Page 12 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, MAy 3, 2024 The Sounds of Saugus By Mark E. Vogler Good morning, Saugus This year’s Annual Town Meeting season gets underway on Monday night, beginning with a Special Town Meeting that features 11 articles on the warrant – 10 of them financial. It’s anticipated that Town Meeting members will be able to consider a handful of articles from the warrant of the Annual Town Meeting at the conclusion of the Special Town Meeting. That’s providing the 11 articles for the special session are reviewed and approved without much difficulty or controversy. This will be my ninth consecutive year covering the 50-member body that serves as the legislative branch of Saugus town government. I took over as editor of The Saugus Advocate in March of 2016 and didn’t have much time for orientation that year. But I was able to relate to the process, having covered Saugus government for North Shore: Sunday for a five-and-a-half-year stretch (1987-92). During the course of my newspaper career, I’ve always enjoyed sitting in on a New England Town Meeting as a reporter. As editor of The Nantucket Beacon, I got to direct the news coverage of three Town Meeting sessions out on Nantucket Island during the period of 1993-95. And back in 1975, while a young reporter for the Portland Press Herald based out of Bridgton, Maine, I got to cover 11 Town Meetings in small communities in the Sebago Lake area. Some of these sessions were as much entertainment as news events. I remember covering the Town of Harrison meeting when the townspeople voted overwhelmingly to “go to jail rather than pay a penny toward the Cumberland County Civic Center.” After that headline, several other towns followed the example of Naples and voted “to go to jail …,” to the chagrin of the Cumberland County District Attorney, who felt my stories “encouraged” people in these small communities in the hinterland of the county to do something that he considered clearly illegal. But all of these towns were an hour or more away from Portland, where the new civic center would be built. And a lot of these country folks didn’t want to pay for something they would seldom use. Probably my best Town Meeting story came out of the town of Sweden, where two 90-year-old sisters led the charge against Central Maine Power, opposing a plan to locate some power lines across a local trout brook. What a treat it was covering all of these Maine Town Meetings. Some of them were allday deals on a Saturday, with the folks enjoying a potluck meal for lunch. I also covered a few Town Meeting sessions in Williamstown for The North Adams Transcript back in the late 1970s. Anyway, I have some fond and interesting memories of covering Town Meeting. And I’m sure that Saugus will provide a few good ones when I look back one day and reflect. This year’s Town Meeting season could prove to be a very interesting one in Saugus. For starters, there are 13 new members – many who are taking an active interest in this year’s proceedings. A few have even authored articles or collaborated with other members in developing some ideas for this year’s Town Meeting warrant. From all accounts I’ve heard, the mini-Town Meeting seminars at the Saugus Public Library instigated by Precinct 10 Town Meeting Member Peter Manoogian have provided the newcomers who attended – as well as the veterans who needed a refresher course in the budget process and the business of deliberating at Town Meeting sessions – a good body of knowledge that should make for a more productive session. Stay tuned. “Welcome to Cliftondale” begins tomorrow Hey, citizens of Saugus: If you are looking for something interesting to do this weekend, head over to The MEG Building at 54-58 Essex St. I predict that something historic, wonderful, informative and very beneficial to the community will happen tomorrow (Saturday, May 4) and Sunday when The MEG (Marleah E. Graves Foundation) hosts its “Welcome to Cliftondale” celebration from noon to 4 p.m. each day. “We will be highlighting Cliftondale by creating a ‘live’ museum featuring a replica of a school room in days gone by, a history of the building, photographs and memorabilia of yesteryear, and light refreshments,” declares the invitation I received this week. Janice Jarosz, who is the COMING ATTRACTION: Featured on Chronicle, Tony Gangi, along with his street organ, will appear at the Saugus Public Library on Monday, May 13, at 6:30 p.m. to share the music and the history of Italian immigrants and the melodious music they made. (Courtesy Photo to The Saugus Advocate) President of the Foundation, has created a historical look into the past for not only the school but the town with original documents, pictures and exhibits. Local merchants have been asked to participate to promote the Cliftondale area. It should be a very exciting event, and all are welcome. Light refreshments and raffles will be held during the event both days. While this event is sure to attract past and present Cliftondale residents, it’s really a great opportunity for Saugus residents of all ages and from all parts of town to learn a little Saugus history and some neat factual and folklore stories about the part of town once known as “the Cigar Capital of the Country.” And find out whether The MEG Building really is haunted by the ghosts of some of the characters who made Cliftondale famous. Saugus High Drama Club performs May 2-4 The Saugus High School Drama Club will perform “Working, A Musical” on three consecutive nights – May 2 through May 4 at 7 p.m. in the Lemoine-Mitchell Auditorium. Admission is $15 for adults and $10 for students. The musical is from the book by Studs Terkel and adapted by Stephen Schwartz and Nina Faso. Learn the about the legacy of Prankers Pond – May 8 The Saugus Historical Society has an interesting program lined up this month, according to President Laura Eisener. Saugus industrialist Edward Pranker, the legacy of Prankers Pond and his monument at Riverside will be the subject of a mini-symposium at 30 Main St. at 7 p.m. on May 8. Saugus Town Meeting Member Ron Wallace of Precinct 5 has been cleaning up the monument of Edward Pranker at Riverside Cemetery, as he has done with some other gravestones of notable Saugonians. Edward Pranker’s name may be known from the mill buildings at the intersection of Elm Street and Central Street, and from the recreation area where the remnants of the pond are located. Hear the rest of the story: where Pranker came from, how the mill became so significant in Saugus development and how the pond changed in size and affected the landscape over the years. The “Old Sachem,” Bill Stewart, worked in the mills when he graduated from high school and will speak of his experiences there. Park Ranger Paul Kenworthy will explain the changes in the landscape from the 17th century to the present as the pond known as Lily Pond and Prankers Pond changed size due to dams being built and torn down over the years. Saugus Democrats meet Wednesday Lin Bell, Secretary of the Saugus Democratic Town Committee, says the group’s next meeting will take place Wednesday (May 8) at 7:30 p.m. on the second floor of the Saugus Public Safety Building (27 Hamilton St. in Saugus). “We hope you join us to supTHE SOUNDS | SEE PAGE 13
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