0

SAUGUS Your locally owned newspaper for 25 years! OCT CAT -FREEwww.advocatenews.net Published Every Friday 781-233-4446 Vol. 25, No. 14 A Marine’s Greatest Mission 100 MILES FOR $100,000: Saugus’ Brandon Montella plans to run 100 miles on Veterans Day (Nov. 11) to raise money for his nonprofi t cause, Mission Ready, a program to provide military veterans and at-risk students who lack fi nancial resources an opportunity to gain strength and a purpose in life through fi tness training at his Woburn gym, The Way, LLC. Please see inside for more photos and this week’s “The Advocate Asks.” (Saugus Advocate photo by Mark E. Vogler) From Saugus With Love Iwona Zamiejska-Wilt, a Polish immigrant, is completing her third week on the job as the town’s new deputy assessor, fi lling a key town position that’s been vacant for months. See story inside. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate) D OCATE E Friday, April 8, 2022 A Key Appointment Dimitry and Lana Sevkovich stood in front of their Baker Street home last Saturday (April 2) during the donation drive they organized for the people of Ukraine. Dimitry is from the Republic of Belarus and Lana is from Russia. The collection of clothing, shoes, children’s toys, medical supplies, art materials and other donations fi lled 31 boxes that are on their way to Ukraine. (Courtesy photo by Corinne Riley to The Saugus Advocate) ANGELO’S FULL SERVICE Regular Unleaded $3.859 Mid Unleaded $4.269 Super $4.399 Diesel Fuel $4.919 "43 Years of Excellence!" 1978-2021 KERO $6.99 DEF $4.75 9 Diesel $4.599 9 HEATING OIL 24-Hour Burner Service Call for Current Price! (125—gallon minimum) DEF Available by Pump! Open an account and order online at: www.angelosoil.com (781) 231-3500 (781) 231-3003 367 LINCOLN AVE • SAUGUS • OPEN 7 DAYS Prices subject to change Ask about our Heating Oil Conditioner! FLEET

Page 2 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, APRIL 8, 2022 With the Annual Town Meeting less than a month away, selectmen are making a push for an article that would allow the sale of recreational marijuana Saugus seeking pot sales? By Mark E. Vogler It’s time to cash in on recreational marijuana sales in Saugus — or the town is going to keep losing out on hundreds of thousands of dollars of easy money, according to Board of Selectmen Chair Anthony Cogliano. Lynn, Malden, Melrose and other surrounding communities throughout the region have or are getting retail marijuana shops. “All these towns are reaping the benefi t of 3 percent of the sales that they are getting from these stores and Saugus doesn’t have any,” Cogliano said at Tuesday night’s (April 5) Board of Selectmen’s meeting. “I just think that there’s a ton of money out there that we’re not getting that we could certainly use for diff erent projects around town,” he told his colleagues. Cogliano said he plans to author an article before selectmen close the warrant for this year’s Annual Town MeetLawrence A. Simeone Jr. Attorney-at-Law ~ Since 1989 ~ * Corporate Litigation * Criminal/Civil * MCAD * Zoning/Land Court * Wetlands Litigation * Workmen’s Compensation * Landlord/Tenant Litigation * Real Estate Law * Construction Litigation * Tax Lein * Personal Injury * Bankruptcy * Wrongful Death * Zoning/Permitting Litigation 300 Broadway, Suite 1, Revere * 781-286-1560 Lsimeonejr@simeonelaw.net ing (which convenes on May 2) that would allow retail marijuana shops in town. “It just doesn’t make any sense that we don’t get one of these shops in Saugus,” Cogliano said in an interview this week. “I think we’re missing out on upwards of a million dollars or more for the town by not getting involved in marijuana sales. And we need to do something about it,” he said. Selectmen support pot shops A majority of the selectmen contacted by The Saugus Advocate said they would support the introduction of an article that would permit the sale of recreational marijuana in the town. Selectman Jeffrey Cicolini has already embraced the allowance of retail marijuana shops in Saugus as a positive benefi t for the town. “As I posted on social media in response to ways the town can generate additional sustainable funding, I feel the time is now for the town to reconsider its stance on recreational marijuana,” Cicolini told The Saugus Advocate this week. “When the decision was fi rst made to not allow it, the whole concept was new and really hadn’t been tested locally. Since then, we have seen so many new shops open around us in neighboring communities where they are on the border of Saugus. The issue is the other communities are reaping the benefi ts fi nancially and Saugus gets nothing,” Cicolini said. “We have signifi cant budget issues moving forward with the new vocational school impact, higher tipping fees, increases in utilities and the town needs other forms of revenue and can no longer rely on new growth and the tax levy to maintain level services. I fully support recreational marijuana being allowed in Saugus with an expanded overlay area to defi ne where the shop can be placed.” Selectman Corinne Riley said she agrees that “it’s time” for the town to allow marijuana shops in town. “I’m fi ne with it. It’s a good revenue source. As long as it’s not in the neighborhoods, I have no problem with it,” she said. “I think we’re missing out Banking with a hometown touch. Open a free checking account with no monthly fees, and get access to Mobile Banking, Bill Pay and other features. Because no matter where you go, we’re right by you. Call or visit us to sign up. 419 BROADWAY, EVERETT MA 02149 61 7-38 7 - 1 1 10 7 7 1 SALEM ST, LYNNFIELD, MA 01940 781-7 76- 4444 WWW.EVERET TBANK . COM on a revenue source that other cities and towns are taking advantage of. And I think Saugus should, too,” she said. Board of Selectmen Vice Chair Debra Panetta could not be reached for comment. Several emails to her this week went unanswered. Serino says “put it on the ballot” Not everyone on the board was supportive of eff orts to allow the sale of recreational marijuana in town. Selectman Michael Serino said the question of whether to allow the sale of recreational marijuana in Saugus ought to be decided by the people of Saugus — not by selectmen or Town Meeting members. “At this point, I get it — people probably want it now,” Serino said in an interview after Tuesday night’s (April 5) Board of Selectmen meeting. Right by you. “But where the town votMember FDIC Member DIF ed against it six years ago, I would not support this measure right now. I would have to abide by the people of the community. What I would suggest is put it back on the ballot. And if it passes, I would support it then,” Serino said. “But right now, I’m going to abide by the wishes of the people who voted for it,” he said. Rejected by Saugus voters six years ago In 2016, Saugus voters — by a margin of 53 percent — opposed Question 4, the measure that Massachusetts voters adopted statewide, thus legalizing the sale of commercial marijuana throughout the state. But legislation passed a year later and signed into law by Gov. Charlie Baker allows towns like Saugus that opposed commercial pot sales to “opt out.” Voters statewide approved Question 4 by a 54-percent margin, allowing the possession, use, distribution and cultivation of limited amounts of marijuana by persons age 21 and older. At the Annual Town Meeting of 2018, members voted unanimously without discussion an article that would ban the sale of recreational marijuana. The article amended the town’s zoning by-laws to prohibit “the operation of any marijuana establishment … including, without limitation, a marijuana cultivator, marijuana testing facility, marijuana product manufacturer, marijuana retailer or any other licensed marijuana-related business” in all zoning districts of the town. The prohibition did not apply to the sale, distribution or cultivation of marijuana for medical purposes licensed by the state. Cogliano said it will require a two-thirds vote of the 50-member Town Meeting to overturn the 2018 Town Meeting vote that banned the sales of recreational pot in town. “The most shops that I think Saugus would get would be two or possibly three. If we go that route, I think two is plenty,” Cogliano said. “But I don’t want to see it on Cliftondale Square or in Saugus Center or in the neighborhoods. I’d want to see it on Route One where it’s not going to bother anyone,” he said. Cogliano said he thinks the town “made the right move” back in 2018. “Back then, people were wondering what it POT SALES | SEE PAGE 11

THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, APRIL 8, 2022 Page 3 ~ THE ADVOCATE ASKS ~ Marine Veteran Brandon Montella talks about Mission Ready and why he is training to run 100 miles on Veterans Day to support his cause Editor’s Note: For this week’s interview, we sat down with Brandon Montella, a U. S. Marine veteran on a special mission he calls “Mission Ready.” It’s a nonprofit organization he created with a goal to provide military veterans and atrisk students who lack financial resources an opportunity to gain strength and a purpose in life through fi tness training at his Woburn gym, “The Way LLC.” Montella, 41, is training for what he regards as the biggest physical challenge of his life — a 100-mile run through fi ve area communities on Veterans Day (Nov. 11) to raise money for his nonprofi t cause. Montella was born in New Bedford and grew up in Central Maine as one of fi ve children. He describes himself as an “at-risk kid” who found himself mired in poverty in a world plagued and drug use that surrounded him. In the Marines, he said, he found strength and purpose in life while discovering a deep passion for physical fi tness and helping others. After four years in the Marines (1999-2003), he was honorably discharged as an E-5 sergeant. He was a machinist and was stationed at the Marine Corps Base in Quantico, Va. In his further quest for strength and purpose in life, Montella got involved in the sport of boxing at the age of 31. He excelled as an amateur boxer, winning the New England Golden Gloves Championship in 2012 while fi ghting in the heavyweight division just nine months after his initial training. He fought 21 fi ghts as an amateur, winning 14 of his bouts. Three of his seven losses were to the best amateur fi ghter in the country. He went 9-0 as a professional boxer in the light heavyweight division, with eight knockouts. He was ranked 23rd in the country at the time of his retirement from boxing in 2017. Meanwhile, Montella has ADVOCATE | SEE PAGE 5 A PROUD SAUGUS FAMILY: Tonya and Brandon Montella with their son, Isaiah, 5. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate). FACING ANOTHER CHALLENGE: U. S. Marine veteran Brandon Montella in the backyard of his Walnut Street home in Saugus earlier this week as he headed out on a training run in preparation for the 100-mile run he plans to do on Veterans Day (Nov. 11) in an eff ort to raise $ 100,000 to support his cause — Mission Ready. He organized the nonprofi t organization to provide military veterans and at-risk students who lack fi nancial resources an opportunity to gain strength and a purpose in life through fi tness training at his Woburn gym, The Way LLC. (Saugus Advocate photo by Mark E. Vogler). by drug abuse — he says his father was a drug addict. He is a 1998 graduate of Carrabec High School in North Anson, Maine. He said he joined the U. S. Marines soon after graduation to escape the abuse, alcoholism ADVOCATE | SEE PAGE 5

