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THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, APRIL 23, 2021 Page 11 THE SOUNDS OF SAUGUS | FROM PAGE 10 Residents may call Lorna Cerbone at the Solid Waste and Recycling Department at 781-231-4036 with questions or for more information. Curbside leaf collection next month The Town of Saugus announced that spring curbside leaf collection will take place during the week of May 10, 2021. Residents may dispose of leaves curbside on their regularly scheduled collection day, between Monday, May 10, 2021, and Friday, May 14, 2021. Leaves should be left outside by 7 a.m. on the appropriate days. Please ensure that leaf containers are physically separated from trash and recycling. Paper leaf bags are the preferred method of leaf disposal. If you are using barrels, they must be clearly marked with yard waste stickers. Barrel covers must remain removed so that the leaves are visible. Plastic bags, cardboard boxes, branches, and brush will not be accepted. Please note that separate trucks collect the rubbish, recycling and leaves, so the leaves may be collected at a different time of day. “Missed pick-ups” will not be conducted. Please contact Lorna Cerbone at 781-231-4036 with any questions. Help the Vietnam vets “Roll to DC” This just in from Joseph “Dennis” Gould, a Vietnam War Era veteran who served four years with the U.S. Navy. He has organized a fund-raising drive that will help area Vietnam Era veterans visit Washington, D.C., in the fall of next year. “I am glad to announce that we will have a ‘Roll to DC’ for Vietnam Era Veterans from Melrose, Saugus, Lynn and surrounding towns September 2022. “The managers of this effort will be Saugus VFW Post # 2346. “Gould will be Chair and David Nelson, Saugus American Legion and Stacey Minchello, Melrose Senior Center will be Vice Chairs. “Stan King, Quartermaster Post # 2346 be Treasurer. “The trip will be a four night trip to DC staying at Presidential Inn on Andrews Air Force Base, home of Presidential Aircraft. It will include a ceremony and laying of a wreath at the Vietnam Wall and the Tomb of Unknown Soldier as well as visiting all Military Memorials and Statues.” “We are looking for major sponsorship and donations from all. The Vietnam Veterans will go on this trip free, but it will take approximately $70,000 of sponsorship and donations,” Gould said If you would like to be a major sponsor, please contact chairman Dennis Gould at cell 617-257-4847 or email Jdgould1969@aol.com. If you would like to send in a donation, please make check out to: “Saugus VFW–Roll to DC” – write “Roll to DC 2022” in comment line and mail to: Saugus VFW Post 2346, 190C Main St., Saugus, MA 01906. Any questions or if you would like to volunteer to assist the committee, please contact Dennis at contact info above. Last call for SAVE Scholarship The local citizen group Saugus Action Volunteers for the Environment (SAVE) is, once again, offering a $500 environmental scholarship to any Saugus resident graduating with the class of 2021 (from any high school) and pursuing a degree in any field which will positively impact the environment. This is a scholarship aimed at 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 2021 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 summary of any of your activities relating to the environment and describes how you feel your career choice will positively impact the environment. Please mail your application – postmarked no later than today (April 23) – to: SAVE, P.O. Box 908, Saugus, MA 01906 or email your application (no later than midnight on April 23, 2021) to: SAVE President Ann Devlin at adevlin@aisle10.net. Again, the deadline for applications is April 23, 2021. “Express Yourself! Fun and easy art experiments” Kelly Slater has teamed up with the Saugus Public Library this winter and spring to present several free online workshops, “Express Yourself! Fun and Easy Art Experiments.” Ranging in subject from kitchen table printmaking to artist’s accordion books, the workshops share a common emphasis on fun and experimentation. No previous art experience is required, and all art supplies will be provided free at the Saugus Public Library in “Take and Make” bags. The program began last month and there is one workshop left. The final of four workshops is on Thursday, April 29: a foray into making accordion-style artists books. It will run from 6:30 to 8 p.m. The workshop is open to ages teens through adults. Advance registration is required through the Saugus Public Library. Interested students can submit class work for a virtual art exhibit hosted through the Saugus Public Library website. To reserve your space at the free workshop, send an email to sau@noblenet.org with “SPL workshops” in the subject line. If you have questions about the content of the workshops, please contact Slater at kellyslaterart@hotmail.com with “SPL workshops” in the subject line. This program is supported in part by a grant from the Saugus Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency. Zoom support is provided by the Saugus Public Library and select art supplies are provided by your local Artist & Craftsman Supply, which is located at 751 Broadway (Rte. 1 South) in Saugus. Food Pantry still open The Saugus United Parish Food Pantry will continue to remain open on Fridays between 9:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. 