THE SOUNDS | FROM PAGE 19 Page 20 prepare students academically, socially and emotionally. A halfday option is not available. “Free, all-day kindergarten levels the playing fi eld and gives Saugus children all of the building blocks they need from day one,” said School Committee Member Ryan Fisher. Students must be fi ve years old by Aug. 31, 2022, in order to THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, MAY 20, 2022 enter kindergarten in the fall of 2022; there are no exceptions. For more information, please contact the Veterans Early Learning Center at 781-231-8166. Buy a brick to honor a Saugus veteran The Saugus War Monument Committee once again is sponsoring the Buy A Brick Program to honor all those who have served their country. If you MEDICARE PART B AND D INCOME-RELATED ADJUSTMENTS M ost Medicare beneficiaries pay the standard Part B premium. Medicare benefi ciaries may also pay a premium for Medicare Part D, which covers prescription drugs. The standard premium for Medicare Part B for 2022 is $170.10 per month. The average premium for a standalone Part D prescription drug plan for 2022 is $47.59 per month. Medicare recipients will pay higher Part B and Part D premiums if their income exceeds a certain amount. This is known as the Income-Related Monthly Adjusted Amount (IRMAA). In order to determine your 2022 Medicare Part A and B premiums, the Social Security Administration reviews the income on your 2020 tax return, not your 2021 return. Your 2023 Medicare premiums will be based upon your 2021 tax return. The number they review is called your modifi ed adjusted gross income. The 2022 Medicare Part A standard premium of $170.10 would increase to $238.10 if your 2020 modifi ed adjusted gross income was between $182,000 and $228,000 for a married fi ling joint income tax return. For a single person, the $238.10 premium kicks in for income between $91,000 and $114,000. Starting in 2020, the IRMAA is indexed to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index for Urban Consumers (CPI-U). The IRMAA income brackets were not previously indexed in this fashion. Over the last several years with sales of appreciated real estate investment property and stocks, many Medicare recipients have been assessed these higher Part A and Part B premiums. It pays to at least consider the impact that a significant capital gain will have on your Medicare premiums. It might make sense to split the sale of appreciated stock over a consecutive two-year period. For example, in December of one year and in January of the next year. Of course, economics and good financial strategies should always be kept in mind when determining when to sell any investment. Many of the capital gains realized on the sale of investment property have been so large in recent years, it is impossible to avoid the Medicare premium adjustment. The good news is that the Medicare premiums will drop in a following year based upon the tax return actually fi led two years earlier. For many, the increase in Medicare premiums is a oneyear deal. For those retirees with substantial income year after year, the increased premiums they will just have to live with. I suppose if a married couple has a modifi ed adjusted gross income of $182,000, an additional $68 per month in premiums is not too heavy of a price to pay. I fi nd that many Medicare recipients are surprised when they get the notice from Social Security informing them of the increase in premiums. It’s a good thing to keep in mind that higher income levels, regardless of the source, will result in greater Medicare premiums. 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), $200 for 8? X 8? brick (fi ve lines). Each line is a maximum 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 Sept. 15 to ensure the bricks will be ready for Veterans Day. Please contact Corinne Riley at 781-231-7995 for more information and applications. SHS Class of ’62 plans 60th reunion Leaders of the Saugus High School Class of 1962 would like you to “SAVE THE DATE.” Their 60th Class Reunion will be held on Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022, from 1 to 5 p.m. at Prince Pizzeria in Saugus. They are reaching out to contact fellow classmates as well as other alumni who would like to join them. The well-known 50’s and 60’s music group of Howie Conley will be there for musical enjoyment. Those of you who have heard them know what a performance they put on. There will be pizza and salad combinations plus soft drinks. The price includes all you can eat, tax and gratuities — plus Howie Conley’s group — and is $29 per person. There is a bar available for wine, beer and mixed drinks. There is no need to purchase tickets at this time. Please let one of the people listed below know of your interest either by a phone