THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, JUNE 11, 2021 Page 7 THE SOUNDS OF SAUGUS | FROM PAGE 6 or soda, $1.00 each. The Garden Club plant sale will be held on the Roby School lawn from 9-2, and there will be several craft vendors, including jewelry, hair products and many other items of interest. A community garden update If you are young or old and feel like doing some real earthy community service, why not join the growing team that’s been assisting in the creation of the Community Garden that’s going to help feed the hungry and needy people of Saugus? Contact The Rev. John Beach of St. John’s Episcopal Church to get the latest update on how the garden is doing and what you can do to help. Anyone who wants to help out Rev. John on this noble project can call him at 774-961-9881 or send him an email at revjbeach@gmail.com. We will keep you posted as the garden continues to grow. Remember folks, this is your garden. Be a part of it. Cliftondale forum coming up Joe Vecchione, chair of the Cliftondale Revitalization Committee, this week released final details of the committee’s upcoming community forum for folks who are interested in learning about or contributing to the discussion of bringing the Cliftondale Square area back to life. The forum has been set for Monday, June 28, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the MEG Building (56-58 Essex St.) in Saugus. Janice Jarosz, the President of the MEG Foundation, offered the MEG Building for the forum. There will also be a Zoom meeting set up for anyone from the public who wants to attend or participate virtually. The foundation offered to provide refreshments. “The program for the evening will include the presentation of the community survey results (approaching 350 participants) and analysis drawn from that process (trends, demographics, etc.) including a brief Q&A.,” Vecchione wrote in a recent email. He continued, “This will also include the sharing of information we have gained since the inception of this committee including the procurement of flashing crossing beacons, application for the Shared Street grant, denial of the church parking, and North Shore Bank not currently for sale. “After the presentation, we would then begin a workshopping session that will be a bit more interactive. I’m not sure who attended the MVP Workshop in January 2020, but one particular exercise I felt was effective and interactive was a series of physical blown up maps where participants could jot down an idea, shortfall or potential remedy of a particular issue on a sticky note and place it on the map. Each map focuses on a particular issue (in this case: parking, safety, developmental opportunities, underutilization, etc.). This is a simple, straightforward and not overly restricting exercise that could be beneficial in creating a wealth of ideas especially after results of the survey are shared with those present.” For more details, Vecchione invites folks to contact him at 781520-9859 or via email (joevprecinct2@gmail.com). Grab-N-Go Meals end next week The Grab-N-Go meal service will end next Wednesday (June 16). Saugus Public Schools has been offering free meals for pick up on Tuesdays and Fridays at the Saugus Middle-High School from 10:30-11:30 a.m. All Saugus families are encouraged to take advantage of the free meals. Meals will be available through Tuesday, June 15. Through a USDA grant, Saugus Public Schools has been providing free meals to all Saugus students while in person learning or remotely learning from home. Project Bread partners with the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) through the Child Nutrition Outreach Program to provide free meals to children across Massachusetts. Healthy Students-Healthy Saugus will resume providing a take-home grocery bag with a weekend’s meals when school resumes in September. All food is provided free of charge and paid for by fundraising and donations from the community. If anyone is interested in receiving assistance from Healthy Students-Healthy Saugus, please visit the Facebook page or email HS2Saugus@gmail.com. Master Plan forum next Thursday Town Manager Scott C. Crabtree invites town residents and other concerned people to participate in another Master Plan Virtual Forum – this one on “Housing, Open Space, and Climate Resiliency, and Clean Energy” for Saugus United 2035.” It’s set for next Thursday (June 17) at 5 p.m. Crabtree says it is a great opportunity for residents and Saugus officials “to participate in crafting the direction for Saugus’ future and Master Plan Process.” The Town’s project consultant, the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC), will be assisting the Town in conducting the Forum in the Zoom format. This Forum will contain presentations on the Master Plan elements, followed by breakout sessions to facilitate discussion and input. Join the meeting by accessing https://zoom.us/ j/95494441075?pwd=UU1iNlhhOHp3UkZOZmMzLzljN0Mydz09 For those who are familiar with using the Zoom format, here are the vitals: Meeting ID: 954 9444 1075 / Passcode: 967228. “The Master Plan was last completed in 1988 and updating the plan is a major priority for the Board of Selectmen. The townwide plan could include goals and policies for what stakeholders want to see happen with land use, housing, economic development, natural/cultural resources, open space, recreation and transportation,” Crabtree said in his email this week. According to a Town of Saugus post, “Town Meeting members approved the allocation of $150,000 to update the Plan after Mr. Crabtree drafted the article for the special Town Meeting warrant. He stressed the importance of the town pursuing smart growth in order to sustain a full-service community and balance the impact of development, while considering strategies to manage future growth in development, protect environmental resources, set priorities for developing/maintaining infrastructure, create a framework for future policy decisions, and provide guidance to land owners and developers as well as permitting authorities. “The Forum will continue the process of updating the Master Plan, with other forms of public participation to follow. Crabtree said it’s critical to get feedback from different stakeholders in crafting the town-wide plan, which will include whatever the Planning Board and community wants to see in it. “The Town is excited to hear from residents about their housing, open space, and climate resiliency, and clean energy input and ideas for Saugus. This latest Forum will provide ample opportunity to provide that input and learn about the project. “Questions about the event can be directed to Scott Crabtree, Town Manager (scrabtree@saugus-ma.gov) or Chris Reilly, Director of Planning and Community Development (creilly@saugus-ma.gov). Additional information can be found at www.mapc.org/resource-library/saugus-united/.” Summer Reading Program at the library This just in from Amy Melton, Head of Children’s Services at Saugus Public Library: “The Saugus Public Library is reopening just in time for its annual summer reading program. Although the THE SOUNDS OF SAUGUS | SEE PAGE 8
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