THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2021 Page 13 Jarosz returns to Town Hall Crabtree asked her to fill the vacancy left by Wendy Reed’s death By Mark E. Vogler (Feb. 5). Janice K. Jarosz, who worked T own Manager Scott C. Crabtree has called on the former town employee who trained Board of Selectmen Clerk Wendy Reed about a quarter of a century ago to fill the vacancy left by Reed’s unexpected death last Friday eight years as clerk of the Board of Selectmen prior to Reed’s appointment in 1996, has been hired to serve as the selectmen’s interim clerk, Crabtree said Wednesday. Crabtree said he plans to find a permanent replaceU.S. Attorney Warns Public to Be Wary of COVID-19 Vaccine Scams P ORTLAND, Maine: U.S. Attorney Halsey Frank is cautioning the public to be extremely skeptical of unsolicited offers to purchase COVID-19 vaccines. Federal, state and local agencies have received complaints about scammers capitalizing on demand for the vaccine to access individuals’ personally identifiable information such as Social Security numbers, and money, using various schemes. Among the tactics the scammers use are advertisements that promise early access to COVID-19 vaccines in exchange for a deposit or fee as well as offers to be put on a vaccine waiting list, again in exchange for money. “These scammers are ruthless and relentless, and everyone needs to have their guard up,” said U.S. Attorney Frank. “People here in Maine, particularly the elderly, are desperate to get vaccinated as quickly as possible, and the con artists are exploiting that desperation to get access to their money and personal information.” The FBI recommends checking your state’s health department website for accurate information on vaccine availability. The Maine CDC website has up-to-date information on COVID-19 vaccine availability. For more information on COVID-19 scams, visit fbi.gov/ coronavirus. If you are the victim of a scam or attempted fraud involving COVID-19, contact the National Center for Disaster Fraud hotline at 866-720-5721, or online at justice.gov/DisasterComplaintForm. Citibank to pay nearly $900K to thousands of Massachusetts consumers for credit card overcharges A ttorney General Maura Healey recently announced that Citibank will refund $895,000 to approximately 5,474 Citibank credit card holders in Massachusetts to resolve allegations that it overcharged them for credit card interest. The funds are part of a $4.2 million multistate settlement achieved in partnership with the attorneys general of Iowa, New Jersey, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania. Approximately 25,000 current and former Citibank customers are receiving refund checks as a result of the settlement. The Massachusetts assurance of discontinuance was filed in Suffolk Superior Court today. “Citibank charged consumers excessive interest on their credit cards and violated the law,” said Healey. “With this settlement, Citibank is required to compensate thousands of consumers in Massachusetts for years of overcharges.” The investigation arose from Citibank’s failure, from 2011 to August 2017, to properly reevaluate and reduce the annual percentage rate (APR) for certain consumer credit card accounts consistent with the requirements of the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009 (CARD Act). For more than six years, Citibank failed to properly lower credit card interest rates for certain consumers who were entitled to reductions in their APR. AG Healey’s Office alleges that Citibank’s failure to reevaluate credit card interest rates further violated the Massachusetts Consumer CITIBANK | SEE PAGE 19 about 20 hours a week — and pays about $20 an hour. It is not the type of position ment for Reed, 57, who died of an apparent heart attack. The town manager said he doesn’t know what his timetable is yet and whether he will fill the position from inside the ranks of town government or advertise for outside candidates. The position is part-time — that will attract candidates from outside the community, as Saugus has had trouble recruiting full-time positions that pay a lot more, he said. Jarosz was unavailable for comment. She has been a local journalist for many years, writing about her hometown. But she has also been active in local government and civic affairs. Jarosz received the Woman of The Year Award during the 2008 Founders Day celebration because of her contributions to the betterment of the community. She is a former member of Town Meeting, the Board of Selectmen and was the first chair of the Saugus Recycling Committee. She worked eight years as clerk of the Board of Selectmen. And for the last decade, she has been president of the MEG Foundation. DCR announces family-friendly, self-guided