THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, April 5, 2024 Page 9 Boys and girls team up for this year’s Little League Opening Day parade on April 20 GET A FREE SUBSCRIPTION TO MASSTERLIST – Join more than 22,000 people, from movers and shakers to political junkies and interested citizens, who start their weekday morning with MASSterList— the popular newsletter that chronicles news and informed analysis about what’s going on up on Beacon Hill, in Massachusetts politics, policy, media and influence. The stories are drawn from major news organizations as well as specialized publications. MASSterlist will be e-mailed to you FREE every Monday through Friday morning and will give you a leg up on what’s happening in the blood sport of Bay State politics. For more information and to get your free subscription, go to: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/aPTLucKs THE HOUSE AND SENATE: PAINTING THE PARK: A worker splashes a fresh coat of paint on the fence at Elks Field, the site of this year’s Opening Day festivities for the Saugus Little League and the Saugus Softball Little League. The boys and girls will march in the Opening Day parade on April 20. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate) O pening Day will be a bigger event this year for Saugus Little League baseball and the Saugus Softball Little League. Players from the boys baseball teams and the girls softball teams will combine their festivities on the same day – Saturday, April 20 – starting off with the parade, which will begin at 9 a.m. from a staging area at the old Oaklandvale Elementary School at 266 Main St. The parade route, which is new from the one used in recent years, will proceed west down Main Street to the newly renovated Elks Field adjacent to the Saugus-Everett Elks Lodge #642 at 413 Main St. Selectmen last week approved the parade route, contingent upon the Police and Fire Departments approving a safety and traffic plan for the day. Work is continuing at Elks CONSULTANT | FROM PAGE 8 lelli, Julie Mitchell, Peter Rossetti Jr., Christopher Tarantino. Thomas Travers and Judith Worthley. OCPF spokesman Jason Tait said the 13 candidates were not subject to any fine and/or letter related to this matter. Campbell noted that the committee “cooperated with this review and acted to ensure the issues raised were resolved.” Field, which has undergone considerable work in recent weeks: a new infield, a fresh coat of paint around the park and some removal and pruning of trees and other work to get the field looking good and in playing shape for the 2024 season. There won’t be a food truck this year, as the Elks have donated 1,000 hot dogs, according to Craig Smith of the Saugus Little League. In addition to the Opening Day ceremonies, league officials are planning to have some entertainment, including a DJ, face-painting and a photo booth. League officials continue to work on more plans for the day, particularly the parade, which will have boys and girls marching together for the first time. A rain-out date has been set for Sunday, April 21. Stay tuned for more details in next week’s Saugus Advocate. “Therefore, because appropriate remedial action was taken, and because we believe that this letter will ensure future compliance with the campaign finance law, OCPF has determined that no further action will be taken at this time,” he said. Cogliano said he had no comment on the matter because he hadn’t seen the OCPF letter. Speziale didn’t return a phone call from The Saugus Advocate. Beacon Hill Roll Call records local senators’ votes on roll calls from the week of March 25-29. There were no roll calls in the House last week. DEBT COLLECTION PRACTICES (S 2713) Senate 39-0, approved and sent to the House a bill that would make some changes in the current state laws about debt collection practices. The measure includes reducing from 12 percent to 3 percent the maximum interest rate that can be charged for judgments on consumer debt; increasing from $750 per week to $975 per week the amount of a person’s wages that is protected from garnishment because of a debt; reducing from six years to five years, the time in which a company can bring suit to collect a consumBeacon Hill Roll Call By Bob Katzen er debt; and ensuring that no one is imprisoned for failure to pay a consumer debt. “In Massachusetts, no family should have to choose between putting food on the table or making a minimum payment on a ballooning debt,” said Sen. Paul Feeney (D-Foxborough), Senate Chair of the Committee on Financial Services. “Debt collection practices can, at times, be predatory, unlawful and designed to squeeze every dime out of middle-class and low-income families, especially with the added burden of accumulating interest and additional fees that are designed to push families over a financial cliff. The [legislation] will not eliminate debt or an obligation to pay, but it will add needed guardrails to protect hard-working families from financial ruin, give a lifeline to those caught in a debt spiral and help deliver hope to those in a vicious cycle.” “This bill aims to implement stricter regulations on debt collectors in order to prevent financial mistreatment of Massachusetts residents,” said chief sponsor Sen. Jamie Eldridge (D-Marlborough). “It seeks to safeguard consumers’ economic security during debt repayment, prohibit excessively high interest rates and eliminate the possibility of consumers being sent to ‘debtor’s prison’ when facing J& • Reliable Mowing Service • Spring & Fall Cleanups • Mulch & Edging • Sod or Seed Lawns • Shrub Planting & Trimming • Water & Sewer Repairs Joe Pierotti, Jr. legal action.” (A “Yes” vote is for the bill.) Sen. Brendan Crighton Yes SAFETY FOR FIREFIGHTERS (S 2712) Senate 40-0, approved and sent to the House legislation that would create a public database of violations of the state’s fire prevention laws and a public notification system to alert workers of violations. The measure is designed to boost safety for firefighters and people conducting “hot work” including welding, plasma cutting and spark-producing construction. The proposed law has been ten years in the making and was first prompted by the March 2014 deaths of firefighters Edward Walsh and Michael Kennedy who perished while fighting a fire that was caused by welders, working without a city permit, on a building next door to the brownstone in which they died. “This legislation represents historic regulatory reforms that the Walsh-Kennedy Commission helped institute across the hot works and welding industry in Massachusetts,” said chief sponsor Sen. Nick Collins (D-Boston). “Passing this legislation will ensure that the critical reforms, training, oversight and accountability needed to prevent tragedies like the Back Bay fire, will be the law of the land. We do this in honor of Boston Fire Lieutenant Edward Walsh and Firefighter Michael Kennedy so that their sacrifices are not in vain.” “The heartbreaking loss of life in the 2014 Back Bay fire is BEACON HILL ROLL | SEE PAGE 12 S LANDSCAPE & MASONRY CO. Masonry - Asphalt • Brick or Block Steps • Brick or Block Walls • Concrete or Brick Paver Patios & Walkways • Brick Re-Pointing • Asphalt Paving www.JandSlandscape-masonry.com • Senior Discount • Free Estimates • Licensed & Insured 617-389-1490 Designing and Constructing Ideas that are “Grounds for Success” Landscaping
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