Page 12 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, JUly 19, 2024 A Citation for Benny Selectmen honor Benedetto Corviello, the retired Stop & Shop employee who says “hello” to everyone he sees By Mark E. Vogler ing. After learning that Benny n his 30 years working at Stop & Shop, Benedetto “Benny” Corviello made a name for himself, saying I “hello” to every customer he met. But Benny, who retired from the Main Street grocery store in late May, has spread many more years of good will through Saugus with the friendly greetings he expressed to thousands of people during the more than eight decades that he’s been living on Bristow Street in the eastern part of town. “In his younger days, he would take daily walks to Cliftondale Square, saying “hello” to everyone he saw,” his niece Jonna Gillis said this week. “He’s always cheery and greets everyone,” she said of the native Saugonian who celebrated his 85th birthday on July 5. Benny’s friendly demeanor made a huge impression on Selectman Anthony Cogliano, who remembers growing up in the Bristow Street area and the familiar childhood memory of Benny walking in the neighborhood. “One thing I remember about Benny, he said ‘Hi’ to everybody, and he still does,” Cogliano recalled at Tuesday night’s (July 16) Board of Selectmen’s meetASKS | FROM PAGE 9 volved in the world of sand sculpting? A: I had an artistic background, which is how I found my way in there. To get into the sand sculpting industry, you have to be invited in. You have to go to the beach and start playing in the sand. So, when I found out about it, I went down to the Revere Beach International Sand Sculpting Festival and began meeting people. They offered me a place in the sand and my involvement continued to grow from there. I developed a lot of experience by sculpting logos for sponsors. These are businesses that wanted to advertise at the festival. Q: What was the first sand sculpture you ever did? A: I did a care bear in 2005. I participated in the amateur competition back then. Q: How many years now have you been going to Rehad retired in the spring from Stop & Shop, Cogliano decided the timing was right to honor him with a commendation. It was unanimous. Benny was the guest of honor at Tuesday night’s meeting, where he received a citation signed by all five selectmen. “To all persons whom these presents shall come. Be it known that the Town of Saugus sends its deepest appreciation to Benedetto (Benny) Corviello,” the citation read. “Wishing you a wonderful retirement after 30 years of dedicated service and good will to the Saugus community.” Selectmen took turns expressing their appreciation to Benny and how he contributed to the town in his own way. Relatives of Benny – his sister, Toni Gillis, and his nieces, Leah Gillis and Jonna Gillis – joined him for the small ceremony. Selectman Corinne Riley, a former Stop & Shop co-worker of Benny’s many years ago, recalled how Benny “called every woman ‘sweetheart’ when he was taking the shopping carts in. “He was a person that everyone knew,” Riley said. She also recalled him being a faithful member of St. Margaret’s Church in Saugus, where, acvere to participate in the sand sculpting? Is it every year? A: I’ve only been competing since 2016. From 2005 to 20016, it was all about logo work and getting sponsors. There were businesses that paid for different size logos and art. That’s how I got involved. Q: Do you have a favorite sand sculpture you have done over the years? A: My favorite would have to be “The Colors in the Mind,” which I did with Steve Topazio of Tiverton, R.I., in 2016. As we were creating it, each spot on the pallet represented a color by the sculptor. The apple was for red. We sculpted a carrot for orange and a banana for yellow. Green was a frog. And a police officer was blue. There were no actual colors, but the color was in the mind. It was a very original concept. People looked at the object and the color was in the mind. HONORING A “BELOVED” SAUGONIAN: Benedetto “Benny” Corviello (holding his certificate at center) received a citation from the Board of Selectmen on Tuesday night. Pictured from left to right are Town Manager Scott C. Crabtree, Selectmen Corinne Riley and Mike Serino, Board of Selectmen Chair Debra Panetta, Corviello, Board of Selectmen Vice Chair Jeffrey Cicolini, Coviello’s sister, Toni Gillis, and his nieces – Leah Gillis and Jonna Gillis. (Saugus Advocate photo by Mark E. Vogler) cording to family members, he rarely missed a service. Riley also said it was “great” to see a person dedicate so much of his life to one company as long as Benny did at Stop & Shop. Selectman Michael Serino, who was Benny’s next-door neighbor, recalled how his late mother would go to Stop & Shop every day and would I will always have originality in my work. I may not be one of the top dogs in the industry, but I always strive for originality Q: Have you participated in other sand sculpting competition events besides on Revere Beach? A: I’ve done a couple of others. I’ve done Sanding Ovations in Treasure Island, Fla., for about 11 years. I went to Virginia Beach for two years to participate in a doubles competition. At Hampton Beach [N.H.], I’ve done some logo work. I’ve done some work for Steve Topazio in Rhode Island. We did a doubles together in Virginia Beach Q: From a personal perspective, what motivates the sand sculptor? What’s the goal? What’s the reward? A: It’s getting your art out there – larger than life – it’s amazing to be able to create ideas of your own in such a ASKS | SEE PAGE 13 WINNERS IN THE SAND: Left to right: Karen Fralich and Deborah Barrett-Cutulle celebrated their honors at the 2022 Festival. Fralich finished in fifth place and Barrett-Cutulle won the People’s Choice Award. (Saugus Advocate file photo by Tara Vocino) come home telling fond stories about Benny. Board of Selectmen Vice Chair Jeff Cicolini, who along with Cogliano and Serino got to know Benny during their days of growing up in the Bristow Street area, told Benny that his retirement was “well deserved.” “In all the years I’ve known you, I do want to say how special you were to my family,” Cicolini said. “Everybody knows you and everybody appreciates all you did,” he said. Board of Selectmen Chair Debra Panetta thanked Benny “for everything you’ve done for Saugus.” “You are beloved within town,” Panetta said.
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