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THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2022 Page 11 THE SOUNDS OF SAUGUS | FROM PAGE 10 for public buildings that is in place through March 7. So, for the first four weeks we are open, you will need to wear your mask into the building, take it off to eat and drink, then put it back on. We look forward to seeing you and serving you. Debra Dion Faust for The Kitchen Crew Saugus American Legion Post 210.” Stay tuned, Saugus veterans and others who enjoy the breakfasts at Legion Hall. Looking for book donations The New Friends of the Saugus Public Library are asking for donations of gently-used adult hardcover and softcover Fiction for the ongoing book sale in the Community Room. They would also appreciate donations of gently-used Children’s Books. Please limit donations at this time to ONLY Fiction and Children’s books; we do not have storage space for other genres or media. Please....clean and newer books only. No tattered pages, bad odors, stains, or dirty covers! Books may be dropped off at the Main Circulation Desk during business hours. Please DO NOT place donations in the outdoor book drops. A special memorial service for veterans Saugus Veterans Council Commander Stephen L. Castinetti, retired U.S. Navy captain, passes along this special invitation to all of the veterans of Saugus: The 79th Annual American Legion, District 8 Four Chaplains Memorial Service will be hosted this year by Augustus P. Gardner Post 227, Middleton. The Memorial Service will be Sunday February 6th, and will start at 2 p.m. at the Middleton Congregational Church, 66 Maple Street (Rt 62). The service will be followed by a collation in the lower hall of the church. All Veterans and their families are cordially invited to attend this year’s commemorative service honoring the valiant sacrifice of 4 Chaplains of different faiths in the Atlantic on the sinking troop ship Dorchester that February night in World War II. Directions: From 128 North, take the Middleton exit (Rt 114) to Middleton square. Take a right onto Rt 62 (Maple Street). The Church will be on your left just past the Senior Center. If you come from 128 South, you can also take Rt 62 toward Danvers/Middleton and the church will be on your right after you pass Farmer Browns and Liberty Street. There is ample parking at the church (lower level parking lot) and the church is handicapped accessible (side entrance and elevator). Live Bingo at the Kowloon The Kowloon Restaurant kicked off its Live Bingo this week and will continue with Bingo, every Wednesday through March 30, from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Hong Kong Room. Prizes will be given away each week with a grand prize set at the finale. A full Chinese gourmet is available during bingo featuring pu pu platters, egg rolls, crab Rangoons, Saugus Wings, General Gau chicken, lobster sauce, fried scallops, lo mein, moo shu pork, salt and pepper calamari, sushi along with a full bar menu including the signature Mai Tais. Call the Kowloon Restaurant at 781.233.0077 to reserve your table. Town posts Compost Site Winter Schedule The Town of Saugus has announced that the community’s compost site and recycling center will be open to residents the third Saturday of the month during the winter months. The site will be open Feb. 19th and March 19th from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. The site is located behind the Department of Public Works at 515 Main Street. Yard waste must be disposed of in brown compost bags or open containers. The Town will accept grass clippings, leaves, and brush. As in years past, no branches or limbs larger than three inches in diameter are permitted. At this time residents will NOT need a compost site sticker to access the site. We ask all residents to please wear a mask, maintain and respect social distancing from others while visiting the site. Residents may call Lorna Cerbone at the Solid Waste and Recycling Department at 781-231-4036 with questions or for more information. Want to be a Knight? The Knights of Columbus is looking for new members to join. If interested in becoming a member of this local organization, please call 781-233-9858. Healthy Students-Healthy Saugus Program Resumes for the 21-22 School Year. (Editor’s Note: The following is an announcement submitted by Julie Cicolini, a member of the Board of Directors for Healthy Students-Healthy Saugus, providing information about the return of the program for the new school year) Who we are: Healthy Students-Healthy Saugus (HS2) is a non-profit group of volunteers that are helping to offset food insecurity in households. HS2 provides students/families that enroll in the program a weekend supply of nutritious food when school lunches and breakfasts are unavailable to them on weekends. How HS2 can help you: HS2 bags are distributed at school on Fridays to take home. Bags include such items as peanut butter, jelly, a loaf of bread, canned meals/soups/ tuna/vegetables, pasta/sauce, fruit cups, cereal, oatmeal, goldfish, pretzels and granola bars. To sign up go here to complete online form: https://forms.gle/gmMGguycSHBdziuE9 Want to partner with us: HS2 relies on donations to create take home bags with a weekend full of meals. All food is