Page 16 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – Friday, April 19, 2019 THE SOUNDS OF SAUGUS By Mark Vogler H ere are a few tidbits that you might want to know about this week in Saugus. First things first, best wishes for a Happy Easter and a Happy Passover for all of our readers. Be safe and be well during the weekend of worship for people of all faiths. “Serious misappropriations of funds” Court papers filed on the 12th floor of the Suffolk County Superior Courthouse in Boston have been sitting there for more than six months with disturbing allegations against Selectman Mark Mitchell – disturbing, if they are, in fact proven true. The Boston Center For Adult Education, Inc. (BCAE) – the nonprofit school on Arlington Street in Boston where Mitchell worked as controller for more than seven years – accuses him of “misappropriating” $515,000 from the school’s bank account for the issuance of checks to himself and others, including to the baseball team he manages and to other Saugus-based baseball organizations. If true, these allegations have certainly piqued the interest of the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office and could result in criminal charges being filed against Mitchell. Clear and simple, it’s alleged that he took the money out of the bank account of a nonprofit organization and used it like it was his own money. That’s wrong. That’s criminal. And even though this is currently a civil matter that involves a Boston organization far removed from the Town of Saugus local government, it should be a matter of concern for Saugus citizens who have placed their trust in Mitchell as an elected public official to represent them. If a library director or a municipal official used money from the Town’s accounts, they would be facing the possibility of vigorous prosecution which could land them in jail. By the same token, Mitchell could be facing the same consequence. BCAE turned over information to the police and the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office. Again, Mitchell is entitled to his day in court and should be presumed innocent. But as an elected public official, this does have a bad look. It has the appearance of wrongdoing. Saugus should know that well, having had a few public officials who were found to have done unethical and illegal things with taxpayers’ money over the years. I noticed in the court file of Boston Center For Adult Education vs. Susan B. Brown, Mark Mitchell, et all, a page signed by his attorney, William F. Delaney, confirming that Mitchell has been given information about court-connected dispute resolution services and that he has been briefed on the advantages and disadvantages of various methods of dispute resolution. Mitchell should take advantage of that opportunity to resolve the dispute with BCAE before the situation evolves into a criminal matter. He should also consider the advantages and disadvantages of giving up his seat on the Board of Selectmen or deciding not to seek reelection. News media that cover the courts in Boston probably didn’t see this as a story because they didn’t know Mitchell’s position as an elected public official. But the news media in Saugus are writing stories about this lawsuit filed out of town because they know that being an elected official makes it a very relevant news story which they have the duty to report on. Hopefully, for the good of Saugus and for the good of himself, Mitchell does some soul searching and does the right thing. What a great day While in Boston on Tuesday – the day after the Boston Marathon – it seemed like marathoners owned the town. I saw many of them jogging or walking by in their Boston Marathon jackets. They were doing their exercise or a little sightseeing. I extended my congratulations to some of the ones I talked to. It’s quite an accomplishment for anyone to train for and actually complete the Boston Marathon. There’s a lot of dedication and sacrifices made by the men and women who set out to run in the world’s most famous race. So, hats off to the Saugus men and women who did this year or have done it in the past. An error of sorts In a cutline for a photo in last week’s Saugus Advocate, we incorrectly identified Joyce Rodenhiser as the co-president of the Saugus Garden Club. Well, that is not correct. Joyce does Touch-a-truck! Members of the community will have an opportunity to explore a vehicle from Armstrong Ambulance’s fleet in Saugus later this month. It’s set for next Saturday, April 27, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Saugus Senior Center (466 Central St.). Armstrong Ambulance will take part in a touch-a-truck event alongside first responders from the Saugus Police and Fire Departments, as well as construction equipment from local businesses. The touch-a-truck is part of the William Sutton Masonic Lodge’s MYCHIP event, which provides parents with an opportunity to develop identification kits for children in the event they go missing. MYCHIP stands for Masonic Youth Child Identification Program. The MYCHIP kits – including fingerprints, dental impressions, DNA swabs, video interviews and more identifying information – will be generated on a compact disc and given to parents as a vital resource to provide to law enforcement in an emergency in order to