THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, AUGUST 2, 2024 Page 13 The Sounds of Saugus By Mark E. Vogler Good morning, Saugus It was quite a surprise when I walked into the Town Manager’s Office on Monday and ran into Mike Gaffney. He was the heart and soul of the once-proud Saugus Advertiser, where he worked covering Saugus for 18 years as the paper’s editor and as a reporter, before he left in the fall in 2022 to take the job as Community Engagement and Communications Coordinator for Gloucester Public Schools. Sure, Mike was definitely my chief competitor while he was working as the Advertiser’s editor. But I didn’t really look at him like I’ve looked at most competitors in my 50-yearplus career. He was a nice guy and a class act and did his job well in covering the town he loved – and still loves. A gentleman who I always enjoyed talking with during intermissions at Saugus Board of Selectmen’s meetings and Town Meeting. Actually, I would have preferred to see him remain as Advertiser editor. There was more than enough news for the both of us to cover in Saugus. He was a credit to the journalism profession, concentrating his efforts to providing a solid community weekly newspaper in the best tradition of New England newspapering. Well, Michael is back in town, having accepted the position of Media Website Content Manager for the Town of Saugus. Town Manager Scott C. Crabtree created the position primarily to improve the town’s website and public information/communications. He will no doubt be a welcome addition down at Town Hall, providing the kind of useful information that citizens have been craving and selectmen have been seeking for some time. His work ethic, journalism expertise and vast knowledge of Saugus should benefit the community immensely. Mike brings a lot of integrity to the job in addition to his many talents. I look forward to sitting down with him soon for an “Advocate Asks” interview to let our readers know what to expect. Stay tuned. A Coalition to help kids There’s a small group of Saugus Citizens planning to meet Aug. 12 at 9:30 a.m. at the Boys and Girls Club Teen Center at the Square One Mall. ANOTHER LOOK AT SAND ART: Saugus resident Deb Barrett-Cutulle worked on “A Butterfly’s Playground” at last month’s 20th Annual Revere Beach International Sand Sculpting Festival. (Saugus Advocate Photo by Tara Vocino) “We started in May, so we are still in the beginning stages of planning, but wanted to get the word out about what we are doing,” Amy Chiaravalloti told me in a phone conversation this week. Curious about this group, I went on the Internet to check out Amy’s background. As it turned out, Amy is a Saugus resident who works in the healthcare field and has been involved in organizing similar groups in Wakefield. Amy pretty much stuck to the script of the following press release, which we decided to reprint in its entirety in case there are people who are out there in the community who are concerned about the youth of Saugus. Here we go: “Recently, a group of community stakeholders in Saugus joined together to create a prevention coalition in Saugus. In response to the rising concerns surrounding underage substance use and behavioral health challenges, we came together to try and provide the youth of Saugus with resources and support to prevent substance misuse and assist with behavioral health challenges. The goal of this group is to improve and assist the quality of life for youth in the community through positive youth experiences in a safe adult supported environment. Coalition members include parents, members of town government, representatives from local youth serving organizations, police and fire officials. We look forward to incorporating the youth voice into the coalition during the 2024-2025 school year. We are working on activities and initiatives that will help parents gain the tools necessary to talk to their kids about challenging subjects like underage drinking, vaping, bullying, healthy relationships and mental health challenges. Be sure to look for our table with helpful resources at local events like the community health fair on 6/25 and Founder’s Day in September. For more information about the Saugus Prevention Coalition, please email saugusyouthcoalition@gmail.com.” I guess I might check out that meeting on Aug. 12. Stay tuned. Mega “shout outs” to youth league coaches and volunteers We didn’t receive any nominations from readers this week to publicly acknowledge good deeds that lead to the betterment of Saugus. So, I will use this space to commend the efforts of coaches and volunteers that assist all youth sports in town. We have less than a month to go before kids head back to school. But there’s still some fun for kids to have on the playing fields. Those kids and their parents should express some gratitude for all of the coaches and volunteers who are the backbone of youth sports. 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. Founders Day date change Founders Day, one of the most popular town events of the year, will be a week late this year. It’s usually observed on the first Saturday in September. This year, it will be observed on Sept. 14 instead of Sept. 7. Knights begin planning flea market and craft fair The Knights of Columbus Council 1829 announced recently 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). Food Pantry notes The Saugus United Parish Food Pantry is open today ( Friday, Aug. 2) from 9:30-11a.m. at 50 Essex St. in the basement of Cliftondale Congregational Church. Legion Breakfasts over for summer American Legion Post 210 would like to thank all those who made the 2023-24 breakfast season such a success, and wish them a wonderful summer. We will resume serving breakfast on Friday, September 6, 2024. August Events at the Kowloon THE SOUNDS | SEE PAGE 16
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