׉?4ׁB!בCט((u׉׉ 7cassandra://Mw1HCau8DfCQdVUCl6XuDZwdxEZleyKHjNxkF0D01mYb`)׉ 7cassandra://3HH2B3jiHDBVQ-nEit8Riu2Aqf3COo1Pq4SOqXMsJu8͔`J׉ 7cassandra://IwxCZUDM0eXT5bIuHAJKTVTtU5PKjIzXX2MQ4ffnsfQ.`̰esh@_׈Eeih@_׉E /SAUGUS AD Vol. 25, No.51 -FREEHave a Very Merry Christmas! DCATECATE CT ww ublished Every Friday u HONORING DEPARTED VETERANS A E 781-233-4446 Friday, December 22, 2023 “Off the Charts” Former massDEP offi cial fi lls board of Health vacancy after unanimous support from selectmen By Mark E. Vogler retired state environmental official with close to three decades of experience is the latest addition to the town’s Board of Health. The Board of Selectmen at Tuesday night’s (Dec. 19) meeting confirmed the appointment of Joseph Dorant on a unanimous 5-0 vote to bring the five-member board back up to full strength. Dorant, a longtime Saugus resident, fi lls the unexpired term of the board’s chair, Bill Heffernan, who resigned in late October to accept a job promotion that involves extensive worldwide travel. “Joseph Dorant served the public for more than 25 years as an environmental engiJoseph Dorant neer for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP),” Town Manager Scott C. Crabtree said in a statement yesterday. “For many years Joe served on an important inter-agency task force responsible for SUPPORT | SEE PAGE 2 SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN! Navy and Marine Veteran Jack Marino stood near a wreath honoring the United States Merchant Marines during the Wreaths Across America Ceremony last Saturday (Dec. 16) in Riverside Cemetery. Marino, one of many local volunteers who helped to decorate the graves of departed Saugus veterans, contributed heavily to the event. He helped obtain and deliver 150 wreaths to the cemetery. Please see inside for more photos and the story. (Courtesy Photo of Joanie Allbee) A scene from last year’s Christmas Eve Parade, which will be repeated again, beginning at 6 p.m. on Sunday night, when Santa Claus makes a three-hour tour through town. Please see inside for the parade route. (Saugus Advocate fi le photo by Tara Vocino) MARCHETTI CORP. 5 Regular Unleaded $3.019 Mid Unleaded $3.739 Super $4.059 Diesel Fuel $3.959 Gift Certificates Available! ULS at the Pump $4.759 $3.64 9 DEF 3 HEATING OIL Call for Current Price! (125—gallon minimum) DEF Available by Pump! 24-Hour Burner Service Open an account and order online at: Hours: Monday thru Friday 6 AM to 7 PM / Saturdays 7 AM to 5 PM / Sundays 9 AM to 5 PM FLEET Prices subject to change ׉ 7cassandra://IwxCZUDM0eXT5bIuHAJKTVTtU5PKjIzXX2MQ4ffnsfQ.`̰eih@_eih@_ PבCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://sCfibx-m_xioFx0tOVyIla7rIAqtPxjF12sgNbRjsacQ`)׉ 7cassandra://8APtEnc7I6fEQH1bK9mu8YjIgJJZeEFiqKdyLx5RLh8͡y`J׉ 7cassandra://hfgrnaDpLzHPo4TBRPklBrQSza6f3InBKdLAbSdu9jk-`̰esh@_ט((u׉׉ 7cassandra://Q7r41bO9NzqTauAy_67eaQDY0y-3VIbKr7AmK8BERcQ`)׉ 7cassandra://5KeAACrJy92nDjk3xkm04ilGUDnUcdoAscfOPgx1xjA͡`J׉ 7cassandra://DotR0xAQVDT_cn4vUcDles6Hat54i5S_p15m7pO5bVI.`̰esh@_נeth@_)9ׁHhttp://www.roller-world.comׁ ׁ Ј׉EPage 2 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, DECEmbEr 22, 2023 State Rep. Wong had perfect voting record in 2023 (Editor’s Note: State Rep. Donald H. Wong’s Office issued the following press release this week.) S tate Representative Donald H. Wong, R-Saugus, maintained a perfect voting record in 2023, participating in all 70 roll call votes recorded in the House of Representatives between February 1, 2023, and November 15, 2023. Representative Wong compiled a 100% attendance record this year by casting votes on several major policy initiatives during the first half of the 2023-2024 legislative session, including a comprehensive tax relief package that is expected to provide taxpayers with $561 million in savings this fiscal year and an estimated $1.02 billion in savings once the changes are fully implemented in 2026. Signed SUPPORT | FROM PAGE 1 investigating and prosecutinto law on October 4, 2023, as Chapter 50 of the Acts of 2023, An Act to improve the Commonwealth’s competitiveness, affordability and equity, the bill: · Doubles the Senior Circuit Breaker tax credit from $1,200 to $2,400, indexed to inflation, to assist nearly 100,000 seniors with their housing costs; · Eliminates the estate tax for all estates valued under $2 million and allows for a uniform credit of $99,600, effective January 1, 2023; · Combines the child and dependent tax credits into one while eliminating the existing cap and increasing the credit from $180 to $310 in FY23 and to $440 in FY24, which will benefit over 565,000 families; · Increases the rental deduction cap from $3,000 to $4,000, which will assist approximately 800,000 renters; · Raises