THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, OCTObEr 28, 2022 Page 15 The Sounds of Saugus By Mark E. Vogler Good Morning, Saugus! Looks like we should be in for another nice weekend – a very good Halloween weekend. Unfortunately, the weather forecast, as I am a few days away from deadline yesterday (Thursday, Oct. 27) looks like a rainy Halloween (Monday, Oct. 31). Oh well, it still looks like a darn good weekend to observe Halloween for those who are into the season of trick or treating, witches, goblins and ghosts. For those who haven’t purchased their pumpkin yet, go to “The Pumpkin Patch” that is in its final days on the lawn of the First Congregational Church in Saugus Center abutting Hamilton Street – and across the street from Town Hall. Buying one of those pumpkins gets you in the Fall Spirit and also goes to a good cause. Saugus is one of many communities receiving pumpkins from the Navajo Reservation near Farmington, N.M., working with a program called Pumpkin Patch USA, which coordinates the destination of the pumpkins. The church and the Navajo Reservation both benefit from the pumpkins. Pumpkins of all sizes are still displayed on the church lawn and will be available for purchase every day through Halloween from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. And for those folks who love a Halloween-themed play, you have three days, counting today (Friday, Oct. 28) to check out the Theatre Company of Saugus’s presentation of “Zombie Prom.” The performances for today and tomorrow are 8 p.m. at the American Legion Post 210 at 44 Taylor St. in Saugus. And there’s a Sunday matinee at 2 p.m. Tickets are $20 to $25 and may be purchased in advance online at TCSaugus.org/tickets. Check it out and have some fun. Whatever you do, be safe out there and slow down for the little kids in costume, whom you might not see when you’re texting on your phone while driving over a crosswalk without stopping. Yeah, I see you out there! Some of the same folks who won’t stop in the daytime when I’m in the crosswalk, on Hamilton Street, walking toward the Public Safety Building. Since I started working as the Editor of The Saugus Advocate about six and a half years ago, I have to stop in the crosswalk about 40 percent of the time because stupid and reckless drivers don’t recognize the state law that pedestrians have the right-of-way while in the crosswalk and drivers must stop their vehicles. Stay tuned. Household Hazardous Waste Collection tomorrow! Residents are invited to dispose of their household hazardous waste in an environmentally responsible manner during a collection event tomorrow (Saturday, Oct. 29) from 9 a.m. to noon. This event will be held at the Belmonte Upper Elementary School located at 25 Dow St. This year it will be a contactless event; there will be no preregistration. Residents must stay in their vehicles and hold up a driver’s license, and all materials must be placed in the trunk or rear of the vehicle. Residents will be limited to two carloads, the equivalent of 50 pounds or 50 gallons, of hazardous waste. The rain-or-shine event will allow residents to dispose of a series of household waste products, including rubber cement, airplane glue, fiberglass resins, aerosol cans, photo chemicals, furniture polish, floor and metal polish, oven cleaner, drain and toilet cleaner, spot remover, rug and upholstery cleaner, hobby and artist supplies, photography chemicals, turpentine and chemistry sets. The following garage supplies will also be accepted: fuel/gasoline, kerosene, engine degreaser, brake fluid, carburetor cleaner, transmission fluid, car wax, polishes, driveway sealer, car batteries, antifreeze, cesspool cleaners, roofing tar, swimming pool chemicals, motor oil and car batteries. Accepted workbench waste includes oil-based paints, stains, varnishes, wood preservatives, paint strippers or thinners, solvent adhesives and lighter fluid. Residents may also bring the following yard waste: weed killer, chemical fertilizers, flea control products, mothballs, poisons, insecticides, herbicides, pesticides and fungicides. Residents are urged to take caution when transporting household hazardous materials. Locals may do so by keeping the materials in their original containers, tightening caps and lids, sorting and packing products separately and packing containers in sturdy upright boxes padded with newspaper. Please remember never to mix chemicals or to smoke while handling hazardous materials. The hazardous household waste collection will not accept commercial waste. The following items will not be accepted: empty containers or trash, latex paint, commercial or industrial waste, radioactive waste, smoke detectors, infectious and biological wastes, ammunition, fireworks, explosives, fire extinguishers or syringes. TVs, computers and car tires may be recycled at the drop-off site located at 515 Main St. on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Town of Saugus would like to thank everyone for their cooperation. Please contact Jeannie Meredith at 781-231-4111 with any questions. Looking for a “Trouble in the Forest” response We’ve been playing some phone tag with David DiBarri, Superintendent of the Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational School District, regarding Laura Eisener’s cover story last week, “Trouble in the Forest,” which focused on a group protesting the destruction of 13-plus acres of trees for construction of the new Northeast Metro Tech School. The Voke superintendent did call and left his cell phone number, but we were unable to connect. However, he did send me an email, which included a link –https://northeastbuildingproject.com/faq/ – with some questions and answers, a few of them which seemed to be related to the issues that concern the group that’s been protesting the destruction of trees at the construction site. One of the questions: How are you allowed to go in and remove any trees you want and blast the hillside? The answer posted by Voke officials: “Please note that the project only intends to remove rock and trees that are necessary to accommodate the new school and associated fields and parking. The property for the new school is being built on private (School District owned) land. The local & MSBA funding has been secured, so with proper local approvals the project can move forward.” The website also mentions, “If you do not see your question answered above or have any other questions/comments please fill out to the form below or send an email to @NortheastMetro@ PMAConsultants.com.” The website offers another question: How can the local community keep informed and/ or be involved as this project progresses? The answer that The Voke administration provides: • Project website: northeastbuildingproject.com • Project Facebook Page: facebook.com/newNEMT • Project Instagram Page: Instagram.com/newNEMT • Attend School Building Committee meetings, typically held on the second Thursday of each month at 5:30 p.m. via Zoom. Readers who are concerned about the project should check out these webpages – and complain if they are not satisfied with the answers. Meanwhile, we hope to get some comments from the superintendent or other Voke officials on the exact extent of the tree removal and destruction to pave the way for the new school building. Stay tuned. Town-Wide Fall Street Sweeping underway Town Manager Scott C. Crabtree and the Department of Public Works announced that the Town’s Annual Fall Street Sweeping Program began on Tuesday, Oct. 11. Sweepers began in the area of North Saugus (Precincts 5 and 7) and worked their way across town, working from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The Town of Saugus 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 prior to the program’s start. 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 781-2314143 with any questions. “Remnants of the railroad in Saugus” set for Nov. 9 The Saugus Historical Society’s next meeting will be on Nov. 9 and will be about remnants of the railroad in Saugus and surrounding areas, including 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 at 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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