call or a text message so that you can be easily reached when the time draws near. No commitment is necessary. They are just exploring the number of interested classmates. Donna “Cann” Olivera — 781987-4308 Jonni “Giantonio” Matrona — 781-439-4200 Janice “Cristiano” Pomeroy — 617-512-2097 Larry Seavers — 704-906-2606 Food pantry seeking driver volunteers The Saugus United Parish Food Pantry seeks volunteers to make food and bread pickups on Thursdays and Fridays from 7:30 to 9 a.m. Anyone who has the time and interest to help out should contact Jeff Hirtle at 781922-0661. The food pantry operates out of the basement at Cliftondale Congregational Church at 50 Essex St. in Saugus. Friday morning Legion Hall breakfasts continue Here’s some great news for people who enjoy their Friday morning breakfasts at the Saugus American Legion Cpl Scott J. Procopio Post 210. Legion Hall (located at 44 Taylor St.) will continue its Friday breakfasts through the last Friday in May of 2022. The buff et breakfast is served at 8 a.m. for a donation of $7. Bon app?tit! And good luck to the Kitchen Crew. Looking for book donations The New Friends of the Saugus Public Library are asking for donations of gently used adult hardcover and softcover fiction for the ongoing book sale in the Community Room. They would also appreciate donations of gently used children’s books. Please limit donations at this time to only fi ction and children’s books; they do not have storage space for other genres or media. Please... clean and newer books only. No tattered pages, bad odors, stains or dirty covers! Books may be dropped off at the Main Circulation Desk during business hours. Please do not place donations in the outdoor book drops. Want to be a Knight? The Knights of Columbus is looking for new members to join. If you are interested in becoming a member of this local organization, please call 781233-9858. Healthy Students-Healthy Saugus (Editor’s Note: The following info is from an announcement submitted by Julie Cicolini, a member of the Board of Directors for Healthy Students-Healthy Saugus.) Who we are: Healthy Students-Healthy Saugus (HS2) is a nonprofi t group of volunteers who are helping to off set food insecurity in households. HS2 provides students/families who enroll in the program a supply of nutritious food for when school lunches and breakfasts are unavailable to them on weekends. How HS2 can help you: HS2 bags are distributed at school on Fridays to take home. Bags include such items as peanut butter, jelly, a loaf of bread, canned meals/soups/tuna/vegetables, pasta/sauce, fruit cups, cereal, oatmeal, goldfi sh, pretzels and granola bars. To sign up go here to complete online form: https:// forms.gle/gmMGguycSHBdziuE9 Want to partner with us: HS2 relies on donations to create take-home bags for a weekend full of meals. All food is provided to children free of charge. It is our hope these resources will support the health, behavior and achievement of every student who participates. We would love to partner with organizations, youth groups, PTO’s, businesses and individuals to assist in feeding students of Saugus. To learn more about how you can partner with us, visit the Healthy Students-Healthy Saugus Facebook page or email us at HS2Saugus@gmail.com Checks can also be sent directly to: Salem Five C/O Healthy Students-Healthy Saugus, 855-5 Broadway, Saugus, MA 01906. Online donations can also be made at: https://givebutter.com/HealthySaugus Food Pantry still open The Saugus United Parish Food Pantry continues 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 pre-bagged 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 located in the basement of Cliftondale Congregational Church at 50 Essex St. in Saugus. Let’s hear it! Got an idea, passing thought or gripe you would like to share with The Saugus Advocate? I’m always interested in your feedback. It’s been six years since I began work at The Saugus Advocate. I’m always interested in hearing readers’ suggestions for possible stories or good candidates for “The Advocate Asks” interview of the week. Feel free to email me at mvoge@comcast.net. Do you have some interesting views on an issue that you want to express to the community? Submit your idea. If I like it, we can meet for a 15to 20-minute interview over a hot drink at a local coff ee shop. And I’ll buy the coff ee or tea. Or, if you prefer to continue practicing social distancing and be interviewed from the safety of your home on the phone or via email, I will provide that option to you as the nation recovers from the Coronavirus crisis. If it’s a nice day and the temperature is 50 degrees or better, my preferred site for a coff ee and interview would be the picnic area of the Saugus Iron Works.
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