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Page 14 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – Friday, July 3, 2020 THE SOUNDS OF SAUGUS By Mark Vogler H ere are a few tidbits that you might want to know about this week in Saugus. The Patriotic Spirit of Saugus I figured I needed to get some walking in on Wednesday during my visit to Saugus. I was also looking for a photo of the most patriotic example I could find of a Saugus home decorated in the spirit of July Fourth. So I walked from Saugus Town Hall up Main Street, toward Route 1, checking out the houses on both sides of the street. Several were decorated in red, white and blue. But one house stood out among the rest. As I passed by the Cape home at 128 Main St., it was obvious that the owners love their country and go out of their way to observe patriotic holidays. Retired Saugus firefighter Chuck Shipulski, 70, displayed his patriotic pride in the front yard with flowers, festive garden flags, a bench painted like an American flag, a “God Bless America” sign and plenty of red, white and blue. A 1967 Saugus High School graduate, Shipulski worked for the Saugus Fire Department for 40 years. He credits his wife, Karen, for the Americana theme showcased throughout the yard and inside their home. He’s as ready as any Saugus resident could be to celebrate the Fourth of July Could things be getting better for Saugus? It’s been 15 weeks since we began reporting on Saugus residents testing positive for COVID-19. And it’s been 14 weeks since we introduced “The Coronavirus Count,” our weekly story that focuses on the data released every Wednesday by the state Department of Public Health (DPH) on confirmed cases testing positive for COVID-19 in Massachusetts cities and towns. So, one of my key projects every Wednesday night has been to size up the Saugus data and compare it to data for nine other area communities. I’m sure it causes a lot of anxiety to many town residents, knowing that Saugus remains the 21st top ranked community for positive COVID-19 cases per 100,000 among the state’s 351 cities and towns. At the same time though, it looks like there’s some encouraging news about recent trends. For instance, this week, the state DPH data remained at 556 confirmed Coronavirus cases in Saugus – the same as last week. The number of deaths also remained at 36. So, we had zero new cases, and this was the third consecutive week where the increase in cases was fewer than 10. But, obviously, Saugus’s rate per 100,000 people remains high because there has been a comparable reduction in many other communities across the state. Let’s hope the downward trend continues and Massachusetts doesn’t experience a surge in new cases like some 30 communities have been. A super “Shout-Out” for Ellen I’m sure that computer savvy Saugus residents are finding Zoom videoconferencing a snap and a lot more fun than having to go to public meetings. But, not me. I long for the return of regular meetings, as I find the Zoom meetings a pain. It was obvious from watching the two-month late Annual Town Meeting proceedings this week that a few of the 50 members have been struggling with Zoom. A number of members had trouble “muting” and “unmuting” themselves, which contributed to a longer session. Some of the members didn’t realize they were disrupting this week’s session because their microphone was open when it should have been turned off. Other members who wanted to speak on some of the issues that came up couldn’t because they forgot to turn off their mute button. But, it seems like Town Clerk Ellen Schena was there to assist those members when they needed assistance. At least one member gave Ellen a big public “Thank you” for her help. From my observation, there’s no question that it was much more difficult for the town clerk to perform her Town Meeting duties in a “Zoom” setting than in a traditional public session on the second floor of Saugus Town Hall. “This Shout-out goes to our Town Clerk Ellen Schena who did a fantastic job of getting all of us Town Meeting Members coordinated on ZOOM for last night’s Annual Town Meeting,” Precinct 6 Town Meeting Member Jeanie Bartolo wrote in an email to me on Tuesday (June 30). “There were a few funny moments but she got us through! Just THANK YOU, SAUGUS PD! Recently members of the MEG Foundation sponsored a luncheon honoring the Saugus Police Department. “It was our way of saying ‘thank you,’” said Janice Jarosz. