THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, OCTObEr 17, 2025 Page 11 TOWN ELECTION 2025 | FROM PAGE 10 ment. He cited as a top priority “The closing of the toxic ash landfill located on the Rumney Marsh and abutting the Saugus River.” Serino also vowed he would “continue to advocate for the Mass D.E.P. not allow the WIN trash plant to buy emission credits, but to meet State-wide emission standards as other facilities in Massachusetts are required to do.” Precinct 1 Town Meeting Member Stacey M. Herman-Dorant said in her statement that she would “Hold WIN Waste to Emissions Standards—No Landfill Expansion.” “If WIN Waste continues to operate, they should be required to meet all existing emissions standards without purchasing pollution credits,” Herman-Dorant said. “It’s time to set a firm date to cap and close the ash landfill and discontinue the disposal of toxic ash in Saugus. We must also prepare to implement the recommendations from the Town Meeting Landfill Committee, including economic development plans that could generate up to $5 million in new tax revenue and create quality jobs.” Board of Selectmen Vice Chair Jeffrey V. Cicolini noted in his statement that he’s been opposed to any farther expansion of the ash landfill since he was first elected in 2015. At that time, he said, he made the motion at a Board of Selectmen’s meeting to reaffirm that board’s position statement preventing any expansion. “My position has not changed, I do not support expansion of the landfill by any means,” Cicolini wrote. “The HCA (Host Community Agreement) that I supported was ONLY an insurance policy for the town in the event that Mass DEP reverses course once again and allows for further expansion,” he wrote, referring to an unofficial 3-2 vote by selectmen to support a HCA more than two years ago. It’s the town manager’s job to negotiate any HCA. But existing state environmental regulations won’t allow expansion. “I made my position of no expansion clear throughout the entire public meeting. Unfortunately I have little confidence Shining Lights of Everyday People FIELDING QUESTIONS: The nine candidates running for the five Board of Selectmen seats in the Nov. 4 town election awaited the beginning of the candidates’ forum sponsored last week by the Saugus Action Volunteers for the Environment, which is also known as SAVE. (Saugus Advocate photo by Mark E. Vogler) in the state’s ability to hold firm on their stance,” Cicolini wrote. Cogliano supports Host agreement SAVE said Selectman Anthony W. Cogliano did not provide a written statement addressing his environmental vision for the town. In a statement he provided to The Saugus Advocate, which he said he initially wrote for SAVE, Cogliano explained his position on possible expansion of the ash landfill and other WIN-related matters. “I watched this town fight with Resco, Wheelabrator and now WIN waste for years and come up empty, losing lawsuit after lawsuit,” Cogliano wrote. “My philosophy is always to try and work with people instead of against them and the results have been excellent. WIN now attends all meetings of the Saugus Board of Health and deals with problems they face or issues that go wrong immediately,” Cogliano continued. “I also created the WIN waste landfill committee to address issues if the DEP should allow them to extend the height of the ash pile. Should they be granted permission by the State, they will also require a site assignment from our Board of Health and if that should pass, Saugus now has a mechanism in place with our Host Community Agreement,” Cogliano said. “This agreement will allow Saugus to have no tipping fees for the next 30 years which saves the town over 40 million dollars. In addition to that, we will have major upgrades to the facilities exterior, NOX monitors put in place at various points in town, lowering the emission of NOX to 170 and hopefully soon thereafter to 150 parts per million which is down from 205 parts per million when I was elected in 2019,” he continued. “It’s been 50 years since the opening of Resco and no one has been able to deliver something like this to Saugus and the surrounding communities, sure I’ve taken my lumps for it and a lot of flack from the naysayers, but I can handle it. My family lives in precinct 10 and we will always be there. If anyone thinks I would do anything to harm my family and friends, you’re crazy.” Candidates Jennifer D’Eon, Frank Federico and Vincent Serino did not cite specific concerns about WIN Waste in their Environmental Vision statements. Candidate Sandro P. Souza did not submit a written statement, according to SAVE. A question about buying carbon credits During the SAVE forum, only one WIN-related question was drawn from the fishbowl: WIN Waste can currently meet emission standards by purchasing carbon credits rather than reducing pollution at the source. How do you think this approach affects public health, environmental justice and long-term climate goals? Three of the candidates got the opportunity to answer the question. Here are highlights of their comments. Cogliano: He said he worked hard to address concerns about air emissions through the comTOWN ELECTION 2025 | SEE PAGE 13 Pauline Nelson (Courtesy of “The Sketch Artist”) “Not all of us can do great things but we can do small things with great love.”—Mother Teresa By Joanie Allbee P auline Nelson glows with goodness. She is like a pair of mittens on a snowy day and a glass of lemonade in a heatwave. Mrs. Nelson serves as a Lectern at St. Margaret Parish in Cliftondale Center. She frequents Chestnut Woods Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center at 73 Chestnut St., Saugus, to recite the Rosary to a waiting group. After the Rosary group, she lingers with patients, listening and lifting loneliness. For decades, Pauline, her husband Eddie (ret. Air Force Veteran) and their three children – Bob, Gary and Wendy – would cheer parades marching by their Central Street home, supportKRISTI A. TALAGAN | FROM PAGE 9 creating potential conflicts of interest. I understand these challenges and am prepared to address them head-on, ensuring that the rules are applied fairly and consistently. Transparency risks: Potential for favoritism, overlooked violations, or biased budget requests. Governance balance: The law’s intent is a mix of coming the Town’s efforts. Wendy , Bob and Gary all have successful careers now and Eddie sadly lost his grasp on life in November of 2022. “Two words I try to live my life by are acceptance and gratitude,” Pauline said recently. Pauline used to knit and crochet and now has a card ministry, which envelops free time between walking, exercise classes and family outings. Wendy, who is a flight attendant, often takes her mom’s cards with her on overseas flights to speed delivery to relatives and friends in England. Pauline loves nurturing plants and flowers and gravitates towards yellows and greens in decor. She is an avid reader and enjoys curling up with a good book. She always has a kind word flowing even in the midst of chaos. munity representatives and one resident member, creating a system of checks and balances. On a personal note, my family is a source of great pride and inspiration to me. I am married to Paul D. Talagan, a School Psychologist, and we have a daughter, Barbara Talagan, who holds an MBA from Cornell and is a Senior Business Analyst at MBTA. Like many of you, we work multiple jobs and think about retirement after retirement.
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