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Page 14 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, AUGUST 25, 2023 THE SOUNDS | FROM PAGE 13 Bogdan, whose name was drawn in last Friday’s Sketch of the Week Contest. Shirley was one of several readers who guessed correctly. But there can only be one winner of the $10 gift certificate. Now here is the answer – provided by the Saugus resident who goes by the nickname of “The Sketch Artist”: “The answer to last week’s sketch is D.A.R. Regent Gail Cassarino! Gail is a woman of great compassion. Gail has lived her whole life in Saugus and was born in Saugus General Hospital and graduated Class of ‘72’. “She celebrates over 48 plus years of marriage to her husband Anthony. They have four children and now have eight grandchildren. “Gail is retired from Verizon and Comm. of Mass. This Saugonian has volunteered for countless Saugus organizations & Events … to name a few, she served as a Co-President for Evans school PTO as well as one of the first to be on the Board of the Saugus PTO Collaborative Board. Gail played Santa for 12 years at the Evans School for the Holiday Stroll event, volunteered many hours at Little League Baseball, Youth Hockey and Pop Warner as the Team Mom, Served on the Saugus High Alumni Association as the Financial Secretary for the past ten years, Mayflower Society member (maybe we are related somewhere along the ancestral line because my ancestors are Soule, Cooke, and Warren of the Mayflower) … Saugus Historical Society and she volunteers on the Board of several other organizations as well as Regent of Parson Roby Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (D.A.R.) and she has been a member since 2020. “Gail’s picture frequently shows up in The Saugus Advocate in various volunteer positions of outreach. See the photo in the June 2, 2023 edition showing Gail in costume distributing miniature flags to the Memorial Day parade route crowd. She appears again in a photo accompanying an Aug. 11 article titled ‘New Life for a Saugus Landmark.’ The photo captures D.A.R. Regent Gail putting a fresh coat of paint to a 93-year-old Historical land marker. “One of the sketches featured Regent Gail at our D.A. R. meeting signing papers, The other, in the dress from Memorial Day Parade as she went about joyfully greeting crowds and passing out the American Flag. “Once again, Gail’s strong commitment and patriotism was easily seen after marching in the Parade and at the Memorial Day Service. While some were in shorts and sweating from the unrelenting heat and complaining, Gail was in the full head to toe heavy period dress and stood respectfully covering a soldier’s grave to remember those who gave their life for our freedom. “Gail’s favorite quote is ‘Only you can create your own happiness - choose to be happy today’ Gail is often heard stating ‘I love my Town and the people in it.’ Gail describes herself ‘as a Saugonian through and through.’ “Gail Cassarino keep on being the magnificent authentic light that you share so freely with the world through your service and beautiful genuine smile. Thank you. “Yours Truly, “The Sketch Artist” “Saugus Over Coffee” The next “Saugus Over Coffee” forum is set for 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 11 in the Community Room of the Saugus Public Library and will feature Precinct 9. For those unfamiliar with the “Saugus Over Coffee” forums, they are cosponsored by The Saugus Advocate and the Saugus Public Library. The primary purpose is to give citizens in each of the town’s 10 precincts an opportunity to voice their concerns about top issues in their respective precincts. It also gives them an opportunity to meet their Town Meeting representatives and chat over a cup of coffee or tea. Town Meeting members will benefit by getting to know more about concerns in their precincts. Viewers of the forums videotaped by Saugus TV will also get to learn a little about the history or interesting things about the precinct being featured each month. One of my major hopes for VACATION HOMES AND RENTAL PROPERTIES V acation homes are deemed a countable asset when applying for MassHealth long-term care benefits. If you rent out the vacation home and you are reporting a profit, MassHealth will not count the vacation home as an asset as the vacation home will be deemed essential for self-support under 130CMR 520.008(d). MassHealth Estate Recovery Unit will still place a lien on the property in order to seek reimbursement for MassHealth benefits paid on behalf of the institutionalized spouse. However, the reimbursement is based on the Medicaid rate paid to the nursing home by MassHealth, which is often 50% to 60% or so of the private pay rate. This means the buildup on the lien will be a lot smaller than the cash depletion based upon the private pay rate assuming the vacation home was not rented out generating a profit which would otherwise make it a non-countable asset. The same would be true for rental property generating a profit. The rental property would also be a non-countable asset based upon