Page 8 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, ApriL 10, 2026 The Sounds of Saugus By Mark E. Vogler Good morning, Saugus In less than a month (Monday, May 4), it will be time for the Annual Town Meeting to convene in the second floor auditorium at Saugus Town Hall. Selectmen were scheduled to close the Town Meeting warrant at their Wednesday night meeting. Meanwhile, the Finance Committee was busy continuing its review of all department budgets and articles with any financial implications. It’s pretty clear from the responses we’re getting from the members in the various precincts in our weekly “Countdown Till Saugus Town Meeting” the funding of Saugus Public Schools is going to be a hot-button issue in this year’s proceedings. Stay tuned. Play Ball! Tomorrow (Saturday, April 11) is going to be a huge day for the baseball-loving young people of Saugus. It will be Opening Day for up to 500 or more kids in the town’s Little League program. And last I checked before the deadline on Wednesday afternoon, Saturday was shaping up to be a nice sunny day, with temperatures hovering in the mid-50s. Tomorrow marks the 75th season for the Saugus Little League, which will be sharing the spotlight tomorrow with Kowloon Restaurant. The Wong family is also celebrating its Diamond Anniversary. Longtime state Rep. Donald Wong (R-Saugus) has been invited to throw out the ceremonial first pitch and is also expected to be in the annual Little League Parade. Eugene Decareau, 96, who is considered the oldest living former Saugus Little League coach, is expected to ride in the parade with his longtime wife, Arlene. Current plans call for boys and girls players, coaches and other parade participants to assemble at Belmonte STEAM Academy at about 8 a.m. on April 11. The parade will leave the Belmonte parking lot at 8:30 and exit toward Adams Avenue, turning left onto Adams Avenue, right onto Central Street and left onto Hurd Avenue, ending at Veterans Early Learning Center for the row (April 11) – from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. both days. This popular event fills both floors of the library with beautiful flowers matched up with colorful books. Sponsored by the New Friends of the Saugus Public Library and Saugus Garden Club, Books in Bloom is an annual event where local flower enthusiasts put together floral arrangements that interpret a book’s title, book jacket or theme. Want to join in? Go to sauguspubliclibrary.org/get-involved/new-friends/ to learn about the New Friends of the SPL. Stay tuned for more details. Saugus United Parish Food Pantry The Saugus United Parish A close-up of the new sign that Corey Berkowitch, owner of Sachem Sign Works, Inc., made and donated to the Saugus Little League to celebrate its 75th Season. Opening Day ceremonies are set for Saturday, April 11. (Photo courtesy to The Saugus Advocate) Opening Day ceremonies. Every boy and girl who plays at every level of baseball in Saugus, from T-Ball to High School Baseball, or Softball, has been invited to march in the parade. The parade will be special for the players in the Saugus Babe Ruth League (13-15 years old), as Babe Ruth League baseball is back after 10 years. The boys baseball and girls softball players from Saugus High School are expected to march in the parade. League officials are doing all they can to make this year’s Opening Day a communitywide event. They are hoping to beef up the parade with representatives from the senior citizens and veterans communities. Guy Moley has already agreed to participate with some cars from his charity car shows. The Saugus Police and Fire Departments will be involved. This year’s Opening Day ceremonies include a special guest who’s well known to Boston Sports fans – Boston Bruins National Anthem singer Todd Angilly. He will kick off the ceremonies at about 10 a.m. with a rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” The ceremonies will follow after the parade participants arrive on Hurd Avenue. League officials and volunteers did extensive work this week, getting Grabowski Field in shape. They worked the infield and had fresh grass ready to install. A new sign was installed on the fence behind home plate that recognizes the Little League’s 75th year and it being established in 1951. Corey Berkowitch, owner of Sachem Sign Works, Inc., made and donated the sign to the league. There will be a DJ and a food truck at Grabowski Field. So, with good weather, it could be a nice family and community event that appeals to Saugonians of all ages. Books in Bloom at the Saugus Public Library If you enjoy reading and admiring some flowers, today (Friday, April 10) is your lucky day. The Saugus Public Library will again host a special indoor event called Books in Bloom, which begins today and continues through tomorFood Pantry will be closed today (Friday, April 10) but will resume next Friday (April 17) at its normal time from 9:3011 a.m. at 50 Essex St. in the basement of Cliftondale Congregational Church. The food pantry welcomes all neighbors facing food insecurity on Friday mornings. Volunteers are also welcome. Please call the Food Pantry Office at 781233-2663 or go to the website (cliftondalecc.org) for details. Legion Breakfast on Fridays There’s a good breakfast deal for Saugus veterans and other folks who enjoy a hearty breakfast on Friday mornings. The American Legion Post 210 at 44 Taylor St. in Saugus offers Friday morning breakfasts for the 2026 season. Doors open at 7:30 a.m., with breakfast served from 8-9:00 a.m. for an $8 donation. Veterans who cannot afford the donation may be served free. The Friday breakfasts will last until May 29 This week’s “Shout Outs” We have a pair from Saugus Board of Selectman Chair Debra Panetta: “I’d like to share a shout out to the Saugus Board of Health. These dedicated volunteers work incredibly hard to keep our community safe, in close collaboration with our Health Director, John Fralick. “I’d also like to recognize our Building Inspector, Michael LaVecchia, who is a wonderful asset to the Town of Saugus and consistently goes above and beyond in his role.” 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 a mention in the subject line of “An Extra Shout Out.” No more than a paragraph; anything longer might lend itself to a story and/or a photo. News from the Democratic Town Committee The Saugus Democratic Town Committee will hold its next meeting on Wednesday, April 29, at the Saugus Public Library at 6 p.m. in the Community Room of the first floor. Coming Spring Attractions: · Student Government Day: Friday, May 1, at 8:30 a.m. in the second floor auditorium at Saugus Town Hall. Here’s your chance to see future Saugus leaders of tomorrow – the kids who are currently students in the Saugus Middle and High School grades – perform in mock sessions of the Board of Selectmen, the School Committee and the Annual Town Meeting. All members of Saugus local government are invited to come and observe, and even share some pointers with the students. The Saugus Business Education Collaborative will be coordinating the lunch. · The Saugus-Everett Elks will hold a Scams, Cyberfraud and Exploitation presentation. The Saugus-Everett Elks Drug Awareness committee and Eagle Bank will be holding an hour-long free presentation on Scams, Cyberfraud and Exploitation at the Saugus Senior Center (466 Central St. in Saugus) on Monday, May 11, at 10 a.m. Attorney Stephen Miliotis and Gisella DiPaola will be conducting this event. Become educated in the latest scams that intrude into our lives. All ages are welcome. Call 781-233-4178 to reserve your seat. Walk-ins are also welcome. · Remember The Fallen: Members of the Saugus VetTHE SOUNDS | SEE PAGE 9
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