Page 4 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, APRIL 8, 2022 Helping the people of Ukraine A Russian-born woman and her husband living in Saugus organize a weekend donation drive to send desperately-needed supplies to a city in the war-torn country under Russian invasion By Mark E. Vogler Sometime within the next few weeks, a shipment of clothing, children’s toys, medication, school supplies and other crucial provisions gathered in a Cliftondale neighborhood will reach needy, but very grateful people of Chernovtsy — a city in the southwestern part of war-torn Ukraine. “Thirty-one boxes are already in transit,” Lana Sevkovich said of the donation drive she organized last Saturday (April 2) with her husband, Dmitry, who immigrated from the Republic of Belarus. The Boston Marathon won’t be welcoming any runners from Russia and Belarus this year because of the ongoing atrocities inflicted by Russia on the Ukrainian civilians — many of them innocent women and children — with the blessing of Belarus. But it was a blend of Belarusian and Russian love — transplanted in Saugus that made this small town humanitarian aid possible. “I started to think that I might hide the fact that I’m from Russia. And I started hearing people say that all Russians are bad,” said Lana, who came to the U. S. nearly two decades ago. “But the Russian people didn’t start this war. There’s just one evil man sitting in the Russian government who’s responsible,” she said, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin. “Russian government is saying that 83 percent of their people support the war in Ukraine. I don’t believe it. People in Russia are too scared and terrified to talk about it if they do. In a totalitarian country like Russia, you can’t ask people whether they oppose the war. When I talked to my mom, she asked me not to talk about it over the phone. Everybody is afraid.” But Lana and Dmitry, who became U. S. citizens several years ago and bought their first American house on Baker Street in Saugus in 2017, did their part to spread the love for the people of Ukraine. They reached out to the public using Facebook and put a cardboard poster outside their house explaining the drive with cardboard boxes to collect the donations. “We were overjoyed by the support and love we received,’’ Dmitry said. “There were about 50 to 70 people who showed up. It was amazing,” he said. Lana was visibly moved by the support shown by people in her neighborhood and the folks who responded to the Facebook announcement or by word of mouth. “Neighbors who came to our drive were very patiently waiting for their turn in line, they didn’t mind waiting while we were accepting other people’s donations,” Lana said. “There were only three of us: my husband Dmitry, myself and our good friend Diana Gluhova. Diana is also from Belarus and her heart is also aching for Ukraine. “She’s been volunteering for Jookender with us as well. At one point one of the neighbors, Judy Wien who stopped by to bring donations offered her help with sorting clothes. All the people were so kind, so caring and willing to help. It was an amazing day!” she said. Jookender is a community organization based in Framingham that serves Russian speaking Jewish families in the Greater Boston area. Dmitry and Lana, though not members of Jookender, have worked with the group in recent weeks on a volunteer basis to help send relief packages to the people of Ukraine. Last Saturday, the Sevkovichs decided to do their own event in Saugus “We plan on doing another drive in Saugus in the future,” Lana said. “Our neighbors were so thankful. They were hoping for someone to organize a drive. People just wanted to help. There’s a defi nite need for people to participate in the fund-raising. And some people said they still feel a connection to Ukraine and they want us to keep them posted on the next drive.” There were plenty of “feel good” stories that the couple wanted to share about the day. “One of the fi rst people who showed up was a lady who is from Ukraine and her husband is from the area,” Dmtry said. “This lady, along with all of the goods she brought, also had a pack of printed cards which said ‘Glory to Ukraine!’ She put those cards in the pockets of the clothes she donated — to show support to the people who received them,” he said. Sevkovich’s four-and-a-halfyear-old daughter helped out during the day. But she wanted to do much more — to give away her princess dresses to Ukraine children. “I told her as soon as the war is over; she can send her princess dresses. We’ll ship them so some Ukraine girls can celebrate victory and look pretty,” Lana said. “It was an incredible day. People who could not come to the drive ordered items on Amazon and shipped them to our house directly,” she said. Selectman Corinne Riley, who lives in the neighborhood, was impressed by Dmitry and Lana’s dedication to the donation drive. She said it also brought the global event closer to home for Saugus residents and others in surrounding communities who turned out., “Watching the news regarding the atrocities happening in Ukraine, it is unimaginable what those people are dealing with,” Riley said. “To have heard that Dmitry and Lana were having this drive to help those over in Ukraine, you feel we can try to help in any way possible to give to those women and children who have lost everything,” she said. “I was so moved by them both; I told Lana that the world needs more people like them and the groups that are involved with getting those supplies to the Ukrainians. I pray this ends soon.” The biggest donation came from a Lynn woman who gave $ 100 in cash, according to Dmitry. Overall, the drive collected $ 533 in cash. The Saugus couple has become a fabric of Saugus and the Greater Boston Community. Lana, 40, is a senior performance analyst at Fidelity Investment of Boston, and works remotely from home. She got an Associate’s degree from Bunker Hill College and earned her bachelor’s degree in Finance from UMass-Boston and MBA in Business Administration from Babson College. Dmitry is a senior software developer at Cargurus. He received his Associate’s Degree from Bunker Hill Community College and a bachelor’s degree in computer science from UMass-Boston. For more information about Jookender and how you can volunteer to help the Ukraine people, go to https:// www.jookender.org/waystogive/make-donation. html?fbclid=IwAR3Yc-am2ADYmrpV-kWDj4nqnraH3sZ1yh7yDF0Kw0liz1Z_zbIi3Ajo0a4.

THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, APRIL 8, 2022 Page 5 ADVOCATE | FROM PAGE 3 earned his living as a personal trainer since establishing his fi tness and boxing gym in Woburn in 2010. He and his wife Tonya, who is originally from Virginia, have been together for 16 years. They got married on May 23, 2010 — a date that is tattooed on his left wrist. The couple bought a home on Walnut Street in Saugus several months after their marriage. They have a fi ve-year-old son, Isaiah. Montella’s Mission Ready was the recipient of a Cummings Foundation $ 100,000 grant last year after its second year as a nonprofit organization. His goal is to acquire land where he can conduct more outdoor programs and become involved with the youths that are currently incarcerated in detention centers. The longest distance Montella has ever run is 50 kilometers (31.1 miles). But he has set a goal to run 50 miles on April 24. For more information about Mission Ready and Montella’s 100-mile run, go to https:// www.missionready100k.org/. Some highlights of this week’s interview follow. Q: You describe yourself as an “at-risk kid.” Growing up, were you able to avoid the drugs and alcohol that you were exposed to? A: I definitely partied. I did Cocaine, LSD, prescription pills and other stuff . Yes, I went down that road, but I didn’t have an addictive personality. For me, I was just passing time until [high school] graduation. Q: So, you tried drugs and alcohol, but didn’t get hooked. A: Idle hands are the devil’s workshop. No, I didn’t have an addiction to drugs or alcohol. My addiction was physical fi tness and serving others. I don’t know what it’s like to lose my life over addiction, but I do know what it’s like to hold me back from my true potential. And that’s fear. My overcoming fear runs parallel with people who overcome their addictions. For me, I can go punch a heavy punching bag or go for a run. Q: How bad was it for you growing up? A: After a while, for me, it was normal. An environment can be toxic, but you adapt to it. I never truly understood the crap that my childhood did to me until I got older. Q: What was the worst situation you were in as an atrisk kid? A: I remember in the second and third grades, going to bed with my shoes on and not sleeping well. I used to run out of the house at night. Q: So, tell me about your real dad. A: There was no paternal love there. He was a drug addict who wasn’t around my life a lot. He was just a man who was broken and just couldn’t fi x himself. He died in a hospital, in a bed — sick and weak. I’m grateful for his existence, of course, as I came into the world. I’m also grateful for his lack of participation, as he really wasn’t around. Nowadays, I look at my son, and I see the moments where he needs me, and I think back to when I was a kid and my father wasn’t there. So, I’m raising my son the way it could have been done with me. Q: So, besides your real dad, there were other men in your mom’s life when you were growing up? A: Yes. The men tended to fi nd the nurturing and the compassionate side of my mom and tended to use that against her: my stepfather and three other men who followed. My father was a drug addict and some of the men in my mother’s life weren’t too kind. My mom didn’t want to give up on love. Q: How did your siblings turn out? A: My older brother is an addict. My other brother and the oldest of my two sisters live in New Bedford and seem to be doing okay. My younger brother has three kids and is doing well. And the oldest of my two sisters has a child. My youngest sister just graduated from high school and is trying to figure things out. Her journey in life is just beginning. Q: When did you decide you wanted to be a Marine? A: I saw a Marine Corps commercial in the seventh grade. There was this guy climbing a cliff and slaying this dragon, and I knew that’s what I wanted to be when I graduated. The recruiter was at my house the year before I graduated. He was trying to get my brother to sign up. I was a junior then. Going into my senior year, he came back. I was a physical kid, so I wanted to be a Marine. Q: What was the greatest achievement for you during your time as a Marine? A: I received a Certifi cate of Commendation on April 2, 1999, for being the Honor Graduate of Platoon 3028. I was fi rst in a class of 60-plus recruits undergoing recruit training at the Marine Corps Base at Parris Island, South Carolina. That was one of the proudest moments of my individual life. I received another Certifi cate of Commendation [April 26 through May 3, 2002] for leading a base-wide detail tasked with removing trash and debris from 220 acres of the Marine Corps Base at Quantico, Va. Q: Any special plans for Patriots’ Day, when they will have a lot of runners competing in the Boston Marathon? A: Not really. On April 18, I might go for a short run, as I will be getting ready for a long run. I’ll be headed out at midnight that Sunday (April 24). I will try to accomplish 50 miles in 13 hours or less. On Patriots’ Day, I might do a half marathon. Q: So, to date, what’s the longest run you have ever done? A: I’ve done a 50K run — that’s 31.1 miles. I left my house at 2:30 in the morning and ran to Boston about two months ago. Q: It sounds like you run all times of the day. A: Whenever I can find the time, because I am so busy. I have to be a father and a husband, in addition to running the gym. I do a lot of running at night when everybody is sleeping. Q: Do you run on the Northern Strand Community Trail — which goes through Saugus, Everett, Lynn, Malden and Revere? A: Yes. If I fi nd a path, I’m on it. I like to run to the [Riverside] cemetery a lot, and the Jewish Cemetery in Woburn. Q: Do you consider yourself to be a spiritual person? A: Absolutely. I’m an active ordained minister — Sept. 22, 2014, from the Universal Life Church Ministries. I have performed eight marriages so far. Q: Have you always been a spiritual person? A: Yes. I have always felt moved by something other than myself, in regard to helping others. I’ve always had the confidence in myself to help others. There’s no way I’m going to run 100 miles in less than 30 hours without something outside of me helping to get it done. Q: What’s your ultimate goal in life? A: It’s kind of twofold: The fi rst part is being able to provide a ADVOCATE | SEE PAGE 6 $$ CASH FOR YOUR CAR, TRUCK OR SUV! $$ GET YOUR VEHICLE SPRING READY! Our Spring Service includes: • Complete Safety Check • AC Check • Engine Light Check • Suspension Check with Oil Change Special 2006 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL 2015 HYUNDAI TUSCON Only $39.95 Town Car, Signature Series, Every Option, Only 140K Miles, Warranty. TRADES WELCOME! $5,995 Easy Financing Available! EddiesAutotech.com (Most vehicles) Warranty, Only 89K Miles! 4X4, Most Power Options, Heated Seats, Back-Up Camera, Heated Seats, Back-Up Camera, Warranty, Only 89K Miles! PRICE REDUCED! (781) 321-8841 • (617) 571-9869 1236 EasternAve • Malden For Your Vehicle! $13,900 We Pay Cash Gerry D’Ambrosio Attorney-at-Law Is Your Estate in Order? Do you have an update Will, Health Care Proxy or Power of Attorney? If Not, Please Call for a Free Consultation. 14 Proctor Avenue, Revere (781) 284-5657 AUTOTECH