the Earned Income ing environmental crimes. After retiring from DEP, he continued to serve the public as Tax Credit from 30% to 40% of the federal credit, which will benefit approximately 400,000 taxpayers earning less than $60,000; · Allows municipalities to provide up to $2,000 in property tax reductions for older residents participating in the senior work-off program, which is currently capped at $1,500; and · Reduces the tax on shortterm capital gains from 12% to 8.5%. On November 15, Representative Wong joined with his colleagues in the House of Representatives to pass a long-term care oversight bill that will provide enhanced protections for patients as well as expanded training provisions for the industry’s workforce to help address persistent staffing shortages at nursing homes and other long-term care facilities. He President of the Massachusetts Organization of State Engineers and Scientists (MOOur 51st Anniversary Dan - 1972 We Sell Cigars & Accessories! 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Crabtree said Dorant’s extensive environmental experience and background are “off the charts” and make him one of the most experienced candidates to be appointed to the board in recent memory. “I was thrilled when I received his letter of interest to serve on the Saugus Board of Health and I applaud the Board of Selectmen for confirming his appointment,” Crabtree said. “Joe brings a wealth of knowledge in environmental protection, public health, water resources and extensive knowledge of state regulations that will be invaluable to the residents and businesses of Saugus,” he said. Dorant had expressed an interest previously in serving on the Board of Health. But there weren’t any vacant seats at the time. He has a Master’s of Science degree in environmental engineering from Northeastern University. He received a Bachelor of Science-Biology degree from Boston State College (UMass). He retired in 2006 from the DEP after working for 28 years. “As an environmental engiHappy Holidays! neer at DEP, my career concentrates on environmental health in a regulatory role, protecting our precious resources and enforcing our environmental laws,” Dorant wrote in his letter of interest to the town manager. wage gap by requiring most employers to disclose the salVOTING RECORD | SEE PAGE 4 “In my leadership role as President of MOSES, representing scientists and engineers across the Commonwealth, I’ve worked closely with state and local Public Health officials,” he said. Dorant’s appointment is through December 2025. At Tuesday night’s meeting, selectmen voted to confirm the reappointment of Joia Cicolini, Maria Tamagna, Geraldine Gatchell and Dr. Anthony Bakopolus. Cicolini and Vice Chair Tamagna were appointed to serve through Dec. 31, 2026. The reappointments of Gatchell and Bakopolus are through December 2025 and December 2024, respectively. The Board of Health meets monthly, usually on the first Monday of each calendar month at the Saugus Public Library. Dates are subject to change. The Board’s role is to promote the health and wellness of all Saugus residents through the prevention and control of disease and injury. The Board of Health’s responsibilities include a wide spectrum of activities involving environmental and public health concerns, conducting inspections and investigations to maintain local and federal code compliance for the following permitted establishments: animal keepers, body art practitioners, food establishments, mobile home parks, mobile food vendors, motels, recreational camps, swimming pools, tanning salons, temporary food events, trash & septic haulers. ׉ 7cassandra://hfgrnaDpLzHPo4TBRPklBrQSza6f3InBKdLAbSdu9jk-`̰eih@_׉E THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, DECEmbEr 22, 2023 ~ The Advocate Asks ~ Page 3 Selectmen and School Committee members talk about their Christmas gifts to Saugus and best holiday memories SEASONS GREETINGS FROM SAUGUS: The Saugus Board of Selectmen and Town Manager Scott C. Crabtree gathered around the Christmas tree on the fi rst fl oor of Saugus Town Hall before this week’s selectmen’s meeting. Sharing their holiday hopes and best wishes to town residents for a Happy New Year, are, pictured from left to right, Town Manager Scott C. Crabtree, Selectmen Anthony Cogliano, Mike Serino and Corinne Riley, Board of Selectmen Vice Chair Jeff rey Cicolini and Board of Selectmen Chair Debra Panetta. (Saugus Advocate photo by Mark E. Vogler) For this week’s column, we reached out to each of the members of the Board of Selectmen and the School Committee and asked them if they would like to send a holiday message to our readers. All fi ve selectmen responded. Three of the fi ve School Committee members