Page 10 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – Friday, March 22, 2019 THE SOUNDS OF SAUGUS By Mark Vogler H ere are a few tidbits that you might want to know about this week in Saugus. Remembering K9 Bruin The condolences keep flowing like a river for K9 Bruin – the nine-year-old German shepherd that was loved and appreciated by so many Saugonians – and his handler, best friend and working partner, Saugus Police Department K-9 Officer Tim Fawcett, in the wake of Bruin’s passing last week (Thursday, March 14). Board of Selectmen Vice Chair Jeffrey Cicolini requested a moment of silence at the beginning of Wednesday night’s (March 20) selectmen’s meeting. Cicolini asked colleagues and the public to think of Officer Fawcett and his family as they mourn the death of Bruin, who was put down last week after being diagnosed with incurable cancer. The meeting ended with each selectman sharing his or her thoughts about the K-9 team. Board of Selectmen Chair Debra Panetta got emotional as she reflected on Bruin. “To lose a pet is an awful thing … But to lose your partner and your best friend … We watched him grow up as a pup and Tim [Fawcett] brought him everywhere. He [Officer Fawcett] was so proud of him. It was a beautiful relationship. He was so proud of him.” At the same time, Panetta noted “the love” and the “outpouring” of support for the Fawcett family. There were numerous gestures that reflected the mindset of the community: Facebook postings and Bruin’s last ride before he was put to sleep … the hundreds of citizens who lined up along the streets that connected Bruin’s favorite places. “We all really had a personal experience with him,” Selectman Jennifer D’Eon said. Cicolini said he was “very impressed” with how the community showed up en masse along the route of Bruin’s “last ride.” “It was very moving,” Cicolini said. “It let folks watching the news see what kind of community we are.” He added that it was “just another reason why” he’s proud to be a Saugonian. The Saugus Police Department still plans to hold a memorial for Bruin. That should be well-attended. Talking about my hometown! After spending a few hours last Saturday at Saugus Cub Scout Pack 62’s Annual Pinewood Derby, I walked away with the reinforced knowledge that “Boy, this is indeed a small world!” Believe it or not, I met a few folks from my hometown – Swansea, Mass. – a small town in southeastern Massachusetts, which is usually referred to as “The South Coast.” Swansea is adjacent to the town of Somerset, which sets across the Taunton River from Fall River. Swansea is also bordered by several Rhode Island communities. I was having a conversation with John Zirpolo, an assistant scoutmaster of Boy Scout Troop 62 and the father of JJ Zirpolo, a 10-year-old Cub Scout in Saugus Pack 62. JJ finished in second place among Cub Scouts in last Saturday’s Pinewood Derby. John Zirpolo was the fourth-place finisher in the “Open Race” for adults and non-Cub Scouts. When I mentioned that Swansea is my hometown, John introduced me to his mother-in-law and his wife – both who lived many years in Swansea. Then the conversation got interesting when I mentioned that my older brother, Wayne C. Vogler, is a retired Swansea educator who lives in the town we grew up in. “I worked in the kitchen [at Joseph Case High School, which is my alma mater]. He was teaching at the high school when I was there,” Colleen Kennedy, Zirpolo’s mother-in-law, told me. “I knew your brother. He was Lisa’s teacher. I lived in Swansea 31 years. Now I live in Somerset,” Colleen said. “I thought he was fantastic. He taught them respect and they showed him respect – not like today. I kind of wish he was back there in school still teaching,” she said. Wow, here I am talking to strangers in the basement of the Cliftondale Congregational Church in Saugus, and they’re laying it on pretty thick about my brother Wayne. “He was a phenomenal teacher – a really good guy. Very fair,” said Lisa Zirpolo, a 1996 Case High School graduate. “He was one of my favorite teachers,” she said. I’m a 1970 Case High graduate and actually got my start in journalism as the troop news reporter for Swansea Boy Scout Troop 26, where I became an Eagle Scout. The mother of Wesley Allardice, who earned his Eagle Scout the same time I did, had me file stories with her for the Fall River Herald News. A few years later – during my junior year in high school, she helped me get hired at the Spectator Press, a weekly newspaper in Somerset. I worked as a stringer, covering high school sports for a couple of years before heading off to the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. There’s no telling how many people in Swansea and Somerset whom I know could be friends or acquaintances of Colleen and Lisa. Final Saugus Babe Ruth sign-ups The final Saugus Babe Ruth Baseball sign-ups will be held at the Fox Hill Yacht Club on Ballard Street on March 25 from 6 to 8 p.m. Any Saugus resident 13, 14 or 15 years of age is eligible to sign up. Also, 12-year-olds that don’t qualify for Little League are eligible for Babe Ruth. The cost for the season is $175 per player. After teams are picked, uniforms and a game schedule will be issued. The season is scheduled to start April 4. Most games will be played at World Series Park, which is celebrating its fifteenth season. Youth sports collaborate tonight! Saugus Youth Soccer, Saugus Pop Warner, Saugus National Little League, Saugus American Little League, Saugus Softball and Saugus Lacrosse are having a joint fundraising event tonight (Friday, March 22)! It will