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate) want to say thank you to her for being so calm and kind to all us, great job Ellen!!” Well said, Jeanie. Want to “Shout-Out” a fellow Saugonian? This is an opportunity for our paper’s readers to single out – in a brief mention – remarkable acts or achievements by Saugus residents or an act of kindness or a nice gesture. Just send an email (mvoge@comcast.net) with the mention in the subject line of “An Extra Shout-Out.” No more than a paragraph; anything longer might lend itself to a story and/or photo. Time Capsule located The 1954 Saugus High School Time Capsule has been located, according to a report we received this week. “I asked on Facebook if the box that was buried back in 1954 at the High School was found,” Janice Jarosz wrote us in an email this week. “Jim Harrington told me it was found and is presently in the safe in the basement of the Town Hall,” she said. Stay tuned for more details. Go see an outdoor movie at Kowloon’s Do you have the COVID-19 blues? If you do, maybe it’s time to go see a movie – outdoors – at the Kowloon Restaurant, Car Hop & Drive-In, in the northbound lane of Route 1 Saugus. The Kowloon Restaurant, which is owned and operated by the Wong family, opened a new Drive-In with a family movie night, this week (Tuesday, June 30), featuring the Steven Spielberg film “E.T.” Movies will continue to be featured on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. A complete movie line-up still in the works and spanning the entire summer will be sent out soon. For a complete schedule, please call (781) 233-0077 or go to the Kowloon’s website at www.kowloonrestaurant.com. Doors open at 7 p.m. and showtime is at 8:30 p.m. Admission is $20 per parking spot and $20 per table on the turf; guests can also bring their own blankets and beach chairs for the turf area. The Kowloon Drive-In, in conjunction with Xfinity, features a 22-feethigh-by-40-feet-wide movie screen and space for cars. The Kowloon Restaurant, Car Hop & Drive-In, 948 Broadway, Route 1 North, Saugus, is open daily 11: 30 a.m. to 11 p.m. seven days per week; (781) 233-0077; www.kowloonrestaurant.com. From the desk of the town clerk Town Clerk Ellen J. Schena has a couple of announcements she wanted to issue this week for Saugus residents. First, the Town Clerk’s Office has postponed the late fee for Dog Licenses to September 1, 2020. “Please license your dog by mail until the Town Hall re-opens to the public. A copy of the Dog Application can be found on the Town’s website,” Ellen wrote in an email to us. Secondly, The Town Clerk’s Office seeks help from high school students to work as election workers for the Sept. 1 and Nov. 3 Elections. “Students must be 16 years old and older,” Ellen says. “Many different time shifts. The position pays $12.00 an hour or can be used towards community service. Please contact the Clerk’s office as soon as possible.” This sounds like a great opportunity for retired people who want to do something interesting while earning a little pocket money. And what a great learning experience as well as a potential income source for high school students who are at least 16 years old. Changes to Grab and Go food program The Saugus Council on Aging this week announced some changes to the Grab and Go Fresh Fruits and Vegetables program. “Every Tuesday morning, for the remainder of the summer, there will be individual boxes of fresh fruit and vegetables available at the Senior Center for our senior residents to grab and go,” according to the council’s Administrative Assistant, Laurie Davis. “Due to the limitation, any senior interested in picking up a box is required to register by calling the Saugus Senior Center at 781-231-4178, Monday-Friday between the hours of 9:00 a.m. until 12:00 Noon,” she said. People interested in the program must talk to a staff member, must be a Saugus resident and also must register, Davis said. “Please do not leave your name and number on our answering machine, this will not be considered as a registration,” she said. “Thank you to the organizations that made this possible: USA Farmers, USDA, and Costa Fruit & Produce Company.” Food Pantry still open The Saugus United Parish Food Pantry will continue to remain open on Fridays between 9:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. despite concerns over the Coronavirus. But they have made adjustments to protect their core of volunteers and the needy people who receive the food. “For the protection of our volunteers & clients, and to limit personal contact & crowding/ gathering, the food pantry has been distributing pre-bagged groceries,” says Wendy Reed, Clerk of the Saugus Board of Selectmen, who also oversees the operation of the all-volunteer food pantry. “We understand clients may receive items they don’t want or need, but feel this is the best course of action to mitigate the potential spread of COVID-19. Those in need, even for short term or one-time assistance, are encouraged to come.” The food pantry is located in the basement of the Cliftondale Congregational Church at 50 Essex St. in Saugus. Food help for veterans This came in from Saugus Veteran Services Officer Jay Pinette. “We want to share a couple of opportunities with you for food assistance that are being offered to Veterans and/or their surviving spouses. First, the Melrose-Wakefield-Saugus Veterans’ Services Offices partner with the Greater Boston Food Bank to provide food to Veterans and their surviving spouses on the third Wednesday of each month. The food market is generally held at the Saugus Senior Center, but given the current COVID-19 pandemic, we SOUNDS | SEE PAGE 15

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