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THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, April 25, 2025 Page 17 SOUNDS | FROM PAGE 15 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 someone from your family, school, etc., the general pricing is $100 for a 4” x 8” brick (three lines) or $200 for a 8” x 8” brick (five lines). Each line has a maxBEACON | FROM PAGE 16 “HERSTORY” PHOTO EXHIBsor Sen. Pat Jehlen (D-Somerville). “Older people are the fastest group of unhoused people, and among the most likely victims of scams.” LIQUOR LICENSE SUSPENSION (H 390) – Current law suspends the liquor license of and closes down for a period of time, any package store that is found guilty of selling to a minor or an intoxicated individual. However, in big box stores, supermarkets, gas stations and other places in which liquor sales are not their primary business, a violation results only in the closing of the liquor department. A bill, sponsored by Rep. Steven Howitt (R-Seekonk) and heard by the Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure Committee, would amend current law so that the entire establishment is closed down. Supporters said current law creates an unfair disadvantage to the liquor stores and argued the bill levels the playing field. “As licenses to sell alcohol have expanded into big box stores and supermarkets, the small, in most cases, family owned ‘packies’ have suffered,” said Howitt. “If any liquor store is caught selling to a minor, they may face closure for a few days, not the case for liquor-selling big box stores, gas stations and supermarkets. Should this occur in one of these retailers, only the alcohol department is shut down for a suspension period.” Howitt continued, “This bill would shut down the whole business, just as a liquor store. It would also ensure that these big stores would be mindful, as small liquor stores are, that this is serious business, not just a small additional merchandise department in their stores.” IT HONORING TRAILBLAZING WOMEN - Senate President Karen Spilka (D-Ashland) announced the opening of HERstory, a photo exhibit honoring 91 trailblazing women who have shaped the history of Massachusetts and the nation. The exhibit will be open from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Fridays, in Spilka’s ceremonial office on the third floor of the Massachusetts Statehouse, directly outside the Senate Chamber. Photos include Phillis Wheatley, the first African American author of a published book of poetry and a strong supporter of America’s fight for independence; Frances Perkins, workers’ rights advocate and the first woman to serve in a presidential cabinet; Elberta Futrelle Copeland, the first woman publisher of the State House News Service and first woman to step foot on the floor of the Massachusetts House of Representatives;Margaret Marshall, anti-apartheid activist and the first woman to serve as Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court; Kitty Dukakis, longest-serving First Lady of Massachusetts and advocate for mental health and Holocaust awareness; and Therese Murray the first woman to be elected Senate president. These photos replace the current hanging photos of past Senate presidents going back to 1780. The most recent presidents still have their portraits hanging in the Senate Reading Room including former Senate Presidents Therese Murray, Bill Bulger, Tom Birmingham, Kevin Harrington and Bob Travaglini. “Massachusetts residents have always been dynamic and diverse, but our Statehouse art imum 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 September 10 to ensure the bricks will be ready for Veterans Day. Please contact Corinne Riley at 781-231-7995 for more information and applications. C.H.a.R.M. Center reopens tomorrow The Town of Saugus Solid Waste/Recycling Department announced that the Center for Hard to Recycle Materials (C.H.a.R.M.) is open for the season and has resume normal operational hours of Wednesdays and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. The C.H.a.R.M. Center is located at 515 Main St., Saugus, behind the Saugus Department has failed to fully represent them,” said Spilka. “It is our responsibility to make sure every resident can see themselves in the halls of power, regardless of their background. I hope that when women walk into this office, they know that they have a place in this building— and in shaping Massachusetts’ future. I’m so excited to be able to share this with residents, visitors and staff who come to the Statehouse.” QUOTABLE QUOTES “This project underscores Massport’s strong commitment to sustainability and reinforces our responsibility to minimize our environmental footprint across all of our facilities as we work toward