being essential to self-support. Your principal residence is a non-countable asset if you riod would begin to run. At the end of the five-year period, those assets would not be considered countable assets for MassHealth eligibility purposes, and MassHealth would not place a lien on any of the properties. Upon the death of the Settlor(s) of the irrevocable Trust, probate would also be avoided. MassHealth can only collect against the probate estate. Keep in mind that if the check off the box on the MassHealth application stating that you intend to return home from the nursing home. In a married couple situation, once the nursing home spouse is approved for MassHealth benefits, the home can then be transferred to the at home spouse without there being a disqualifying transfer. Then, the at home spouse could transfer to an irrevocable Trust in order to start the five-year look back period if he or she wishes to do so. Whether you are dealing with a vacation home, rental property or principal residence, if you decide to transfer either piece of real estate to an irrevocable Trust, once the deed is executed, the five-year look back peMedicaid rate is, for example, $7,500 per month, the amount of the estate recovery lien that would build up each month would be reduced by the monthly income being paid to the nursing home by the nursing home spouse. For example, if the nursing home spouse had Social Security income of $2,000 per month, pension income of $1,000 per month and net rental income per month of $2,000 per month, for a total of $5,000 in income per month, the net amount of MassHealth’s estate recovery lien that would build up each month would only be $2,500. This would most likely lead to a decision not to sell any of the real estate which would result in potentially significant capital gains taxes. the forums is that it spurs an interest in citizens to become potential candidates for Town Meeting in this fall’s town election. The public should keep in mind that there was a paucity of candidates for Town Meeting seats in the town elections back in 2021. In five of the 10 precincts, only five candidates ran for the five seats. That means half of the 50-member body was elected without competition. Stay tuned for more information as “Saugus Over Coffee” continues. Here is the remaining schedule: Precinct 9 – Sept. 11; Precinct 10 – Oct. 23. Please check with The Saugus Advocate or library for any changes in dates. Residents can check the programming guide on the station’s website (www.saugustv.org) for dates and times. A video of the forum will also be available for viewing on the station’s vimeo page within a day or two after the event – www.vimeo.com/ saugustelevision. One more Summer Concert at the Saugus Iron Works The Saugus Public Library and the National Park Service are proud to bring another summer of music to the Saugus Iron Works. These free, weekly concerts are open to the public and begin at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesdays through August 30. There is one more concert to close out our 2023 lineup: August 30: Memorylaners (50s, 60s, 70s). Bring chairs or a blanket and a picnic! Enjoy a summer evening at the Iron Works with great music and friends! Healthy Students-Healthy Saugus (HS2) is back T he Healthy Stu - dents-Healthy Saugus (HS2) Program has returned for the 23-24 School Year! The nonprofit organization will begin service starting on Friday, Sept. 22, and continue during the school year. HS2 volunteers help to offset food insecurity in households by providing a supply of nutritious food for when school lunches and breakfasts are unavailable to them on weekends. How HS2 works: ● HS2 bags are distributed at Saugus Public Schools on Fridays to take home to anyone that signs up. Bags include such items as peanut butter, canned meals/soups/tuna/ vegetables, pasta, fruit cups, cereal, oatmeal, goldfish, pretzels and granola bars. ● All food is provided to children free of charge. ● There is no qualification needed. It is our hope these resources will support the health, behavior and achievement of every student who participates. To sign up go here to complete online form: https:// forms.gle/gmMGguycSHBdziuE9 Feel free to email HS2Saugus@gmail.com for additional information. Founder’s Day Book Sale The New Friends of the Saugus Public Library are preparing for their September 9 Founders Day Book Sale in the Community Room. They are asking for donations of gently used adult hardcover and softcover adult fiction and children’s books. Please limit donations to only adult fiction and children’s books; they do not have storage space for adult nonfiction or media like music CDs and DVDs. And please... clean and newer books only. No tattered pages, odors, stains or battered/ dirty covers! Books may be dropped off at the Library’s Main Circulation Desk during business hours. Please do not place donations in the outdoor book drops. What’s happening at the Saugus Public Library For schoolchildren looking THE SOUNDS | SEE PAGE 15

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