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THE SOUNDS | FROM PAGE 9 Page 10 copies of their books “Murder at Breakheart Hill Farm” and “Breakheart Reservation” for sale. The Historical Society is still looking for anyone willing to help serve shortcakes for a short time during the festival day. A few table spaces for vendors are still available. For additional information, please contact Laura Eisener by phone (791-231-5988) or email (LDELD@shore.net). Adult Coloring Group at Library Denise Hills, the reference librarian at the Saugus Public Library, says the library is looking for some creative Saugus senior citizens to join the library’s continuing Adult Coloring Group. “It’s a great opportunity to take time to unwind, be creative, and have fun,” Denise wrote in an email this week. “No experience necessary! We have pencils and coloring pages ready and waiting … See you there! Spaces limited, please call to register 781-231-4168 X 16.” Anyone interested should plan on heading to the library next Wednesday (June 8) at 10 a.m., at 295 Central St., Saugus, Brooks Room (2nd fl oor). A half century of newspaper journalism Sometime in the fall, I will have reached the 50-year mark of my newspaper career. It was back in 1972 during my sophomore year at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst that I began working weekends and part-time for the Northampton Bureau of The Springfi eld Union. It was a great situation to be in, as by the time I graduated in 1974, I already had two years of professional reporting experience under my belt — including a portfolio of page one byline stories for one of the largest daily newspapers in Massachusetts. Now, nearly 50 years later, I’m still writing stories while many of my college friends and associates who started out in the newspaper business are long gone. Not sure when I’ll be joining them in retirement, whether it’s going to be fi ve more months or fi ve more years. I guess my personal health and/or the fi - nancial health of the newspaper business will help to determine that retirement date. Tough days are ahead for the newspaper business. Many papers are going from print to an online format. Not sure I want to have any part of that. If and when that time THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, JUNE 3, 2022 comes, I’ll probably be doing something else. I never did aspire to become a Facebook or social media scribe. I’ve had to adapt to a lot of technological changes in my career since I broke in on the portable typewriter and skilled wordsmiths set the type. At the Northampton bureau, I pasted my typewritten pages together, put it in a plastic sleeve and inserted it into a machine that essentially photographed my story and transmitted it over a phone line to Springfield, where the typesetters took over. In my fi rst job after college (the Bridgton correspondent for the Portland Press Herald), I handed my typed stories and fi lm in an envelope to a courier who dropped them off in Portland. If I had to fi le a story on deadline, I dictated my story over the telephone to a rewrite man in Portland. For a few years, I had to work with an IBM Selectric typewriter that typed codes along with the letters and fed the story into a computer. That was a royal pain, because you had to write flawless, error-free stories and had to use a lot of whiteout for when you did make mistakes. While working at the Williamsburg, Va., bureau for the Newport News Daily Press, I got to fi le stories online by going on the teletype machine. It was sometime in the early 1980s when I got to work on various computers as they evolved. Some of them were portable and hooked up to a telephone and were the size of suitcases, not as compact as the laptops that reporters use nowadays. These days, I prefer to use my Dell two-in-one desktop computer over the laptop. I’d rather use a legal pad to take notes while the young reporters these days enjoy their laptops and writing the stories on deadline as they cover their night meetings. Oh, how the world of newspapering has changed dramatically over my five decades as a reporter. And sadly, how the newspaper staff s that once had education reporters, court reporters, police reporters, environmental reporters, business reporters and City Hall or Town Hall reporters working their own beats now have fewer people handling more reporting responsibilities — and spread way too thin. They call it progress. I call it the demise of the newspaper business. Wayne’s weight loss People around Saugus keep asking how my older brother Wayne — the retired school teacher living in a Swansea assisted living residence — is doing. I’m happy to report that Wayne continues to shed the pounds in a healthy way and has fi nally dropped under the 300 pound mark, thanks to the collaborative efforts of his primary care physician — Dr. Mark A. Ringiewicz of Swansea — and his nutritionist, Dr. Jessica Inwood of Fall River. A few weeks ago, I took Wayne for his quarterly appointment at Dr. Inwood’s offi ce. “I think you crushed it!” Dr. Jessica told my brother, refl ecting on his latest progress in the battle of the waistline. Wayne weighed in at 296.6, which is still heavy — but a heck of a lot lighter than the 377 he weighed back on Oct. 5, 2020, at Dr. Ringiewicz. Not wanting to see my brother’s weight balloon into 400, I requested Dr. R. to refer him to a nutritionist and see if there was any way to reverse the unhealthy trend. Twenty months later, Dr. Jessica is confi dent that Wayne’s been doing a great