achieving our Net Zero goal. Transforming this underutilized land at Worcester Regional Airport into one of the largest solar fields in the state is a win for the environment, a win for the community and a smart step toward a more resilient future.” --- Massport CEO Rich Davey announcing a new partnership with Kearsarge Solar to construct and operate a 20-megawatt solar field at Worcester Regional Airport. “By creating more opportunities for equitable access to high demand fields, we can grow the health care workforce at a rate that meets the needs of Massachusetts residents. Our strategy for improving access to higher education is intimately linked with our goal meeting workforce needs and I am grateful to our community colleges for continuing to partner with us on expanding pathways to success through higher education and training for our learners.” ---Education Secretary Dr. Patrick Tutwiler announcing that $9.7 million has been awarded through the Commuof Public Works. Residents are welcome to use the C.H.a.R.M. Center for their recycling needs. Saugus was the first municipality in Massachusetts to open a C.H.a.R.M. Center. The C.H.a.R.M. Center accepts the following items at no cost to residents: · Bottles and cans · Paper and cardboard · Scrap metal · Shoes, clothes and other texnity College Nursing Grant to expand workforce training in critical health care professions across Massachusetts. This funding will support noncredit Certified Nursing Assistant and Medical Assistant training programs at each of the state’s 15 public community colleges, serving approximately 1,125 students in the state. “At its core, this bill is about investing in and strengthening our public higher education system by bringing educator salaries in line with the national average. It ensures that every student—regardless of background—learns in a classroom supported by educators and staff who are respected and fairly compensated.” --- Senator Pavel Payano (D-Lawrence) on his bill to provide fair compensation for faculty and staff at the state’s public colleges and universities. “No child should ever experience abuse or neglect. Today’s event serves as an important reminder to look beyond the statistics. Behind every number is a story of a child that is experiencing harm and it’s on us to ensure that we’re speaking up against abuse of all kinds, but especially when it’s against our most vulnerable.” ---Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll at an event, sponsored by Children’s Trust, which is dedicated to ending child abuse and neglect in Massachusetts. The event called attention to Child Abuse Prevention Month and emphasized the urgent need to invest in the family support workforce. The annual Step Up for Kids event featured a display of 70 children’s shoes on the steps of the Grand Staircase at the Statehouse, each pair representing the average number of children confirmed as abused or neglected every day in Massachusetts. tiles · Fluorescent light bulbs and batteries (button and rechargeable) Residents are also permitted the free disposal of three TVs or computers/CRT monitors per household each year at the C.H.a.R.M. Center. Residents can obtain new stickers for this year free of THE SOUNDS | SEE PAGE 18 HOW LONG WAS LAST WEEK’S SESSION? Beacon Hill Roll Call tracks the length of time that the House and Senate were in session each week. Many legislators say that legislative sessions are only one aspect of the Legislature’s job and that a lot of important work is done outside of the House and Senate chambers. They note that their jobs also involve committee work, research, constituent work and other matters that are important to their districts. Critics say that the Legislature does not meet regularly or long enough to debate and vote in public view on the thousands of pieces of legislation that have been filed. They note that the infrequency and brief length of sessions are misguided and lead to irresponsible late-night sessions and a mad rush to act on dozens of bills in the days immediately preceding the end of an annual session. During the week of April 1418, the House met for a total of ten minutes while the Senate met for a total of 16 minutes. Mon. April 14House11:00 a.m. to 11:03a.m. Senate 11:09 a.m. to 11:18a.m. Tues.April 15No House session No Senate session Wed. April 16No House session. No Senate session Thurs. April 17House11:00 a.m. to 11:07a.m. Senate 11:05 a.m. to 11:12a.m. Fri. April 18No House session No Senate session Bob Katzen welcomes feedback at bob@beaconhillrollcall.com Bob founded Beacon Hill Roll Call in 1975 and was inducted into the New England Newspaper and Press Association (NENPA) Hall of Fame in 2019.

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