THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAy, JAnUARy 23, 2026 Page 5 A Winning Holiday Card A third-grader’s drawing gets the senator’s attention and leads to a pizza party at Belmonte STEAM Academy F iorella Moreira had to be the most popular third-grader at Belmonte STEAM Academy last week – at least among the students in Jennifer Nicolo’s third-grade class. Mrs. Nicolo’s class was one of many throughout the area participating in state Sen. Brendan P. Crighton’s (D-Lynn) annual holiday card contest, and Fiorella’s drawing wound up winning. Crighton made it the cover of his holiday card, which went out to more than 1,000 recipients. Last week (Jan. 13), the senator rewarded the student by throwing a pizza party in her classroom. “Students were able to have a question and answer session with him as well,” Mrs. Nicolo said. “A A PRIZE-WINNING PIZZA PARTY: State Sen. Brendan P. Crighton (D-Lynn) and students in Jennifer Nicolo’s thirdgrade class at Belmonte Middle School celebrated the winning entry in Crighton’s annual holiday card contest. Fiorella Moreira’s drawing was judged “the best.” (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate) great day for all!” The senator has been hostELECTION 2026 | FROM PAGE 3 much more.” A commitment to community engagement Volunteerism with various organizations for a number of causes has been an integral part of VanMeter’s adult life. “What separates me from my opponents is the amount of community engagement that I do,” VanMeter said. “I sit on three nonprofit boards. Community service work is important. Every other Thursday, I take lunch break at a sober home to conduct a workplace readiness program for women in recovery. On Thursdays, I do literacy tutoring at Girls, Inc. Outside of that, food security is a big issue for me,” she said. VanMeter and her daughter have a longstanding tradition of either delivering food or ALL DEPOSITS ARE INSURED IN FULL. Celebrate 135 years of strength & commitment to our community with a special 135-day CD offer. LIMITED-TIME OFFER: 4.00% APY* 135-Day CD *New money only. $250,000 maximum deposit. Annual Percentage Yield (APY) is accurate of the date posted and is subject to change without notice. APY assumes the interest remains on deposit until maturity. A penalty may be imposed for early withdrawal. Offer may be withdrawn at any time. A minimum of $500 is required to open a Certificate of Deposit and earn the advertised APY. 419 BROADWAY EVERETT, MA 02149 771 SALEM ST. LYNNFIELD, MA 01940 331 MONTVALE AVE. WOBURN, MA 01801 EVERETTBANK.COM 617-387-1110 781-776-4444 781-281-9092 MEMBER FDIC | MEMBER DIF ing the special holiday contest for several years. serving food on Thanksgiving. “This is something we’ve been doing for nearly two decades. I want to instill in my daughter a sense of community responsibility,” she said. A “people-driven” campaign Since organizing last September, VanMeter has been running a low-budget campaign compared to her oppoELECTION 2026 | SEE PAGE МС THE WINNING CARD: State Sen. Brendan P. Crighton (D-Lynn) chose this as the cover for a holiday card he sent out to more than 1,000 people last month. Fiorella Moreira, a third-grader at Belmonte STEAM Academy, designed the card, and her drawing won Crighton’s annual contest. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate) 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
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