be a night of food, dancing, poker, and lots of fun at Breakaway in Danvers. This is a great opportunity to support one league or multiple leagues all at the same great event! There are two ticket levels available for purchase: $20 General Ticket – includes cheese pizza, salad and DJ entertainment; $40 Poker Ticket – includes Texas Hold’em Tournament entry fee, cheese pizza, salad and DJ entertainment. Prizes will be awarded to players who place in 1st, 2nd and 3rd. Doors will open at 7:00 p.m., and the tournament will begin at 7:30 p.m. There are a limited number of tickets so make sure to purchase them early. Tickets can be purchased at https://www. eventbrite.com/e/saugus-youth-sports-fundraiser-texas-holdemtournament-and-dancing-at-breakaway-tickets-55458865961. As much as we love our kids, this is an adult-only event. Please share with aunts, uncles, grandparents and friends so that we can come together to support all the sports that our children love to play! A free film about a veteran Several members of local veterans advocacy groups have asked us to let folks know about an upcoming film that residents will be able to see at no charge. “On Tuesday, April 2, GE is sponsoring the screening of “American Veteran” at the ReelAbilities film festival,” Dennis Gould wrote us in a recent email. “I served on GE Corporate Board for GE Veterans and was past Commander GE Veterans Lynn so was asked to please get word out about this.” The film can be viewed on Tuesday, April 2 at 6:30 p.m. at Showcase Cinema de Lux Revere. It’s directed by Julie Cohen and is 70 minutes long. It’s a documentary in English with Open Captions. Here’s the synopsis: At age 21, Sgt. Nick Mendes was blown up by an IED in Afghanistan, paralyzing him from the neck down. This unflinching and surprisingly funny documentary follows him for five years as he readjusts to life. At the start of the story, he is in a VA hospital, unable to speak, eat or even breathe on his own. By the end of the film, he is studying for a real estate license, using mouth-operated technology to play video games, and fishing. Nick reunites with the soldier who saved his life in Afghanistan, and most amazing of all, he falls in love with and marries his medical caregiver. A panel discussion will follow. Registration is strongly recommended. For more details, go to www.reelabilities.org/boston. Share this event on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ events/2161125913922656/. Marching as one league – in one parade The newly-formed Saugus Little League has announced it will host its annual Opening Day Parade on Saturday, April 20 at 9 a.m. This year the Saugus National and Saugus American Leagues will march as one. Parade participants will assemble at 8:30 a.m. at the Oaklandvale School, which is located at 266 Main St. With a police and fire escort, the marchers will leave the Oaklandvale School at 9 a.m. and head north up Main Street. They plan to arrive at the Elks Field, which is located at 401 Main St., at about 10 a.m. – in time for the Opening Day Ceremony. Town Manager Scott C. Crabtree and the Board of Selectmen are expected to participate. Tom Whittredge, executive president of the Saugus Little League, says he’s expecting 300 players to participate in Opening Day. Saugus River cleanup on Earth Day Join the Saugus River Watershed Council, the Lynn Conservation Commission, Bike to the Sea, and the Massachusetts Department of Conservation & Recreation for an Earth Day cleanup along the Saugus River in Lynn and Saugus on Saturday, April 27, from 9:00 a.m. to noon. Volunteers will work together to clean up Marshview Park in Lynn, areas along the Northern Strand Community Trail in Saugus, and the banks of the Saugus River in both Lynn and Saugus. Gloves, bags, tools, coffee, donuts and water will be provided. Please bring gardening tools and rubber boots if you have them. Directions: Check in at Marshview Park adjacent to the Saugus River on Boston Street in Lynn, directly across the street from the previous O’Brien’s and across the river from the previous Spud’s. Deadline for Town Meeting Warrant Anyone who has an Article to be inserted into the Annual Town Meeting Warrant may submit the Article with appropriate number of signatures to the Selectmen’s Office, no later than April 2, or bring it to the April 2 meeting. The meeting will begin at 7:00 p.m. in the Town Hall Auditorium (298 Central St.) that night. For more information you may contact Wendy Reed, clerk of the Board of Selectmen, at (781) 231-4124 or email her at wreed@saugus-ma.gov or drop by the first floor office at Saugus Town Hall (298 Central St.). The Annual Town Meeting begins on the first Monday in May, which is May 6 this year. It’s still budget time The Finance Committee has begun the first of several budget review sessions on Wednesday nights, leading off with Saugus Public Schools (March 6) and the Public safety budgets on Wednesday night (March 13). So, the work is underway to craft the budget for the 2020 fiscal year that begins July 1. The agenda for Wednesday night’s (March 20) Finance Committee meeting featured a review of the Department of Public Works budget. This is generally one that attracts interest from Town Meeting members who like to know what street or sidewalk projects might be happening this year which would be of interest to citizens of any precinct in town. For those inquiring minds who want to know, next Wednesday night’s budget meeting features a review of the important Town Board BudSOUNDS | SEE PAGE 15
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