participated. Their individual holiday wishes to the residents of Saugus and their favorite holiday stories follow. Q: Please share your thoughts on your Christmas gift for the town this year – something you hope to work for. One gift you want to give the town if it’s in your power as a public offi cial. Also, if you feel in the spirit, feel free to share a short, heartwarming Christmas story that is Saugus-related. Could be from your childhood or a holiday memory that sticks out with you this time of year. Board of Selectmen Chair Debra Panetta I think the residents of Saugus deserve a third fire station. The west side of our Town does not have a fi re station, where this concern has been discussed for decades. When you’re in a crisis, every second counts. Please know that we are currently in the feasibility stage of this project. Town Meeting approved $400,000 ASKS | SEE PAGE 5 425r Broadway, Saugus Located adjacent to Kohls Plaza Route 1 South in Saugus at the intersection of Walnut Street We are on MBTA Bus Route 429 781-231-1111 We are a Skating Rink with Bowling Alleys, Arcade and two TV’s where the ball games are always on! PUBLIC SKATING SCHEDULE 12-7 p.m. Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday $9.00 Price includes Roller Skates Rollerblades/inline skates $3.00 additional cost Private Parties 7:30-11 p.m. $10.00 Price includes Roller Skates Adult Night 18+ Only Private Parties Private Parties 4-7 p.m. $9.00 12-9 p.m. 7:30-11 p.m. $10. 18+ Adults Only After 7 PM $9.00 Everyone must pay admission after 6 p.m. Sorry No Checks - ATM on site Roller skate rentals included in all prices Inline Skate Rentals $3.00 additional BIRTHDAY & PRIVATE PARTIES AVAILABLE www.roller-world.com ׉ 7cassandra://DotR0xAQVDT_cn4vUcDles6Hat54i5S_p15m7pO5bVI.`̰eih@_eih@_ PבCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://cotmucU7F7Gc306owz2ApX7Dz-ApD1Wx6dgOHU0CM_U*`)׉ 7cassandra://QwUWGOpvCECxlB_OzVU-975kGaNz46kF71tzFZ9qlS0͕,`J׉ 7cassandra://KqqugZm7bPbHzq8cpdPlZlRgW-gqLZDpq-xc-RbJPrY*V`̰eth@_ט((u׉׉ 7cassandra://bPIlTjFvENHG4XIFeNVSx0iyWefzhCvbHR34vSKBCgUX`)׉ 7cassandra://8twDtgMCw6WM8G7UQI0wIHO2OqJJ1XlEs1S9fr4zOtA͏`J׉ 7cassandra://8N1QBDLTjl73kHUAZz3SHI066hZYgna_0ulPs55LX9Q)$`̰eth@_נeth@__9ׁHhttp://WWW.SABATINO-INS.COMׁ ׁ Ј׉EPage 4 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, DECEmbEr 22, 2023 Malden Catholic students from Saugus achieve Honor Roll – First Quarter M alden Catholic students have completed the coursework required for the first quarter of the 2023-2024 school year. The school has three categories for outstanding academic performance honors: President’s List (90 to 100 in all classes), First Honors (85 to 89 in all classes) and Second Honors (80 to 84 in all classes). Malden Catholic Honors – Quarter One 2023: President’s List Katherine Abourjaili Olivia Arsenault Robert Crivello Isabelle Da Silva Autumn Ingemi VOTING RECORD | FROM PAGE 2 ary range for open positions Gerry D’Ambrosio Attorney-at-Law Is Your Estate in Order? Do you have an update Will, Health Care Proxy or Power of Attorney? If Not, Please Call for a Free Consultation. 14 Proctor Avenue, Revere (781) 284-5657 Lucia Ingemi Joseph Laudanno Yangning Liu John Paul Lowrey Ally Marino An Nguyen Vincent Nguyen Nicolas Sapienza Yasmin Saroufim Steven Streeter Emily Uribe Lopez First Honors Elias Abourjaili Isla Anderson Rachael Burke Evangelina Carr Ryan Coppola Caio Cruz Kaio Henrique De Oliveira Benjamin Hurley on job postings. On October 18, Representative Wong voted against Lucas La Verde Teagan MacPherson Velda Mondestin Leyna Nguyen Joy Pham Karly Ribourg Alina Truong Molly Warner Second Honors Ethan Addazio Michael DiGirolamo Hailey Fern Jacob Grasso Maximus Iturrondo Sabrina Magliozzi Roomy Mondestin Marygrace O’Donnell Alessandra Palomba Dylan Santoro Gianluca Sapienza a House-sponsored gun bill, saying it will do nothing to reduce crime and will instead have a negative impact on lawful gun owners in the Commonwealth. He also questioned how much the bill will cost to implement and noted that it was strongly opposed not only by the Gun Owners Action League, but also by the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association, whose members voted unanimously to oppose the bill. Representative Wong also voted against a supplemental budget proposal on November 8 to allocate $250 million in additional funding to the state’s emergency shelter system to help pay for Rania Saroufim Kyle Swartz Joseph Viglione Ryan Young Marina Youssef Haofeng Zeng About Malden Catholic High School: Since 1932, MC (https://www.maldencatholic.org/) has shaped emerging leaders in our community, claiming a Nobel Laureate, a Senator, two ambassadors and countless community and business