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 & 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 in the basement of Cliftondale Congregational Church at 50 Essex St. in Saugus. Food help for veterans Saugus offers a Veterans Food Pantry on the third Wednesday of each month. “We have been holding it in Melrose since the Saugus Senior Center has been closed,” Saugus Veteran Services Officer Jay Pinette says. “The pantry provides a mix of fresh produce and non-perishable foods. The pantry is open to Veterans and/or surviving spouses. Registration is required and may be done by contacting the Veterans Services Office.” “The food market is generally held at the Saugus Senior Center, but given the current COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently offering a contact-free, drive-thru food pantry at Memorial Hall on Main Street in Melrose. If you are unable to pick-up, some limited deliveries may be available. This offering is year round. Please call the Saugus Veterans’ Service Office at 781-231-4010 or e-mail VeteransServices@ saugus-ma.gov in order to register. Proof of Veteran status is required.” Helping the Vet During these challenging times, your local Veterans’ Service Officers (VSOs) would like to share some information on a benefit program that is available to those who qualify. If you are a Veteran or the surviving spouse of a Veteran, the “Chapter 115 Benefits Program” is a Massachusetts state initiative that provides financial aid for Veterans and/or their surviving spouses who reside in Massachusetts and meet certain income and asset guidelines. Benefits may include monthly ordinary benefits and/or payment/reimbursement for medical expenses. Whether you are laid off, in transition or living on a fixed income, the program is designed to provide short-term or longterm assistance as needed to provide relief. The program is overseen by the Massachusetts Department Veterans’ Services (DVS), which runs the program in partnership with local VSOs. Every town or district in Massachusetts has a VSO. VSOs assist Veterans and their dependents in learning about, applying for and receiving Chapter 115 benefits. VSOs can also help you in applying for other benefits and connecting with local resources. Your local VSO handles applications, obtains program approval from DVS and provides local benefits. The program is funded by a combination of state and local funds. DVS pays for 75% of the approved benefits and your city or town pays for 25%. There are income and asset limits for the program. As a general rule, income and asset requirements are: Family of 1 – monthly income less than $2,081and an asset limit of $5,000. Family of 2 – monthly income less than $2,818 and an asset limit of $9,800. To determine if you may be eligible for financial assistance through the Chapter 115 program, visit the following link and follow the instructions – https:// massvetben.org/ – or call your local VSO for more information. The VSOs are also able to help Veterans apply for Federal VA benefits and local benefits and provide food assistance monthly. For example, did you know that if you own a home and have a VA service–connected disability, you are eligible for a partial or full exemption of your property taxes? “Please contact your local Veterans’ Service Officer for more information on any of the services mentioned. We are all here to assist. We are regularly checking voicemails and emails as we continue to work remotely and in our offices throughout COVID-19.” Melrose: Karen Burke, 781-979-4186, kburke@cityofmelrose.org Wakefield: David Mangan, 781-246-6377, dmangan@wakefield.ma.us Saugus: Jay Pinette, 781-231-4010, jpinette@saugus-ma.gov Buy a brick to honor your vets “Veterans Buy-a-Brick Program. Due to the low number of orders and the uncertainty of how a Veterans Day ceremony will be allowed, the program will be extended until May. The installation of bricks will be during the Memorial Day ceremony. We will be contacting the people who have already purchased a brick. Any questions, please call 781-231-7995.” Side Door Pickup at the Saugus Public Library To help keep the building and staff warmer during the winter, the Saugus Public Library moved its Front Door Pickup service from Central Street to Taylor Street in mid-December. Patrons are required to place items on hold via the library’s online catalog and then, once notified that their item(s) are ready, schedule a pickup date. Pickup times remain the same: Tuesday: 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday: 10:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Thursday: 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. “In addition to the slight change in location, the library has made it easier for its patrons to retrieve their items. Instead of waiting for a librarian to place your item on the table, we’ll place all scheduled holds on a table in the Taylor Street hallway. All you’ll have to do is walk in (one at a time, please, and don’t forget to wear a mask!) and retrieve the bag with your name on it. The library also provides remote printing pickup and take & make crafts from the Taylor Street hallway.” THE SOUNDS OF SAUGUS | SEE PAGE 16

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