Page 6 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, APRIL 8, 2022 A free spring concert! Trio Gaia, a professional piano trio in residence at the New England Conservatory, performs at Saugus Public Library on Sunday (Editor’s Note: The following info is from a press release issued by the Saugus Public Library.) Join us for a free classical music to help usher in spring! Trio Gaia — the newest Professional Trio-in-Residence at the New England Conservatory (NEC) — will perform this Sunday (April 10) at 1 p. m. in the Community Room of the Saugus Public Library at 295 Central St. Trio Gaia is dedicated to offering audiences dynamic, personally relevant experiences inside and outside the concert hall. Recently, the trio won second prize in the 2021 Chamber Music in Yellow Springs Competition and were awarded the Vianello Family Audience Prize in the Plowman Chamber Music Competition. Prior to serving as trio-in-residence, Trio Gaia served as an Honors Ensemble and Community Performances & Partnership fellows at NEC, in recognition of their work sharing classical music in the community. They have presented concerts at venues ranging from the historic Boston Public Library to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and have crafted educational content for the Panama Jazz Festival as well as local schools and senior homes. Trio Gaia was invited to Carnegie Hall’s Audience Engagement Intensive — presented in collaboration with Ensemble Connect — which allowed the trio to reach audiences across New York City with accessible, interactive performances. Recent engagements, both in-person and virtual, have included performances for Music for Food, NEC’s Black Student Union, Boston’s outdoor Experience Chinatown!, Massachusetts Peace Action and Opus Illuminate, a concert series dedicated to showcasing music by composers underrepresented in classical music. The 2021-22 season will include recitals in New Hampshire and Boston, including the trio’s annual Jordan Hall recital, and the launch of their adventurous audience-interactive initiative — Commission: Engage — which will be shared in a series of recital and community engagement experiences. As individuals, violinist Grant Houston, cellist Yi-Mei Templeman and pianist Andrew Barnwell have established performing careers that have taken them to nine countries for ADVOCATE | FROM PAGE 5 means of encouraging others to have the same self-belief within themselves that I’ve found from the training that I provide — and to teach it in a way that encourages them to go on and do the same for others. And the second part of my goal is professionally, to grow Mission Ready in a way to provide that environment while providing me with more time with my family. If I have more people to help spread it, I won’t have to do it all by myself. It will allow the burden to be shared. It will be nice for Mission Ready to grow that way. Q: Who is the biggest hero of your life? A: Growing up, I would have to say the “Rocky Movies” [the series of movies by actor Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa, the underdog boxer who fi ghts his way to the World Heavyweight Championship], but if I had to pick a real hero, I would have to go back to when my wife lost our fi rst son, in December of 2015, on Christmas, when she spent 17 hours in labor for a child we would never see. She handled WEEKEND ATTRACTION: Trio Gaia will provide a free classical music concert in the Community Room of the Saugus Public Library at 1 p.m. on Sunday (April 10). (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate) a range of solo and collaborative opportunities. Together, the trio has studied extensively with renowned artists Vivian Hornik Weilerstein, Donald Weilerstein, Merry Peckham and Max Levinson. Additional mentors include cellists Lluís Claret and Sæunn Thorsteinsdóttir and pianists Victor Rosenbaum and Orli Shaham. When not rehearsing or performing, you can fi nd Trio Gaia shopping for new outfi ts or cooking together. The program will feature: • Piano Trio in B-Flat Major, Op. 97 (“Archduke Trio”) — Ludwig van Beethoven; I Allegro moderato; III Andante cantabile ma pero con moto; poco piu adagio; V Allegro moderato — Presto • Roots II-David Baker; I Incantation; III Sorrow Song; IV Jubilee This event is funded by the Saugus Cultural Council, a local arm of the Mass Cultural Council. MAN IN THE RING: Brandon Montella closes in on one of his opponents during his undefeated boxing career. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate) it with such courage. And it’s hard for me to talk about it without being emotional. That’s the day I learned the true defi nition of empathy. I admire her for the struggle she’s gone through as a minority woman. We’ve been together for 16 years. It takes courage to watch your man get punched in the head in a boxing match. It takes courage to lose a child. I’m the biggest fan of her personal endeavors and she’s my biggest fan. Q: So, what’s that date tattooed on your left wrist? A: That’s my wedding band. I can’t lose it because it won’t come off. My anniversary date — May 23, 2010. Q: So, why run 100 miles if you’ve never run half of that distance before? A: Why not? Because nobody else in their right mind would. I want to see what I can’t do. ADVOCATE | SEE PAGE 7

THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, APRIL 8, 2022 Page 7 ADVOCATE | FROM PAGE 6 Being defeated is not something on my mind, and failure doesn’t bother me. It’s going to be my own personal run — with no crowds, no money, no medals and no mandates. I don’t need an award for running. I just need miles, in this case. I’m not racing for time. I’m racing for miles. Q: What’s been the reaction of people that you are training to run 100 miles on Veterans Day? A: A lot of people think I’m crazy. If you ask people in my community who know me, they’ll say, “He’s got a big heart, but he’s defi nitely nuts.” Q: You plan to run 100 miles in 30 hours or less. That’s an average of 3.3 miles an hour. That’s about my walking speed. UP FOR THE CHALLENGE: U. S. Marine veteran Brandon Montella kept in top physical shape last year at the Bonefrog, the world’s only Navy Seal Obstacle Course Race, which is in Charlemont, Mass. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate) A: Yes. That’s not very fast. But speed is not important. It’s being able to go the distance. I’ll have to stop to eat, get off my legs a little and to go to the bathroom. There’s a bunch of people who want to run diff erent pieces of the run with me. Q: What does your wife think of all of this? A: At this point, she’s used to it. She’s not even batting an eyelash. She would probably say if I plan to do it, I’m probably going to do it. She probably thinks I’m crazy, but she supports me 100 percent in my endeavor. Q: Is this the biggest physical challenge of your life? A: Absolutely — 100 percent — and I’ve done some crazy stuff . It’s the toughest physical challenge I’ve taken on at this point in my life. Q: Previously, what was the biggest physical challenge of your life? A: My professional boxing career. Q: Why did you give it up? A: I was looking for something A WEDDING BAND THAT WON’T COME OFF: Brandon Montella doesn’t have to worry about losing his wedding ring. He shows off a tattoo that permanently displays the day he got married — May 23, 2010. (Saugus Advocate photo by Mark E. Vogler) in boxing — confidence and performing up to my best ability. And I did that. I wanted to go through one of those tough fi ghts that dragged out and tested me to the limits. That happened on Veterans Day 2017. I was on my face twice in the fi rst round, and I came back to stop the kid in the third round. He was a youngster, too — 23 years old. I was 37. I dropped him with a “liver shot.” Technically, the man couldn’t continue the fi ght. And after I won my last fi ght, I collapsed in the ring when it was over. At that moment, I felt I had exercised my demons — and that the monkey was fi nally off of my back. That was Veterans Day [Nov. 11] 2017. There was no way the referee would have been wrong if he stopped that fi ght, because I was knocked down twice in the fi rst round — twice in the fi rst two minutes. Q: So, that’s the reason why FINAL PROFESSIONAL FIGHT: Exhausted, but elated after overcoming two fi rst round knockdowns, Brandon Montella collapsed in the boxing ring after fi nishing his professional boxing career 9-0 on Veterans Day, Nov 11, 2017. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate) you plan on doing your next greatest challenge on Veterans Day? A: Yes, because it’s a significant date. I’m a veteran. I boxed my last fi ght on Veterans Day. And Nov. 10 happens to be the birthday of the Marine Corps. Q: Anything else that you would like to share? A: I want people to understand we truly are capable of doing what we envision in life. And I only know this because I’m literally living my own vision. It does take hard work. It does take dedication to the vision and it does take community. That’s why I feel that together we are truly limitless. “Together, we are limitless” — which is my quote from the Mission Ready website. My goal is to run 100 miles and raise $ 100,000 to improve the lives of at-risk youth and under-resourced veterans through fi tness training. We strive to build strength and purpose through the fi tness training that we will off er. J& $46 yd. S Landscape & Masonry Co. MULCH SALE! Discount Spring Special PICK-UP or DELIVERY AVAILABLE 617-389-1490 Premium Hemlock or Pitch Black BELOW WHOLESALE COSTS LANDSCAPERS WELCOME $4 yd. $42 yd. $3 yd.

Page 8 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, APRIL 8, 2022 Northeast Metro Tech carpentry students take on dugout construction projects WAKEFIELD — Baseball fi elds in three communities served by Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational School (Northeast Metro Tech) will soon boast brand new dugouts, once the work of juniors and seniors in the school’s carpentry program is done. Carpentry instructor and varsity baseball coach Bob Calla worked with junior Jayro Aguirre Lemus, of Revere, on one of the multiple dugout projects. (Photo Courtesy of Northeast Metro Tech) Law Offices of Terrence W. Kennedy 512 Broadway, Everett • Criminal Defense • Personal Injury • Medical Malpractice Tel: (617) 387-9809 Cell: (617) 308-8178 twkennedylaw@gmail.com THIS WEEK ON SAUGUS TV Sunday, April 3 from 9–11 p.m. on Channel 8 – “Sunday Night Stooges” (The Three Stooges). Monday, April 4 all day on Channel 8 – “Movie Monday” (classic movies). Tuesday, April 5 at 8:30 p.m. on Channel 9 – Finance Committee Meeting from March 30. Wednesday, April 6 at 8:30 p.m. on Channel 22 – Saugus High School Girls Varsity Lacrosse vs. Malden from March 31. Thursday, April 7 at 6 p.m. on Channel 9 – School Committee Meeting ***live***. Friday, April 8 at 11 a.m. on Channel 8 – The Graff Report with Nick Graffi o. Saturday, April 9 at 12:00 p.m. on Channel 8 – Memories of The Boston Garden with Rocky Raymond. Saugus TV can be seen on Comcast Channels 8, 9 & 22. For complete schedules, please visit www.saugustv.org. ***programming may be subject to change without notice*** Last summer, Reading Little League President Mike Wondolowski reached out to Northeast’s Department Head of Carpentry, Richard McGuiness, to inquire about students’ availability to construct new dugouts for the town’s little league program. Wondolowski reached out after seeing the strong work Northeast students did to construct two dugouts at North Reading High School, which students completed between November 2020 and March 2021, and hoped for similar results in Reading. Work on two dugouts at Hunt Field in Reading is ongoing, and students will build another two dugouts at a fi eld elsewhere in town. The construction on Reading’s dugouts is happening at the same time as work to build similar facilities at Northeast’s own baseball fi eld. “These projects are a combination of two of my passions — carpentry and baseball — and it’s so gratifying to see our students’ work not only have an impact on our sending communities, but also right here on campus,” Northeast’s varsity baseball coach and carpentry instructor Bob Calla said. “I’ve long hoped to see dugouts for our baseball team, and I’m so glad to see them becoming a reality thanks to our students’ hard work.” Once work on Reading’s dugouts is complete, students will move on to building two dugouts at Revere High School through a partnership with Revere’s Parks and Recreation Department. “Our carpentry students have developed a reputation for themselves, and there’s clearly now a demand for their work in this area,” Superintendent David DiBarri said. “I’m so proud of all of the students who have contributed to making a tangible impact on the baseball programs at Northeast and in the communities Northeast serves.” The dugouts are the result of eff orts by 41 Northeast students representing the communities of Revere, Chelsea, Wakefi eld, Woburn, Malden, Melrose, Saugus and Stoneham.

THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, APRIL 8, 2022 Page 9 By Laura Eisener Saugus Gardens in the spring “I wandered lonely as a cloud / That fl oats on high o’er vales and hills, / When all at once I saw a crowd, / A host, of golden daffodils” begins the poem by William Wordsworth. Most of us know these first lines at least, and many people who memorized the whole poem in school can recite it still. Anyone driving or walking down Lynn Fells Parkway this week will be reminded of this poem as they see the great outburst of golden blossoms growing under the peach trees in Antonio Leo’s garden. He says he “loves to garden” and it shows. Despite the wild rabbits devouring the poppies, he manages to have many interesting plants in bloom through the seasons. Among the showy spring bulbs now blooming is Dutch THE BUNNY RAIL: The Easter Train is on the way in Tonia Chadwick’s garden near Saugus Center! (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate by Laura Eisener) hyacinth — often grown indoors and kept on a table at nose level for its fragrance. As with many scents, however, while some people love it others fi nd it overpowering. Dutch hyacinths are usually pink, purple or white, but they can also be found in burgundy wine tones and the pale yellow ‘City of Haarlem.’ Also known as oriental hyacinths since the species originated in the Near East, they are sometimes confused with grape hyacinths (Muscari armeniacum) or wood hyacinths (Endymion hispanicus, also known as Scilla hispanicus), which are not as strongly scented. With Arbor Day coming up AN EARLY BLOOM INDOORS: Forsythia (Forsythia intermedia) fl owers open indoors a little sooner in the warmth of the house from branches cut a few days ago. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate by Laura Eisener) on the last Friday in April, Saugus has once again been awarded Tree City USA status. Saugus Tree Committee Chairman Nancy Prag says, “I am so proud that Saugus is a Tree City community. We are celebrating 23 years. There are currently 3676 cities and towns across the country that are Tree City communities. Over 749,600 trees have been planted since its inception. “For our community to receive annual Tree City recognition we have to meet the four overarching standards. They include maintaining a tree board or department, which we do through The Saugus Tree Committee. We are a town appointed volunteer board. The town must have a community tree ordinance in place, such as our Shade Tree By Law, which means no one can cut or damage a town tree, and the town must spend at least $ 2 per capita on urban forestry projects and must celebrate Arbor Day. “This year as Arbor Day approaches we will assess all the trees planted the past few years, and fertilize and prune any as necessary. Joyce Rodenheiser will be reading and/or making a craft with the children at the Saugus Public Library and we are ordering saplings to plant at the tree farm. AN EASTER SCENT: Dutch hyacinths perfume the air in Antonio Leo’s Lynn Fells Parkway garden. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate by Laura Eisener) THE YELLOW GLOW OF SPRING: “A host of golden daff odils” bloom in the garden of Antonio Leo on Lynn Fells Parkway. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate by Laura Eisener) “We do get calls from people looking to remove or trim trees, but our focus is to plant new replacement trees. Trees are so important to our town both for the health they bring to us and of course the beauty to enhance our streets and parks too. Planting trees helps reduce the impact of carbon emissions. They clean the air we breathe, reduce erosion and pollution and of course provide homes for many birds and small mammals. “I always wish we could do more, but without equipment it’s sometimes a challenge. We have planted a lot of trees by hand, and received a grant a few years back that allowed us to plant many more trees than usual and have them planted. One of our former Tree Committee members also donated money for us to plant additional trees. The DPW Forestry dept. has been very instrumental over the years helping dig holes and occasionally plant for us. Our group might be small but we have managed to plant a lot of trees around town over the years.” Editor’s Note: Laura Eisener is a landscape design consultant who helps homeowners with landscape design and plant selection, placement of trees and shrubs, and perennials. She is a member of the Saugus Garden Club and off ered to write a series of articles about “what’s blooming in town” shortly after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. She was inspired after seeing so many people taking up walking. WARMED UP: These dark purple and pale yellow Dutch hyacinths were forced in my garage over the winter. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate by Laura Eisener)

Page 10 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, APRIL 8, 2022 Selectman Michael Serino explains the zoning articles he is submitting into the AnnTown Meeting 2022 address height and density concerns O ver the past several years I have heard from many residents and Town Meeting members who supported the mixed use zoning on Route 1, questioning if the change was a good idea because of the infl ux of apartments. When the Route 1 mixed use zoning article was approved in 2015, I was not a member of Town Meeting or the Board of Selectmen and consequently had no knowledge or input in the zoning. However, like many residents, I was concerned that Route 1 was starting to become run down with vacant stores. Moreover, considering the fact that a lot of shopping is now conducted online, I agreed with most that maybe some type of mixed use zoning would help revitalize Route 1. Although I do support good development, I was disappointed after the development of the former Hilltop property where residential represented ninety two (92 %) and commercial only represented eight (8 %). Consequently, I felt that the Route 1 zoning bylaw needed adjustments. Last year I was the main author of several zoning changes that Town Meeting members overwhelmingly supported. I am optimistic that the updated zoning changes will produce better quality developments with more commercial, less apartments and more protection for abutting neighborhoods. The Kowloon project is the last project to fall under the old zoning bylaws. Consequently, any new developments will now fall under the new zoning bylaw changes. Unfortunately, some concerns still remain. The fi rst is increasing the height of buildings in order to increase apartment density. I researched zoning bylaws in several surrounding communities including Lynnfi eld, Wakefi eld, Danvers and Peabody. Saugus is the only community that allows building heights up to 90 feet, not only on Route 1, but throughout the entire town as well. My proposed zoning articles would reduce the building height (in-town) from 90 feet to 4 stories and a maximum height of 50 feet in R-4, B-2, I-1, I-2, Waterfront and the Mills districts. The building height on Route 1 would be reduced from 90 feet to 5 stories and a maximum height of 60 feet. Please note that our zoning bylaw requires that any building height over 40 feet would still require a special permit from the Board of Selectmen. My second concern is the allowable apartment density. When the original Route 1 zoning bylaw was passed in 2015 the allowable density was 30 units per acre. In 2019, I had submitted a zoning change that would reduce the density from 30 units to 20 units per acre. However, our former planner suggested that 20 units per acre was too restrictive and suggested 25 units per acre. Since then I have conducted an analysis of building lots along Route 1 ranging in size from nine (9) acres to sixty (60) units per acre to 20 units per acre. This density amount is the same which is currently allowed under our Town’s Zoning Bylaw, Article XXI C. Planned Multi-Density Residential Development at 20 units per acre. I hope that Town Meeting Members will support these articles. Best Regards, Mike Serino HIS INTENT: The zoning proposals that Selectman Michael Serino is crafting for the May 2 Annual Town Meeting would reduce the maximum height allowed by Special Permit of buildings in the Route One Business Highway Sustainable Zoning District (BHSD) from six stories (90 feet) to fi ve stories (60 feet). The density of projects within the BHSD would be reduced from 25 units per acre to 20 units per acre, according to Serino’s proposal. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate) acre lots. Potential development and/or redevelopment of those lots at 25 units per acre could result in 4,800 apartments. A density of 20 units per acre would result in 3,840 apartments. Therefore, I have reintroduced an article reducing the density from 25 Height Comparisons (Over 40 Feet): Town of Saugus: R-4, B-2, 1-1, 1-2, BHSD, Mills and Waterfront (90 feet) Town of Lynnfi eld: Commercial and Industrial (50 feet)/ Town Meeting 2018 Town of Wakefield: Multi-Family and Limited Business (50 feet) Business/Mixed Use and Industrial (60 feet) Town of Danvers: Route 114-Mixed Use and Commercial (45 feet) Rt. 1 — Mixed Use, Industrial and Village district (55 feet) City of Peabody: Central Business (50 Feet) Designated Development District (72 feet) (Editor’s Note: This comparison information was compiled by Selectman Michael Serino.) Saugus Police Taking Part in Autism Acceptance Month SAUGUS — Ch ie f Michael Ricciardelli is pleased to announce that the Saugus Police Depar t - ment is recognizing Autism Acceptance Month “ The Saugus Police Department stands with all of the members of our community who are living on the autism spectrum or supporting loved ones who are,” Chief Ricciardelli said. “We are excited to be able to participate in this wonderful cause and show our support for those affected by autism in Saugus and beyond.” ual Town Meeting Warrant to MALDEN TRANS NOW HIRING!!! CDL SCHOOL BUS DRIVERS, 7D DRIVERS & TAXI DRIVERS COMPETITIVE PAY OFFERED $17/HR - 7D DRIVERS $26/HR - CDL DRIVERS CALL TO INQUIRE - 781-322-9400 OR 781-322-9401 - ASK FOR DAVID OR ED

THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, APRIL 8, 2022 Page 11 Four Boston Marathoners run for The Angel Fund for ALS research WAKEFIELD — Four runners will participate in this year’s 126th Boston Marathon in support of The Angel Fund for ALS Research, a 501 (c) (3) independent charity that benefi ts ALS research at the Cecil B. Day Laboratory for Neuromuscular Research at UMass Chan Medical School. The four marathoners include veteran runners Russell Becker, running his 11th consecutive Boston Marathon; Matt Bergin, running his 32nd consecutive Boston Marathon; Meghan Osterlind, running her 20th consecutive Boston Marathon; and Niki Tsiotos who is running her fi rst marathon in honor of her uncle George Mazareas. The Angel Fund team has been raising funds for ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease) research at UMass Chan Medical School Day Lab under the direction of Dr. Robert H. Brown, Jr., a world-renowned researcher in the fi eld of ALS. “The Angel Fund is grateful to the four supporters who are running for Team ALS in this year’s Boston Marathon,” Rich Kennedy, President of The Angel Fund for ALS Research and a former longtime Boston Marathon runner said. “They all have an inspirational story as to why they train and run the 26.2 miles in honor of The Angel Fund for ALS Research. We look forward to following them as they run the marathon and celebrating their eff orts when they cross the fi nish line.” The team members have created a fundraising page which enables supporters to donate and to learn more about the runner and his/ her inspiration behind their fundraising efforts. To donate to the runners and to read their stories, visit the fundraising page: https:// secure.frontstream.com/ boston-marathon-2022. To follow the runners’ progress during and after the Boston Marathon on April 18th, visit the Boston Athletic Association’s webpage at www.baa.org. In addition to the Boston Marathon team, The Angel Fund conducts fund raising events throughout the year which, along with other individual and corporate donations, have been beneficial in helping make signifi - cant strides in ALS research. For a list of upcoming events, Annual Town Meeting 2022 SCHOOL | FROM PAGE 2 Citizens have until April 14 to submit articles for inclusion on May 2 Annual Town Meeting Warrant By Mark E. Vogler Citizens interested in submitting Warrant articles for the Annual Town Meet set to convene on May 2 — the fi rst Monday in May — have less than a week to get them fi led. Initially, town residents had until April 19 to fi le — the same day that the Board of Selectmen had planned to close the Town Meeting Warrant. But this week, the town clerk moved the deadline up by fi ve days. Any resident interested in placing an article for consideration at Town Meeting may do so by preparing a petition, which requires 10 signatures of registered voters in the Town of Saugus for fi nancial and zoning articles for an Annual Town Meeting Warrant, or 100 signatures for a Special Town Meeting Warrant, according to the town clerk’s website. Everett Aluminum 10 Everett Ave., Everett 617-389-3839 Owned & operated by the Conti family since 1958 • 57 Years! family since 1958 • 64 “Same name, phone number & address for over half a century. We must be doing something right!” •Vinyl Siding •Free Estimates •Carpentry Work •Fully Licensed •Decks •Roof ng • Fully Insured • Replacement Windows www.everettaluminum.com Now’s the time to schedule those home improvement projects you’ve been dreaming about all winter! When the petition is completed, it must be submitted to the Board of Selectmen for their approval and acceptance to be inserted in a Warrant. Upon approval of the Board of Selectmen, all zoning articles will be forwarded to the Planning Board for their recommendation. Any articles with a fi nancial implication must also be reviewed by the Finance Committee for a positive or negative recommendation. visit The Angel Fund website, www.theangelfund.org. Donations to the Angel Fund can also be made online at www.theangelfund, org, or can be sent to The Angel Fund, 649 Main Street, Wakefi eld, MA 01880 cent months. A few months was all about and feared that it would not be a good thing,” he said. “Since then, I’ve gone into a bunch of these places, and I certainly think that they are well-run establishments. I’ve had it on my social media page, and I’ve received nothing but positive comments from people on allowing retail marijuana shops in Saugus,” he said. Cogliano said he is impressed with the public appetite for the marijuana shops that he has witnessed in reago on a Friday night just before a weekend snowstorm while traveling through Melrose on Route 99 on his way to dinner, Cogliano said, a line of people “about a hundred long” were waiting to get into a pot shop — a sight similar to people crowding into a grocery store prior to a snowstorm. If this year’s Annual Town Meeting approves the allowance of recreational marijuana sales, the shops will have to be permitted by selectmen, according to Cogliano. Spring is Here!

Page 12 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, April 8, 2022 Saugus erupts for 15 runs in season opener Meet the 2022 Saugus High School Varsity Girls’ Tennis Sachems Saugus High School Varsity Girls’ Tennis Sachems, pictured from left to right: Back row, pictured from left to right: Ashleigh Moore, Senior Co-Captain Rayaan Jubeili, Madison Riera, Senior Co-Captain Diane Jubeili, Amelia Pappagallo, Rachel Rivas, Morgan Belyea, Junior Co-Captain Shylah Curtis, Alex Couseillant and Head Coach Kristen Gerety. Front row, pictured from left to right: Madison Casaletto, Lily Comeau, Sami Sarnacchiaro, Tameira Klempa-Brown, Wiktoria Bieguen, Junior Co-Captain Mia Klempa-Brown, Jessica Scandone and Junior Co-Captain Alexandra Aguilar. Not present: 8th graders Jennifer Tran and Kayla Manfredi. Sophomores, pictured from left to right: Ashleigh Moore, Madison Riera, Amelia Pappagallo, Madison Casaletto, Morgan Belyea and Lily Comeau. Felicia Reppucci drove in three runs in Saugus’s season-opening victory over Winthrop on Tuesday. (Advocate photo by Greg Phipps) By Greg Phipps D uring the preseason, Saugus High School softball Head Coach Steve Almquist said he thinks his young 2022 squad has the potential to duplicate, or at least come close to, repeating last season’s 8-0 effort in the Northeastern Conference (NEC) South Division. The Sachems did much to support that outlook with their season-opening 15-3 rout of Winthrop on Tuesday. The contest was rescheduled back a day due to Wednesday’s forecast for rain. The location was also changed from the usual Belmonte Middle School home site to Parcher Field adjacent to the Kasabuski Rink. But none of this upheaval bothered Saugus, which took care of business with the five-inning mercy rule win. The offense was potent as Felicia Reppucci drove in three runs and Ava Rogers and Ryann Moloney each collected two RBI. One of the younger Sachem players, Taylor Delieidi, had a memorable debut game by collecting her first two varsity hits. Defensively, starting pitcher Fallon Millerick went the distance, giving up three runs and fanning seven batters in her five innings of work. She also stroked two hits and knocked in two runs. The victory left the Sachems at 1-0 on the early season with a scheduled road contest at Salem on Thursday, weather permitting. Saugus went unbeaten in the NEC’s South Division last season, finished with nine wins overall and made a playoff appearance. The Sachems are scheduled to play three games next week: a home contest against Wakefield on Monday, April 11, an away tilt at Gloucester next Wednesday, April 13, and another home game against Masconomet on Friday, April 15. Juniors, pictured from left to right: Rachel Rivas, Junior Co-Captain Shylah Curtis, Junior Co-Captain Mia Klempa-Brown, Wiktoria Biegun, Junior Co-Captain Alexandra Aguilar and Alex Couseillant. Senior Co-Captains Diane and Rayan Jubeili, who are twins. (Advocate photos by Tara Vocino) Freshmen, pictured from left to right: Jessica Scadone, Samantha Sarnacchiaro and Tameira Klempa-Brown. T he Saugus High School Varsity Girls’ Tennis Sachems Senior Night will take place on May 13 at 4 p.m. at Belmonte Court against Gloucester High School.

THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, April 8, 2022 Page 13 Sachems open season with two wins By Greg Phipps t appears the Saugus High School baseball team is picking up where it left off last spring. The Sachems produced a strong finish to 2021 that catapulted them into the Div. 3 North postseason tournament, where they earned two wins before being eliminated in the quarterfinal round. Building on that momentum from last spring, the Sachems opened this season with two victories. In the season opener on I Monday, Nathan Ing and Ryan Anderson each swatted two hits and drove in a pair of runs to lead Saugus to a 10-0 five-inning road victory over Greater Lawrence Tech. Also contributing offensively were Anthony Cicolini, Cam Soroko and Brandon Faiella, who each drove in runs. Ing was the starting pitcher and was replaced with two outs in the second inning. Ryan Mabee hurled the final three-plus innings and gave up just one hit to come away with the win. On Tuesday, the Sachems played their rescheduled home opener against the Hamilton-Wenham Generals at World Series Park and came away with an 8-4 triumph, despite producing only four hits in the game. The Sachems took advantage of seven walks and seven hit batsmen by Generals pitching to manufacture the eight tallies. Kyle McLaughlin was the lone Sachem with multiple hits (two) in the game. He had an RBI while Mabee drove in two runs with a base hit. Mark MacEachern also drove in two runs with a hit, and Cicolini and Anthony Macone each scored twice. Ing started on the mound and went two innings. He allowed an unearned run before giving way to MacEachern, who hurled the last five frames and allowed three runs on four hits to earn the victory. The two combined for 13 strikeouts. Saugus Head Coach Joe Luis told the press prior to the season that winning games through solid pitching and defense will be the key to success for his team this year. “Those two things win championships. That’s what we continue to work on all the time,” he said. “Hopefully, that’s what gives us the edge in those really close, important [one-run] games.” Sitting at 2-0 after Tuesday’s win, the Sachems travel to Twi Field in Danvers for a game against the Falcons on Saturday, April 9. They then make the trek farther north to Ipswich to face the Tigers on Monday, April 11. Saugus captain Anthony Macone scored twice in the Sachems home opening win over Hamilton-Wenham on Tuesday afternoon. (Advocate photo by Greg Phipps) Meet the Mystic Valley Regional Charter High School Eagles Varsity Boys’ Lacrosse Seniors, pictured from left to right: Michael Bessler, Co-Captain Daniel Iozza, Co-Captain Shamus Royds, of Malden, and Jonathan Nogueira, of Everett. By Tara Vocino T he Malden, Saugus and Everett players from Mystic Valley Regional High School Eagles introduced themselves during practice on Tuesday. Their Senior Night is May 25. Mystic Valley Regional Charter High School Eagles Boys’ Varsity Lacrosse Team, pictured seated, from left to right: Matthew Almas, Matthew Banwait, Zachary Rubin, Shiv Patel, Nolan Lyons, Stephen Carter II and Arjun Doshi. Middle row, pictured from left to right: Kavinprasad Kanagaraju, Christian Antonucci, Marco Carbo, Jason Lee, Michael Brandano and Ethan Danoff. Back row, pictured from left to right: Head Coach Ryan Cerrato, Justin Lee, Shamus Royds, Jonathan Nogueira, Rayan Oukani, Abel Girma Ketema, Michael Bessler, Daniel Iozza, Joseph Volpicelli and Assistant Coach Mathew Palma. Not present: Samuel Charmant. Malden players, kneeling, pictured from left to right: Kavinprasad Kanagaraju, Michael Brandano, Ethan Danoff and Christian Antonucci. Standing, pictured from left to right: Abel Girma Ketema, Shamus Royds, Stephen Carter II and Rayan Oukani. Saugus players, pictured from left to right: Matthew Banwait and Shiv Patel. Everett players, kneeling, pictured from left to right: Matthew Almas and Nolan Lyons. Standing, pictured from left to right: Michael Bessler, Jonathan Nogueira and Joseph Volpicelli. (Advocate photos by Tara Vocino)

