THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, OCTObEr 21, 2022 Page 15 The Sounds of Saugus By Mark E. Vogler What a great community event! Good Morning, Saugus! In my travels around town this week, I heard a few unfair knocks about “Saugus 4-1-1.” A common critique – and one that I believe was unfair and just not true – was that it was “a political event.” The critics pointed to the fact that it had to be “political” because it was organized by Selectman Corinne Riley. But I was there the full three hours last Saturday (Oct. 15) morning and saw nothing to substantiate the “political” claim. The only political aspect I saw was the table set up for the Saugus Democratic Town Committee. Selectman Riley’s political leanings, by the way, seem to be Republican. She worked as a campaign manager for state Rep. Donald Wong (R-Saugus) on several of his successful State House campaigns. And she stepped down from that position after getting elected to the Board of Selectmen three years ago. By the way, there wasn’t a table for the Republican Town Committee. There were about two dozen tables set up on the first floor of the new Saugus Middle-High School. The Saugus Police and Fire Departments had separate tables with handouts. There were five tables from various churches from the Saugus Faith Community. The Saugus Public Schools had a table staffed by Schools Superintendent Erin McMahon and her staff. The Saugus Public Library, with Library Director Alan Thibeault – along with its two supporting nonprofit agencies – New Friends of the Saugus Public Library and Saugus Public Library Foundation – occupied three of the tables. Also staffing tables were representatives of SAVE/ Tree Committee, DAR, the MEG Foundation/Saugus Historical Society, Saugus Television, William Sutton Lodge of Masons, Saugus Garden Club, Saugus Everett Elks, Saugus Cub Scout Pack 62, Saugus Lions Club, Saugus Little League, Friends of Saugus Senior Center/Saugus Council on Aging and the Saugus Board of Selectmen. All five selectmen – Riley, Board of Selectmen Chair Anthony Cogliano, Board of Selectmen Vice Chair Debra Panetta, Michael Serino and Jeff Cicolini – showed up. From what I could see, visitors really needed a shopping bag to pack with the wide range of informative handouts and the assortment of colorful trinkets and gadgets – some of them useful and/or bearing the name and number of a Saugus organization or local government agency. My favorite of the freebies was the small plastic dinosaur that would walk when wound up. I found those babies in a basket at the Cliftondale Congregational Church table. I scooped several of those little dinosaurs up and made sure that a few parents with small children got them to take home. I kept one to give to a friend. From all accounts, it was a great event for Saugus newcomers and old-timers alike. Too bad more folks didn’t check it out. Selectman Riley and her team of volunteer organizers have a very good base to build on for next year when they plan “The Second Annual Saugus 4-1-1” event. Town-Wide Fall Street Sweeping The Town of Saugus’s Annual Fall Street Sweeping Program began on Oct. 11. Sweepers started in the area of north Saugus (Precincts 5 and 7) and are working their way across Town, working from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The Town asks that residents keep vehicles off the street when sweepers are in the area. Locals may assist the Department of Public Works by sweeping their driveways or sidewalks into the gutter area. But they should not sweep driveways and/or sidewalks once the sweepers have swept. Residents should keep in mind that street sweepers are unable to collect stones, branches, leaves or other foreign objects. In addition, residents are asked to be mindful that sweepers cannot pick up large piles of sand. Please contact the Department of Public Works at 781-231-4143 with any questions. Saugus Lions Club fundraiser tomorrow The Saugus Lions Club is hosting a Halloween dinner/ dance tomorrow (Saturday, Oct. 22) at 7 p.m. at the Saugus Knights of Columbus (57 Appleton St.). There will be a full buffet, cash bar, DJ, raffles and door prizes. Costumes are optional but there will be a prize for best costume. Tickets are $50 with proceeds supporting the Lions’ efforts in funding eye research. For more information or to purchase tickets, email pattyfierro@hotmail.com or call 781-640-9176. “A huge Shout Out” to Saugus 4-1-1 team Selectman Corinne Riley was clearly the catalyst and driving