Page 12 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2023 The Sounds of Saugus By Mark E. Vogler Good Morning, Saugus! As my deadline approached yesterday, Jimmy Carter, the 39th president of the United States, was still hanging on in hospice as he was nearing the end of life at age 98. During my younger days as a reporter, I got to meet Jimmy Carter when he was running for president. Well, sort of. I actually got roughed up by Secret Service bodyguards while trying to interview the then-Democratic presidential candidate. Back in the fall of 1976, I was working in Williamsburg, Va., for a local paper that was covering the debate. While hanging around outside a hotel, I noticed Jimmy Carter walk out to remove luggage from a car and greet his wife, Rosalyn. I rushed toward him, with notebook and pen in hand. One of the goons wearing a suit and sunglasses pushed me to the ground, spoiling my chance to grill Jimmy. I had a legitimate reporter’s pass issued to me by the Newport News Daily Press. But the Secret Service got spooked because I had a diff erent colored pass than the one worn by a group of photographers. My brief encounter with Carter was a pleasant one. He struck me as a well-intentioned, decent man. Perhaps the best human being to ever serve in the White House. Carter and his wife Rosalyn spent about 40 years working as volunteers alongside Habitat for Humanity. During that time, they helped to build and fi x up more than 4,000 homes in 14 different countries. A remarkable retirement for mankind. Saugus over Coff ee I have been disappointed at the low turnout of Saugus residents during the fi rst two “Saugus Over Coff ee” forums. These forums give residents in the precinct that is being spotlighted a chance to meet their Town Meeting members and ask them questions about their priorities and top issues in their precinct. But even if just a handful of people show up, these forums are being videotaped by SaugusTV —Contest— CONTEST SKETCH OF THE WEEK for future airing on local cable television. How popular are they? I checked yesterday to see how much interest they have drawn. The fi rst forum on Jan.30, cosponsored by The Saugus Advocate and Saugus Public Library, featuring Precinct 1, drew 106 viewers, according to the Saugus TV website. The Precinct 2 forum on Feb. 13 attracted 65 viewers. That’s a lot more than the number of people who show up in the Community Room at the library. But I expect that the in-person meetings will pick up as we draw closer to the town elections in the fall. Stay tuned for more information as “Saugus Over Coffee” continues. Here is the remaining schedule: Precinct 3 — March 13; Precinct 4 — April 17; Precinct 5 — May 8; Precinct 6 — June 12; Precinct 7 — July 10; Precinct 8 — Aug. 14; Precinct 9 — Sept. 11; Precinct 10 — Oct. 23. Please check with The Saugus Advocate or library for any changes in dates. Residents can check the programming guide on the station’s website (www.saugustv. org) for dates and times. A video of the forum will also be available for viewing on the station’s vimeo page within a day or two after the event (www.vimeo.com/ saugustelevision). The Breakheart/Benjamin Newhall Johnson legacy On Wednesday, March 8, the Saugus Historical Society will hold a program on Breakheart Reservation and the Legacy of Benjamin Newhall Johnson. It will be held at 30 Main St., the headquarters of the Saugus Historical Society and Saugus Cable Television. Doors open at 6:45 p.m. and light refreshments will be served. The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. The Saugus Historical Society’s team of experts on Johnson and Breakheart include Brett Power, head ranger of Breakheart Reservation; Doug Heath and Alison Simcox, who count among their books “Breakheart Reservation” and “Murder at Breakheart Hill Farm”; and Ron Wallace, who has recently restored Johnson’s tombstone at Riverside Cemetery. Benjamin Newhall Johnson GUESS WHO GOT SKETCHED! Got an idea who was sketched this week? If you do, please email your name, address and the answer to mvoge@comcast.net or leave a phone message at 978-683-7773. Anyone who answers correctly between now and Tuesday at noon qualifi es to have their name put in a green Boston Red Sox hat with a chance to be selected as the winner of a $10 gift certifi cate, compliments of JIMMY’S STEER HOUSE at 114 Broadway (Rt. 1 North) in Saugus. (Courtesy illustration to The Saugus Advocate by a Saugonian who goes by the name of “The Sketch Artist”) was born on June 19, 1856, in Lynn but grew up in Saugus. He became a prominent Lynn businessman and in 1891 teamed up with two