job at it. “He’s lost over 20 percent of his starting weight,” she noted at his last appointment. Whatever she’s doing, it is working. Her strategy is to get rid of the carbohydrates and get him to focus on proteins, with not as much emphasis on the fat. Cutting out the pasta, bread, high-sugar foods and drinks, potatoes, dairy products and pastries seems to be working wonders for Wayne as he moves toward his target weight goal of 270 — a weight he probably hasn’t seen since his high school/ college football days when he played off ensive lineman. But I still have to play the heavy and make sure Wayne doesn’t go off of his diet and squander the great health gains he’s made. Stay tuned. Want to help make a better Library? The Saugus Board of Selectmen is accepting applications for appointments to the Saugus Library Board of Trustees. This is a volunteer/nonpaid position for Saugus residents. Those interested may submit a letter of interest/resume no later than June 1 to the Saugus Board of Selectmen, Saugus Town Hall, 298 Central Street, Suite 4, Saugus, MA 01906. Compost site now open The community’s compost site will be open to residents on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. The site is located behind the Department of Public Works at 515 Main St. Stickers are required to gain seasonal access to the site. Stickers may be purchased for $25.00 at the Department of Public Works (DPW) located at the Compost Site when making your visit to the Compost Site. The Town of Saugus accepts checks only for payment of the $25.00. No cash will be accepted. Kindly bring a check when visiting. Thank you! Compost site stickers must be permanently placed on the lower left corner of residents’ automobile windshields. Vehicles registered out of state are not permitted. Yard waste must be disposed of in brown compost bags or open containers. The Town will accept grass clippings, leaves and brush. As in years past, no branches or limbs larger than three inches in diameter are permitted. We ask all residents to please wear a mask and maintain and respect social distancing from others while visiting the site. Residents may call Lorna Cerbone at the Solid Waste and Recycling Department at 781231-4036 with questions or for more information. We have a winner! Congratulations to Louise Rees for making the right identification in last week’s “Guess Who Got Sketched” contest. She was one of several readers answering correctly, but she was the only one to have her name picked in a drawing from the green Boston Red Sox cap. Here’s the correct answer, offered by the person who goes by the name of The Sketch Artist: “The answer to last week’s sketch is of a woman who made History! Billie Jean Farrell ‘BJ’ is an exceptionally remarkable woman and First woman Commander of the USS Constitution! “Commander BJ of the USS Constitution, our fi rst woman of the ship in all its 224- years of Old Ironsides history! “Cheers for the foresight of Retired U.S. Navy Captain Steve Castinetti, for booking ahead of schedule for Commander BJ Farrell! “Commander BJ graciously accepted to be our Saugus Memorial Day parade Grand Marshal and Keynote speaker! “Saugus Advocate Editor Mark E. Vogler covered Commander ‘BJ’ Farrell in two articles, one in March 11 ‘A Oncein-a-lifetime-event’ article front page & page 15 and May 27th ‘Rain or Shine, history will be made’ page 3 & 6. “Both of these articles cover Commander Billie Jean’s Biography and her incredible high achievements and accomplishments. Stated in the May 27th article page 6 ‘Farrell’s awards include two Meritorious Service Medals, four Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals and three Meritorious Unit Commendation medals. “May 28th presented itself with heavy overcast skies, but not a drop fell, and many people came out to greet The Commander of the USS Constitution as our Grand Marshal of our 2022 Memorial Day Parade! “Many commented on how beautiful Commander Billie Jean ‘BJ’ Farrell is! “Commander Farrell spoke at the Memorial Service as Keynote speaker and she briefed us on her resume & background. She spoke of a time when 911 struck America and where she was in that moment where time froze… (She was a Junior in class studying at the Academy; a moment in time forever blazoned in her mind and a forging of steel strength protection for America formed with her and her classmates.) The Memorial Service honored those who gave it All in playing of bagpipes, Military and rifle salutes, a beautiful memorable service! It was a nice touch for those of recently passed loved ones to ring a bell in memory of a loved one’s passing; an added note of closure for those hearts grieving. “Commander Farrell is a lighthouse beacon, paving the way for our USS Constitution! “Thank you! “Congratulations for making history with all your high achievements and hard work! “Much success to you! “Yours Truly, “The Sketch Artist” Disco Dance party at the Kowloon The Kowloon Restaurant is set to host an outdoor Disco Dance Party featuring The Cover Girls performing live in concert. The event is set at the Kowloon’s outdoor venue on June 18 (rain date June 19) — Route 1 North in Saugus. Showtime is 7 p.m., and doors open at 6 p.m. General admission is $39 per person and V.I.P. reserved seating is $59 per person. Guests are invited to dress in disco wear. Tickets are available at online ordering, front desk or charge-byphone: 781-233-0077. The Cover Girls are an all-feTHE SOUNDS | SEE PAGE 16

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