expedite the search process. The program is entirely free to all who attend, and you do not have to be a Saugus resident to take part. As part of the day, Armstrong will have an ambulance available to explore as well as Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) on scene to explain equipment and answer any questions children and adults may have regarding Emergency Medical Services. Calling all Democrats! The Saugus Democratic Town Committee will be holding its Annual Dinner on Sunday, April 28, 2019, at Bertucci’s on Route 1 North in Peabody from 5 to 8:30 p.m. The cost of the meal is $30.00 per person and that will include spaghetti and meatballs, ravioli, pizza, salad, rolls and a beverage. There will also be raffles that will benefit the Saugus Democratic Education Fund. RSVP by April 14. Please make checks payable to Saugus Democratic Town Committee and mail to: Randy-Sue Abber 10 Lawndale Avenue Saugus, MA 01906 For more information contact Abber at 781-231-0877. Taste for Education this month If you love some tasty food and feel like supporting a worthy cause at the same time, here’s an event you should mark down on your calendar for later in the month. The Saugus Business Education Collaborative (SBEC) is holding the 27th Annual Taste for Education on Monday, April 29 at the Danversport Yacht Club (161 Elliot St., Danvers) from 6 to 9 p.m. This is a popular fundraiser to benefit the Saugus Public Schools and will feature food cooked up by 20 restaurants. Tickets can be purchased for $45 apiece at the following locations: all Saugus Public Schools; the Roby School Administrative Building at 23 Main St., Saugus; Peter Rossetti Insurance; Carpenito Real Estate; and North Shore Bank (Route 1 office). “In a good year, we can raise about $20,000,” SBEC President John Smolinsky says. He’s expecting a crowd of 300 to 330 to show up for the event. For more information, call SBEC Vice President Kim Lovett at 781-426-2133. For event information, contact John Smolinsky at John.Smolinsky@comcast.net. Stayed tuned for more details. Lions Club looking for used glasses The Saugus Lions will be holding an eyeglass drive at all Saugus Public Schools all this month. April is Sports Eye Safety month. To all our Saugus athletes, remember to wear your protective eyewear to avoid eye injury. Please have your student bring any prescription glasses that are no longer used to their schools. The Lions collect used glasses, then distribute them to people who cannot afford to buy their own. We accept all glasses for adults and children. The Saugus Lions would like to thank the principals for allowing the drive to take place in their buildings. Help make your library better not hold an office with the Saugus Garden Club. Lorraine DiMilla is the co-president of the Garden Club with Donna Manoogian. While covering the fifth Annual Books in Bloom event at the Saugus Public Library, I spotted the presidency title on an entry card that was placed in front of Joyce’s exhibit. I guess you could call it a half mistake, committed by whoever typed up the card for Joyce’s exhibit. Saugus Public Library Director Alan Thibeault asked me to put the word out that he and his staff are looking public feedback. Loads of it if readers have the time to take a survey. So, I’ll let Alan do the talking: “How are we doing? What can we do better? “The Saugus Public Library is in the midst of gathering data to produce a five year strategic plan for public library services in Saugus. We value your opinion and need your input to produce the best possible plan. To accomplish this, we are conducting a survey concerning library services. We realize that everyone is busy this time of year and we don’t want to impose on your valuable time. The survey should take less than ten minutes to complete and will be of immense help in guiding the planning process. “Copies of the survey are available at both our Reference and Circulation Desks. An online version of the survey can be found on the library’s Web site (www.sauguspubliclibrary.org) or in hard copy at the library’s main desk.” Alan, thanks you for your feedback. One parade for one league tomorrow The newly formed Saugus Little League has announced it will host its annual Opening Day Parade tomorrow (Saturday, April 20) at 9 a.m. This year the Saugus National and Saugus American Leagues will march as one. Parade participants will assemble at 8:30 a.m. at the Oaklandvale School, which is located at 266 Main St. With a police and fire escort, the marchers will leave the Oaklandvale School at 9 a.m. and head north up Main Street. They plan to arrive at the Elks Field, which is located at 401 Main St., at about 10 a.m. in time for the Opening Day Ceremony. Town Manager Scott C. Crabtree and the Board of Selectmen are expected to participate. Tom Whittredge, executive president of the Saugus Little League, says he’s expecting 300 players to participate in Opening Day. SAVE 2019 Environmental Scholarship Available Saugus Action Volunteers for the Environment (SAVE) is offering a $500 Environmental Scholarship to Saugus residents in the Graduating Class of 2019. This is a scholarship for students who will be attending a two/four-year college or other educational inSOUNDS | SEE PAGE 17
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