Page 16 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, JUly 19, 2024 The Sounds of Saugus By Mark E. Vogler Good morning, Saugus I’m not a huge hockey fan, though I find it an incredibly fast and entertaining sport to watch at the hockey rink or during the NHL playoffs. The last time the Bruins won a Stanley Cup in 2011, I got to see all of the playoff games, even though I may have watched two during the regular season. After more than eight and a half years covering Saugus for The Saugus Advocate, it’s clear to me that Saugus is indeed a hockey town – blessed with two ice skating rinks – and the Sachems’ sports fans yearn for a return to the days when Saugus High fielded a winning team that competed for division and state titles. I had an interesting conversation this week with Saugus Solid Waste & Recycling Director Scott Brazis, who was a standout hockey player for the Sachems in his day: a 1979 graduate who went on to be inducted into the Saugus High School Sports Hall of Fame in 1996. He was also a pretty good coach – two years as an assistant followed by seven years as the head coach. He also went on to play hockey at the University of New Haven, where he was good enough to be inducted into the university’s sports Hall of Fame. Scott told me about the great hockey buddy gathering that took place last month at Jim Yantosca’s beautiful home in Southern New Hampshire. “This get-together was more about getting Saugus High hockey guys together,” Scott said. “The players were from all different years. I had the pleasure of coaching most of them in high school. I was the assistant coach to Saugus legendary athlete/coach Chris Serino when I came SAUGUS HOCKEY BUDDIES: From left to right: Standing: Jim Yantosca Sr., Charlie Ventre, Jim Yantosca, Kevin Andrews, Bob Maccini, Steven Ventre, Tom Langlois, Jeff Paoloni, Matt McGovern; kneeling: Paul Kinnally, Paul Ventre (Honorary Captain of the day) and Scott Brazis. This get-together was held at Jim Yantosca’s beautiful home in Southern New Hampshire in early June to celebrate the many years of Saugus High School hockey. A lot of memories and laughs were had by everyone. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate) home from college. “Jim Yantosca Sr and Charlie Ventre were youth hockey coaches for all of these guys. And we had a pretty good day.” But Scott said the hockey buddies couldn’t help but think about the current situation with Saugus hockey, where the team no longer plays on its own. It plays as part of a coop team. “We don’t really have a team anymore. That’s kind of disheartening,” Scott said. “Hopefully, that will change with the appointment of Matt Serino as the new athletic director for Saugus Public Schools. If anyone can bring Saugus back to where it once was, Matt can do it,” he said. Whether that happens or not, the hockey buddies are going to keep meeting, hoping for somewhat of a tradition. “We enjoy some food and share some old stories. Hope it’s something we can build on and continue. It was just a great day with old friends and teammates having some food and a few laughs. “Most of the guys who were there that day were very happy that Matt’s back in town. We’re hoping he can bring Saugus hockey back.” Knights begin planning flea market and craft fair The Knights of Columbus Council 1829 announced this week that it plans to hold its Festive Holiday Flea Market and Craft Fair on Saturday, Oct. 19 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 57 Appleton St. The huge indoor affair is still weeks away. But it’s not too early for participants to begin planning. Vendor space for this year’s event will be $30 with free admission and free parking to go along with raffles, food and fun. Anyone with questions should call the Knights of Columbus at 781-233-9858. For more information, Paul Giannetta can also be reached at 978-239-1392. What’s happening at the Saugus Public Library For schoolchildren looking for interesting projects and programs to participate in this fall, there’s plenty to do at the Saugus Public Library. There are some very good programs offered for grownups, too. Community Garden volunteers welcomed If you love gardening and would love to volunteer a few hours for a good cause this summer, offer your services at the Community Garden at St. John’s Episcopal Church. Volunteers are welcome to come any Friday or Saturday morning for the rest of the summer to help weed and nurture the crops. If these times are difficult, arrangements can be made for other days. For details, contact The Rev. John Beach at St. John’s Episcopal Church (revjbeach@ gmail.com). THE SOUNDS | SEE PAGE 18 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
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