heads among its alumni. Annually, graduates attend some of the nation’s most renown universities. Foundational to student success the recent influx of migrants seeking shelter in Massachusetts. He cited the lack of a plan by the Healey-Driscoll Administration to stem the flow of migrants, which has pushed the state’s emergency shelter assistance program to its limits and created a strain on municipal finances as cities and towns struggle to house and educate these new arrivals. During floor debate on the bill, Representative Wong supported an amendment to prospectively limit future emergency housing services to individuals who have been residents of the Commonwealth for at least one year and can provide documented proof of residency. He said is MC’s codivisional model, which offers the best of both worlds: single-gender academics during the day and integrated social and extracurricular opportunities after school. MC is known in the community for its rigorous academics, SFX Scholars Program and award-winning STEM program with electives like Robotics and Engineering Design. MC curricula is designed to improve individual growth mindset, leadership principles and success outcomes along with integrating the Xaverian values of trust, humility, compassion, simplicity and zeal. this is a reasonable policy change that will help ensure that long-term residents do not lose out on housing assistance to individuals who are newly arrived from out of state, but the amendment failed to pass. In 2023, Representative Wong was also recorded in support of several supplemental spending and bond proposals, including bills that: –Provide universal free school meals for all students to help promote their health and well-being; –Allow municipalities to continue the use of remote and hybrid meetings, as well as reduced quorum requirements for town meetings, until March 31, 2025; –Authorize a one-year extension of outdoor dining options for restaurants, which will be allowed to continue serving cocktails, beer and wine in conjunction with food takeout orders until April 1, 2024; and –Provide $175 million in additional municipal grant funding to support several transportation-related initiatives such as the Municipal Small Bridge program and the Complete Streets program. Representative Wong represents the 9th Essex District. He currently serves as the ranking Minority member on the House Committee on Rules; Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development; Joint Committee on Racial Equality, Civil Rights, and Inclusion; and the Joint Committee on Tourism, Arts and Cultural Development. ׉ 7cassandra://KqqugZm7bPbHzq8cpdPlZlRgW-gqLZDpq-xc-RbJPrY*V`̰eih@_׉E\THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, DECEmbEr 22, 2023 Page 5 ASKS| FROM PAGE 3 for conducting this study in May 2023. We also need to continue moving forward with the Town-Wide public safety fiber-optics communication system infrastructure upgrade project. Our public safety communication infrastructure needs critical upgrades and replacement of the town’s older communication and infrastructure. Replacement of this infrastructure will ensure reliability and town-wide coverage for the portable and mobile radios and a needed investment in the Town-owned network to expand fi ber optics communication. Holiday Memory: When my children were young, they would look forward to the Saugus Christmas Eve parade. We would follow the parade and stop when the parade stopped to admire the parade participants and meet Santa and Mrs. Claus. Back a few years ago, my family was asked to participate in the parade. My husband hooked up the candy house to his truck with my son, Mark. My daughter, Sabrina and I drove around all night in the candy house, handing out treats to residents. The happiness the parade brought, and smiles from people young and old, was something we will never forget. For some people, this was the highlight of their holiday season. This was my favorite Christmas Eve. I hope everyone comes out this Sunday to enjoy this awesome parade! Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays for whatever you may celebrate, and a happy and healthy New Year! Board of Selectmen Vice Chair Jeff rey Cicolini The one Christmas gift I would like to give to the town if it were possible would be to pause the pace of development on route 1 and have our state delegation work to improve the infrastructure on route 1 and surrounding roadways and off ramps to alleviate the traffi c burden. Currently the traffi c on both Route 1 and Walnut Street are worse than ever. An effectively implemented action plan that mitigates the traffi c delays would be an amazing gift to all of our residents regardless of age. Selectman Anthony Cogliano My Christmas gift to the town would be delivering the much needed, and forever talked about West side fi re station. I’d also hope to see our town employee contracts settled since they expired in June. This should be a priority because where are we without them? I’d like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a safe and Happy New Year to all. Selectman Corinne Riley My first gift that I would like to give Saugus would be peace and harmony. The next one that I would love to see Saugus receive is a brand new playground in Golden Hills. They deserve a place that they can go to safely. I will keep advocating for this project to be completed. Holiday Memory: Childhood holiday memories that I have in our town are many! My favorite childhood memory with my parents and my older brother was being woken up at midnight to come out and see everything that Santa brought us. Those Christmases were so special, and we still live in my childhood home, so those memories are still alive and well for me. We have brought forward past traditions and have started our own traditions that hopefully our kids and grandchildren will remember for the rest of their lives. I’d like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and happy holiday season. And one thing that we all need which is the most important is our health, so may we all have a healthy, happy, and prosperous New Year in 2024. Selectman Mike Serino My Christmas gift for our town would be to continue to try and be a hardworking selectman that does his homework, makes common sense decisions, respects everybody’s opinion and fi ghts to protect our neighborhoods and preserve the quality of life in Saugus. I will continue to work with my fellow board members, town manager, town meeting members and other public offi cials to make Saugus a better place to live. Holiday Memory: During the holiday season I think back to when I was a kid in the late 1960’s. My father came from a family of nine. At Christmas time we would walk over next door to my grandfather’s house on Serino Way. Since coming from a large family, we sure had plenty of food to eat. I had so much fun. My uncle Jack O’Connell would walk around with a large movie projector on his shoulder. I am fortunate enough to have a copy of his movies from that period in my life. I watch the movies every Christmas. School Committee Chair Vincent Serino School Committee Chair Vincent Serino (Saugus Advocate photo by Mark E. Vogler) The one gift I would give the town this Christmas is more teachers and support staff in our schools. We are facing a teacher shortage nationally and here in Saugus. We have great teachers and support staff , but they are being asked to do so much more with less. The gift would allow teachers to spend more time and give more resources to the ASKS | SEE PAGE 6 SABATINO INSURANCE AGENCY 519 BROADWAY EVERETT, MA 02149 Auto * Home * Boat * Renter * Condo * Life * Multi-Policy Discounts * Commercial 10% Discounts * Registry Service Also Available Sabatino Insurance is proud to welcome the loyal customers of PHONE: (617) 387-7466 FAX: (617) 381-9186 Visit us online at: WWW.SABATINO-INS.COM ׉ 7cassandra://8N1QBDLTjl73kHUAZz3SHI066hZYgna_0ulPs55LX9Q)$`̰eih@_eih@_ PבCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://bgtShs8APTVSukXI6uX-7MXG_gMInoKRH9Jk13gkcKM!u`)׉ 7cassandra://Rz8Pwtd_Hm_20VsXzdrPOL_cKct-MFWuV57B0yPbRrg͔`J׉ 7cassandra://Ecly1vbFILs3XKK01QiWaUx7RhMWZwrWRcMeN6NoWJ4-]`̰eth@_ט((u׉׉ 7cassandra://yL3VhmOooUsK0W3TsVZ8iDMrZsJIYiIBxmynFyQ-4c8`)׉ 7cassandra://Yph6z4r-lNzR2cABug-qDKnkJQHlbtGUFVtCrrg5htw͙`J׉ 7cassandra://xX9z0tuo9Lmc0hcCJA9PK8SgZfPDICO4KR-FfoGdpYU*{`̰eth@_נeth@_j9ׁH"http://www.eight10barandgrille.comׁ ׁ Ј׉EPPage 6 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, DECEmbEr 22, 2023 Melrose Arts & Crafts Society Monthly Updates T he December meeting of the Melrose Arts & Crafts Society was held last Monday, December 11, at Melrose First Baptist Church at 9:00 a.m. There were two classes in the morning: making money ties with Linda Camberlain using brand-new 16 one dollar bills with origami techniques; making Smurf ornaments and Santa hats taught by Gerri Tremonte. After the classes, a general meeting was held. During the meeting, 2022-2023 Secret Pals were revealed and new Secret Pals for 2023-2024 were given out to those members wanting to participate. Everyone was excited about the holidays and enjoyed the social time after the meeting to talk with their friends. Our next meeting will be held January 22, 2024, at 9:00 a.m. in First Baptist Church. RON’S OIL Call For PRICE MELROSE, MA 02176 NEW CUSTOMER’S WELCOME ACCEPTING VISA, MASTERCARD & DISCOVER (781) 397-1930 OR (781) 662-8884 100 GALLON MINIMUM Need