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Page 18 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2022 THE SOUNDS OF SAUGUS | FROM PAGE 17 bers to join. If you are interested in becoming a member of this local organization, please call 781-233-9858. Healthy Students-Healthy Saugus (Editor’s Note: The following info is from an announcement submitted by Julie Cicolini, a member of the Board of Directors for Healthy Students-Healthy Saugus.) Who we are: Healthy Students-Healthy Saugus (HS2) is a nonprofit group of volunteers who are helping to offset food insecurity in households. HS2 provides students/families who enroll in the program a supply of nutritious food for 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 for 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, PTOs, 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, 8555 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. 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 pre-bagged 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 Cliftondale Congregational Church at 50 Essex St. in Saugus. Clarifying some veterans’ issues Jay Pinette, the Veterans Service 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. He continued, “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 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 population but about 50 percent of last year’s fatal fire victims. “Working smoke alarms are often the first line of defense against injury and tragedy in a fire,” Ostroskey said. “We invite our partners in the fire service, family members, caregivers, and social service providers to share these PSAs and emphasize the importance of working smoke alarms, especially among seniors.” Last year when Louis Gallo, 78, and his sister Rosemarie Naples, 80, died in the three-alarm house fire on Richard Street, fire officials stressed that working smoke alarms in your home can double your chances of survival if a fire occurs. THE SOUNDS OF SAUGUS | SEE PAGE 19 KOWLOON | FROM PAGE 1 ber voting against the continuance to March 1. “I personally feel my job is to get as much information as possible,” Panetta told her colleagues. Cogliano responded that he wasn’t going to continue “this hearing for information that doesn’t benefit anybody.” “It’s not going to benefit anybody. I’ll do what the petitioner wants. I think it’s a waste of time,” he said. Cicolini cited the recommendation of Fire Chief Michael C. Newbury, who wrote in a January 25 letter to the board that he feels the developer’s plans for the two tall buildings that need an S-2 permit is safer than building three shorter buildings. “Shame on us if we allow them to put three buildings in,” Cicolini said. “Steel is not required if you stay four stories,” he added. “We have a staunchly opposed fire chief to that three-story approach.” These are highlights from Fire Chief Newbury in his Jan. 25 letter: “Two Buildings: This proposal is for two steel and concrete constructed buildings with retail space underneath. This type of construction from a public safety standpoint is clearly far superior to the second option. This construction contains the products of combustion into compartmentalized separations, allowing for the safe passage of residents and firefighters in the event of a fire. This also allows all retail space to be located out front of the project and all the parking for this project will be outside in a normal parking lot. This construction is considered to be one of the most resilient from a life safety code standpoint. And historically it has been large fires that have shaped the life safety codes for generations. “Three buildings: This will lead to a greater footprint for the buildings as they are laid out on the property, with the only gain being that they are slightly shorter. This will also put buildings closer to the rear of the property and closer to the abutting neighbors. This project because of the footprint change will require parking underneath a few of the buildings in an open air garage. This leads to multiple issues. First, If there is a car fire in the garage. The smoke and products of combustion will fill the entire garage area with smoke and fire. This will lead to difficulty getting to a car under the buildings and extinguishing it. Although there are sprinklers in underground parking garages. of the buildings in an open air garage. This leads to multiple issues. First, If there is a car fire in the garage. The smoke and products of combustion will fill the entire garage area with smoke and fire. This will lead to difficulty getting to a car under the buildings and extinguishing it. ….The products of combustion can creep through void spaces that aren’t in concrete construction, and a car fire underneath the building would have an effect on the residents above. This construction is lightweight, and what I would consider to be far less safe than option 1. There is one other issue with the garage underneath, we live in the northeast. The freeze/thaw cycle leads to ongoing problems with any outside sprinkler or standpipe system. I have been dealing with Walmart on an ongoing basis with issues with their sprinkler system in the parking area since the year it opened.” THIS WEEK ON SAUGUS TV Sunday, Feb. 20 from 9–11 p.m. on Channel 8 – “Sunday Night Stooges” (The Three Stooges). Monday, Feb. 21 all day on Channel 8 – “Movie Monday” (classic movies). Tuesday, Feb. 22 at 8:30 p.m. on Channel 9 – Board of Selectmen Meeting from Feb. 15. Wednesday, Feb. 23 at 8:30 p.m. on Channel 9 – Planning Board Meeting from Feb. 17. Thursday, Feb. 24 at 11:30 a.m. on Channel 8 – Know Your Town with Andrew Whitcomb and Ryan Fisher. Friday, Feb. 25 at 11 a.m. on Channel 8 – What’s Cookin’? with Amanda Baressi. Saturday, Feb. 26 at 8:30 p.m. on Channel 22 – SHS Varsity Hockey vs. Lynn from Feb. 15. Saugus TV can be seen on Comcast Channels 8, 9 & 22. For complete schedules, please visit www.saugustv.org. ***programming may be subject to change without notice***

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