Page 16 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, JAnUAry 17, 2025 The Sounds of Saugus By Mark E. Vogler Good morning, Saugus The town budget session essentially kicked off in a public way last week as Saugus Public Schools Superintendent Michael Hashem presented his proposed 2026 Fiscal Year Budget to the School Committee. Hashem’s request is an increase of nearly $2.5 million over the School Department’s current budget. There was no public comment session at last week’s meeting (Jan. 9). The public hearing was scheduled to take place last night. But it was great to see a handful of Town Meeting members monitoring last week’s meeting. It shows they are conscientious in their preparation. And many of those members will probably show up in a few weeks when the Finance Committee begins its annual review of municipal department budgets. Stay tuned. Anyone for Saugus Over Coffee? A few Town Meeting members have asked me whether I plan to team up with Saugus Public Library and Saugus TV to do another round of Saugus Over Coffee, the 10-part series of panel discussions we did back in 2023 focusing on each of the 10 town precincts – one a month – from January through October. That is something I am considering reviving for this year. Perhaps we will do two precincts a month and begin the program closer to the November town elections. Our purpose was to create a series of forums where residents in each of the town precincts could get to meet their five Town Meeting members over coffee, find out about the people who represent them and also pass along issues of concern in their respective precincts. The only downside to Saugus Over Coffee was that some of the Town Meeting members in several precincts had poor attendance at the forums. They weren’t from the day’s event.” Sounds like the Saugus Lions were a roaring success in their visit to the two local nursing homes. 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. Town Democrats meet Jan. 27 Lin Bell, secretary of the RUBIN HOUSE GUESTS: The Saugus Lions Club makes residents happy with a holiday visit. (Courtesy Photo to The Saugus Advocate) interested in taking time on a Monday night to sit down with constituents in their precinct and listen to the concerns. If we do it again, hopefully, the attendance will be better. It’s also possible that we could have a Saugus Over Coffee with the candidates for the Board of Selectmen and School Committee. Two years ago, I got “recruited” by Rachel Brugman – the enthusiastic and talented former director of Saugus TV – to moderate three consecutive nights of forums with candidates for the Saugus Charter Commission. I was stressed out when I embarked on this ambitious project. But it turned out pretty well. And if nobody steps up to sponsor a series of forums for the selectman and School Committee member candidates, I might offer my services again. Stay tuned. Saugus United Parish Food Pantry The Saugus United Parish Food Pantry welcomes all neighbors facing food insecurity on Fridays from 9:3011 a.m. at 50 Essex St. in the basement of Cliftondale Congregational Church. If you are able to donate to the food pantry, you can also stop by during those hours, drop off donations at the Saugus Public Library during library hours or contact office@cliftondalecc.org to make an appointment. Legion Breakfasts today There’s a good 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 2024-25 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. A one-day trash delay The Town of Saugus announced this week that trash and recycling collection will run on a one-day delay for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day holiday. Trash and recycling will not be collected on Monday, Jan. 20, due to the federal holiday. Collection will resume on a oneday delay on Tuesday, Jan. 21. 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 781-231-4036 with any questions. Thi s week’s “SHOUT OUTS” We received a nomination this week from Shirley Bogdan for a special “Shout Out” for Ed Varney, of Texas, formerly of Saugus. “He played the National Anthem on his saxophone at the Cotton Bowl on national TV at the College Football Playoff. Ed is the son of Charlie Varney of Saugus,” Shirley said. Here’s an editor’s “Shout Out” for members of the Saugus Lions Club. Lou Rossi gets an assist on this one by sending along an email noting that “On December 20th a group of Saugus Lions visited our local Saugus nursing homes. Chestnut Woods and the Rubin House welcomed Mrs. Claus (Karen Speziale), Lily the Lion (Sharon Genovese), and Sparkle the Elf (Kathy Gianetti) as they distributed gifts and treats to all. Attached are some pictures Fireside Chats begin at Breakheart Jan. 22 For a period of six consecutive Wednesday mornings, beginning Jan. 22 and ending Feb. 26, Breakheart Reservation will host a Fireside Chat at its Christopher P. Dunne Visitor Center (177 Forest St., Saugus) from 10 to 11 a.m. Come warm up by a fire and join a staff member each week from the state Department of Conservation & Recreation (DCR) staff who will be sharing their expertise and experiences at our parks. DCR staff goes well beyond the people you normally meet in the parks. There are many “behind the scenes” experts who are excited to share their role in keeping the park properties safe and healthy for the public. The Fireside Chats are scheduled THE SOUNDS | SEE PAGE 17 Saugus Democratic Town Committee, invites all registered Democrats and those who aspire to be Democrats to a special meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 29, at 7 p.m. at the Saugus Public Safety Building (27 Hamilton St., second floor). “Please join us! It is never too late to be involved in protecting our democracy and freedoms,” Lin said in her recent announcement to the newspaper.
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