1. The Works Progress Administration (WPA) 2. 0 3. $ 23,500 4. They are Shari Lewis puppets and were in the TV series “Lamb Chop’s Play-Along!” 5. The Irish Rovers 6. “For all” 7. Concorde 8. 5 cents 9. Gasoline (while on the surface) and electricity (when submerged) 10. Yiddish (laks) 11. 28 cents 12. One billion 13. Lake Nicaragua 14. 22 cents 15. $ 5.75 16. An elephant that was exhibited in NYC 17. Africa (traditional in Ethiopia and Eritrea) 18. They are horse coat colors. 19. Zero 20. Highest: $ 2,020; lowest: $ 160 Page 14 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, April 8, 2022 Meet the 2022 Pioneer Charter School of Science II Boys’ Volleyball Pirates Pioneer Charter School of Science II Varsity Boys’ Volleyball Pirates: Top row, pictured from left to right: Assistant Coach Jeremy Ryan, Gabryel Rodrigues, Bilal Hasaba, Weiam Hasaba, Steven Lin, Jovanni Dorcely, Joshua Clamens, Mason Laste, Adam Nouri, Aamir Elhaissouni, Kynan Ramos and Head Coach Adalet Canovic. Bottom row, pictured from left to right: Kenzo Chinchilla, Ethan Nguyen, Jonathan Lumala, Adam Abdelsalam, Guilherme Oliveira, Aaron Ambas, Kyle Rodrigues, Brian Morsett, Adrian Baybay and Devlin Nguyen. The lone Revere player Guilherme Oliveira (Advocate photo by Tara Vocino) Seniors, pictured from left to right: Mason Laste and Gabryl Rodrigues. T Co-Captains, pictured from left to right: Kynan Ramos, Joshua Clamens, Gabryel Rodrigues and Adam Abdelsalam. Saugus players, pictured from left to right: Ethan Nguyen, Kynan Ramos, Gabryel Rodrigues, Kyle Rodrigues, Adam Nouri, and Brian Morsett. 7. On April 10, 2003, what kind of supersonic jets were retired? 8. Remember when… in the 1960s, the cost of a postage stamp? 1. On April 8, 1935, the U.S. Congress approved the Emergency Relief Appropriation Act of 1935, which funded what to alleviate the Great Depression? 2. What number does not have a Roman numeral? 3. Remember when… in the 1960s, the cost of an average home? 4. How are Lamb Chop, Charlie Horse and Hush Puppy similar? 5. April 9 is National Unicorn Day; in 1968 what Irish/Canadian group popularized the song “The Unicorn”? 6. The word “bus” is derived from “omnibus,” which means what? 9. On April 11, 1900, the Navy acquired its first submarine; what two power sources did it have? 10. The word lox is derived from what language? 11. Remember when… in the 1960s, the cost of a gallon of gasoline? 12. What does giga mean? 13. What freshwater lake in Central America has sharks and tarpon? 14. Remember when… in the 1960s, the cost of bread? 15. Remember when… in the 1960s, the cost of Levi slacks? 16. On April 13, 1796, the first of what kind of animal arrived in the United States that ate “thirty pounds of rice besides hay and straw – drinks all kinds of wine and spiritous liquors, and eats every kind of vegetable”? 17. On what continent would you be most likely to find a flatbread called injera? 18. How are sorrel, chestnut and pinto similar? 19. Cipher is the original name of what number? 20. Remember when… in the 1960s, the cost of college tuition? he Pioneer Charter School of Science II Boys’ Varsity Volleyball Pirates will hold their Senior Night on May 19 at 4:15 at home against Foxborough Regional Charter High School. ANSWERS

THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, April 8, 2022 Page 15 The Sounds of Saugus By Mark E. Vogler A new deputy assessor takes over at Town Hall Iwona Zamiejska-Wilt, a Polish immigrant, is completing her third week on the job as the town’s new deputy assessor, filling a key town position that’s been vacant for months. Zamiejska-Wilt, 43, an Ipswich resident, comes from that town’s Assessor’s Department, where she worked four years as the administrative assistant to the chief assessor. “We are happy to welcome Iwona as the new Deputy Assessor for the Town of Saugus,” Town Manager Crabtree said of the recent appointment. “Iwona holds extensive experience, certifications, and advanced knowledge of the inner workings of a municipal assessor’s department.This will make her a valuable asset to our community and residents,” Crabtree said. Crabtree said this week that he is happy that the important Town Hall position is finally after months of being vacant. Tracy Mingolelli, who will have worked in the assessor’s office for seven years on Aug. 31, takes over as the new assistant assessor. Meanwhile, a new person has been hired to fill her previous job as principal clerk. Mingolelli is just one course away from completing her Massachusetts Accredited Assessors Certificate. So, for the first time in many months, the department will be running at full strength. Crabtree told the Finance Committee at Wednesday night’s meeting (April 6) that the office will be in great shape because former Deputy Assessor Ron Keohan will continue to work with the town as the office goes through its transition. Prior to Zamiejska-Wilt’s appointment, Keohan has been assisting the town in a consulting capacity. “The transition will be very sound,” Crabtree said. “Our retired assessor Ron has agreed to stay on for the transition. That’s going to help,” the town manager said. Zamiejska-Wilt is very energetic and health conscious. She, her husband and two sons, enjoy hiking and camping. She says she does a lot of bicycling and exercising and loves the outdoors “My family wants to hike all the peaks in New Hampshire. There are 48 4,000 footers and we’ve done at least seven of them by now, including Mount Washington,” she said. “I love to travel. We had been planning to go to Poland where all of my family live. But because of the circumstances (the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which has caused Ukrainian civilians to flee the country – many of them into neighboring Poland. With the influx of refugees into Poland, Zamiejska-Wilt said that tourism is being affected and tourists are being turned away. “I’m very proud of my country for helping so much,” she said of the welcoming mat that Poland has extended to the people of Ukraine during a major humanitarian crisis that involves the departure of more than four million people out of the country after being forced out of their homes. Zamiejska-Wilt comes from Gdansk, Poland, located on the Baltic Sea. She says she got attracted to Saugus because it strikes her as “a busy town.” “I like challenges and I’m very excited about this job, and, hopefully, we’ll have a good, long relationship with the town,” she said. “My main focus will be to get through the revaluation with the Department of Revenue for the 2023 Fiscal Year, which begins July 1. Values will be based on the sales from the 2021 calendar year, which was quiet. Zamiejska-Wilt has a friendly, very outgoing personality and many of the employees at Town Hall seem to be warming up to her. Especially Beata Malicka, a benefits accounting analyst who works in the Human Resources Department. Composite opens next week This announcement just in from Town Hall: the community’s compost site will be open to residents on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., beginning on Saturday, April 16, 2022. The site is located behind the Department of Public Works at 515 Main Street. Stickers are required to gain seasonal access to the site. Stickers may be purchased for $25.00 at the Department of Public Works (DPW) located at the Compost Site when making your visit to the Compost Site. The Town accepts checks only for payment of the $25.00. No cash will be accepted. Kindly bring a check when visiting. Thank you! Compost site stickers must be permanently placed on the lower left corner of the residents’ automobile windshields. Vehicles registered out of state are not permitted. Yard waste must be disposed of in brown compost bags or open containers. The Town will accept grass clippings, leaves, and brush. As in years past, no branches or limbs larger than three inches in diameter are permitted. We ask all residents to please wear a mask, 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. Town-Wide Spring Street Sweeping Begins Monday This just in from Town Manager Scott C. Crabtree and the Department of Public Works. The Town’s Annual Spring Street Sweeping Program will begin next Monday (April 4), weather permitting. Sweepers will start in the area of north Saugus (Precincts 5 and 7) and work their way across Town, working from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Residents are kindly asked to keep vehicles off the street when sweepers are in the area. Locals may assist the Department of Public Works by sweeping their driveways or sidewalks into the gutter area prior to the program’s start. Residents are asked not to sweep driveways and/or sidewalks once the sweepers have swept. GUESS WHO GOT SKETCHED? If you know the right answer, you might win the contest. In this week’s edition, we continue our weekly feature where a local artist sketches people, places and things in Saugus. Got an idea whose being sketched this week? If you do, please email me at mvoge@comcast.net or leave a phone message at 978-683-7773. Anyone who identifies the Saugonian sketched in this week’s paper between now and Tuesday at Noon qualifies to have their name put in a green Boston Red Sox hat with a chance to be selected as the winner of a $10 gift certificate, compliments of Dunkin’ Donuts in the Food Court at the Saugus Square One Mall. But you have to enter to win! Look for the winner and identification in next week’s “The Sounds of Saugus.” Please leave your mailing address in case you are a winner. (Courtesy illustration to The Saugus Advocate by a Saugonian who goes by the name of “The Sketch Artist”) Keep in mind that street sweepers are unable to collect stones, branches, leaves, or other foreign objects. In addition, residents are asked to be mindful that sweepers cannot pick up large piles of sand. Please contact the Department of Public Works at 781-231-4143 with any questions. Helping the people Ukraine The First Congregational Church of Saugus UCC raised $704 for the people of Ukraine last Sunday. “The fundraiser was amazing!” Rev. Bill Ladd said. “These funds will be divided and sent to UNICEF and The International Red Cross this week. We have congregants with extended family in Ukraine so this is a very personal tragedy for us all,” he said. “First Church will be joining with other churches in the future to provide funds to aid all those who find their lives destroyed by the invasion of Ukraine.” Manoogian’s take on this week’s meeting in ash landfill meeting in Revere As a former history teacher I cannot help thinking in parallels. After all, “those who forget the past are bound to repeat it.” In Saugus, it is more like “those who NEGLECT the past are bound to repeat it.” I knew this when I first heard of Wheelabrator’s (WIN) ground $oftening campaign to win $upport for expan$ion of the now on life support ash dump, or what WIN’s chief environmental propagandist calls a “monofill.” I knew then (2013) that within a few years Wheelabrator would need a few of their own “Mancuhrian Candidates” for elected and appointed office. Saugus has always had its own share of politicians that would sell out their community “for a gallon of ice cream” as former Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kelley once quipped. I knew all this when I arranged to bring together leaders from regional environmental groups in my home to discuss a strategy to stop the “environmental Putin” from its desire to gobble up more air space with their toxic by-product. So just as NATO was formed after WW2 as a bulwark against an aggressor, the Alliance was formed to counter ash aggression in Saugus. Over the last few years the Alliance has increased its ranks and expanded its reach. After all, this is a regional environmental issue, not a Saugus issue alone. With the addition of Representative Jeffrey Rosario Turco and the staff of Senator Edward Markey the strength and will of The Alliance can now counterbalance the “cash for ash” mentality that seeks its own metastasis is Saugus. Like NATO, it is now realized that “an attack (ash expansion) on one community (Saugus) is an attack on all. It’s an attack on the state’s environmental justice law, an attack on the plan to be carbon neutral by 2050. Even Winthrop is very active now in The Alliance. DEP Commissioner Suuberg undoubtedly approved the presence last evening of DEP staff that clearly reiterated that WIN is free to apply for a site assignment to gobble up more airspace but the ACEC law would dictate “site not suitable.” In other words when the ash dump reaches 50 feet it will be fini, el morte, it’s over.Their willingness to answer questions stood in stark contrast to their approach at the hearing at the old Saugus High School back in 2017 when Wheelabrator proposed taking their own Sudetenland or Crimea. (The capped valleys) to dump more ash. Perhaps, just maybe, the barren plateau of useless incinerator ash can be topped with a sea of sunflowers nurtured by the will and determination of good people who recognized, rather than ignored, or worse, encouraged environmental aggression. Elks pre-Easter Ham Shoot next Friday The Saugus-Everett Elks will be hosting a pre-Easter Ham Shoot today (Friday, April 8), beginning at 7 p.m. This meat raffle will take place in the Elks Terrace Room at 401 Main St. in Saugus and will feature several rounds of hams, turkeys, roasts and other prizes to prepare for your holiday feast with all proceeds to benefit local lodge charities. The Elks will have free pickies and a cash bar. Bring some friends and enjoy a fun night for a good cause. We have a winner! Congratulations to Fran Palczynski for making the right identification in last week’s “Guess Who got Sketched?” Contest. She was the only reader answering correctly.So, there was no need to have a drawing from the green Boston Red Sox cap. Here’s the correct answer, offered by the person who goes by the name of The Sketch Artist: “The answer to last week’s sketch is Firefighter (DJ) Donald Blandini. Donald (DJ) Blandini has been with Saugus Fire Department since 2012, and recently stepped into his hardearned title of Lieutenant. His station is the Central Fire Station on Hamilton Street. “Lt. Blandini brings to his job a degree in Fire Science and enthusiasm to help people! In his sketch to the left, there’s a star rising. It’s in reference to The Saugus Advocate (Feb.4 Issue, page 4) statement about Blandini by Deputy Fire Chief D’Eon. ‘I think DJ is a rising star in the organization,’ Deputy Chief D’Eon said. ‘He is a very conscientious, solid guy and family man who really cares about Saugus. He’s married with two children and he’s a hometown guy,’ the deputy chief addied. “Lt. Blandini graduated with the Saugus High Class of 2005. As a Saugonian, he loves serving in a town he grew up in. “He assisted with the Saugus Business Education Collaborative’s “Shadow Day” for the Saugus High Juniors and in The Saugus Advocate (March 25th Issue, page 2 ) he is pictured with his hopeful Junior Firefighters in full firefighter’s gear for a full immersion shadow experience. “He is a U.S. Army Veteran who served two tours in Iraq. Lt. Donald Blandini Served as an E- 4 Corporal. “Much success in your career and congratulations on your promotion to Lieutenant!Thankyou SOUNDS | SEE PAGE 16

