THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – Friday, May 17, 2019 Page 15 ASKS | from page 11 to him and we started talking to David. And he said, “Yeah, I’ll help you out with this to get the marble,” so that was pretty big, too. Q: During the three years you’ve been working on the Civil War burial plot, you got quite a bit accomplished. A: Yes. We got the work on the plaques and the posts; the wall repointed; on the flag staff, we have a replica of the flag that flew over Fort Sumter with the 33 stars. We decided to do that because that was the first battle of the Civil War. We also got a sign placed in there talking about that. And getting the cannonballs back to replace the ones stolen years ago was RATES | from page 1 Selectmen approved sewer rate increase over the past three years of 7.5 percent (Fiscal 2017), 2.5 percent (Fiscal 2018) and 10 percent (Fiscal 2019). There are 8,500 sewer connections in Saugus. Selectmen received a rate analysis report from the Abrahams Group, with the rate increase based upon a five-year period. The consultants’ report also included the latest sewer capital plan: • $2.3 million for Lincoln Avenue Lift Station Improvements in Fiscal 2020. That includes $1.1 million in conventional borrowing at 4.5 percent interest, $1.2 million State Revolving Fund (SRF) 2 percent financing. • $2.35 million for Sewer Rehabilitation in FY 2021 – all but $500,000 via 2 percent financing. • $40,000 for new mini-excavator in FY 2021, conventionally borrowed at 4.5 percent interest. huge. The Historical Society showed us a photo of the cannonballs that dates back to the 1890s – I would say – which showed they were part of the burial plot. Q: Boy, the grass in the burial plot area really looks nice and green. A: Thanks to the sprinkler we had put in there. The place was a total mess when I started the project: nothing but weeds; then there were the bushes in front of the entrance that were hiding all that artwork. Q: How much did this whole project cost? A: About $12,000 from donations. Q: And you got a little help from Tom Brady, too – right! A: Yeah. An autographed photo of Brady definitely helped. We raised $7,000 to $8,000 from that raffle [talking of the autographed photograph of star quarterback Tom Brady donated by the New England Patriots which was in a Super Bowl collage]. Q: Anything else that you would like to share? A: Hope people stop by and take a look at what our Civil War Cemetery plot looks like. I think they will be proud of what we did. So, I hope I see a lot of people down there. Q: And I guess this would be a great place for gravestone rubbings. A: Now it would be. I remember a few years ago somebody down here trying to do it. The engraving on the plaques was so worn, they said they couldn’t do it. Q: Perhaps you’re hoping that some neat school social studies or history research project would evolve from all of this restoration? A: Yes. I’d love to see kids come down here, gather the names and go back and look them up on their computers. It would be great for them to research the stories behind these men: where they served and where they fought, or find out what ships the sailors were on. Q: I guess from all of the time you have spent researching the 25 soldiers, you know more about them than the average Saugus resident. A: I guess. Q: Well, what’s the most interesting thing you know about these soldiers and sailors? A: One guy’s regiment fought in several major battles: Gettysburg, Antietam, Cold Harbor. And these guys served in units in New York, Vermont, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Maine. They served all over, but they were living in Saugus and they died here, and they were able to go into that lot. Many of them settled in Saugus and lived here for years before passing on. Some of them died in ’67 or ’68, a few years after the war ended (1865), so I wonder if they died of their wounds. Anyway, people can now go into Riverside Cemetery and read the names of the Civil War soldiers and sailors who are buried in this plot. • $85,000 for new truck in FY 2021, conventionally borrowed at 4.5 percent interest. • $2 million for water replacement program and meter reading vehicle in FY 2022, conventionally borrowed at 4.5 percent interest with Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) funding a possibility. The town was forced to make major improvements in the sewer system after years of dumping into the Saugus River, according to Town Manager Scott C. Crabtree. Previous administrations, the town manager said, had “cut out a lot of preventative maintenance.” Crabtree recalled that when he was on the Board of Selectmen, “nobody mentioned about sewer rates.” There were candidates that actually ran on the platform that they never raised the rates, he said. “We’re writing a wrong for years of neglect,” Selectman Scott Brazis said. Everett Aluminum 10 Everett Ave., Everett 617-389-3839 Owned & operated by the Conti family since 1958 • 57 Years! “Same name, phone number & address for family since 1958 • 61 over half a century. We must be doing something right!” •Vinyl Siding •Free Estimates •Carpentry Work •Fully Licensed •Decks •Roof • Fully Insured • Replacement Windows www.everettaluminum.com •Roo ng Now’s the time to schedule those home improvement projects you’ve been dreaming about all winter! Looking for a home loan? WE ’RE HERE TO DO RIGHT BY YOU . 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