a hall for your special event? The Schiavo Club, located at 71 Tileston Street, Everett is available for your Birthdays, Anniversaries, Sweet 16 parties and more? For more info, call (857) 249-7882 JOHN MACKEY & ASSOCIATES ~ Attorneys at Law ~ * PERSONAL INJURY * REAL ESTATE * FAMILY LAW * PERSONAL BANKRUPTCY * LANDLORD/TENANT DISPUTES 14 Norwood Street Everett, MA 02149 Phone: (617) 387-4900 Fax: (617) 381-1755 WWW.JMACKEYLAW.COM Gerri Tremonte taught Smurf ornaments and Santa Hats. (Courtesy of Melrose Arts and Crafts) All artists and crafters are welcome. We have members from 10 cities and towns around ASKS| FROM PAGE 5 students. We understand we have work to do and issues that need attention and we are committed to the task in front of us. Holiday Memory: As far as Christmas memories I have too many great ones to just share one. I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. Please take this time and spend it with family and friends, let us remember this season is about giving, especially of yourself. Once again Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. School Committee Member Ryan Fisher My gift to the town in 2024 is a year of working very hard behind the scenes to strengthen Saugus Public Schools and provide stability, safety and solutions for our families and staff . If history has taught me anything, it’s that I can’t predict in December what issues Saugus will face over the next twelve months, but we’ve demonstrated as a committee, time and time again, that we’ll face any challenges with integrity. Holiday Memory: The Santa Parade is always going to be my Christmas memory. Linda Camberlain taught origami one dollar bills tie. (Courtesy of Melrose Arts and Crafts) Melrose, from Chelsea to Winchester. If you have questions, would like more information about the Melrose Arts & Crafts Society, call our Membership Chair, Dorothy Iudice, at 781-662-2099. We look forward to seeing you in 2024! Happy holidays and Happy New Year! School Committee Member Ryan Fisher (Saugus Advocate photo by Mark E. Vogler) It’s driven by my house since I was a child, and my parents would reschedule our Christmas Eve plans around making sure we were home to see it. I’m now the parent that gets to share that experience with my daughter, and it means so much to have that shared memory that I know she’ll always remember. I’m so grateful to the organizers and volunteers for that gift. School Committee Member Stephanie Mastrocola My Christmas gift for the town this year would be open-mindedness. I want to meet with people and betSchool Committee Member Stephanie Mastrocola (Saugus Advocate photo by Mark E. Vogler) ter understand their point of views. We don’t always have to agree on everything but if we can put some of our diff erences aside, we can focus on what we can make better for our town. For example, with the School Committee, I want to ask questions and figure out how we can come up with solutions together. We have to work collaboratively but most of all in a respectful way. Holiday Memory: When my son started the Waybright School, I met the most amazing group of people there. ASKS | SEE PAGE 7 ׉ 7cassandra://Ecly1vbFILs3XKK01QiWaUx7RhMWZwrWRcMeN6NoWJ4-]`̰eih@_׉EuTHE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, DECEmbEr 22, 2023 Page 7 ~ The Old Sachem ~ A Tea Party By Bill Stewart I n high school they taught us that the colonists grew angry about the King of England, who raised the cost of tea for them. England gathered tea from India and China by a company called the East India Company. We call it an act of disobedience; the English called it an insurrection. On December 16, 1773, a group of revolutionaries gathered to board, in disguise as Indians, the ships carrying tea to Boston and proceeded to dump 340 chests of tea into Boston Harbor in the area known as Griffin’s Wharf. This amounted to about 92,000 pounds of tea, which in our current time would be worth about $1.7 million. Other territories from New York to the Carolinas also had tea delivered and did nothing about it. It was a revolutionary response to the arbitrary power of England. Most of this was taught in history classes in high school, but there is more to the story than what you learned. A Boston merchant, John Edwards, sent a letter to a friend in Philadelphia describing the actions of the revolutionaries. “They mustered, I am told, on Fort Hill, to the number of about two hundred, and proceeded two by two to Griffin’s Wharf, where … before nine-o’clock in the evening every chest on board the three vessels was knocked to pieces and flung over the sides. They say the actors were Indians from Narragansett. Whether they were or not, to a transient observer they appeared as