Page 12 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – WEDnESDAy, JUly 3, 2024 REVIEW | FROM PAGE 2 investments in improving and enhancing town amenities for residents of all ages and hopefully we will be able to award the contract for and have the winning contractor begin the feasibility study for the 3rd fire station on the West side of town,” Cicolini said. “I am also excited for various planned announcements identifying additional planned investments and enhancements to our parks and playgrounds and open spaces.” Board of Selectmen Chair Debra Panetta She said her list of highlights over the last six months includes: · The Town Manager, Selectmen, Finance Committee, Treasurer/Collector, Accounting, Department Heads, School Committee, and Town Meeting working together to pass a balanced budget. There is a great deal of time and effort that goes into preparing a budget, and then there is a lengthy review process after it is prepared. · Saugus being awarded the Green Communities grant for $200,000 in January was sigREADING | FROM PAGE 5 day this summer. The program is open to young people, preschool through 6th grade. We’ll have their favorite titles, plus free ebooks, audio books, comics, magazines & music you can download using the hoopla and libby digital collections. Did we mention prizes? We’ve once again partnered with local businesses to reward summer reading. Many thanks to those businesses who have generously donated! We’ll have a full prize cart plus free books to give away. In addition, we’ll run drawings for ice cream, donuts, cookies, pizza, roller skating, bowling, mini golf, sports nificant. These are competitive grants that fund projects that save taxpayer money while being environmentally focused. · We have appointed / confirmed some excellent new members to important Boards this year. “For example, the Board of Selectmen unanimously confirmed the appointment of Joe Dorant to the Board of Health. This was a great appointment since Joe worked as an environmental engineer for 25 years for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. “Another important appointment was Bob Long to the Planning Board; where Bob was a past member of the Board of Selectmen and served as Moderator of Town Meeting for many years. · There have been many wonderful events that have been held in Saugus over the last six months. The Saugus High School Time Capsule opening was one of these events, where residents filled the Town Hall auditorium to see what was placed in the capsule back in September 1954. The Veteran’s Council coordinated a spectacular Memorial Day parade and heartmerch, and grand prize drawings for tickets to Canobie Lake Park and the North Shore Music Theater’s production of Beauty and the Beast - and more! In addition, there will be special visits by WildLife Encounters, Vinny the Bubble Guy, the Saugus Fire & Police Departments, Star Wars characters, Toe Jam Puppet Band, plus bubble, magic, and puppet shows. Check out the Library’s online event calendar for up-to-date information. The library is here to help families create a summer reading routine that is fun for kids and their families. Turn off the media before bedtime, sit with a child, share a book, or read alongside them. Ask them questions, felt ceremony. The Historical Society held its annual Strawberry Festival in June, which was well-attended. There was an open house at the MEG building, where historical information was on exhibit. The Daughters of the American Revolution sponsored a beautiful and heart-warming Wreaths Across America Day. The Senior Center had several great events, including their volunteer luncheon, which recognized the dedication and hard work of so many Saugus residents. The Town also facilitated the annual Tree Lighting ceremony and festivities at town hall, which always draws a huge crowd, along with hosting a celebration of Hanukkah with a Menorah Lighting Ceremony. High School graduation and scholarship night were great events for our Graduates and their families, along with other scholarship events like the Harold Vitale Scholarship Ceremony that was held at Vitale Park on June 15. · The Selectmen gave out licenses for several new businesses in Town. We also recently gave two all-alcoholic licenses, something the Board hasn’t done in quite some but above all, make it fun! Research shows that children who read during the summer months maintain literacy skills that they’ve worked hard to build during the school year. According to Reading Rockets.org, research with 116 first, second, and third graders in a school in a middle class neighborhood found the decoding skills of nearly 45% of the participants and the fluency of 25% declined between May and September. So, stay smart! Have fun! Stop by the library to register for summer reading, or to find a just-right book for your child. It’s all free, all summer at the Saugus Public Library! time. The Board also created a policy for outdoor seating at restaurants. · I was pleased that the Rail Trail bylaw I submitted passed Town Meeting unanimously. This bylaw is very important for the safety of the people using the rail trail as well as the people that live near the rail trail. This bylaw adds a layer of protection for our community. · The MassDEP attending the last Board of Health (BOH) meeting was of special importance since I don’t remember the MassDEP ever attending a Saugus BOH meeting. They awarded Saugus an EPA grant for a much-needed air quality monitor due to the concerns surrounding the WIN Waste facility. Selectman Corinne Riley “As far as the Board of Selectmen on accomplishments, we gave two available liquor licenses to establishments that will greatly improve their businesses, Paolo’s and Flogolf Lounge. “We appointed many new and reappointed volunteers to our boards and commissions. There have been projects that have been worked on, such as the Riverwalk, the American SERINO | FROM PAGE 9 School English teacher and later as a High School physical education teacher. As the head coach in hockey at Saugus High, Serino’s teams compiled a 100-23-14 record while winning three Northeastern Conference titles and earning Eastern Massachusetts Coach-of-the-Year honors in his final season. As associate head coach of the University of New Hampshire hockey team (1991-98), his teams qualified for five NCAA tournaments and made the Frozen Four in 1998. He later coached the Merrimack College hockey team for seven years, appearing in the Hockey East Tournament six of those seasons. His coaching career spanned 32 years. He coached the Malden Catholic hockey team for eight seasons until his death. “This would be a great honor and tribute to a great and extremely popular former Saugus High School student, teacher and coach,” Salerno wrote in his letter to selectmen. In 2021, selectmen embraced the Town Meeting warrant article requesting that the new school athletic complex be named after the Saugus High athletic and coaching great. Town Meeting members embraced that request, too. FOR SALE - MIXED-USE COMMERCIAL/RESIDENTIAL 225-229 Highland Ave., Malden MIXED-USE Two Commercial Convenience Stores AND Three Apartments - Two, 2-Bedoroom & One, 1-Bedroom Yearly Rental Income: $166,200 Call (781) 520-1091 Legion Building and the wall at Veterans Park. Also, the improvements in the Lynn Fells Parkway area with flooding, and repaving of Walnut Street in conjunction with the State. “My top goals remain the West Side Fire Station, a subscription service communication mechanism for residents and replacement of the Golden Hills playground. I’d like to see real progress on each of these this year. I look forward to the July 16 update from the Town Manager on these and other projects. “The same priorities I’ve been speaking about which need completion sooner than later, specifically the West Side Fire Station, communication mechanism for residents and Golden Hills Park. It seems like we keep speaking of these needs, but haven’t had significant changes or information. I’m hoping that changes at the Town Manager’s update report to the board. “Additional priorities include addressing economic development, which is now more difficult since our Economic Development Director left a couple of weeks ago, cemetery space, and revitalization of Cliftondale Square.”
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