11

THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, APRIL 2, 2021 Page 11 THE SOUNDS OF SAUGUS | FROM PAGE 10 We ask all residents to please wear a mask and maintain and respect social distancing from others while visiting the site. Residents may call Lorna Cerbone at the Solid Waste and Recycling Department at 781-231-4036 with questions or for more information. Curbside leaf collection next month The Town of Saugus announces that spring curbside leaf collection will take place during the week of May 10, 2021. Residents may dispose of leaves curbside on their regularly scheduled collection day, between Monday, May 10, 2021, and Friday, May 14, 2021. Leaves should be left outside by 7 a.m. on the appropriate days. Please ensure that leaf containers are physically separated from trash and recycling. Paper leaf bags are the preferred method of leaf disposal. If using barrels, however, they must be clearly marked with yard waste stickers. Barrel covers must remain removed so that the leaves are visible. Plastic bags, cardboard boxes, branches and brush will not be accepted. Please note that separate trucks collect the rubbish, recycling and leaves, so the leaves may be collected at a different time of day. “Missed pick-ups” will not be conducted. Please contact Lorna Cerbone at 781-231-4036 with any questions. SAVE Scholarship Time The local citizen group Saugus Action Volunteers for the Environment (SAVE) is, once again, offering a $500 environmental scholarship to any Saugus resident graduating with the class of 2021 (from any high school) and pursuing a degree in any field which will positively impact the environment. This is a scholarship aimed at students who will be 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 2021 Environmental Scholarship Application Form found at www. saugusSAVE.org. Together with the completed application form, please include a separate sheet (identified with your initials only) that provides a brief summary of any of your activities relating to the environment and describes how you feel your career choice will positively impact the environment. Please mail your application (postmarked by April 23, 2021) to: SAVE, P.O. Box 908, Saugus, MA 01906 or email your application (no later than midnight on April 23, 2021) to: SAVE President Ann Devlin at adevlin@aisle10.net. Again, the deadline for applications is April 23, 2021. “Express Yourself! Fun and easy art experiments” Kelly Slater has teamed up with the Saugus Public Library this winter and spring to present several free online workshops, “Express Yourself! Fun and Easy Art Experiments.” Ranging in subject from kitchen table printmaking to artist’s accordion books, the workshops share a common emphasis on fun and experimentation. No previous art experience is required, and all art supplies will be provided free at the Saugus Public Library in “Take and Make” bags. The program began last month and there are two workshops left: The third session, which is scheduled for Thursday, April 15, will focus on drawing experiments and will invite participants to overcome any and all fears of drawing by letting go of control. The series will conclude on Thursday, April 29 with a foray into making accordion-style artists books. All sessions will last 90 minutes – running from 6:30-8:00 p.m. Workshops are open to ages teens through adults. Students may sign up for either of the sessions. Advance registration is required through the Saugus Public Library. At the end of the sessions, interested students can submit class work for a virtual art exhibit hosted through the Saugus Public Library website. To reserve your space at a free workshop, send an email to sau@noblenet.org with “SPL workshops” in the subject line. If you have questions about the content of the workshops, please contact Slater at kellyslaterart@hotmail.com with “SPL workshops” in the subject line. This program is supported in part by a grant from the Saugus Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency. Zoom support is provided by the Saugus Public Library, and select art supplies are provided by your local Artist & Craftsman Supply, which is located at 751 Broadway (Rte. 1 South) in Saugus. Cook along with Liz at the library Join the Saugus Public Library for “Cook Along w/ Liz: Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day” next Thursday, April 8, at 6:30 p.m. This no-knead, five-minute artisan bread is truly the easiest bread you will ever bake – even if you have never baked bread before! This class will focus on the “Master Recipe” from the best-selling cookbook “Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day.” You are welcome to prepare your first batch of dough along with Liz in class. Liz Barbour of The Creative Feast has been to the library many times for cooking demonstrations, and we are looking forward to welcoming her back again, virtually. Go to the Saugus Public Library website for the registration link at www.sauguspubliclibrary.org. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. This free program is supported in part by a grant from the Saugus Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency. Healthy Students-Healthy Saugus (HS2) continues The Grab-N-Go meals program returned for another year at the Saugus Public Schools to keep needy students from going hungry. Healthy Students-Healthy Saugus (HS2), in partnership with Whitsons Food Service, continues with its noble program. Breakfasts and lunches will be available for pick up at Veterans Memorial School at 39 Hurd Ave. every Tuesday and Friday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Healthy Saugus-Healthy Students (HS2) is a nonprofit group that helps to offset food insecurity in households. HS2 provides a supply of nutritious food for weekends or school holidays during the school year. For more information or assistance please email hs2information@gmail.com or visit the Healthy Students-Healthy Saugus Facebook page. Food Pantry still open The Saugus United Parish Food Pantry will continue to remain open on Fridays between 9:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. despite concerns over the Coronavirus. They have made adjustments to protect their core of volunteers and the needy people who receive the food. For the protection of volunteers & clients, and to limit personal contact and crowding/gathering, the food pantry has been distributing prebagged groceries. Even though clients may receive items they don’t want or need, food pantry organizers feel this is the best course of action to mitigate the potential spread of COVID-19. Those in need, even for short-term or one-time assistance, are encouraged to come. The food pantry is in the basement of Cliftondale Congregational Church at 50 Essex St. in Saugus. Food help for veterans Saugus offers a Veterans Food Pantry on the third Wednesday of each month. “We have been holding it in Melrose since the Saugus Senior Center has been closed,” Saugus Veteran Services Officer Jay Pinette says. “The pantry provides a mix of fresh produce and non-perishable foods. The pantry is open to Veterans and/or surviving spouses. Registration is required and may be done by contacting the Veterans Services Office.” “The food market is generally held at the Saugus Senior Center, but given the current COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently offering a contact-free, drive-thru food pantry at Memorial Hall on Main Street in Melrose. If you are unable to pick-up, some limited deliveries may be available. This offering is year round. Please call the Saugus Veterans’ Service Office at 781-231-4010 or e-mail VeteransServices@ saugus-ma.gov in order to register. Proof of Veteran status is required.” Helping the Vet During these challenging times, your local Veterans’ Service Officers (VSOs) would like to share some information on a benefit program that is available to those who qualify. If you are a Veteran or the surviving spouse of a Veteran, the “Chapter 115 Benefits Program” is a Massachusetts state initiative that provides financial aid for Veterans and/or their surviving spouses who reside in Massachusetts and meet certain income and asset guidelines. Benefits may include monthly ordinary benefits and/or payment/reimbursement for medical expenses. Whether you are laid off, in transition or living on a fixed income, the program is designed to provide short-term or longterm assistance as needed to provide relief. The program is overseen by the Massachusetts Department Veterans’ Services (DVS), which runs the program in partnership with local VSOs. Every town or district in Massachusetts has a VSO. VSOs assist Veterans and their dependents in learning about, applying for and receiving Chapter 115 benefits. VSOs can also help you in applying for other benefits and connecting with local resources. Your local VSO handles applications, obtains program approval from DVS and provides local benefits. The program is funded by a combination of state and local funds. DVS pays for 75% of the approved benefits and your city or town pays for 25%. There are income and asset limits for the program. As a general rule, income and asset requirements are: Family of 1 – monthly income less than $2,081and an asset limit of $5,000. Family of 2 – monthly income less than $2,818 and an asset limit of $9,800. To determine if you may be eligible for financial assistance through the Chapter 115 program, visit the following link and follow the instructions – https://massvetben.org/ – or call your local VSO for more information. The VSOs are also able to help Veterans apply for Federal VA benefits and local benefits and provide food assistance monthly. For example, did you know that if you own a home and have a VA service–connected disability, you are eligible for a partial or full exemption of your property taxes? “Please contact your local Veterans’ Service Officer for more information on any of the services mentioned. We are all here to assist. We are regularly checking voicemails and emails as we continue to work remotely and in our offices throughout COVID-19.” Melrose: Karen Burke, 781-979-4186, kburke@cityofmelrose.org Wakefield: David Mangan, 781-246-6377, dmangan@wakefield.ma.us Saugus: Jay Pinette, 781-231-4010, jpinette@saugus-ma.gov Buy a brick to honor your vets “Veterans Buy-a-Brick Program. Due to the low number of orders and the uncertainty of how a Veterans Day ceremony will be allowed, the program will be extended until May. The installation of bricks will be during the Memorial Day ceremony. We will be contacting the people who have already purchased a brick. Any questions, please call 781-231-7995.” Side Door Pickup at the Saugus Public Library To help keep the building and staff warmer during the winter, the Saugus Public Library moved its Front Door Pickup service from Central Street to Taylor Street in mid-December. Patrons are required to place items on hold via the library’s online catalog and then, once notified that their item(s) are ready, schedule a pickup date. Pickup times remain the same: Tuesday: 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. THE SOUNDS OF SAUGUS | SEE PAGE 18

12 Publizr Home