Page 6 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, SEpTEmbEr 2, 2022 Attorney General delays decision on pot article after receiving citizen concerns about the measure By Mark E. Vogler T he state Attorney General’s Office has requested more time to review a Zoning Article approved by this year’s Annual Town Meeting which supports the recreational sale of marijuana. A spokesperson for the Attorney General’s Office said the agency’s Municipal Law Unit has received public comment which has raised concerns about the ordinance, which is also known as Article 36. “I do know we’ve heard from members of the public about the bylaw. We’ve received feedback from the public,” AG spokesperson Tom Dalton said. “There are some concerns we are looking at and we’re going to make sure it complies with Massachusetts Law,” he said. Dalton declined to elaborate and said the information received by the Municipal Law Unit would not be made public until after the review has been complete. Dalton noted that it is standard procedure for all bylaws passed by Town Meetings to be reviewed by the attorney general before they become eff ective. Town Clerk Ellen Schena received a letter dated Aug. 23 from Assistant Attorney General Nicole B. Caprioli advising the town that the Attorney General’s deadline for a decision on Article 36 had been extended for an additional 60 days, with agreement from Saugus Town Counsel John Vasapolli. Caprioli said her unit would issue a decision on Article 36 on or before Oct. 23. At this year’s Annual Town Meeting, members voted 3113 (with fi ve members absent) for Article 36 – an amendment to the town’s Zoning Bylaws to allow for marijuana establishments in town. The Annual Town Meeting voted unanADVOCATE ASKS| FROM PAGE 5 kle, and gangrene had set in, and I wound up losing my leg. I said to the doctors at the hospital, “You have destroyed me.” That’s when I turned into something else, and I said, “Okay, what do I do now?” So, I had a friend who played the electric piano. He and I combined, so we go to retirement homes, rest homes, assisted living homes – to brighten up the day for them. Q: What has been the secret of your success? A: We weren’t interacting with the spectators; nobody was having fun; it was just a job. Something was wrong, so I purchased the Jack Lee Band. I paid Jack Lee’s widow $1,000 in 1949. I still have my fatherin-law’s hat – a Navy offi cer’s hat. I hired a dance band who wanted to have some fun. I imously in 2018 for an article that banned the operation of any marijuana retail establishments in town. But much has changed over the last four years – particularly a decline in town revenue in the midst of two-plus years of coping with the COVID-19 pandemic – which contributed to this week’s overwhelming approval of an article that allows for the recreational sale of marijuana. “We should reap the benefi ts just like any other community,” Selectman Jeff rey Cicolini said, imploring Town Meeting members to enable Saugus to join the growing list of communities in MassachuATTORNEY GENERAL | SEE PAGE 13 wanted to interact with the crowds, so the fi rst [song] I introduced was Happy Birthday to You. I played Happy Birthday to everybody. We were having fun. Q: You were doing that up until COVID-19? A: Yes. Q: Now, any plans of returning? A: Well, I’ve been getting calls to start again. Q: Do you plan to? A: Well, my wife says “No.” And I’m just thinking it’s a lot of effort now for me just to go out: I have to go down 10 stairs; I’m not that steady on my foot anymore. I need assistance. I don’t let people pamper me. I’m independent. So, I don’t know. I’m between and betwixt, as they say. Anyway, occasionally they invite me to sing at a nursing ADVOCATE ASKS | SEE PAGE 8 Monogram D4 Double siding Cedar impression half rounds Harvey Vinyl 64 Replacement Windows Custom Aluminum Trim work Windows & Doors Top quality Vinyl Siding! •Vinyl Siding •Carpentry Work •Decks •Roofing •Free Estimates •Replacement Windows •Fully Licensed •Fully Insured
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