THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, JUnE 20, 2025 Page 11 LEGACY OF OFFICER| FROM PAGE 7 partment and hear them tell some cool stories about him and how that he was such a great guy. These guys have a tough job to do but we can tell how proud they are to come and show their support and respect for him as they all walk the Thin Blue Line every day.” The Officer Vitale Memorial Fund, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) organiGabriella Lima with Leonardo Ladilau. Gianni Baez Dellelo receives a kiss from Anisha Lingeswaran. Shown from left to right, are: James McNary, Ben Keller and Acking’s Raymond. zation and was created in 1992 some seven years after Officer Vitale’s death. Officer Vitale was killed in the line of duty in the early morning hours of June 18, 1985, while attempting to make an arrest when he was dragged over 1,000 feet to his death. Officer Vitale was 42 at the time and married his wife Eileen where he lived in Ipswich with three children: Paul, Michelle and JacLyn. Officer Vitale’s badge #17 was retired upon his death. The Officer Vitale Memorial Park was constructed by the Town of Saugus in 1992 in his honor. Registration for the 31st Memorial Fund Golf Tournament to be held Monday, August 4, 2025, at Ipswich Country Club. Information submitted by Les Vitale, President, Officer Harold L. Vitale Memorial Fund, Inc. c/o Conifer Hill Advisors, LLC, 99 Conifer Hill Dr., Suite 202, Danvers, MA 01923 or visit on the web at www.vitalememorialfund.org POT SHOP | FROM PAGE 4 In his interview last year, AtPatrick Maynard and Gabriella Duda relaxed by the fire. Shown from left to right, are: Leticia Nunes, Julia Pineta, Carolina Izizdio, and Stephanny Silva. Shown from left to right, are: Beatriz Almeida, Shalyn Sewell, Bianca Almeida, and Isabelly Dos Santos. torney Flynn explained that Sanctuary being named as a defendant in a lawsuit against the town “sort of froze things up,” creating an environment that wasn’t conducive to negotiations with the town – and about a six-month delay. “Judge Vhay was very clear in his ruling that this was a baseless lawsuit. And it set us back a quarter of a million dollars, when you consider the time lost, legal costs and having to pay rent at the location where we want to start our business,” Flynn said. Four people, in addition to Nicholas Muise and Brenda Perez. Shawn Cole and Olivia Husbands. Layla Silva and Livya Martins. The Saugus Advocate, showed up Monday for what was the third Community Outreach meeting hosted by Sanctuary since first expressing an interest in operating a retail marijuana business in town at the location where Ninety-Nine Restaurant & Pub closed in the spring of 2022. A 20-minute PowerPoint demonstration briefed the public about Sanctuary and its team, location details, security plans, steps to be taken to prevent diversion to minors, how the location will not constitute a nuisance, the company’s “positive impact plan,” its hiring commitment and local benefits. Here are the highlights of how the Sanctuary business, once opened, will impact Saugus: • In addition to property taxShown from left to right, are: Sofia Palacios, Bella-Donna Federico, Katrina Assortato and Sara Loeser. Ana Souza with Abraham Costa. (Advocate photos by Tara Vocino) es, Saugus can receive additional tax revenue through the adoption of a local sales tax of up to 3 percent on each retail sale to consumers. A company official estimated that Saugus stood to receive $300,000 to $400,000 a year based on annual sales of $10 million to $15 million at the Route One location. • Sanctuary anticipates hiring 35 to 40 local residents “for well paying careers with access to a living wage, benefits and comprehensive workforce training initiatives.” • Sanctuary will provide eligible consumers 21 years of age and older with access to consistent, high-quality marijuana and marijuana products that are regulated and tested for cannabinoid content and contaminants. • Sanctuary has a proven track record of being a partner in local public health initiatives, whether it be through funding vape sensors in local public schools or contributing to COVID-19 relief efforts. • Annual charitable giving budget, commitment to local volunteer hours and rotating charity fundraisers in store to provide regular support to organizations of importance to local Saugus residents. Sanctuary calls its future 8,816-square-foot building at 181 Broadway “state of the art,” accompanied by more than 117 parking spaces and a secured loading area. The facility is not located within 1,000 feet of the property boundary line of any lot in use as a public or private preschool, primaPOT SHOP | SEE PAGE 16
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