Page 12 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, MArCH 8, 2024 Youth Hockey East Coast Junior Patriots reach semifinals in state championship playoffs BRINGING UP THE PUCK: Demitri Breton, 14, of Saugus, of the East Coast Junior Patriots, in state playoff action last weekend. (Courtesy Photo of Meghann Breton) SQUEEZING THROUGH: James Caruso, 14, of Saugus, of the East Coast Junior Patriots, maneuvers in between two defenders during last weekend’s State Championships for Massachusetts Youth Hockey. (Courtesy Photo of Meghann Breton) By Meghann Breton L ast weekend, the East Coast Junior Patriots (ECJP) competed in the State Championships for Massachusetts. The ECJP are a triple A Bantam youth hockey team made up of 13-, 14- and 15-year-old kids from Saugus and the surrounding towns. The ECJP were one of only six teams that made it to the tournament this year in their division, and they advanced to the Semifinals. TOWN MEETING | FROM PAGE 11 with the Caddy Farm property owners to not use our small side streets to access the property is a start to get what we want & hopefully satisfies their wants. The Cliftondale rotary still needs a better solution, a raised road surface would have been a better solution as Melrose has at Howard St & Green St rotary. I do believe that to be a better answer. Anna Parker is a large park in our Precinct. I would like to see more improvements to the playground and possibly town events being held there to better utilize the open space. The ECJP played their first States game last Friday (March 1) at the New England Sports Center in Marlborough against Triton/Amesbury. It was a really close first game that was tied 2-2 until the very last minute of the game when Triton/ Amesbury took the lead and won 3-2. The ECJP played their second States game last Saturday (March 2) against Twin City. ECJP came back with a vengeance and won the game 7-0. The ECJP played their third I would like more residents’ input/ideas on what they would like to see done in Precinct two to improve the community. Jeanette E. Meredith I am extremely humbled and honored that the residents of precinct 2 entrusted me to represent our interest and the priorities of the Town as one of their Town Meeting members. As a lifelong resident of the area, the revitalization of Cliftondale Square remains a top priority for me. Working together we can continue the progress made thus far through continued support of funding for studies, grant opportunities, purchasing of properties, planning States game later that night against Wilmington. This next game was very tense. It was back and forth the whole time. Neither team could score. The game ended up going into OT and Wilmington scored in the last three minutes of OT, winning the game 1-0. The ECJP played their State Championship Semifinals on Sunday (March 3) in a rematch against Wilmington. The game once again started off very evenly matched with a lot of tense back and forth, but no and development of parking and reconfiguration of traffic flows to advance and attract new businesses and foot traffic back to Cliftondale Square. I believe the residents have been clear that revitalization needs to preserve the integrity of the neighborhoods and protect the resident’s quality of life that are directly affected by overdevelopment and traffic congestion. Matthew Parlante The top priorities for residents in Precinct 2 revolve around preserving our community’s character and enhancing safety measures. There is a strong desire to maintain the integrity of our neighborhood by keeping goals. Finally, five minutes into the second period, ECJP scored. Wilmington responded quickly by scoring a goal of their own, making the score tied 1-1. A minute later, Wilmington scored another goal to take a 2-1 lead. Wilmington kept the heat on and scored again, making the score 3-1. ECJP kept trying to come back, but ended up losing the game 7-1. The ECJP have come a long way from their first State Championship Competition back in 2020 when they competed as Squirts. In 2020, these kids didn’t even come close to the Semifinals. They were outskilled and unprepared for the competition that they faced. new development and building projects away from Precinct 2. This is crucial to safeguarding cherished landmarks like Anna Parker Park and revitalizing the unique atmosphere of Cliftondale Square. Safety concerns also weigh heavily on the minds of residents. Improving safety on our roadways and bike paths is paramount, particularly in and around Cliftondale Square. Measures to encourage drivers to slow down and ensure safe pedestrian crossings are essential and a priority for me. Furthermore, there is a shared aspiration to attract more community-based businesses to our area. By fostering a supportive environment for local businesses, we can cultiAfter two years of practice and hard work, these same kids not only managed to qualify for the State Championships again in 2022, but also managed to finish in third place in their division. Once again, these same kids qualified for the State Championships this year and once again they finished strong in the Semifinals. The ECJP plan to keep working hard, honing their skills, and come back stronger next year! In the meantime, the ECJP plan to finish up their regular hockey season and then finish off strong with their playoff games at the end of this month. The ECJP will play their next game on March 9 at 7:50 p.m. in Haverhill. vate a vibrant neighborhood that residents are proud to call home. Encouraging business growth and community engagement will contribute to the long-term sustainability and desirability of Precinct 2. Peter A. Rossetti Jr. It is important to remember that Town Meeting encompasses the entire town and not just a specific precinct. We all have to work together for the betterment of the entire town. Just because an issue may not be located in a specific precinct, doesn’t mean that the Town Meeting members from another precinct can’t or won’t TOWN MEETING | SEE PAGE 16
13 Publizr Home