opportunities for February school vacation week T he state Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) recently announced that it will offer family-friendly Trip-Tips, self-guided adventures and suggested hikes for approximately 20 state park facilities during the traditional February school vacation week. Programming can be enjoyed at any time starting on Saturday, February 13, 2021. DCR Trip-Tips provide children and their families with self-guided activity ideas to lead their exploration of a local state park or watershed. The Trip-Tips include activities like winter birding, wildlife observation, history tours, and scavenger hunts. For a full list of Trip-Tips, visit DCR’s website. “This winter, DCR is thrilled to offer school vacation TripTips encouraging children and their families to enjoy the fresh air and experience self-guided opportunities in their local state park,” said DCR Commissioner James Montgomery. “The Baker-Polito Administration continues to increase both access within our state parks system and opportunities for the public to enjoy the many recreational resources available to them.” In addition to the school vacation week programming, DCR is offering public skating at Kelly Outdoor Rink from noon to 7:30 p.m. Sundays through Fridays and 2 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Saturdays. The DCR is also offering self-guided suggested hiking adventures at approximately 70 locations statewide. The DCR TripTip itineraries and self-guided recommended hikes can be found on the DCR website. For winter hiking safety tips, visit the DCR YouTube page. Some programming highlights include: Beaver Lodge Hunt and Find Location: Bradley Palmer State Park, 40 Asbury St. in Topsfield Harold Parker State Forest, 305 Middleton Rd. in North Andover Explore the woods and find the homes of nature’s engineers! The beaver is a rarely seen, secretive animal, but their signs are easily noticed if you know where and how to look. This self-guided Trip-Tips takes you on a beaver lodge discovery tour in two parks to find lodges in four different locations. Sharpen your skills of observation as you look for signs that are hidden in plain sight—things that a lot of people just don’t see. Your journey will take you to Bradley Palmer State Park in Topsfield and Harold Parker State Forest in North Andover, two forested parks that are about 30 minutes apart. Suitable for all ages. No parking fees apply. Explore the Winter Shore Location: Halibut Point State Park, Gott Ave. in Rockport Revere Beach Reservation, Revere Beach Blvd. in Revere Belle Isle Marsh Reservation, 1399 Bennington St. in East Boston Explore history and nature on the shore this winter! These self-guided Trip-Tips feature three DCR parks that are located along a scenic ocean drive: Halibut Point State Park, Revere Beach Reservation, and Belle Isle Marsh Reservation. Activities include viewing the harlequin ducks, eider ducks, and loons at the rocky coastal water’s edge of Halibut Point, searching for and photographing noteworthy buildings and structures that grace the shoreline, and exploring a saltmarsh filled with a variety of winter birds including the American Black Duck, Brant and, Great Blue Heron at Belle Isle Marsh Reservation. Don’t forget to bring along your binoculars, spotting scope, camera, and sketch pad! Suitable for all ages. No parking fees apply. Visitors are encouraged to tweet, post, and tag photos on social media using @MassDCR and #DCRTripTips. The DCR asks visitors to park in designated areas only, and to come back another time if a parking lot is full. Many visitor centers remain closed. However, restrooms or porta-johns within many DCR parks remain open. Dogs are required to be on leash in state parks unless signage designates otherwise. Dogs are not permitted on DCR Water Supply Protection areas. To find a dog-friendly park, visit the DCR website. When visiting state parks, DCR offers general guidance for visitors to follow: • If a facility or park is crowded, please consider leaving the area and either visiting a different location or returning at a later date or time (typically state parks are less busy during the week and/or early in the morning); • Follow posted rules, such as “carry in, carry out” trash policies and posted parking restrictions and pet waste disposal policies; • Stay within solitary or small groups, and avoid gatherings of ten or more people; • Practice social distancing of at least six feet between individuals; • Wear a facial mask or covering in public; • Practice healthy personal hygiene, such as handwashing for at least 20 seconds; and, • Stay home if ill, over 70, and/or part of a vulnerable population.
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