Page 12 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, DECEmbEr 8, 2023 Tree Lighting drew good crowd on a bad night Spirits not dampened as raindrops kept falling on their heads; Santa and the petting zoo were the big draw By Mark E. Vogler S ome town officials overseeing the preparations for last Friday night’s annual Tree Lighting and Festivities worried that the rainy weather might keep many Saugus residents at home. But Jen Erikson disagreed any suggestion that the rainy weather spoiled the night for Saugus residents who converged on Saugus Center. “I think the rain added something to it,” said Erikson, who waited in the rain outside the entrance to the Saugus Public Library as her eight-year-old daughter spent some time with Santa Claus. “There’s a lot of people here. This is a good crowd. The weather doesn’t matter,” she said. That was clear from the large number of parents pushing baby carriages covered with plastic to keep their tots dry. Crystal Surette, a 2003 Saugus High School graduate, said the weather wasn’t bad enough to keep her one-yearold daughter Madeline away from seeing Santa. “This is her second time and she’s happy to be here,” Surette said. “She came as an infant last year. And this has been a family tradition for 10 years now,” she said. The weather didn’t keep Joe Vecchione from enjoying the night with his three-year-old daughter Amelia. “I did it as a kid for many years; now I’m doing it as a dad,” Vecchione said as he held his daughter as she admired the giant inflatable snowman. “I love seeing her face. She looks forward to seeing all of these lights. It’s a kickoff to Christmas. And like most kids, she’s obsessed with Christmas,” he said. A parking lot tragedy DA says father who died of knife wounds may have accidentally stabbed himself outside Kowloon restaurant I nitially, police thought Patrick Kenney, Jr. was a stabbing victim of a potential crime when he was found in the parking lot of Kowloon Restaurant last Saturday (Dec. 2) night, bleeding from an apparent knife wound. There were concerns about a suspicious death because of a Thanksgiving Eve fight that forced the owners to close the restaurant bar early. Four people have been charged in connection with that incident. But, as investigators viewed the scene, there were no apparent signs of foul play. Kenney, 42, a Milton father Event Date: 120523 Event: Saugus vs Revere Location: Saugus High School/Middle School Photographer: Emily Harney Score: Scrimmage of young twins, was rushed to Massachusetts General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead a short time later. “This incident appears to be accidental, and no additional parties are believed to be involved,” said a press release issued this week by Essex County District Attorney Paul F. Tucker’s Office. “It remains an active and ongoing investigation by the Essex County District Attorney’s Office State Police Detective Unit and detectives from the Saugus Police Department.” Tucker’s office gave no further explanation of Kenney’s suspected accident, which occurred sometime before 9 p.m. last Saturday. Meanwhile, there have been media reports that said Kenney accidentally stabbed himself with a knife fastened to a lanyard around his neck. “The DA has nothing new at this time to add and we cannot confirm the cause of death as it is still under investigation pending the OCME reports,” the DA’s Chief of Staff, Sharyn Lubas, said yesterday. Lubas was referring to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, which is reviewing evidence in the case before making an official ruling on the cause of death. Underneath a tarp that covered the petting zoo, fouryear-old Braydon Berdy-Baker was preoccupied with Harley – the one-year-old girl rabbit – one of 17 animals that Animal Craze of Winchendon, Mass., brought to Saugus. The boy’s grandmother, Alice Berdy, said the weather was much better last year. But the rain didn’t matter to Braydon or his family. “We know the petting zoo is his favorite,” said Berdy, a Saugus resident who moved here four years ago from New Jersey. The weather did present a special challenge to Brian Cross, the DJ for the event. He had to leave some of his audio equipment at home so it wouldn’t get damaged by the rain. He loaded about 100 Christmas and holiday songs into his cell phone and had it hooked up to the speakers set up at the top of the Town Hall steps. “The favorite song is probably ‘Santa Claus is Coming to Town,’” said Cross, a 2013 Saugus High graduate. But last night was just a warmup for Cross, who is looking forward to working as DJ for the town’s Christmas Eve parade, something he’s been doing since 2014. THIS WEEK ON SAUGUS TV Sunday, Dec. 10 from 9–11 p.m. on Channel 8 – “Sunday Night Stooges” (The Three Stooges). Monday, Dec. 11 all day on Channel 8 – “Movie Monday” (classic movies). Tuesday, Dec. 12 at 8:30 p.m. on Channel 22 – Boys Basketball vs. Lynnfield from Dec. 10. Wednesday, Dec. 13 at 4:30 p.m. on Channel 22 – Color Day 2023. Thursday, Dec. 14 at 1 p.m. on Channel 22 – Girls Basketball vs Georgetown from Dec. 7. Friday, Dec. 15 at 8:30 p.m. on Channel 9 – Library Board of Trustees from Dec. 14. Saturday, Dec. 16 at 1:30 p.m. on Channel 22 – “Our Infinite Universe: Is there other life?” documentary. Saugus TV can be seen on Comcast Channels 8 (Public), 9 (Government) & 22 (Educational). ***programming may be subject to change without notice*** For complete schedules, please visit www.saugustv.org Revere vs Saugus Basketball Nathan Soroko goes up for a basket for the Sachem’s. Saugus boys’ basketball coach Joseph Bertrand chats with his team before the took on Revere in the last scrimmage before the season opener. Danny Shea with the ball for the Sachem’s.
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