provided to children free of charge. It is our hope these resources will support the health, behavior, and achievement of every student who participates. We would love to partner with organizations, youth groups, PTO’s, businesses and individuals to assist in feeding students of Saugus. To learn more about how you can partner with us visit the Healthy Students-Healthy Saugus Facebook page or email us at HS2Saugus@gmail.com Checks can also be sent directly to: Salem Five C/O Healthy Students-Healthy Saugus 855-5 Broadway Saugus MA, 01906 Online donations can also be made at: https:// givebutter.com/HealthySaugus Food Pantry still open The Saugus United Parish Food Pantry continues to remain open on Fridays between 9:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. on Fridays despite concerns over the Coronavirus. They have made adjustments to protect their core of volunteers and the needy people who receive the food. For the protection of volunteers & clients, and to limit personal contact and crowding/gathering, the food pantry has been distributing prebagged groceries, Even though clients may receive items they don’t want or need, food pantry organizers 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 located in the basement of the Cliftondale Congregational Church at 50 Essex St. in Saugus. Clarifying some veterans issues Jay Pinette, the Veterans Services Officer for the Town of Saugus, wanted to pass along a few words to promote a better understanding of how his office works. “Veterans Service Officers (VSOs) are not VA employees and do not have direct access to VA systems or information,” Jay wrote in an email to us. “Local VSOs are employees of their respective cities and towns. VSOs are generally able to assist veterans and eligible dependents with VA-related claims and benefits activities. “One of the primary duties of the VSOs is to administer a program for veterans and eligible dependents that is referred to as “Chapter 115”. Under Chapter 115 of Massachusetts General Laws (M.G.L. CH. 115), the Commonwealth provides a uniform program of financial assistance for low income veterans and their dependents. Qualified veterans and their dependents who meet the income and asset eligibility criteria may receive monthly financial benefits that are intended to assist the veteran with housing and living expenses. “If local Veterans wish to enroll in VA healthcare and/or obtain a VA ID card, representatives from the VA Bedford will be on-site at the Lynn VA Clinic twice a month. The on-site enrollment will be held on the 1 st and 3 rd Tuesday of each month from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. Appointments are advised and the dates and times are subject to change. The Lynn VA Clinic is located at 225 Boston Street, Suite 107. For more information or to schedule an appointment for enrollment, call 781-687-3348 or e-mail vabedoutreach@va.gov. “The Veterans Services Offices of Saugus and other surrounding communities have partnered with the Greater Boston Food Bank to hold monthly mobile food markets for veterans. With the closure of the Saugus Senior Center during the pandemic, the food market was moved to Melrose. We have now moved the food market back to the Saugus Senior Center. The veterans mobile food market is held on the third Wednesday of each month. Veterans and eligible dependents must sign up with the Saugus Veterans Service Office to determine eligibility. VSO Jay Pinette can be reached at 781-231-4010 or at jpinette@saugus-ma.gov. Or on the first floor of Saugus Town Hall at 298 Central Street, Saugus MA 01906.” A smoke alarm alert for seniors The state Fire Marshal’s Office has launched a new public service announcement campaign that is geared toward encouraging smoke alarm awareness among senior citizens – the people who are at greater risk of dying in a fire. And this should be of particular interest to Saugus residents who may recall the house fire that killed two elderly people on Richard Street last July. Fire investigators found no evidence of smoke alarms or carbon monoxide alarms were found in the home, The “Dear Grandma / Querida Abuela” campaign began this month on television and radio stations in the Boston, Worcester, and Springfield media markets. Recorded in both English and Spanish, it features a granddaughter writing a letter to her grandmother about all the things she looks forward to doing together, interspersed with messages about the importance of having working smoke alarms and replacing alarms after 10 years. “In Massachusetts and nationwide, people over 65 have a disproportionately high risk of dying in a fire,” state Fire Marshal Peter J. Ostroskey said in a press release this week. “Everyone should have working smoke alarms in their homes, but we developed this PSA to reach older adults in particular because of the higher statistical risk they face. Installing smoke alarms on every floor of the home, checking them regularly, and replacing them after 10 years can dramatically reduce that risk.” Nationwide, about 60 percent of fatal fires occur in homes without working smoke alarms. And in Massachusetts, people 65 and older comprise about 17 percent of the populaTHE SOUNDS OF SAUGUS | SEE PAGE 13

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