Page 16 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, April 8, 2022 SOUNDS | FROM PAGE 15 for your service! “Yours Truly, “The Sketch Artist “ A “Shout Out” to Michael Beamer Precinct 6 Town Meeting Member Jeanie Bartolo emailed me this week, heaping high praise on a Saugonian who truly cares about the cleanliness and appearance of his town. “This “Shout Out” goes to a gentleman named Michael Beamer. I have never met Mr. Beamer but I would like to.He needs to be recognized for his two acts of kindness. Twice within a week he cleaned up massive amounts of trash that was dumped at an apartment building on Warden Street. The second batch of trash dumped there included two mattresses. This was not Mr. Beamer’s trash or responsibility but he was kind enough to clean it up anyway. There should be more people in this town like him and I just wanted to thank him with this “Shout Out”.I hope I get to meet you Mr. Beamer, it would be an honor.” Want to “Shout Out” a fellow Saugonian? This is an opportunity for our paper’s readers to single out -- in a brief mention -- remarkable acts or achievements by Saugus residents. Or, an act of kindness or a nice gesture. Just send an email (mvoge@comcast.net) with the mention in the subject line, “An Extra Shout Out.” No more than a paragraph. Anything longer might lend itself to a story and/or a photo. Buy a brick to honor a Saugus veteran The Saugus War Monument Committee once again is sponsoring the Buy A Brick Program to honor all those who have served their country. If you would like to purchase one in the name of someone who is presently serving or has served, in the memory of a loved one, or just from your family, school, etc., the general pricing is $100 for a 4” X 8” brick (three lines), $200 for 8” X 8” brick (five lines).Each line is a maximum of 15 characters. The improvement and upkeep of the monument on the corner of Winter and Central streets rely on the generosity of donors through fundraising. The brick application must be in by Sept. 15th to ensure the bricks will be ready for Veterans Day. Please contact Corinne Riley 781-231-7995, for more information and applications. Riverside Cemetery Spring Cleanup The Town of Saugus Cemetery Department announces that spring grounds cleanup will begin at the Riverside Cemetery on Monday, April 11. The Cemetery Commission kindly asks members of the public to remove any personal and/or holiday/seasonal items from the grounds before the cleanup begins. All Veterans flags will be placed back on gravesites in May, prior to Memorial Day. For more information, please contact the Cemetery Department at 781-231-4170 or email Stacy Billingsley at sbillingsley@saugus-ma.gov. Capt. Cross to address Saugus Historical Society Fire Captain Billy Cross will be the speaker at the April 13 Meeting of SHS Class of ‘62 plans 60th reunion Leaders of The Saugus High School Class of 1962 would like you to “SAVE THE DATE.” “Their 60th Class Reunion will be held on Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022, from 1 to 5 p.m. at Prince Pizzeria in Saugus. They are reaching out to contact fellow classmates as well as other years who would like to join them. The well-known 50s and 60s music group of Howie Conley will be there NEW DEPUTY ASSESSOR: Iwona Zamiejska-Wilt, left, recently took over as the town’s new deputy assessor. Joining her during a moment in Town Hall, is Tracy Mingolelli, who becomes the new assistant assessor. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate) the Saugus Historical Society. The brief business meeting starts at 7 p.m. followed by the program.The public is invited free of charge, and light refreshments will be served. Our speaker, William Cross III, grew up in Saugus, attending the Evans School, Belmonte Junior High, and Saugus High.He has been a firefighter in this town for 28 years and is the president of the Firefighters’ Local 1003.Captain Cross is a 2008 recipient of the Medal of Valor for an off duty rescue.He has served as a Town Meeting member, and is a longtime member of the Saugus retirement board. His father was a firefighter in Chelsea and his son Patrick is also a Saugus firefighter.He will be speaking about many aspects of fire service. for their musical enjoyment. Those of you who have heard them know what a performance they put on. There will be pizza and salad combinations plus soft drinks. The price includes all you can eat, tax, gratuities, plus Howie Conley’s group and is $29 per person. There is a bar available for wine, beer and mixed drinks. There is no need to purchase tickets at this time. Please let one of the following people know of your interest either by a phone call or a text message so that you can be easily reached when the time draws near. No commitment is necessary. They are just exploring the number of interested classmates. Donna “Cann” Olivera 781-987-4308 Jonni “Giantonio” Matrona 781-439-4200 Janice “Cristiano” Pomeroy 617-512-2097 Larry Seavers 704-906-2606 SAVE announces 2022 Environmental Scholarship Saugus Action Volunteers for the Environment (SAVE) is very pleased to announce that it is offering a $1,000 Environmental Scholarship to Saugus Residents of the Graduating Class of 2022.This is a scholarship for 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 2022 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 describe how you feel your career choice will positively impact the environment. Please mail your application (postmarked by April 22, 2022) to:SAVE, P.O. Box 908, Saugus, MA 01906 or email your application (no later than midnight on April 22, 2022) to:SAVE Co-President, Ann Devlin, at adevlin@ aisle10.net Again, the deadline to submit your application is April 22, 2022. A Rabies Vaccination Clinic in May Town Clerk Ellen Schena wants cat and dog owners to know about an upcoming rabies vaccination clinic, which is set for Wednesday, May 4 SOUNDS | SEE PAGE 17 The fire department responds to many kinds of events in town, including floods and weather emergencies as well as fires.This will be a very interesting and lively presentation.

THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, April 8, 2022 Page 17 SOUNDS | FROM PAGE 16 from 4 to 6 p.m. This is for cats and dogs only. This will take place at the Animal Shelter, at the rear of the DPW Building, 515 Rear Main St. in Saugus. The vaccination costs $10 and can be paid by cash or check only. State Law requires all dog owners to license their dogs. Food pantry seeking driver volunteers The Saugus United Parish Food Pantry seeks volunteers to make food and bread pickups on Thursdays and Fridays, from 7:30 to 9 a.m. Anyone who has the time and interest to help out should contact Jeff Hirtle at 781-922-0661. The food pantry operates out of the basement at Cliftondale Congregational Church at 50 Essex st. in Saugus. Friday morning Legion Hall breakfasts are back! Here’s some great news for people who enjoy their Friday morning breakfasts at the Saugus American Legion Cpl. Scott J Procopio Post 210. Legion Hall, located at 44 Taylor Street, recently resumed its Friday breakfasts and will continue through the last Friday in May of 2022.The buffet breakfast is served at 8:00 a.m. for a donation of $7. Bon appetit! And good luck to the Kitchen Crew. Looking for book donations The New Friends of the Saugus Public Library are asking for donations of gently-used adult hardcover and softcover Fiction for the ongoing book sale in the Community Room. They would also appreciate donations of gently-used Children’s Books. Please limit donations at this time to ONLY Fiction and Children’s books; we do not have storage space for other genres or media. Please....clean and newer books only. No tattered pages, bad odors, stains, or dirty covers! Books may be dropped off at the Main Circulation Desk during business hours. Please do not place donations in the outdoor book drops. ture Jumpstart your Financial FuJust starting out? Join the final segment of this virtual four-part program to acquire the skills for long-term financial prosperity and independence. Explore real-world financial situations to build lifelong strategies for budgeting, building credit, saving for retirement, and more. This is a free program for ages 17 – 30. Presented in cooperation with The Babson Financial Literacy Project (BFLP), the Saugus Public Library and several local libraries. See sauguspubliclibrary.org to register for the remaining session. Protecting You and Your Assets Tuesday, April 19, 7-8 p.m. – Jennifer Bethel (presenter) This workshop will help you prepare for the financial challenges ahead. For more information, contact the Saugus Public Library at 295 Central Street, Saugus, MA 01906. Or call 781.231.4168 or check out sauguspubliclibrary.org. Want to be a Knight? The Knights of Columbus is looking for new members to join. If interested in becoming a member of this local organization, please call 781-233-9858. Healthy Students-Healthy Sau~LEGAL NOTICE~ SAUGUS BOARD OF SELECTMEN PUBLIC HEARING Notice is hereby given that the Saugus Board of Selectmen will conduct a public hearing on the request of Red Rover # 3 Company LLC, for a Special Permit (S2), to be located at 172 Lynn Fells Parkway, Saugus, MA, 01906. Mark Colleton, General Manager. The Public Hearing will be held on April 19, 2022, at the Saugus Town Hall, second floor auditorium, 298 Central Street at 7:30 PM. Signed: Chairman Anthony Cogliano Janice K. Jarosz, Temp Clerk April 8, 2022 ~LEGAL NOTICE~ SAUGUS BOARD OF SELECTMEN PUBLIC HEARING Notice is hereby given that the Saugus Board of Selectmen will conduct a public hearing on the request of Mr. Rodrigo S. Almeida for a Special Permit (S-2) to open Way of Life BJJ Martial Art School to be located at 999 Broadway, Saugus, MA 01906. The Public Hearing will be held on April 19, 2022, at the Saugus Town Hall, second floor auditorium, 298 Central Street at 7:15 PM. Signed: Chairman Anthony Cogliano Janice K. Jarosz, Temp Clerk April 8, 2022 gus Program Resumes for the 21-22 School Year. (Editor’s Note: The following is an announcement submitted by Julie Cicolini, a member of the Board of Directors for Healthy Students-Healthy Saugus, providing information about the return of the program for the new school year) Who we are: Healthy Students-Healthy Saugus (HS2) is a non-profit group of volunteers that are helping to offset food insecurity in households. HS2 provides students/families that enroll in the program a weekend supply of nutritious food when school lunches and breakfasts are unavailable to them on weekends. How HS2 can help you: HS2 bags are distributed at school on Fridays to take home. Bags include such items as peanut butter, jelly, a loaf of bread, canned meals/ soups/tuna/vegetables, pasta/sauce, fruit cups, cereal, oatmeal, goldfish, pretzels and granola bars. To sign up go here to complete online form:https://forms.gle/gmMGguycSHBdziuE9. Want to partner with us: HS2 relies on donations to create take home bags with a weekend full of meals.All food is provided to children free of charge. It is our hope these resources will support the health, behavior, and achievement of every student who participates. We would love to partner with organizations, youth groups, PTO’s, businesses and individuals to assist in feeding students of Saugus. To learn more about how you can partner with us visit the Healthy Students-Healthy Saugus Facebook page or email us at HS2Saugus@gmail.com Checks can also be sent directly to: Salem Five C/O Healthy Students-Healthy Saugus 855-5 Broadway Saugus MA, 01906 Online donations can also be made at:https://givebutter.com/HealthySaugus Food Pantry still open The Saugus United Parish Food Pantry continues to remain open on Fridays between 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. on Fridays 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 and 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 located in the basement of the Cliftondale Congregational Church at 50 Essex St. in Saugus. Clarifying some veterans issues Jay Pinette, the Veterans Services Officer for the Town of Saugus, wanted to pass along a few words to promote a better understanding of how his office works. “Veterans Service Officers (VSOs) are not VA employees and do not have direct access to VA systems or information,” Jay wrote in an email to us. “Local VSOs are employees of their respective cities and towns. VSOs are generally able to assist veterans and eligible dependents with VA-related claims and benefits activities. “One of the primary duties of the VSOsis to administer a program for veterans and eligible dependents that is referred to as “Chapter 115”. Under Chapter 115 of Massachusetts General Laws (M.G.L. CH. 115), the Commonwealth provides a uniform program of financial assistance for low income veterans and their dependents. Qualified veterans and their dependents who meet the income and asset eligibility criteria may receive monthly financial benefits that are intended to assist the veteran with housing and living expenses. “If local Veterans wish to enroll in VA healthcare and/or obtain a VA ID card, representatives from the VA Bedford will be on-site at the Lynn VA Clinic twice a month.The on-site enrollment will be held on the 1 st rd Tuesday of each month from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. Appointments are advised and the dates and times are subject to change. The Lynn VA Clinic is located at 225 Boston Street, Suite 107.For more information or to schedule an appointment for enrollment, call 781-687-3348 or e-mail vabedoutreach@va.gov. “The Veterans Services Offices of Saugus and other surrounding communities have partnered with the Greater Boston Food Bank to hold monthly mobile food markets for veterans. With the closure of the Saugus Senior Center during the pandemic, the food market was moved to Melrose. We have now moved the food market back to the Saugus Senior Center. The veterans mobile food market is held on the third Wednesday of each month. Veterans and eligible dependents must sign up with the Saugus Veterans Service Office to determine eligibility. VSO Jay Pinette can be reached at 781-231-4010 or at jpinette@saugus-ma.gov. Or on the first floor of Saugus Town Hall at 298 Central Street, Saugus MA01906.” SOUNDS | SEE PAGE 18 and 3