other Lynn businessmen to operate a hunting lodge in the woods of Saugus. They moved a log building from Maine to the site and created two ponds and a rhododendron garden on the site. In 1881 he had married Ida Oliver of Saugus, and they had two children. After her death he married Virginia Vernon Newhall and they had three children. His second wife also predeceased him. Johnson died on February 19, 1932. The 600-acre wooded site of their hunting lodge was sold by the heirs to the Metropolitan District Commission, and it eventually became the state park operated by the Department of Conservation and Recreation that we know as Breakheart Reservation. Breakheart has been a popular recreational site in Saugus for generations with its popular beach and wooded scenic trails. The park has endured last summer’s drought, fi res and other challenges, but the citizens look forward to enjoying it for generations to come. Seeking Hall of Fame nominations Do you know of a former Saugus High School athlete who deserves to be inducted into the Saugus High School Sports Hall of Fame? If you do, nominations are open for the Hall of Fame from now until March 28. Previously, there have been 263 athletes inducted since the Hall of Fame’s inception (1987). The hall’s fi rst class included Arthur Spinney, a Saugus High football great who played for two NFL championship teams with the Baltimore Colts in 1958 and 1959. A Saugus High athlete has to be out of school for at least 10 years before he or she can be nominated. Anyone looking to nominate a former Saugus High athlete can mail their letter of nomination to Barbara Wall at 28 Pleasant St., Saugus, MA 01906. Library joins Boston Bruins PJ Drive The Saugus Public Library and the Boston Bruins are teammates again. From now through March 15, the library will be accepting donations of pajamas for the Boston Bruins PJ Drive to benefi t the Wonderfund of the Department of Children and Families (DCF) and Cradles to Crayons. The Saugus Public Library’s goal is to collect 100 pairs of new pajamas, according to Amy Melton, Head of Children’s Services. Many of the pajamas donated will benefi t local homeless kids and teens, she said. Melton said there are two ways to donate: This year you can donate either by making a monetary donation directly to the pajama drive, or by shopping for them yourself. The library is collecting new pairs of w pajamas for children and teens: size 2T through adult medium. The library asks that people not donate holiday pajamas. The most-needed sizes: • GIRLS: 5/6 — 18/20 or adult S • BOYS: 7/8 — 18/20 or adult M There is a collection bin at the library. SAVE 2023 Environmental Scholarship Saugus Action Volunteers for the Environment (SAVE) is very pleased to announce that it is off ering a $1,000 Environmental Scholarship to Saugus residents of the Graduating Class of 2023 or to Saugus residents r who are currently fi rst-year college attendees. This is a scholarship for students who will be or are attending a two/four-year college or other educational institution and pursuing a degree in an area that would positively impact the environment. Applicants can download the SAVE 2023 Environmental Scholarship Application Form found at www.saugusSAVE.org Together with the completed application form, please include a separate sheet (identifi ed with your initials only) that provides a brief summary of any of your activities relating to the environment and describe how you feel your career choice will positively impact the environment. Please email (preferred method) your application — no later than midnight on April 21, 2023 — to: SAVE Co-President Ann Devlin at adevlin@aisle10.net or mail your r application (postmarked by April 21, 2023) to: SAVE, P.O. Box 908, Saugus, MA 01906. Again, the deadline to submit your application is April 21, 2023. Comedy at the Kowloon The Kowloon Restaurant has its latest comedy lineup set, and it will feature Mike Donovan today (Friday, Feb. 24) at 8 p.m. Here’s next month’s lineup: March 3: PAUL D’ANGELO — 8 p.m. — $20. March 10: COREY RODRIGUES — 8 p.m. — $20. March 24: JIMMY DUNN — 8 p.m. — $20. Tickets are $20 and show time is 8 p.m. at the Kowloon Restaurant (Route 1 North in Saugus). For tickets, call the Kowloon Restaurant at 781-233-0077. Bingo is back! The Kowloon Restaurant announces Bingo every Wednesday from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Hong Kong Lounge. Prizes will be given away each week with a grand prize set at the fi nale in March. A full Chinese gourmet spread is available during Bingo — fea
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