Page 14 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, MARCH 24, 2023 THE SOUNDS | FROM PAGE 13 it wasn’t the kind of stuff I wanted to dignify. But when Ross Demore essentially made the issue public by sending his email to selectmen, a few other town offi cials and several newspapers — including The Saugus Advocate — I decide ed that at minimum I needed to see if anyone on the Board of Selectmen was off ended by the social media activity of their chairman. I sent the same email to all fi ve board members: Do you have any concerns that you want to comment on, regarding the Ross Demore letter that was addressed to the Board of Selectmen in an email today? Are the comments made by Mr. Demore a matter that should be addressed by the Board of Selectmen? Please feel free to comment or elaborate. As it turned out, every board member — including the chair — responded to my email. I didn’t pressure anyone to comment. One member was off ended and felt Cogliano owed an apology to Eliot Evan Smith. Another said he understood Cogliano’s frustrations, but advised him to stay off social media and not engage anymore with Smith, who had been critical of Cogliano on social media about Cogliano’s conduct in allegedly forging signatures of Saugus residents on affi davits that were to be used by WIN Waste Innovations to defend itself in a lawsuit. Smith’s comments apparently got under Cogliano’s skin, and essentially egged Cogliano into making comments that were later construed as “homophobic.” It’s not a story I wanted to write. But I believed it was a story that needed to be written. Several selectmen said they didn’t want to comment unless other selectmen commented, too. Smith and Cogliano were essentially trash-talking on social media, and it got out of hand. And it’s easy to see where some people would construe the comments as being “homophobic,” especially since Cogliano maintained that the person who was antagonizing him was Al DiNardo, a former town meeting member who is openly gay. Cogliano has maintained steadfastly that Eliot Evan Smith - LEGAL NOTICE - COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS THE TRIAL COURT PROBATE AND FAMILY COURT Essex Probate and Family Court 36 Federal Street Salem, MA 01970 (978) 744-1020 Docket No. ES22P3157GD IN RE: Guardianship of: Naya Noemi Melchionda A MINOR LETTERS OF APPOINTMENT (GUARDIANSHIP OF A MINOR) I, Pamela A. Casey O’Brien, Register of Probate for the Essex Probate and Family Court hereby certify that Sandra Ivette Waldron 21 Bow Street Saugus, MA 01906 March 02, 2023, as: Temporary Guardian pursuant to G.L. c. 190B, §5-204. These letters shall expire on June 01, 2023, These letters of Guardianship for a Minor, whose date of birth is 12/20/2022, are proof of Guardian’s full authority and responsibility to act , pursuant to G.L. c. 190B, §5-208. regarding the minor’s support, education, health and welfare as follows: to perform any and all acts necessary for the day-to-day care, custody, education, recreation and property of the minor. to authorize any and all medical and dental care for the health and well-being of the minor, except the Guardian may not consent to extraordinary medical treatment pursuant to G.L. c 190B, §5-306A. Other: The Guardian may not establish or move the Minor’s custodial dwelling outside the Commonwealth of Massachusetts without a Court order. Date March 02, 2023, PAMELA CASEY O’BRIEN REGISTER OF PROBATE COURT March 24, 2023 is fake. But even if Eliot Evan Smith is a fake name, it really doesn’t mitigate the act of sending such off ensive emails via social media. There’s a more civil and plain way to express oneself on social media without getting crude and vulgar. In any event, it’s very unfortunate for this incident to have happened. But, hopefully, Cogliano and others will be more discerning with their rhetoric in the future. Hopefully, the controversy sparks some overdue public discussion about social media and the damage it can do. The one thing to understand is that people will say something very disparaging in texts and emails that they wouldn’t say to a person’s face. Good relationships and friendships have been fractured by social media. Smith is for real From having researched the matter, I can tell you that Eliot Evan Smith is a real person who lives in Lynn, has organized a petition drive “to Shutdown Wheelabrator Saugus,” has contributed to political campaigns of several area state politicians and has a respectable job in the education fi eld. Through my surfi ng the Internet, I know where he works, and I know where he lives. I know enough about him to know he’s real. I have talked to him on the phone several times. I have done enough research to avoid being played into writing a story that quotes somebody who is not a real person — a claim that some had made, including the Board of Selectmen chair. I even off ered to be an intermediary between Cogliano and Smith, to set up a meeting between the two. I have told both parties that I would agree to meet with the two of them. They both seemed agreeable to that. Whether that happens or not, remains to be seen. “Saugus Over Coffee” This is a reminder to our readers that the next edition of “Saugus Over Coff ee” will be for Precinct 4 on Tuesday, April 25, and not April 17 as originally scheduled. April 17 happens to be Patriots’ Day, a state holiday — a day when the Saugus Public Library and all municipal and school buildings in Saugus will be closed. We also decided to change the date of the “Saugus Over Coff ee” forum that was planned for Precinct 5 on May 8. As it turns out, Saugus’s Annual Town Meeting convenes on Monday, May 1. And each Town Meeting session happens on a Monday, so the Town Meeting would most likely be meeting on May 8. Because of that potential confl ict, we switched the forum for Precinct 5 to a Tuesday, May 2. For those unfamiliar with the “Saugus Over Coff ee” forums, they are cosponsored by The Saugus Advocate and the Sau-e gus Public Library. The primary purpose is to give citizens in each of the town’s 10 precincts an opportunity to voice their concerns about top issues in their respective precincts. It also gives them an opportunity to meet their Town Meeting representatives and chat over a cup of coff ee or tea. Town Meeting members will benefi t by getting to know more about concerns in their precincts. Viewers of the forums videotaped by Saugus TV will also get to learn a little about the history or interesting things about the precinct being featured each month. Finally, the town and each respective precinct benefi ts by the potential of the forums spurring new candidates for Town Meeting. The public should keep in mind that there was a paucity of candidates for Town Meeting seats in the town elections back in 2021. In fi ve of the 10 precincts, only fi ve candidates ran for the fi ve seats. That means half of the 50-member body was elected without competition. Stay tuned for more information as “Saugus Over Coffee” continues. Here is the remaining schedule: Precinct 4 — April 25 Precinct 5 — May 2 Precinct 6 — June 12 Precinct 7 — July 10 Precinct 8 — August 14 Precinct 9 — September 11 Precinct 10 — October 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). Saugus-Everett Elks Ham Shoot The Saugus-Everett Elks will be hosting their annual Ham Shoot Easter Meat Raffl e on Friday, March 31, at the Lodge at 401 Main St. in Saugus at 7:15 p.m. Only $1 per chance can get you a ham, turkey, pork loin, roast or any one of 42 meat prizes for your holiday meal. There will be free pickles and a cash bar. All proceeds benefi t local Elks charities. 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. There have been 263 athletes inducted since the Hall of Fame’s inception (1987). The Hall of Fame’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. 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 r 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 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 for the month and tonight will feature Jimmy Dunn (Friday, March 24) at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20 and show time is 8 p.m. at the Kowloon Restaurant on Route 1 North in Saugus. For tickets, call the Kowloon Restaurant at 781233-0077 Bingo is back! The Kowloon Restaurant announced Bingo every Wednesday from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Hong Kong Lounge. Prizes will be given away each week with a grand
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