SAUGUS Vol. 23, No. 47 -FREEThe Advocate – A household word in Saugus ADVOCATDV C TE AD OC www.advocatenews.net Published Every Friday Piecing things together Four residents at the Heritage Heights housing complex spent three months assembling this monster 4,000-piece puzzle, which measures 52 inches by 38 inches. It depicts the Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany. See page 4 for story and photo highlights. (Saugus Advocate photo by Tara Vocino) Advocate Asks MAKING MUSIC: When she isn’t busy studying or volunteering for a community service project. Alyssa Swible Martinez enjoys playing her clarinet in the Saugus High School Band. Here she is, front and center, performing at last year’s Veterans Day ceremonies in Saugus. See page 3 for this week’s Advocate Asks. (Saugus Advocate fi le photo by Mark E. Vogler) A COVID-19 cancellation Positive Saugus COVID-19 cases surge ends town’s hopes for Christmas tree lighting event; Christmas Eve Santa parade may go on By Mark E. Vogler T own Manager Scott C. Crabtree off ered a mixed message this week on how the Town of Saugus will welcome Christmas this year. He offered some “sad” news – the cancellation of this year’s Annual Christmas Tree Lighting Festivities – followed by “a silver lining”: the town is still making plans for Christmas Eve Santa’s Parade. Crabtree told the Board of Selectmen that he had “bad news … very disappointing” that under the current conditions, the Christmas tree lighting – one of the town’s most popular events of the year which draws in a crowd of 2,000 to 3,000 people on the fi rst Friday of December – COVID | SEE PAGE 5 ANGELO’S FULL SERVICE "42 Years of Excellence!" 1978-2020 Regular Unleaded $1.899 MidUnleaded $2.399 Super $2.459 Diesel Fuel $2.219 KERO $4.159 Diesel $1.959 HEATING OI 24-Hour Burner Service Call for Current Price! (125—gallon minimum) DEF Available by Pump! Open an account and order online at: www.angelosoil.com (781) 231-3500 (781) 231-3003 367 LINCOLN AVE • SAUGUS • OPEN 7 DAYS 781-233-4446 Friday, November 20, 2020 A MUST MEETING Crabtree calls for a Dec. 7 Special Town Meeting to get the town’s fi scal house in order before year’s end; session needed to help set tax rate By Mark E. Vogler T own Manager Scott C. Crabtree has called a Special Town Meeting for Monday, Dec. 7 to enable the town to fulfi ll its fi scal responsibilities, which have been clouded with uncertainty since the outbreak of COVID-19 in March. “One of the challenges we’re dealing with is trying to set the tax rate,” Crabtree told the Board of Selectmen at Tuesday night’s (Nov. 17) meeting. “We would need a Special Town Meeting to do that,” he said, while also noting that the session is necessary in order for the town to submit fi scal documents to the state Department of Revenue as required. “We would have to conduct the special to comply with the DOR,” he said. The session, approved by selectmen, is set for 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 7 and will be held via “Zoom” video conferencing. Town Meeting members would be unable to convene in the second fl oor auditorium, under the current state MEETING | SEE PAGE 9 Prices subject to change HAPPY FALL! Y FLEET
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