Page 8 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, JUly 31, 2026 The Sounds of Saugus By Mark E. Vogler Good morning, Saugus Practically any area resident who watches a Boston television station or listens to the local news on the radio or reads The Saugus Advocate regularly, knows by now that a Saugus restaurant on Route 1 North served nine alcoholic drinks in the final hours of Cinco de Mayo (May 5) to a customer who went out and killed himself and state Trooper Kevin T. Trainor in a head-on wrongway collision on Route 1 North in Lynnfield. People who are following the story also know that 50-year-old Hernan Ramon Marrero of Roslindale was highly intoxicated when he drove away from the parking lot of Tribu Mexican Kitchen & Bar in his 2018 Jeep Wrangler early May 6. Tests show that his blood alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit. That Marrero was legally drunk and shouldn’t have been driving are indisputable facts. It’s also clear that this tragic incident has captivated the public outrage over the senseless death of a 30-year-old state trooper who was engaged to be married, who happened to be on his way home after responding to the report of a wrong-way driver. On Wednesday morning, shortly before press time, 150 people had let their emotions be known on The Advocate Newspapers Facebook Site. Close to 100 of our readers weighed in with comments to accompany their emojis, many of them calling for the restaurant – especially the bartender staff that served the drinks – to be held accountable for the crash that killed the young state trooper. I drive up and down Route 1 several times a week. And I know that I will always be thinking about this tragedy anytime I drive past the restaurant at 44 Broadway (Route 1 North). It will be hard not to think about the death of a state trooper responding to a wrong-way crash a short distance up the road in Lynnfield. It was surely a fatal crash that could have been avoided had Marrero gotten a cab that night instead of driving known family fun car show that occurs every year in the summer, put on by Saugus Police Officer Domenic Montano and his amazing team that wants to give back to their community. The Cars and Cops Car Show of Massachusetts first started in September of 2018 and grew yearly. What originally started as a 100-125 vehicle car show grew to 300-plus cars in 2021. This week’s “Shout Outs” We received no nominations A MEMORABLE NIGHT: Howie Conley and the Memorylaners, a popular local group that specializes in Oldies and Doo-Wops, wowed the crowd last week at the Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site during the free summer concert series. Please read this week’s “The Sounds of Saugus” for more details. (Courtesy photo of Laura Eisener.) away. Or, if the bar stopped serving him when it was obvious he had way too much to drink and was in no shape to drive home. Somebody who was around Marrero that night should have stopped him from driving away. A cab ride to a local motel would have been the right thing to do. It’s easy to look back now and say what “could have” or “should have” been done. Tribu, the restaurant where Marrero spent the final hours of his life, has already paid dearly for the tragedy through adverse publicity. Meanwhile, it also risks having its license suspended or worse. Hopefully, this tragedy is never forgotten and serves as a sobering reminder to the masses about the potential consequences of drunk driving and the responsibility that all of us share in making sure that family, relatives, friends and other people don’t get behind the wheel of a car when it’s obvious that they had too much to drink. Stay tuned. Election alert: Sept. 1 primary coming Town Clerk Ellen Schena and her staff have about four weeks to complete preparation for the upcoming Sept. 1 primary election. A major order of business is signing up enough election workers – both paid and volunteers. Every two years, there is a state election that involves a September primary. With school not being in session yet, it becomes more challenging for the Town Clerk to recruit civic-minded Saugus High School juniors and seniors. So a flyer began circulating headlined “CALLING ALL SAUGUS HIGH JUNIORS AND SENIORS,” with the hopes of attracting civic-minded teens who want to help the elections run smoothly this fall: the State Primary (Sept. 1) and the Nov. 3 State General Election. “Come work for Community Services to fulfill your high school hours OR you can be a Paid $$$$$$ Election Worker,” the flyer stated. For those Saugus juniors and seniors who are interested in being paid or volunteer election workers, here are the particulars: • 16 years old can work parttime shifts (6 to 8 hours) • 17 & 18 year olds can work full shifts (8 to 12 hours) • The Town Clerk’s Office can accommodate any hours for interested students. “Great to have on your College Applications/Resumes,” the flyer noted. Those who are interested should stop by Town Hall or contact the Town Clerk’s Office to apply to work. Ask for Jacey Ruisi, Saugus Election Coordinator, at 781-231-4102 for more details. A second flyer went out directed at adults who want to work the polls and earn some extra cash. The Town Clerk’s Office is looking to fill specific shifts: all day, or 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. or swing shifts (accommodating hours). For those who are interested in applying for any of those paid positions, please contact the Town Clerk’s Office at 781-2314102 or 4013. Saugus United Parish Food Pantry The Saugus United Parish Food Pantry will be open today (Friday, July 31), from 9:30-11 a.m. at 50 Essex St. in the basement of Cliftondale Congregational Church. The food pantry welcomes all neighbors facing food insecurity on Friday mornings. Volunteers are also welcome. Please call the Food Pantry Office (781-233-2663) or go to the website (cliftondalecc. org) for details. Cars and Cops Show tomorrow The Seventh Annual Cars and Cops Car Show is set for tomorrow (Saturday, Aug. 1), from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the parking lot of the Saugus Middle-High School at 1 Pierce Memorial Drive. The rain date is Aug. 8. The Cars and Cops Car Show of Massachusetts is a widely from readers this week. So I will exercise my editorial prerogative to highlight the collective efforts of adult and youth volunteers involved in the various youth activities that are happening around town, especially athletic events. Countless adult volunteers are making contributions to the betterment of Saugus every day during the summer months. Hats off to those people. 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 a 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 a photo. Free Summer concerts series continues You know it’s truly summer in Saugus when the Wednesday night crowds start to gather at the Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site, where they sing, clap and dance to the music. It’s that time of year again. Another summer of free outdoor concerts over an eightweek period at the Iron Works began on July 1. This marks the fifth consecutive summer that the Saugus Public Library and the National Park Service are collaborating on a local outdoor event that seems to get more popular every year. The Saugus Cultural Council (a local arm of the Mass Cultural Council, a state THE SOUNDS | SEE PAGE 9
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