such, being enclosed in Blankets with the heads muffled, and copper colored countenances, being each armed with a hatchet or ax and pair of pistols.” The Boston revolutionaries later sent Paul Revere on horseback to New York City to relay the news about the Boston Tea Party, part of an effort by Sam Adams and his cronies to dramatize and publicize the event and to gather support among the colonies. The actions of the revolutionaries would lead to rebellion. The English closed the port to stop commerce coming in and out of the harbor, which was the mainstay How to Avoid Excessive Alcohol Use During the Holidays T he run-up to Christmas Day and days between then and New Year’s Day can seem like an endless drinking session. There seems always to be an excuse to crack open a bottle of booze. Whether at family gatherings, work parties, or any festive gathering, people are drinking, often in excess. Even social drinkers tend to find themselves consuming more alcohol than usual. It can be challenging to avoid the pitfalls of excessive alcohol use during the holidays and refusing alcohol in social situations. Yet, it is not impossible, and there are practical approaches anyone can use to turn down a drink, whether you are young, middle-aged, or a senior. In Massachusetts, the state ranks 14th highest among the states for binge drinking. Roughly 59% of Bay State adults (18+) drink and 26% binge drink. It’s no secret that people tend to drink more during the holidays. The key to success is to practice saying no to alcohol; whether it is a legitimate reason or a wild made-up excuse, it all works. Try being direct and honASKS| FROM PAGE 6 We would meet at our friend Lisa’s house before the tree lighting, have pizza and then all walk down together. As the years went by and our kids est at first, and say things like “No thanks, I don’t drink anymore,” “Alcohol does not mix well with me, “I can’t drink because my alcohol use gets out of hand sometimes,” or “I’ve decided I feel better without alcohol in my life.” If you cannot be straightforward, invent clever excuses, such as “I am taking a prescription I cannot mix with alcohol,” “I am training for a marathon, I can’t drink,” “Drinking is against my religion,” “No thanks, I get really belligerent when I drink,” or “Before I accept, I should warn you I brought a guitar with me.” Another successful alternative is to bring your own non-alcoholic beverages. This can be the perfect time to try some holiday mocktails. For many of us, having a drink in hand makes us feel more comfortable in social situations. It also makes it less likely that someone else will pressure us to drink alcohol. Or step into the designated driver role. This is one of the easiest excuses for not drinking at a holiday party. If you are the designated driver, you will have no explaining to do. Most people use the responsibility excuse; the average perwent in different directions, we still remained friends. This year I went to Lisa’s house and it’s as if we never stopped. These are the people who I love having in my life. We laugh, we joke but most of all of the locals financially. The colonial government of Massachusetts was suspended. A new Governor was appointed and he tried to change the way the patriots were going and suspended Town Meetings. As we know now, this approach didn’t work and eventually war with England ended the standoff. Shawn Quigley, who is the lead ranger for the National Park Service’s social justice team stationed in Faneuil Hall, referred to the action as “identity-building foundation block,” and Evan O’Brien, creative director of the Boston Tea Party Ship & Museum, said, “the idea that ordinary citizens can do extraordinary things.” Now you know some of the details the history class didn’t elaborate. (Editor’s Note: Bill Stewart, who is better known to Saugus Advocate readers as “The “The Old Sachem,” Bill Stewart (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate by Joanie Allbee) Old Sachem,” writes a weekly column about sports – and sometimes he opines on current or historical events or famous people.) Marcel Gemme 8 Norwood St. Everett son will not argue with obligations, whether you say you have to work or have an early morning or another responsibility. Most adults have places to be and things to get done, especially if they have kids. Christmas is a joyous time of year; never lose sight of the true meaning. Take this time to create new memories and traditions without the influence of alcohol. Marcel Gemme is the founder of DRS and has been helping people struggling with substance use for over 20 years. His work focuses on a threefold approach: education, prevention, and rehabilitation. we have seen each other and our kids