SAUGUS Your Local News, Sports and Information Online. Scan & Subscribe! Vol. 28, No.11 -FREEwww.advocatenews.net Published Every Friday FEELING FROZEN FOUR FEVER 781-233-4446 Friday, March 20, 2026 A Push for Public Art in Saugus By Gabriella Galbadis A s co-chair of the Saugus Cultural Council, Victoria “Tori” Darnell is pushing to introduce public art in Saugus, even though the town’s zoning bylaws prevent it. Others on the council, joined by local business owners and Saugus residents, say public art would be a welcome addition to the town’s landscape, but the Saugus zoning bylaws place limitations on signage, specifically on size, color, location and illumination. “I want to create policy. I Lily Brazis of Saugus and her teammates on the Northeastern University women’s hockey team will play No. 1-ranked Ohio State in the NCAA Semifinals this afternoon. If Northeastern wins, the Huskies will move on to the 2026 National Collegiate Women’s Ice Hockey Championship game on Sunday. Please see inside for the story and more photos. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate) Home of the Week EVERETT 1st AD - Wonderful Care-Free Welcome Home to Park Plaza Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Commonwealth Real Estate Formerly Carpenito Real Estate Living! This 4 room condo boasts 2 bedrooms each with slider to private balcony and custom closets, spacious living room with wall of glass leading to private balcony, galley kitchen with granite counter tops, breakfast bar with seating and ceramic tile flooring, primary suite offers elegant built-ins, walk-in closet and private bath, hardwood flooring convenient, in-unit laundry, updated heat/air conditioning (5-6 years old), hot water heater replaced in 2021, trash shute on each level, extra storage, one car garage parking, conveniently located in Everett Square. Offered at $485,000 (781) 233-7300 335 Central St. Saugus commonmoves.com ©2024 BHH Affiliates, LLC, An independently owned and operated franchisee of BHH Affiliates, LLC, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices and the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices symbol are registered service marks of Columbia Insurance Company, a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate. Equal Housing Opportunity. don’t want to just change the bylaw, because I understand what the bylaw serves,’’ Darnell said in a recent interview. “It’s just that signage and art are not necessarily the same thing.” Darnell’s efforts for a new public art policy have faced several roadblocks. While Saugus is a close-knit community, she said residents whose families have not lived in Saugus for generations have had a harder time getting their voices heard, particularly around public art. They often get the run around, she added. For instance, when she previously expressed her public art ideas to precinct members, they directed her to the town manager and the Select Board. “When I go down those avenues, it’s just crickets,” Darnell said. Darnell said she first noticed the town was void of public art after moving to Saugus in 2021. While walking through Saugus, she said, her son, who was five at the time, asked, “Where’s the art?” Darnell said her previous communities, Revere and Boston, are filled with public art in the parks, public squares and various sites in neighborhoods. “I sort of took it for granted,” she said. “It takes … a child’s mind to recognize that something is missing and how important it is.” Joseph “Dennis” Gould, the council’s other co-chair, who backs Darnell’s efforts, said art has a rightful place in town. “If you look at Lynn, where they’ve done murals,’’ Gould said, “it’s a great thing.” Darnell also noted that Lynn has its own mural program and arts commissioner. “They’re in it,” she said. “They made an investment.” But getting public art in Saugus has been challenging. Both Gould and Darnell recalled the pushback that a Saugus businessman faced in 2019 after he had a mural PUBLIC ART | SEE PAGE 2 Established 1978 Mid-grade Regular 3.45 4.00 4.99 $4.24 Full Service ULS $4.739 Order online at angelosoil.com Kerosene Now Available! FLEET CARD Check Out Our LOW PRICES!
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