accomplishments of MLK on the third Monday of January every year. Dr. King’s actual birthday is Jan. 15, 1929. Dr. King’s work is credited with helping to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964 – which outlawed discrimination in public accommodations, facilities and employment – and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. In addition to championing the cause of African-Americans to guarantee their civil rights, King was also a formidable voice for disadvantaged and poor people. King was the recipient of the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1964. As every school kid in America should know, King led the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, where he delivered his inspirational “I have a dream” speech to a reported crowd of more than 250,000 people at the Lincoln Memorial. It has been called one of the most important speeches in U.S. history. As much as we treat the day as a national holiday to pursue fun and leisure pursuits, many Americans use Martin Luther King, Jr. Day as a day of reflection – a time to celebrate the great civil rights gains achieved by Dr. King and others he collaborated with, while also assessing the unfinished work remaining for us. I think it’s important to note that Congress in 1964 passed legislation that declares the national holiday as a national day of service: The Martin Luther King, Jr. National Day of Service. It was intended to challenge Americans to dedicate themselves to turning their holiday into a day of citizen action – volunteer service in honor of Dr. King. There’s a federal agency called AmeriCorps which, for the past 30 years, has been awarding grants to organizations that coordinate service activities on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. I’m not aware of any organized event planned in town to commemorate the holiday or to recognize the progress made in racial equality locally. But my sense is that progressive-thinking social studies and history teachers in Saugus Public Schools dedicated some recent class discussions to the role Dr. King played in American history. It’s clear that the Saugus Public Library is doing its part to help educate young minds about the great civil rights leader. This week, I noticed a nice display of about two dozen books about MLK propped up on three shelves against the wall in the children’s section of the library. What a neat thing it would be to see all 24 of those books checked out by grade school students from Saugus, or their parents, for some weekend reading. A one-day holiday trash delay The Town of Saugus reminds residents that trash and recycling collection will run on a one-day delay next week. Trash and recycling will not be collected on Monday (Jan. 15) due to the observance of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day holiday. Collection will resume on a one-day delay on Tuesday (Jan. 16). Residents are kindly asked to leave trash and recycling curbside by 7 a.m. the day after their normally scheduled collection day. The Town of Saugus would like to thank everyone for their cooperation. Please contact Solid Waste/Recycling Coordinator Scott A. Brazis at 781231-4036 with any questions. Food Pantry notes The Saugus United Parish Food Pantry is open today (Friday, Jan. 12) from 9:30-11 a.m. Legion Breakfast today There’s a good breakfast deal for Saugus veterans and other folks who enjoy a hearty breakfast on Friday mornings. The American Legion Post 210 at 44 Taylor St. in Saugus offers Friday morning breakfasts for the 2023-24 season. Doors open at 7:30 a.m., with breakfast served from 8-9:00 a.m. for an $8 donation. Veterans who cannot afford the donation may be served free. Special “Shout Outs” We have a couple of nominations for “shout outs” this week. Amy Melton, head of Children’s Services at the Saugus Public Library, offered high SOME HOLIDAY READING MATERIAL: The Saugus Public Library honored the memory of Martin Luther King, Jr. this week with a display in the children’s reading area that featured two dozen books about the late civil rights leader. The library will be closed Monday in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. But there’s still plenty of time for Saugus children to read about the life and times of Dr. King. (Saugus Advocate photo by Mark E. Vogler) praise to two young people who contributed to the recent success of a special holiday presentation of “The Nutcracker story” in the library’s Community Room: “Victoria de Assuncao also helped. She is from Saugus, and also works part-time in the Children’s Room. She is a senior at the same school as Lila Giamanco (one of the ballet dancers who performed at the library). She created the lovely backdrop and acted out the part of Herr Drosselmeyer, and helped kids with the crafts. “Last but not least is Alexander Sokolovic from Malden, who attends Mystic Valley Charter School. He volunteered his time for this event, helping with crafts and acting out the story of Fritz and the Nutcracker.” In last week’s paper, Melton singled out ballet dancers Lila Giamanco (who played the part of Clara) and Mackenzie Bright (who played the Sugar Plum Fairy), who danced and played their parts as children at the library listened to “The Nutcracker story.” “Certainly, Lila and Mackenzie were the stars,” Melton said, adding that she believed that Victoria and Alexander deserved to be praised for their contributions, too. Precinct 6 Town Meeting Member Jeanie Bartolo offered this nomination: “This sad ‘Shout Out’ is for Mary Ciccarelli who passed away last week, owner of Bisbee Porcella Funeral Home. Although tiny in stature, she had a heart as big as Saugus. You never saw her without a smile on her face and always a kind word. If someone was in need she was the first to offer help. Such a great lady and a class act. She will be missed by all.” Want to “Shout Out” a fellow Saugonian? This is an opportunity for our paper’s readers to single out – in a brief mention – remarkable acts or achievements by Saugus residents or an act of kindness or a nice gesture. Just send an email (mvoge@ comcast.net) with a mention in the subject line of “An Extra Shout Out.” No more than a paragraph; anything longer might lend itself to a story and/or a photo. Compost/Recycling DropOff Site winter hours The Town of Saugus Compost/Recycling Drop-Off Site is closed for the winter. But it will reopen for recycling on the third Saturday of January, February and March 2024 weather permitting. Please note the following dates that the site will be open during the period from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Saturday, January 20, 2024 Saturday, February 17, 2024 Saturday, March 16, 2024 Please contact Scott Brazis, Director of Solid Waste/Recycling, with any questions at 781-231-4036. Who Wants to be a Magician? Have you ever dreamed of being a magician? Want to know how to pull a rabbit out of a hat? Or make objects disappear into thin air? If you have answered “yes” to any of these questions, plan on showing up for a special program on Saturday, Jan. 27 at 2 p.m. in the Community Room at the Saugus Public Library. Come meet a member of the Salem chapter of the Society of American Magicians (S.A.M.) and learn how to become a master of magic! There’s even a Society of American Magicians Youth Program for would-be-Harry Potters and Hermione Grangers. Those who show up for this magic workshop will be able to obtain information about the Society of American Magicians as well as the Society of American Magicians Youth Program, which ranges from ages seven through 17. Tony Gangi, one of the organizers of the upcoming workshop, said folks who attend shouldn’t consider the event a magic show. “It’s a recruiting event where there will certainly be magic performed and some tricks will even be taught, but there is no formal show,” Gangi said. “It’s more of a ‘come hang out with magicians’ event,” he said. The organizers are hoping that more than a few of the Saugus residents who attend will be interested in becoming members of the Society of American Magicians or the THE SOUNDS | SEE PAGE 13
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