THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – Friday, May 22, 2020 Page 11 The Savings Bank donates headbands to local healthcare workers W AKEFIELD – To celebrate Nurses Week, and to honor all who work on the frontlines at local hospitals, The Savings Bank (TSB) has donated 500 headbands to healthcare workers to help ease ear pain and pressure caused by the elastic on their masks. The headbands include two buttons that the healthcare workers can use to wrap the elastic around instead of their ears. The special headbands, with the buttons sewn by TSB staff, have been donated to five area hospitals and medical centers that service communities in the Bank’s territory: Holy Family, Lawrence General, Lahey, Winchester, and MelroseWakefield Hospitals. “During the week of May 4th , we wanted to exSeveral employees of The Savings Bank and their family members recently sewed buttons on 500 headbands that were donated to local health care workers at five area hospitals and medical centers. Project participants included (from left to right) Emma Dannenberg, eBanking Assistant Lauri Dannenberg, Marketing Coordinator Ally Houghton, eBanking Manager Paula Pustorino and Floating Banking Assistant Manager Debbie Young. Marketing Administrator Sue Brennan also worked on the project. through 8th press our gratitude, not only to nurses during Nurses Week, but to all frontline heroes in our hospitals,” said TSB President/CEO Bob DiBella. “Many of our staff have family members or friends who are healthcare workers who are providing an extraordinary service during this global pandemic. Through news reports and the relaying of firsthand information, we became aware of the need for this relief, and wanted to do our small part to add comfort to their day…At the same time, I couldn’t be prouder of the TSB staff who spearheaded this effort and spent countless hours sewing the buttons on these headbands. Despite being challenged in continuing to serve the public and customers, our employees wanted to do something more to help the frontline nurses.” In addition to the special headbands, TSB presented each hospital with pins that convey a message of appreciation from The Savings Bank. The pins will be delivered to other frontline heroes, including local police and fire departments, along with a thank you note from TSB. Saugus gardens in the pandemic Here’s what’s blooming in town this week to make your walks more enjoyable By Laura Eisener L ooking around town this week, it is the first time that most deciduous trees and shrubs – those that lose their leaves in winter – are not immediately easy to distinguish from evergreen ones. This is because on many species the leaves have grown, if not to full size, at least large enough that you can recognize their shapes. Finally it feels as if summer, and perhaps some happier times, are just around the corner. This Monday is when we observe Memorial Day, and while we won’t be having the parades and other gatherings that usually mark this holiday, we can still remember the debt we owe to veterans. We might still be reminded that one reason this date was chosen is that it is likely to have mild weather and many blooming things, so graves of veterans could be decorated with flowers. It was often in fact called Decoration Day, as the graves would be decorated with patriotic emblems, such as flags, but also wreaths of flowers, and the more enduring floral tributes of shrubs and trees. Those planted around monuments are often chosen for their ornamental qualities, but sometimes for symbolic ones as well. Evergreens are popular not only because they are attractive during our long winters but because they symbolize continuous remembrance. Plants that flower around MeHINO-CRIMSON AZALEA: Those walking or driving through Saugus Center this week will surely notice the bright red rounded shrub near the Civil War Monument. Courtesy Photos to The Saugus Advocate by Laura Eisener) morial Day are often chosen because they form a beautiful backdrop for patriotic observances. It won’t surprise most people to find that plants that can “do it all” – keep their leaves through a New England winter and also put forth flowers in the spring – are much in demand at this time. Especially popular in parks, monument plantings and residential gardens are the Hiryu azaleas and other evergreen azalea varieties. Hiryu (pronounced hearyou) is a Japanese word meaning flying dragon. Dragons are very popular in Japan, where these azaleas originally came from, and the name flying dragon was used for a kind of World War II bomber, a World War II Japanese aircraft carrier and presently a popular video game character. Hiryu azaleas are among the easiest evergreen flowering plants to maintain, and they have been used in hybridizing many popular varieties of evergreen azalea. In Japan, red is a very popular color as it represents happiness and good luck, and some of the most popular varieties of evergreen azalea have red flowers. Hinocrimson is one variety which has long been popular in the United States as well. Its leaves are about an inch long and while they do stay on all winter, they are often more bronze or even reddish than green in cold weather. Flower buds are formed almost 11 months before they bloom, so pruning at the right time (just after the flowers fade) is important if FLOWERS FOR MEMORIAL DAY: Some smaller square Hinocrimsons are in bloom at the DeFranzo Island of Hope in Oaklandvale, across from the VFW on Main Street. THE EVERGREEN CANDYTUFT: It is in snowy bloom at the base of the World War II monument at the Lynnhurst School. you wish to avoid cutting off the buds for the following season. The dense growth makes these good choices for pruning in hedges and topiary, and you often find these types of azalea pruned tightly into rounded or even squared off shapes. Those walking or driving through Saugus Center this week will surely notice the bright red rounded shrub near GARDENS | SEE PAGE 16
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