Page 12 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, JUly 18, 2025 FRESHMAN SPOTLIGHT | FROM PAGE 7 Quiles of Saugus; Gabrielle Jason, Alexis Caraballo, Ava Viola and Isabella Mezikofsky of Wakefield; Peyton Reynolds of Stoneham; and Luke Rhuda of Melrose. “A big theme in ‘To the Top of Greenfield Street’ is that personal growth comes from empathy and facing challenges, having self-awareness, and stepping outside your comfort zone,” said Dominic Pineda, of Revere. “This message has impacted me because it made me realize the importance of being more aware of others’ feelings and perspectives. It taught me that maturity comes not just from overcoming challenges, but also from listening, reflecting on past experiences, and growing through difficult situations.” “‘To the Top of Greenfield Street’ teaches the reader about learning to take care of yourself and just be yourself when making friends. Eric also learns to defend himself, and although he’s insecure about his body, he always seems to carry self-respect,” said Giselle Benitez Valdivieso, of Chelsea. “These are definitely lessons that I can relate to in life and in school. It’s good to meet new people but always have boundaries and respect yourself.” “Mr. Standley and I are very proud of our students for turning this event into a memorable grand finale to both our unit of TRAIL | FROM PAGE 5 the rail trail faced last year was “kids on regular bikes causing trouble and filming it and putting it on social media.” “We’re not seeing much of that this year. This year, it’s e-bikes. We had one towed away,” Lt. LoPresti said. “The problem with e-bikes Guy Moley shakes Vito Venuti’s hand; Vito was awarded a plaque and given the honor to choose a car his brother Anthony would have chosen for the Anthony Venuti Trophy. CAR SHOW | FROM PAGE 10 pink Mustang for the Pink Patch Project. Madeline won the Best Child’s Car Trophy. At the Closing ceremony, 10 memorial trophies were presented, based on car dash plaque numbers that were displayed on each of the vehicles. In addition, Vito Venuti received a plaque. He chose to award the Anthony Venuti Memorial Trophy in honor of his brother to Derek Karpenko, the owner of a custom Buick Riviera. Here are some other highlights from the awards presentation: – Deanna Montano, the wife of Saugus Police Officer Domenic Montano, presented the Samuel Musto Memorial Trophy to the owner of a motorcycle. –The recipient of the Adam Benjamin Memorial Trophy was chosen by his sister Kaitelynn, who thought her late brother would have liked the black “Halloweenish” jeep filled with skeletons. –The Adam Slavin Memorial Trophy was presented by Adam’s father. –Dicky Macguire won the Best in Show Trophy for his 1970 Chevy Chevelle. –The Julie McLaughlin Memorial Trophy was presented by her father, Mike. –There was also an Educator’s Trophy presented. –There was also a Kids Choice Award selected by the children. A People’s Choice trophy was also presented. is that the state doesn’t register them or make the owners insure them, so it’s just a free-for-all,” he said. “We have a situation where some 12 year olds are buying these electric bikes and wreaking havoc around town. Why would you buy something for a kid that goes 50 to 60 miles per hour? Last year, it was regular bikes causing problems on the trail. This year, it’s motorized scooters and e-bikes.” Rick Fail, himself a serious e-bike owner, readily admits he is concerned about the safety hazards associated with e-bikes. “Broken arms, broken legs, broken heads,” said the 67-year-old U.S. Navy veteran. “It’s basically a motorcycle that you are putting a kid on without a helmet. It’s just like traffic. You are always going to have a jerk, whether it’s 17 years old or 70,” he said. READING | FROM PAGE 6 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, but above all, make it fun! Research shows that children who read during study and the academic year,” said Laurie Leone. “I’m thankful for this opportunity and so proud of how the students responded. They really came together during both the performance and the reading of the book. It was fun to see which scenes of the book resonated with them,” said Ryan Standley. “Hopefully this assignment will be a lasting memory. I’ll never forget the shocked looks on their faces on the day Ms. Leone and I handed out Fail suggested that the town consider, as a cheaper option, painting speed limits at various locations along the paved path of the rail trail. Fail said he’s noticed some improvement over the past year in how the town responds to problems. “The behavior has improved with the police officers having a presence on the trail,” Fail said. “A lot of people walk with their dogs and families. It’s such a gem to have in our town. It gets you out of your house and into nature.” Favio Vreka, a 2020 Saugus High School graduate, said he enjoys the rail trail, but sees room for improvement. He suggested expanding a lane to accommodate the rail trail, and the posting of some rules. “I think it’s a great path if you want to go for a walk or run after work. When I drive, I always slow down in the area of the crosswalk coming off the trail,” Vreka said. “Some people don’t activate the warning light to alert drivers that pedestrians or cyclists are in the crosswalk. And that’s something I’m aware of from driving in the area. And it makes me cautious,” he said. 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 the books. One student said, ‘Mr. Standley, this writer has the same name as you!’” “I was excited to learn we have a nationally published author right here in our midst at Northeast Metro Tech, and I knew our talented faculty could turn that opportunity into something really special for students,” said Superintendent DiBarri. “I want to thank Laurie Leone and Ryan Standley for creating this truly outstanding learning opportunity for students.” Leonardo DeSantis, 15, a sophomore at Saugus High School, said he thinks that something needs to be done about public safety. “A group of kids wearing masks came over and asked to use his bike and they took off with it,” DeSantis said. “They stole my friend’s bike,” he said. DeSantis suggested that lights and cameras be installed along the rail trail. Cameron Le, 15, who was riding a powered scooter, said he worries about people “cutting you off.” “I guess they’re kids on electric bikes,” said Le, a friend of DeSantis and a student at Northeast Metro Tech. One out-of-town bicyclist passing through town observed that a lot of people don’t understand the etiquette for using the bike trail. Lt. LoPresti said the town needs to collaborate with other cities and towns along the trail and set the same enforcement rules as they do. Chief Riccardelli said he tries to compare notes with fellow police chiefs on how they respond to similar problems facing the town. Since the rail trail opened, there have been no major incidents, according to the chief. participants and the fluency of 25% declined between May and September. 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!
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