Page 6 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, SEpTEmbEr 19, 2025 A fi rst-time visitor refl ects on the Founders Day experience By Nivia Wilson S aturday’s Saugus Founders Day celebration clogged some roads, closed others and enticed hundreds of visitors to stroll from tent to tent for food, games and raffl es. The scene was Americana, New England homespun and authentic Saugus. Vendors sold homemade goods and offered services. Families played cornhole, a dunk tank splashed and live music reverberated from a small stage. Many in the crowd paused to honor Nancy Prag as Woman of the Year and Eugene “Gene” Decareau as Man of the Year. Along the If We Happen To Meet By Accident ... You’ll Be Glad You Found Us! There is a difference between the rest and the BEST! Celebrating 46 Years In Business! TONY’S AUTO BODY Call or Visit 781-321-0032 34 Sharon Street Malden, MA 02148 TONYSAUTOBODYLLC.COM COME VISIT OUR STATE OF THE ART BODY SHOP • Computerized Paint Matching (State of the Art Spray Booth) • Computerized Frame Machines • P.P.G. Refinishing System • R134 + 1234yf A/C Machines Fully Insured -RS2415 Insurance Company Approval ALL OUR WORK IS GUARANTEED! TONY BARTOLO Owner 46 Years Let Us Handle Your Next Insurance Claim. Go With the BEST It Doesn’t Get BETTER! RENTAL CARS Available way, a cluster of tables off ered advocacy, support and information. At The Rehumanization Project, Ethan Bagley noted the nonprofi t’s debut. “This is our fi rst Founder’s Day.” The goal, he said, was simple: “to let people know that we exist.” Bagley added that the personal connection made possible by events such as Founders Day helps reduce stigma and connect neighbors to resources. A few tents away, Power of Recovery, an addiction treatment center, focused on accessible, end-to-end help. “We’re a one-stop shop. We can take your loved one from the street to the apartment and everything in between. They never have to leave our care,” said executive director Matty Powers. “It’s never too late, and all you need to do to start is get one day.” Down the row, Partners in Rehab was a familiar fi xture. “We have been coming for probably the last 15 years to Founders Day,” said clinic supervisor Krista Virgin. “We like to have our faces seen in the community and let people know that we are always there to serve them.” For a first-timer to a 15year regular, the service tents shared a common thread: meeting neighbors where they are and pointing them towards help alongside the fried dough and games. Nivia Wilson is a student journalist in the Boston University Newsroom program. TOWN ELECTION | FROM PAGE 5 tured a four-candidate race until longtime incumbent William Stewart failed to turn in his nomination papers. Now, it’s a three-way competition between Town Meeting Members Kristi Talagan and John George Chipouras and challenger Darlene Marie L’Heureux. Also on the ballot are the Town Meeting races: 45 of the 50 incumbent Town Meeting Members have fi led nomination papers, indicating an interest in running for another two-year term. There are 22 challengers this year. There will be no competition for Precincts 2 and 8, as only fi ve candidates are competing for the fi ve seats. Everyone on the respective ballots will get elected. Here is the precinct by precinct breakdown. PRECINCT ONE: All five incumbents – Stacey Marie Herman-Dorant, Sue Palomba, Susan C. Dunn, Mark J. Bell and John J. O’Brien – will run for reelection. Former Precinct 8 Town Meeting Member Thomas E. Traverse will be running in a new precinct this year after moving to a new home. Other challengers are Ashley L. Nichols and Jillian R. Lauziere. PRECINCT TWO: Peter A. Rossetti, Jr., Robert J. Camuso, Jeanette E. Meredith and Matthew David Parlante seek reelection. Joseph Stephen Malone is the lone challenger, but will win a seat for lack of competition. PRECINCT THREE: All fi ve incumbents are seeking reelection: Leonard Joseph Ferrari, Jr.; Mark Victor Sacco; Daniel I. Schena; Arthur David Connors, Jr. and Richard Edward Thompson. Amanda Kay Ostrow Mason and Marissa Lee Demonte are the challengers. PRECINCT FOUR: All fi ve incumbents are seeking reelection: Robert J. Long, Stephanie M. Shalkoski, Maureen Whitcomb, Glen R. Davis and Stephen N. Doherty. Former Town Meeting Member Robert C. Northrop and Joseph Nicholas DiFilippo are the challengers. PRECINCT FIVE: All five incumbents are seeking another term: Pamela J. Goodwin, Jaclyn Annette Hickman, Ronald Mark Wallace, Brenton H. Spencer and Mark S. Panetta. The challengers are Joshua L. Dellheim, Karli McConaghy Brazis and Lori Ann Fauci. PRECINCT SIX: Four of the incumbents seek reelection: TOWN ELECTION | SEE PAGE 9
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