Page 2 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRiDAy, NOVEmbER 13, 2026 CEMETERY | FROM PAGE 1 pansion and to begin design and implementation work if the property was found suitable for expanding. The Cemetery Commission also suggested that different burial methods and plot designs could accommodate thousands of additional graves on the proposed expansion land, although it did not specify which methods would be used. Officials said the design options would be explored if a study determined the land was suitable for burials. Three years later, it remains unclear whether the town completed the study or released any findings. Town Manager Rows of headstones fill the Chestnut section of the Riverside Cemetery on Winter Street in Saugus, where American flags and flowers mark graves throughout the grounds. The townowned cemetery is nearing capacity, raising concerns about the availability of burial space for future generations of Saugus residents. (Photo to The Saugus Advocate by Aidan DeLange) “WE’RE STILL HERE!” Since 1947 MALDEN AUTO BODY Book online: Maldenauto.com 49 Robin St., Everett, MA 617-389-3030 * Maldenab@yahoo.com Over 79 years of exceptional service! Massone Family Owned & Operated Scott Crabtree and other Town Hall officials did not respond to questions about the study, how much burial space remains at Riverside and whether the town plans to expand the cemetery. Former Cemetery Commission member Ron Wallace, who served from 2021 to 2024, said members considered expanding into town-owned land across Shute Brook, near the Northern Strand Community Trail. Reaching the land would require a bridge, he said, and he recalled that permitting and access concerns complicated the idea. Wallace said he decided against seeking another term around 2024 because he “felt like we weren’t getting anyRon Wallace, a former Saugus Cemetery Commission member, points to the gravestone of Benjamin N. Johnson, a prominent figure in Saugus history, during a visit to Riverside Cemetery. Wallace has raised concerns about the cemetery’s dwindling burial space and the lack of progress on proposed expansion plans. (Photo to The Saugus Advocate by Aidan DeLange) where with the expansion.” The site was still under consideration when he left, he said. Wallace still visits Riverside often to clean headstones. “I’m here constantly,” he said. He began by cleaning his father’s headstone and since then estimates he has cleaned about 75 stones at the cemetery. “This whole row used to be open,” he said during a walk through of the Chestnut section at Riverside Cemetery. He estimated that two to four visible spaces remained, though he could not tell whether they were already reserved. “I’m a lifelong resident and I want to be buried here with my wife,” Wallace said. Janice Jarosz, another former Cemetery Commission member, who served from 2021 to 2024, said the commission voted on work proposals for expansion, but that she did not know what followed. She said that she understood that the approved funding had to be activated within two years and believed it was no longer available because work did not begin in time. “It went away,” she said. By the time of publication, the town, when contacted by The Saugus Advocate, had not confirmed whether the funding expired and what happened to $66,100. For lifelong Saugus resident Wayne Erickson, the uncertainty over available space could eventually affect where he and his wife, both in their 70s, are buried. With space limited, he said, they may eventually have to determine whether there will be room for them. “I was born in Saugus, raised in Saugus, went to Saugus schools, and this is my community,” Erickson said. “This is [what] I feel CEMETERY | SEE PAGE 7
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