Page 6 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAY, JAnUArY 16, 2026 Shining Lights of Everyday People Birthdays are special at the Senior Center (Editor’s Note: Saugus Senior Center Director Laurie Davis submitted the following article.) T he Saugus Senior Center recently hosted our final birthday Steven Blaney (Courtesy of “The Sketch Artist”) “Not all of us can do great things but we can do small things with great love.”—Mother Teresa By Joanie Allbee D aily friends, we open our mailboxes with expectations to receive mail and not look beyond that fact. It’s an act that’s taken for granted, till we are missing mail or it’s late. We don’t stop to pause to think of how our mail got there in the first place or the many hands to be grateful for as it passed along the journey to end up snug and comfy in our properly assigned boxes. STATE HOUSE | FROM PAGE 4 full benefits for police officers permanently injured by violent acts,” she said, noting that the bill’s signing ensures that Massachusetts State Troopers are afforded the same protection. “When an officer or trooper puts their life on the line and suffers a devastating injury while protecting others, they should not face financial uncertainty on top of physical and emotional trauma,” Rep. Giannino said. The original legislation was inspired by real-life inOn the Postal conveyor belt of processing marching stamped envelopes through various journeys of delivery, I am grateful to receive my mail through the guiding hands of U.S. Postal Service Letter Carrier Steven Blaney. Mailman Blaney always strives to ensure mail makes it to the finish line at the last post: our mailboxes. Saugus Letter Carrier Steven Blaney is a Shining Light in our Community. He loves what he does and it’s daily expressed on his face as he goes about delivering our mail. Thank you. Flags up on the box — got mail; gotta go. cidents in communities, including Revere and Saugus, where officers sustained life-altering injuries during violent encounters. Extending the law to cover State Troopers reinforces the Commonwealth’s commitment to stand behind all law enforcement professionals who serve with courage and sacrifice. “This law reflects our responsibility to care for those who protect our communities,” Giannino said. “I will continue working to ensure that no officer or trooper injured in the line of duty is left behind.” celebration of 2025, honoring 12 wonderful seniors born in December. It was a festive and joyful afternoon to cap off a great year. This memorable event was made possible through a deeply generous donation from Mila Moschella, given in loving remembrance of her parents, Carmine and Audria. Mila’s kindness went beyond her sponsorship; she also brightened the day by handmaking and distributing festive reindeer candy canes for every guest to enjoy. We are so grateful to Mila and her heart for our seniors. WONG | FROM PAGE 3 placed further restrictions on the state’s right to shelter law by limiting participation in the Commonwealth’s emergency housing assistance program to U.S. citizens who have resided in Massachusetts for at least six months. This change would have helped to restore the original intent of the law by ensuring that Massachusetts residents in need have access to emergency shelter, but the amendment was rejected on a vote of 27-129. In addition, Representative Wong backed two other Republican-sponsored amendments to the Fiscal Year 2026 House budget to address municipal concerns about the MBTA Communities Act, which requires cities and towns that fall within the MBTA’s service area to approve zoning for multifamily housing near local transit stops. One amendment, which was rejected on a vote of 27-128, would have explicitly prohibited any city or town’s eligibility for public safety related grant funding from being contingent upon that municipality’s compliance with the MBTA Communities Act. The other amendment, which was rejected on a vote of 30-126, would have prohibited the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities and the DECEMBER BIRTHDAYS: The Saugus Senior Center recognized 12 residents who celebrated their birthdays collectively at the Senior Center last month. Pictured from left to right: Betty Dormer, Clara Cotta, Eleanor Bourque, Dale Coogan, Raffaella Barone, Billy Graham, Faye LaGrassa, Bill Pothier, Marcia Pollack, Karen Tamulonis, Janet Miller and Jean Lyons. (Courtesy Photo to The Saugus Advocate) The Senior Center likes to recognize a Senior’s birthday on the last Friday of the month with a collective celebration. Each birthday recipient receives a free pizza Attorney General’s Office from enforcing any regulation, directive, or requirement under the MBTA Communities Act prior to December 31, 2026. This would have given communities a temporary reprieve from the harsh penalties being imposed on non-compliant communities, including the loss of vital state grant funding to support critical local projects. Representative Wong cast additional votes this year on legislation to: • address workplace violence within the health care industry and protect employees who suffer bodily injuries on the job; • implement child welfare protections to improve communication and coordination among state agencies working with the families of children in foster care or receiving state services; • remove outdated and offensive language used to describe individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities from the General Laws; • implement enhanced penalties to protect public transit workers from assaults on the job, including establishing a new crime of assault and battery by means of a bodily substance, such as saliva and urine; • restructure the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Comlunch, cake, ice cream and a souvenir group photo. If anyone would like to sponsor a birthday in honor of someone special, please stop by the office and let us know. mission, which was described as a “rudderless agency without a clear indication of who is responsible for running its dayto-day operations” in a 2024 report issued by Inspector General Jeffrey S. Shapiro; • offer enhanced retirement benefits to certain qualifying teachers hired before July 1, 2001 through the RetirementPlus program; and • provide $3.28 billion to help address deferred infrastructure maintenance and other modernization projects at Massachusetts’s 29 public college and university campuses as part of the higher education BRIGHT Act (An Act to build resilient infrastructure to generate higher-ed transformation). Representative Wong represents the 9th Essex District, which includes Ward 1, Precincts 1 and 2 in Lynn; Precincts 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 in Saugus; and Precincts 1, 2, 3, and 7 in Wakefield. He currently serves as the Ranking Minority Member of the House and Joint Committees on Rules; the Joint Committee on Racial Equity, Civil Rights, and Inclusion; and the Joint Committee on Tourism, Arts and Cultural Development; and is also a member of the Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development.
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