Page 6 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – Friday, May 15, 2020 Making ancestors more accessible Saugus Boy Scout begins Eagle Scout project to document the departed in town’s cemeteries By Mark E. Vogler ies more accessible to famS eventeen-year-old Nick Finnie plans to make the names of everyone buried at the town’s two cemeterily members and genealogical researchers who are trying to locate them. As part of a service project for his Eagle Scout badge, Finnie has orSABATINO INSURANCE AGENCY Call for a Quote 617-387-7466 Or email Rocco@sabatino-ins.com We cover: * Auto * Home * Boat * Renter * Condo * Life * Multi-Policy Discounts * Commercial 10% Discounts * Registry Service Also Available ganized a unique work party of fellow Boy Scouts from Troop 62 and family members who will use their cell phones this weekend to go out and snap photos of every grave marker. “I am planning on documenting as many headstones as possible in both Riverside Cemetery and the Old Parish Cemetery in Saugus Center,” Finnie told The Saugus Advocate. “We will be using a smartphone app called BillionGraves. With the help of volunteers, we will be photographing headstones in each of the cemeteries. Once the headstone is photographed, the volunteer will make sure that all the information is readable, the photo will be saved and the location GPS tagged within the cemetery,” http://www.sabatino-ins.com SABATINO 564 Broadway Everett, MA 02149 617-387-7466 Hours of Operation are: Mondays - Fridays 9am to 5pm Saturdays by appointment only J& • Reliable Mowing Service • Spring & Fall Cleanups • Mulch & Edging • Sod or Seed Lawns • Shrub Planting & Trimming • Water & Sewer Repairs Joe Pierotti, Jr. he said. “When the volunteers get home at the end of the day, they will connect to their home Wi-Fi to upload all of the images they took to the BillionGraves website to be used by families and genealogy researchers,” he said. Finnie’s goal is to be able to document all of the readable headstones in both cemeteries by Sunday afternoon. But he said he’s prepared to extend further into the week if necessary to complete the project. Project influenced by COVID-19 Finnie, who is finishing his junior year at Essex North Shore Agricultural & Technical School in the Landscape S LANDSCAPE & MASONRY CO. Masonry - Asphalt • Brick or Block Steps • Brick or Block Walls • Concrete or Brick Paver Patios & Walkways • Brick Re-Pointing • Asphalt Paving www.JandSlandscape-masonry.com • Senior Discount • Free Estimates • Licensed & Insured 617-389-1490 SHOWING HOW IT’S DONE: Nick Finnie of Saugus Boy Scout Troop 62 demonstrates how volunteers will use their cell phones tomorrow (Saturday) and Sunday to document the names of about 5,000 people buried in Riverside Cemetery. His Eagle Scout service project will also have volunteers working in the Old Parish Cemetery in Saugus Center. Designing and Constructing Ideas that are “Grounds for Success” Landscaping OVERCOMING A CORONAVIRUS CHALLENGE: The outbreak of COVID-19 spoiled Nick Finnie’s first Eagle Scout service project. But the member of Saugus Boy Scout Troop 62 has a new one that’s doable, provided he follows social distancing: documenting the names of everyone buried in the town’s two cemeteries (Courtesy photos to The Saugus Advocate) and Design program, said he initially had another service project in mind. He had actually begun a project at the Saugus Senior Center that involved some construction work. “I was just starting the initial phases of that when the pandemic rolled on in. That idea then hit a brick wall,” Finnie said. “A week into the quarantine, my scout master, John Kane, gave me a call. He told me about an app called BillionGraves. I read through it and talked through some details with my dad,” he said. Finnie’s dad – Chris Finnie – is an adult leader of Troop 62 who worked closely with his son in the project’s planning. Finnie then filled out the Boy Scout proposal paperwork for the service project and contacted Cemetery Superintendent John A. Falasca III. After several conversations, the Eagle Scout candidate was able to obtain the required beneficiary and troop committee approval signatures. Then he approached the local council for review and approval. Once the council approved the project, Finnie began the planning. “The benefits of this project is that by cataloging all ANCESTORS | SEE PAGE 7
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