Page 18 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, April 8, 2022 SOUNDS | FROM PAGE 17 Attention Veterans and Surviving Spouses Q: What is Chapter 115? A: Under Chapter 115 of Massachusetts General Laws (M.G.L. Ch. 115), the Commonwealth provides a uniform program of financial and medical assistance for veterans and their dependents. Qualifying veterans and their dependents receive necessary financial assistance in accordance with a formula that considers the number of dependents and income from all sources. Q: How do I find out if I’m eligible? A: By contacting the Veterans Services Officer in the town you live in. Here in Saugus, the Veterans’ Services Office is located at the Saugus Town Hall and may be reached at 781-231-4010. Eligible veterans and/or their family members must meet certain income criteria and their military experience must meet the Commonwealth’s requirements. The Current Income Limit for single people is $2,147.00 and $2,904.00 for married people. The Current Asset Limit for single people is $8400.00 and $16,600.00 for married people. Assets do not include your home or vehicle Q: Are these benefits taxable? A: Chapter 115 benefits are not taxable income. You must report this income when applying for or renewing subsidized housing applications, Section 8 applications and SNAP applications. Let’s hear it! Got an idea, passing thought or gripe you would like to share with The Saugus Advocate. I’m always interested in your feedback. It’s been six years since I began work at The Saugus Advocate. I’m always interested in hearing readers’ suggestions for possible stories or good candidates for The Advocate Asks interview of the week. Feel free to email me at mvoge@comcast.net. Do you have some interesting views on an issue that you want to express to the community? Submit your idea. If I like it, we can meet for a 15 to 20 minute interview over a hot drink at a local coffee shop. And, I’ll buy the coffee or tea. Or, if you prefer to continue practicing social distancing and be interviewed from the safety of your home on the phone or via email, I will provide that option to you as the nation recovers from the Coronavirus crisis. If it’s a nice day and the temperature is 50 degrees or better, my preferred site for a coffee and interview would be the picnic area of the Saugus Iron Works. Hall Rentals Available Excellent rates Call 781-324-9570 Frank Berardino MA License 31811 • 24 - Hour Service • Emergency Repairs BERARDINO Plumbing & Heating Residential & Commercial Service Gas Fitting • Drain Service 617.699.9383 Senior Citizen Discount 781 233 4446 Call now! We follow Social Distancing Guidelines!

THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, APRIL 8, 2022 Page 19 Follow Us On: COMMERCIAL & RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY SALES & RENTALS Happy Spring! A great time to think of selling or buying! Call today for a free market analysis. Sandy Juliano Broker/President WE KNOW EVERETT!! Call TODAY to sell or buy with the best! NEW LISTING UNDER AGREEMENT THREE FAMILY UNDER AGREEMENT TWO FAMILY 46-48 OLIVER STREET EVERETT CALL SANDY FOR DETAILS! 129 CLARENCE ST., EVERETT $779,900 CALL SANDY FOR DETAILS! 617-448-0854 SOLD BY NORMA AS BUYER’S AGENT TAUNTON FOR RENT THREE ROOM ONE BEDROOM APT. ONE CAR OFF STREET PARKING. $1,750/MO. NO SMOKING. NO PETS. SOLD BY SANDY! HUGE 3 FAMILY 21-23 CLEVELAND AVE., EVERETT $980,000 SOLD BY SANDY! 32 RIDGE RD., READING $675,000 RENTED TWO BEDROOM REVERE $2,000/MO. SOLD BY JOE! 6 FAMILY CHARLES STREET, MALDEN $1,250,000 CALL JOE FOR DETAILS 617-680-7610 SOLD BY NORMA! SINGLE FAMILY 20 BAKER RD., EVERETT $509,900 SOLD BY MICHAEL AS BUYER’S AGENT 58 BRADFORD ST. EVERETT Open Daily From 10:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M. 433 Broadway, Suite B, Everett, MA 02149 Open Daily From 10:0 Joe DiNuzzo - Broker Associate :0 00 AM 5:00 PM www.jrs-properties.com Follow Us On: 617.448.0854 Norma Capuano Parziale - Agent Denise Matarazz - Agent Maria Scrima - Agent Rosemarie Ciampi - Agent Michael Matarazzo -Agent Mark Sachetta - Agent

Page 20 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, APRIL 8, 2022 WONDERING WHAT YOUR HOME IS WORTH? CALL US FOR A FREE OPINION OF VALUE. 781-233-1401 38 MAIN STREET, SAUGUS FOR RENT UNDER CONTRACT LET US SHOW YOU OUR MARKETING PLAN TO GET YOU TOP DOLLAR FOR YOUR HOME! LITTLEFIELDRE.COM UNDER CONTRACT 624 SALEM STREET, LYNNFIELD FOR SALE FOR RENT - 1 BED 1 BATH SEPARATE ENTRANCE. OFF STREET PARKING FOR 2. HEAT & HOT WATER INCLD DOWNTOWN LOCATION $1800 PEABODY CALL RHONDA 781-706-0842 SOLD $40K OVER ASKING FOR SALE - 3 BED 2.5 BATH UPDATED STAND ALONE TOWNHOME AT THE GREENS W/ 1ST FL PRIMARY SUITE $875,900 NORTH READING CALL PENNY 781-929-7237 UNDER CONTRACT FOR SALE - REHABBED 3 BED, 2 BATH COLONIAL SITTING ON AN OVERSIZED 17K LOT. SAUGUS $675,000 CALL KEITH 781-389-0791 FOR RENT FOR SALE - 2 BED 2 BATH FIRST FLOOR GARDEN STYLE WITH LAUNDRY IN UNIT $445,000 MEDFORD CALL RHONDA 781-706-0842 SOLD $40K OVER ASKING FOR SALE - OVERSIZED 3 BED 1 BATH RANCH IRON WORKS LOCATION NICE LEVEL YARD $599,900 SAUGUS CALL KEITH 781-389-0791 LOOKING TO BUY OR SELL? CALL JUSTIN KLOACK FOR ALL YOUR REAL ESTATE NEEDS! 978-815-2610 FOR SALE - 3 BED 2 BATH HANDYMAN SPECIAL WITH GREAT POTENTIAL CASH OR REHAB LOANS ONLY $309,900 LYNN CALL RHONDA 781-706-0842 FOR SALE FOR RENT - 1 BED WITH EAT-IN KITCHEN & LAUNDRY IN UNIT ON STREET PERMIT PARKING. EVERETT $1700 CALL RHONDA 781-706-0842 FOR SALE FOR SALE - CUSTOM BUILT, 8 ROOM, 3 BED 3 BATH SPLIT ENTRY IN DESIRABLE INDIAN VALLEY $734,900 SAUGUS CALL KEITH 7781-389-0791 FOR SALE FOR SALE - 2 BED, 1 BATH WITH ADDITION IN DESIRABLE PARK. PEABODY $89,900 CALL ERIC 781-223-0289 FOR SALE -3 BED, 1 BATH WITH MANY UPDATES IN DESIRABLE PARK. PEABODY $179,900 CALL ERIC 781-223-0289 FOR SALE - BRAND NEW MANUFACTURED MOBILE HOMES. FOUR CUSTOM UNITS LEFT. ALL UNITS ARE 2 BED, 1 BATH 12 X 52. DANVERS $199,900 CALL ERIC 781-223-0289

1 Publizr

Index

1. 1
2. 2
3. 3
4. 4
5. 5
6. 6
7. 7
8. 8
9. 9
10. 10
11. 11
12. 12
13. 13
14. 14
15. 15
16. 16
17. 17
18. 18
19. 19
20. 20

Home