Page 6 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, JUNE 4, 2021 A crackdown on unruly kids “Before someone gets hurt or killed, we need to address this,” Town Meeting Member Robert Camuso Sr. pleads By Mark E. Vogler P recinct 2 Town Meeting Member Robert J. Camuso, Sr. crafted a long email to selectmen this week titled “Kids riding into oncoming traffic & vandalism in our parks.” “These dangerous stunts & playing chicken with traffic is illegal and happening more & more every day,” Camuso wrote. “Before someone gets hurt or killed, we need to address this because car VS bicycle...car wins every time.” Camuso didn’t think the email was enough, so he appeared at Tuesday (May 25) night’s Board of Selectmen’s meeting to elaborate in detail. “Saugus has a problem and they need to fix it,” Camuso told the board. He even mentioned that he had called the Peabody police to solicit advice on how a similar juvenile problem was dealt with in that community. Camuso didn’t get any resistance. Just positive feedback from town officials that something needed to be done – a crackdown on the unruly kids who were practicing dangerous behavior. Saugus Police Lt. Arthur Connors agreed that something needs to be done “before there’s a tragedy.” “One of these kids is goblemakers on bicycles were also riding them over the new basketball courts. “Maybe catch these kids and make an example of them,” Cicolini suggested. The town and the Police Deing to get hit and we don’t want that,” Lt. Connor said. Selectmen thanked Camuso for his efforts to bring a potentially serious problem to public light. “Someone is going to get killed. It absolutely had to be addressed,” Selectman Jeff Cicolini said. “We need to fix this before something bad happens,” he said. Cicolini said he had observed similar unruly behavior by kids that was the basis of Camuso’s email. He cited the juvenile vandalism on new town playgrounds and basketball courts. “These kids are running amok, pouring Chinese food down the slides,” Cicolini said, noting that the trouHe was there in spirit DAV Commander Charlie DiMare gets to watch a Memorial Day ceremony from his hospital room – via video By Mark E. Vogler F riends and relatives say Charlie DiMare never misses a Memorial Day or Veterans Day event in Saugus – even though it’s not his hometown. “Charlie doesn’t miss anything if he can help it,” Saugus Veterans Council Commander Steve Castinetti said this week. So, the 89-year-old U.S. Navy veteran who served in the Korean War was conspicuously absent at Monday’s Memorial Day Ceremony in Riverside Cemetery. DiMare is the commander of the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) Organization Chapter 115, a regional veterans’ group that holds its meeting at the American Legion Hall on Taylor Street, so his absence from important veterans’ events is bound to concern local veterans leaders. But SPIRIT | SEE PAGE 19 SUPPORTIVE FAMILY: From left to right, son-in-law Stephen Costa holds a special brick honoring Charlie DiMare – joined by DiMare’s wife, Bella, and his daughter, Charlene Costa, at Riverside Cemetery during Monday’s Memorial Day ceremonies. Charlene is videotaping the event for the local DAV Commander, who was in the hospital and unable to attend. (Saugus Advocate photo by Mark E. Vogler) partment have that capability – security cameras positioned near playgrounds and basketball courts. “The cameras have been extremely effective,” Town Manager Scott C. Crabtree said. “I’m sure they will continue to use them,” he said. Lt. Connors agreed to meet with Camuso sometime after the meeting to listen to his suggestions on what police may be able to do to address the problem of the unruly kids. In his email, Camuso suggested that Saugus police consider some aggressive options to stop the problem – like confiscating the kids’ bicycles and making the parents pay for towing. Perhaps, there could be $20 fines for violations for kids for obstructing traffic “unlawfully in a dangerous way.” Camuso said it irked him to see gangs of kids on bicycles terrorizing senior citizens in traffic and degenerating to bad, offensive behavior. “Kids will be kids,” Camuso agreed. “But to give hand gestures by grabbing their private areas, vulgar language, spitting on our residents & senior citizens who are scared in their own vehicles is not what residents want or expect to see either in Saugus,” he wrote in his email. “These actions need to be handled & prevented if it means to hurt these kids parents in the wallet to get results so be it,” he added.
7 Publizr Home