Page 8 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – Friday, April 3, 2020 THE SOUNDS | FROM PAGE 6 sis for area residents for many years. But the state Department of Conservation & Recreation, which manages the park, has cancelled many activities this year because of the threat of spreading COVID-19. “We canceled maple sugaring. We have a couple of road races planned, but it doesn’t look like they will happen.” Rossetti’s advice carries a lot of weight in town. He is a longtime Town Meeting member representing Precinct 2. He also chairs the Planning Board and has served for many years as the Saugus member of the Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational High School Committee Board. Concerns about COVID-19 have brought activities related to all of those public service positions to a standstill in recent weeks. “It’s aff ecting everything. You can’t hold meetings. We’re not sure The Voke is going to reopen this school year,” Rossetti said. Meanwhile, it’s not clear if or when the Annual Town Meeting will convene next month. Virtual meetings would be virtually impossible for a 50-member chamber, he notes. And business has slowed down at his Peter A. Rossetti Insurance Agency, Inc., which is located near Cliftondale Square. Cliftondale is quiet these days, according to Rossetti. “It’s easy to fi nd parking spaces in Cliftondale,” he said. Is this the easiest you can ever recall? “Yes, outside of snowstorms,” Rossetti replied. COVID-19 spawns creative ideas The list of things we’ve suddenly been deprived in the name of social distancing is endless: going to church services, attending social club meetings and events, going to the senior center or youth center, dining out at restauer rants, meeting friends and relatives over coff ee, working out in the gym, competing in various team or individual sports, watching professional and amateur sporting events, going to the movies, hanging out at bars and clubs, going to the local library, going to the beauty parlor or hairstyling salon, going to the theatre, going to the playground, hanging out or walking at the mall, going to school, going to college, attending funeral services and comforting friends at wakes, going to the museum, visiting friends or relatives in nursing homes or assisted living residences, visiting loved ones in the hospital and a host of other social activities. But, on a very positive note, there are some people in the community who are doing some creative things in spite of disruptions caused by the Coronavirus crisis. We have written about a few of them in recent weeks, ever since the Coronavirus began a shutdown of so many things we as Americans enjoy doing. Hopefully, this kind of creativity gets contagious and other Saugus residents fi gure out ways to make everyday living easier. If you know of interesting programs and projects that Saugus residents have initiated to make life easier in dealing with the Coronavirus, please contact me at mvoge@ comcast.net. Books in Bloom at home I was feeling kind of blue this week, thinking about how there would be no fl oral and book displays to admire at the Saugus Public Library. Today (Friday, April 3) would have been the start of the Sixth Annual “Books in Bloom” event. For the past four years, ever since I began my stint as editor of The Saugus Advocate, I would come down to the library to do a feature accompanied by a mega photo spread. It’s a unique event that I truly love. Aluminum Everett 10 Everett Ave., Everett 617-389-3839 Owned & operated by the Conti family since 1958 • 62 Years! “Same name, phone number & address for over half a century. We must be doing something right!” Owned & operated by the Conti family since 1958 • 57 Years! family since 1958 • 60 •Vinyl Siding •Carpentry Work •Decks •Vinyl Siding •Free Estimates •Carpentry Work •Fully Licensed •Decks •Roo ng n g • Fully Insured •• Replacement Windows Replacement Windows www.everettaluminum.com •Free Estimates •Fully Licensed •Roofng Now’s the time to schedule those home improvement projects you’ve been dreaming about all winter! Everett Aluminum You get to see how folks create colorful art with books and fl owers, with a creation based on a theme, book cover or content of the book. It was always a great library attraction – cohosted by the Saugus Garden Club and New Friends of the Saugus Public Library. It’s been one of my favorite events, along with Founders Day, the Annual Christmas Tree Lighting Festivities, the Saugus Public Library Foundation Gala and the Memorial Day Parade (which is already cancelled). So, what a surprise it was when I received an email on Wednesday from Saugus Historical Society President Laura Eisener, who is also a member of the Saugus Garden Club. She was the fi rst person I interviewed at the fi rst “Books in Bloom” I covered at the library, back in 2016. “Hi Mark. Since I know you like Books In Bloom, I thought you might like my family’s arrangements,” Laura wrote. “Since the event was cancelled, and some of us had already chosen our books and thought about our arrangements, we decided to go ahead and do it anyway and we thought you might like to see the fi ve attached ‘entries!’” What a treat! She emailed me photos of five lovely floral displays. Laura submitted three of the entries. Her husband, Paul E. Kenworthy, who is a park ranger at the Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site, did one. And their goddaughter, Monique Todd, a 2013 Saugus High School graduate and the daughter of Eisener’s best friend – the late Katharina (Todd) Gaines, who died in 2005 – did the other one. They were all quite creative. But my favorite was the fl oral arrangement that Laura matched with a book titled “Ironworks on the Saugus,” by Edward Neal Hartley. Laura called it a “comprehensive book on our town’s most well known historical site, with photographs.” She matched it with red carnations “to represent the fi re in the forge, and because red carnations are associated with Saugus being a major introduction by Sims Carnation in the 1920’s… The red vase has an iron framework and the quatrefoil trivet is iron, and they are posed on the hearth in front of the fi replace.” We will feature the other four entries over the next four weeks. Drop-off food & necessities drive tomorrow The Town of Saugus – organized by the Board of Selectmen – have scheduled a dropoff food & necessities drive to benefi t the Saugus Senior Center, the Saugus Food Pantry & Healthy Students–Healthy Saugus (HS2) program tomorrow (Saturday, April 4) from 9 a.m. to noon at the Senior Center (466 Central St.). It will be held in the parking lot of the Senior Center – as a drop & go. All items are appreciated, but items that are needed most are canned pasta sauce, toilet paper, sanitizer, shelf-stable milk and juice, snacks/crackers, peanut butter, jelly and macaroni & cheese. Gift cards to supermarkets or pharmacies are also accepted. Food Pantry still open The Saugus United Parish Food Pantry will continue to remain open between 9:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. on Fridays despite concerns over COVID-19. But they have made adjustments to protect their core of volunteers and the needy people who receive the food. “For the protection of our volunteers & clients, and to limit personal contact & crowding/ gathering, the food pantry has been distributing pre-bagged groceries,” said Wendy Reed, Clerk of the Saugus Board of Selectmen, who also oversees the operation of the all-volunteer food pantry.“We understand clients may receive items they don’t want or need, but 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 located in the basement of the Cliftondale Congregational Church at 50 Essex St. in Saugus. Taking care of hungry students Healthy Students–Healthy Saugus (HS2) volunteers vow that no Saugus children will go hungry during this national emergency. They have also had to make adjustments in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak since the closure of Saugus Public Schools. HS2 is now assisting all students in the Saugus Public Schools with grab-n-go meals. The volunteers are not bagging up food weekly as before in order to maintain the social distancing recommendations. USDA has approved waivers to allow schools where at least 50% of students are eligible for free or reduced priced meals to continue providing meals to students if the school closes. Saugus is just shy of that 50% requirement. Any student can go to Saugus High School on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays between 10 a.m. and noon to obtain breakfast and lunch. Students are fed for fi ve days and will receive two breakfast meals and two lunch meals on Mondays and Wednesdays. It is still uncertain as to how long volunteers will provide this service. Anyone who would like to help can send donations online or by mail: https://givebutter. com/HealthyStudentsHealthySaugus Checks can also be mailed directly to: Salem Five c/o Healthy Students– Healthy Saugus 855 Broadway Saugus, MA 01906 Spring!
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