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Page 12 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, SEpTEmbEr 1, 2023 The Sounds of Saugus By Mark E. Vogler Good morning, Saugus! It’s back to work for me on Tuesday (Sept. 5), as my twoweek vacation officially comes to an end after the Labor Day weekend. I’ve enjoyed the time off, primarily to rest and recuperate from a medical procedure I had on Aug. 24. And I want to thank the kind Saugus Advocate readers who have emailed, texted me or called to wish me well in my recovery. My current plans are to be at Tuesday (Sept. 5) night’s Board of Selectmen’s meeting. I’m also looking forward to hanging out at Saugus Center next Saturday (Sept. 9) for the annual Founders Day celebration. Hopefully, good weather prevails and there’s a big turnout. I am looking forward to covering the biennial town election, which is just a couple of weeks away from the start of the formal political campaign. Candidates for the Board of Selectmen, the School Committee, the Housing Authority, the Charter Commission and Town Meeting have up until 5 p.m. Sept. 19 to submit their nomination papers to the Town Clerk’s Office. Soon after, we’ll know who’s running for what and which political races will be hotly contested. For anyone who’s civic-minded, has concerns about the state of local government in Saugus and thinks he or she could contribute to the betterment of Saugus as a volunteer office holder, now is the time to pull nomination papers from the Town Clerk’s Office. There’s plenty of opportunities: 50 seats on the Annual Town Meeting, nine seats on the Charter Commission, five seats on the Board of Selectmen, five seats on the School Committee and a pair of seats on the Saugus Housing Authority. Instead of complaining about the local politics, run for public office. If you don’t want to get involved in an election, send your resume to the Board of Selectmen or Town Manager Scott C. Crabtree and volunteer to fill a vacancy on one of many of the town committees or boards. Chicago made my summer I can’t remember a worse summer weatherwise. There were a lot of days when I wanted to get some walking in, but I decided against it because I didn’t want to get rained on. Sure. My grass was green and my marigolds thrived in the midst of the heavy rains. But as summers go, I didn’t do as much as in past years. I’d call it a pretty unremarkable summer compared to past summers. But July 1 was a memorable day for me. My good friend Keith Gentili had asked me weeks earlier not to make any plans for the first Saturday in July. Keith was my assistant and sports editor when I was editor of The Nantucket Beacon newspaper back in the early to mid-90s. I figured it would be a cookout or family outing at his home in New Boston, N.H., where Keith publishes The New Boston Beacon, a very good monthly newspaper that incorporates many of the features from our days at The Nantucket Beacon. But it was a glorious day, which began with a great late breakfast at a downtown eatery overlooking the river’s edge. We did some hiking downtown and through a wooded section of New Boston, where I had a close encounter with a deer. Later in the day, I was treated to one of the best pizza pies I ever ate. Just when I thought the excitement to my Saturday was over, Keith kept driving farther away from New Boston, towards the Lakes Region of New Hampshire. Keith kept driving around the backroads until we passed a police detail at a sign indicating a concert was scheduled for that night. We were going to an outdoor concert! Soon after, we entered the parking lot of the Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion in Gilford, N.H. This would be my first outdoor concert, but a very special one as it turned out. Keith treated me to one of my favorite bands dating back to my college days. Keith knew Chicago was coming to New Hampshire and bought two tickets ahead of time. What a surprise! The band had a great light show going on for two plus hours as it played all the familiar songs I knew from my teenage years and 20’s. There were four members of the original band that’s been touring for about 56 years. The concert was really super. In fact, for the next two weeks that followed, I found myself singing the words to Chicago tunes that were stuck in my head. July 1 was one heck of a surprise. But it wasn’t the first time Keith had done something like this. On a Thursday night after clearing deadline several years ago, Keith made arrangements to pick me up and go for a few WIN IT AND READ IT: Visitors to The Saugus Public Library who view the September Saugus Advocate Sketch Artist Exhibit will have a chance to win a copy of Saugus native Michael R. Maruzzi’s inspirational memoir, “Walking is Overrated.” (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate by Joanie Allbee) beers somewhere local. I wondered what was up when we drove all the way to Salisbury, and we parked outside the Seaglass Restaurant and Lounge. I enjoyed a great seafood meal at a table with an ocean view. As we exited the restaurant, Keith directed me to the Seaglass and Blue Ocean Event Center next door. I figured we would end the night listening to a local band perform. When we got to the table inside the event center, Keith asked me what group was playing. I looked down at the program and noticed “America,” another one of my favorite groups. What I was expecting to be a few brews and a quiet night turned into a lavish meal followed by a couple of hours enjoying America as it performed in its 50th anniversary tour. What a surprise! And what a surprise it was on July 1 when Keith tricked me into seeing a Chicago concert. Just a few days later, Keith texted me and wanted to know if I was interested in seeing another one of my favorite groups – The Eagles – who would be performing at TD Garden on Sept. 11. I told him I would do it, except I already had a “Saugus Over Coffee” forum scheduled at the Saugus Public Library on that day. Get Ready for Founders Day One event I’m looking forward to soon after my return is Founders Day, which is set for Saturday, Sept. 9. Hopefully, the weather cooperates so folks can enjoy a special Saturday down at Saugus Center. It’s the biggest fund-raising day of the year for many of the nonprofit organizations in town. Central Street will be closed off from the rotary at Town Hall nearly all the way up to the Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site. The place will be swarming with schoolage kids trying to raise money for their various causes. The Boy Scouts, the Girl Scouts, Youth sports leagues and High School students seeking contributions to various clubs and activities will all be there. So will various churches, social organizations and various fraternal groups that contribute to the betterment of Saugus in their own way. For Saugus residents hoping to see their friends or newcomers to town who want to make some friends, Founders Day is a great event. Joyce Rodenhiser has a good way of summing up Founders Day: “Founders Day is a great time to see old friends and classmates! It’s a big block party with lots of food, fun, civic organizations, entertainment and shopping. Join us downtown to see what’s happening!!” Joyce, who is a member of the Founders Day “Persons of the Year Committee,” also noted that it’s important to not lose sight of the purpose of Founders Day – to honor the town’s proud heritage of its founders – from the town’s ancestors who contributed to the development of the town all the way through the contemporary founders who contribute to the betterment of Saugus. “At noon time, in front of our Saugus Town Hall, on Founders Day, the Persons of the Year will be announced! Come, see who has been helping Saugus be a better place because of what they have done voluntarily for Saugonians and organizations,” Joyce said. The Persons of the Year presentation is a Founders Day tradition that dates back to 1989, with that first award going to Stanley Day. In 1993, separate awards were presented to a woman and a man selected for the honor. The plaque is inscribed with this tribute: “In Recognition of Your Dedication to The Town of Saugus. This Award Truly Exemplifies the Outstanding Ideals and Spirit of Our Founding Fathers. THE TOWN OF SAUGUS SALUTES YOU.” Other than for two years when the presentation was postponed because of public health concerns related to COVID-19, this wonderful tradition has continued. Past recipients of the award have already met and selected a deserving man and woman for this year, who will be honored at noon. Most of the living past recipients will sit in chairs on a platform set up on the steps of Saugus Town Hall. For those Saugonians who attend Founders Day frequently, but haven’t taken the time to watch the Persons of the Year ceremony, it’s a great opportunity to meet and greet a collection of special people who have THE SOUNDS | SEE PAGE 13

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