force behind last Saturday’s “First Annual Saugus 4-1-1” event held at the new Saugus Middle-High School. But, as is the case in many of the events that Selectman Riley spearheads, she prefers to divert the attention to the folks who collaborate on the worthwhile town events which she initiates. So, we will let Selectman Riley lead off this week with the largest “Shout Out” we’ve ever published in this column: “This is a huge shout out to all that helped in the success of Saugus 4-1-1! The support from my fellow Board members, Anthony Cogliano, Debra Panetta, Jeff Cicolini and Michael Serino and State Representatives Wong and Giannino, Town Manager Crabtree and from his office, Christine Moreschi and Jeannie Meredith. From the Town Clerk’s office: Ellen Schena, Stephanie Hardy, Andrew DePatto, Inspectional Services: Debbie Nickolas, Dan Kelly, Michael LaVecchia, Chief Mike Ricciardelli, Detective Stacey Forni, and Chief Mike Newbury, Fire Captain Scott Phalen, Bill Cross, Board of Selectmen Clerk Janice Jarosz, Senior Center Laurie Davis, Lynette Terrazzano and Ralph Genzale. Superintendent Erin McMahon, Myra Monto, Andrea Wheeler, Gosia Janik-Knupp, all the wonderful students who gave tours of the facility, Saugus School Committee. Wendy Carpenito, Donna Sordello, Jean Swanson, Jeannie Bartolo, Nancy Vivace, Chris Riley, Jim Harrington, Charles Zapolski, Joanne Mirabello and Corey Berkowitch. These wonderful non-profit organizations, houses of worship and town information tables: Saugus Tree Committee, Saugus Library Foundation, The Saugus Lions Club, New Friends of Saugus Library, Saugus Public Library, Saugus Softball Little League, St. John’s Episcopal Church, William Sutton Lodge, S.A.V.E., Saugus Democratic Committee, Daughters of the Revolution, Saugus Garden Club, Friends of Saugus Senior Center, Council on Aging, S.C.T.V., Michelle Madar Fox, Saugus Historical Society, Cliftondale Congregational Church, East Saugus UMC, M.E. Graves Foundation, Cub Scouts Pack 62, Saugus Fire Department, Saugus Police Department, First Baptist Church, Saugus Catholics Collaborative and Saugus-Everett Elks, Saugus Cultural Council, Mark Vogler from The Saugus Advocate for covering this event many times! And the most important thank you goes out to the residents, old and new, who came to find out about our town! I truly hope I didn’t forget anyone, and I am looking forward to making it bigger and better next year! Sue Fleming offered this “Shout Out,” also related to people who made “Saugus 4-1-1” such a great success: “Giving ‘a Shout Out’ to Selectman Corrine Riley and her committee, who organized the ‘Saugus 4-1-1’ event at the Saugus Middle-High School. So much work went into putting on the event and it looked to be very well attended by new residents to the town as well as us ‘old-timers’. The student-led tour of the schools was great. The 2 students who showed us around were very informative and a pleasure to talk with. The school is beautiful and everyone in town should be proud to have such a wonderful place for our kids to learn in. Thanks Corrine!” School Committee Member Ryan Fisher also contributed a Saugus 4-1-1-related “Shout Out” to this week’s paper: “I want to do ‘a shout out’ to the student volunteers who gave great tours of the complex. My mother never went beyond the auditorium and was blown away, because you have no idea looking at the outside of the building what an amazing space it is on the inside.” Since we have a list of the THE SOUNDS | SEE PAGE 17 —Cont est— CONTEST SKETCH OF THE WEEK GUESS WHO GOT SKETCHED! If you know the right answer, you might win the contest. In this week’s edition, we continue our weekly feature where a local artist sketches people, places and things in Saugus. Got an idea who was sketched this week? If you do, please email me at mvoge@comcast.net or leave a phone message at 978-683-7773. Anyone who between now and Tuesday at noon identifies the Saugonian sketched in this week’s paper qualifies to have their name put in a green Boston Red Sox hat with a chance to be selected as the winner of a $10 gift certificate, compliments of Hammersmith Family Restaurant (330 Central St. in Saugus). But you have to enter to win! Look for the winner and identification in next week’s “The Sounds of Saugus.” Please leave your mailing address in case you are a winner. (Courtesy illustration to The Saugus Advocate by a Saugonian who goes by the name of “The Sketch Artist”)
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