THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – Friday, April 5, 2019 Page 9 Annual Town Meeting Proposals SAVE wants to greatly reduce use of plastic checkout bags and polystyrene food containers in Saugus By Mark E. Vogler T he Saugus Action Volunteers for The Environment (SAVE) have submitted two articles for next month’s Annual Town Meeting that if approved would attempt to keep certain materials from being incinerated at Wheelabrator Technologies’ trash-to-energy plant. One of the proposed articles called for the adoption of a “Plastic Bag Reduction Bylaw” that would eliminate single-use plastic checkout bags that are distributed in the town while promoting the use of reusable bags. A second article submitted by SAVE called for the adoption of a “Polystyrene Food Container Reduction Bylaw” which would prohibit food establishments from dispensing prepared food to customers in disposable food service containers made from polystyrene foam. The two measures are among several articles received this week ASKS | from page 8 them afterwards. My goal is to do more outreach and get more feedback from parents on different things along the way. Part of the feedback we’re getting, too, is looking around and seeing what stations are drawing people in the most and what stations seem to students involved the most. Like the bookmarking station – that one, just looking from what I’ve seen – is very popular with the students. It’s hands-on. They can create something they can take home as a memento from the night. Other stations – like checking out the collection of the e-books – this one is really important. It’s important to the library; it’s really important to us; but it’s also important to get the messaging out to parents, so parents can see what is available in terms of not only what’s on the shelf that they can check out, but other books that they might request. The library has done a really good job with their e-books as far as what’s available. You might have a situation where parents are going on vacation and then download some e-books. And also, I think it’s great for parents to use the library to see what’s available to them. It’s kind of hard for them tonight when they’re chasing their little ones around. But when they come to the library on a regular afternoon, it’s good for them to be able to check out a book for themselves. You know, it’s by selectmen to be inserted on the warrant for the Annual Town Meeting set for May 6. While businesses that would continue to use plastic checkout bags and polystyrene foam would be the target of enforcement action, the respective articles mention that a purpose and intent of the measures is to reduce the materials that are being incinerated in Saugus. “Foam polystyrene food and beverage containers form a significant portion of the solid waste that adds to the tonnage being incinerated,” SAVE said in its article for the proposed Polystyrene Food Container Reduction Bylaw. “Polystyrene is not biodegradable or compostable, and is generally not recyclable,” it continued. The article for the proposed Plastic Bag Reduction Bylaw noted that the production and use of thin-film single-use plastic checkout bags have “significant impact” on the environment, “increasing the amount of plastic that is incinerated in Saugus.” The proposal also blamed the plastic checkout bags for “contributing to the potential death of aquatic and land animals through ingestion and entanglement; contributing to pollution of the natural environment; creating a burden to solid waste collection and recycling facilities … clogging storm drainage systems; and requiring the use of millions of barrels of crude oil nationally for their manufacture.” These are highlights of both proposals: “Plastic Bag Reduction Bylaw” Use Regulations: Thin-film single-use plastic bags shall not be distributed, used, or sold for checkout or other purposes at any retail store or grocery store within the Town of Saugus. If a retail store provides or sells checkout bags to customers, the bags must be recyclable paper bags or reusable checkout bags. Thin-film plastic bags used to contain dry-cleaning, newspapers, produce, meat, bulk foods, wet items and other similar merchandise, typically without handles, are still permissible. Enforcement: The responsibility of the Board of Health, which shall determine the monitoring process, which may be limited to responding to citizen reports. Penalties: noncriminal disposition fines: first offense, warning; second offense, $50 per day; third and each subsequent offense: $100 per day. Effective Date: Six months after approval of the bylaw by the state Attorney General’s Office, or Jan. 1, 2020, whichever is later. The Board of Health could exempt a retail store from the requirements for a period of up to six months upon a finding of undue hardship or if a retail store needs additional time to draw down an inventory of checkout bags. “Polystyrene Food Container Reduction Bylaw” Use Regulations: Food establishments are prohibited from dispensing prepared food to customers in disposable food service containers. Enforcement: The responsibility of the Board of Health, which shall determine the monitoring process, which may be limited to responding to citizen reports. Penalties: noncriminal disposition fines: first offense, warning; second offense, $50 per day; third and each subsequent offense: $100 per day. Effective Date: Six months after approval of the bylaw by the state Attorney General’s Office, or Jan. 1, 2020, whichever is later. The Board of Health could exempt a food establishment from the requirements for a period of up to six months upon a finding of undue hardship or if a food service establishment needs additional time to draw down an inventory of polystyrene foam disposable food service containers. whole extending reading to outside the classroom, making learning beyond. Q: As the curriculum coordinator for Saugus Public Schools, this is a big night strategically for you? A: I think this is an imporCHECKING OUT THE CRAFT ROOM: Brendon Sullivan, the executive director for curriculum, instruction and accountability at Saugus Public Schools, watches elementary school students make bookmarks on Tuesday night at the Saugus Public Library. important for parents to read to their children when they are little, and then it’s important to read with your children when they get older. But, at a certain point, they are going to become independent readers, so it’s important for children to see their parents reading at home so that reading does not become a chore. Q: How so? A: There will always be reading assignments. We try to encourage students to read 20 to 25 minutes a night or half an hour to build up that reading stamina. But I think it goes a long way if the student sees their parents reading and their parents being able to talk about the types of books that they like and the types of books that they check out from the library. One of the things that I talked with the children’s librarian about with summer reading – and summer reading really focuses on at the elementary level the American Revolution and the State of Massachusetts. And I’m working with some social studies teachers to try to come up with some ideas for parents: some books that they could read over the summer. If they want to have a conversation with their child about some topic in the American Revolution, they can each be reading their own book. And I think that reading outside of school piece has been a big focus not just at elementary, but all of our levels. I know my High School English Department, today they were kicking off their whole summer campaign. And they’ve done a great job, really spearheaded by teachers of revamping summer reading. They did it last year and it’s been carrying over to this year. They get teachers to pick out the books, and try to get students to sign up for the books, so it’s that tant night for us. I think this is a great night to get the families out and to get the families engaged, to get the families thinking about what’s available to them, Any night like this, I think is fun. I think the kids enjoy the chance to come out and see people they know from the schools. The Title 1 teachers are the stars. The kids know them. The kids are excited to see them. They might work with them or they see them in the halls, so that sort of thing is really important. The overall messaging of the family engagement piece, I think, is very important to them. Q: Anything else that you would like to share? A: We’re trying to promote literacy and math literacy – so having books, having games with dice or cards that they can take home with them and engage – that’s important to us. Dr. DeRuosi [Superintendent of Schools Dr. David DeRuosi, Jr.) sees this as a very important piece to improving the school district. He’s kind of leading the charge for the schools in that family engagement piece. And we’re trying to do our part, and we get tremendous support from the town and the public library.
10 Publizr Home