through life events. I couldn’t feel more blessed to sip hot chocolate, walk down to the center and see the lights go on with a great group of friends. (617) 387-9810 Open Daily 4:00 PM Closed Sunday Announcing our Classic Specials Dine In Only: * FREE Salad with purchase of Entree, Monday & Tuesdays * Cheese Pizza - Only $10 Catch ALL The Live Sports Action On Our Large Screen TV’s HOLIDAY SHOP LOCAL & DROP BY FOR DINNER! www.eight10barandgrille.com ׉ 7cassandra://xX9z0tuo9Lmc0hcCJA9PK8SgZfPDICO4KR-FfoGdpYU*{`̰eih@_eih@_ PבCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://sL1YhJ0AF1zmOx99jR3VWQThGTJLg70uOCi2hIlgm5kJ`)׉ 7cassandra://jiWaDLYURa1YoK8w_O27P40X_VdbRqtIhWtQK_W03j0͕`J׉ 7cassandra://l7rUOMs2ADdWEHQsBkqUgJL24JE1rxRoXNSxo1mdkkg+`̰evh@_ט((u׉׉ 7cassandra://h4Q8I0v8e9obSuo30Se69MiytVd6LaX95qBkQDqCe3I~=`)׉ 7cassandra://tYG1N6a5E3F4ooi30seza3OG4bNhrU3ueN1_QYcKsh0͆`J׉ 7cassandra://WwlCdQmQeyEo54XbRn1aE1GBk8mpu2QEPlW5vL0tQg8(`̰evh@_Óנevh@_́@ׁ9ׁHhttp://gus-ma.gov/treeׁ ׁ Јנevh@_́̒9ׁHhttps://www.saׁ ׁ Јנevh@_ˁ@^9ׁHhttp://GMAIL.COMׁ ׁ Ј׉EVPage 8 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, DECEmbEr 22, 2023 BBB Scam Alert: Don’t click on that text! Five ways to avoid delivery scams S ome consumers have recently been getting text messages stating that a major delivery carrier needs them to “update delivery preferences” on a package by clicking a link. The problem? The text is a scam and the link results in the theft of personal information. Most consumers love the convenience of making purchases online and having them shipped straight to their doorstep. But with millions of packages delivered each year, con artists and thieves have developed many ways to steal from shoppers. Fortunately, there are also many ways to protect yourself from their shady tactics. Popular delivery scams: Delivery scams and theft are particularly prevalent during the holidays when more packages are shipped, but they can happen year-round. Scammers are hoping shoppers are busy or distracted and will act without thinking. The fi rst scams to look out for are phishing texts or emails that pose as offi cial notices from delivery companies. These either contain a “tracking link,” a message that the shipper is having diffi culty delivering a package to you, or, most recently, a link to update delivery preferences. Clicking the link either takes you to a form that asks for personally identifying information or to a site that downloads malware onto your computer. Another delivery scam involves fake “missed delivery” tags. Scammers place a note on your door that claims they are having challenges delivering a package to you. They ask you to call a phone number to reschedule your delivery, but it’s a ruse to get your personal information. Another issue shoppers face is package theft. Many consumers have had their packages stolen before they arrive home from work. Thieves snatch packages from doorsteps or lobbies of apartment or condo complexes. Criminals even follow delivery and postal trucks. When the truck leaves, the crooks move in and grab the parcels. How to avoid delivery scams 1. Take precautions to ensure a safe delivery: If you have a valuable or fragile item delivered to your home, purchase shipping insurance. In addition, always get tracking numbers for your purchases and check the shipping progress periodically. 2. Watch out for texts, calls or emails about a missed delivery. Legitimate delivery services usually leave a “missed delivery” notice on your door. If you receive a missed delivery notice, examine the form carefully to make sure it is authentic, and only then follow their instructions. Keep track of what you’ve ordered to better understand what is coming and when. Don’t click on links; go to the delivery carrier’s website directly or log in and use the retailer’s tracking tools. 3. Request a signature: Chances are this feature might come with a price tag, but it might be worth the extra fee. Requesting a signature means that a delivery service won’t be able to drop a package on your doorstep unless someone is around to sign for it. 4. Don’t leave packages sitting on your doorstep. Packages left sitting outside are particularly vulnerable to theft. To ensure safe delivery, have your package delivered to your workplace or a trusted friend or neighbor who will be home to accept delivery. Some delivery companies now have lockers where your packages can securely wait for you to pick them up using a one-time code to open the locker. 5. Open your delivery upon receipt to check for damage or signs of tampering. Contact the seller immediately if you believe something is wrong with the shipment or it’s not what you ordered. Also, review the seller’s return policy for damaged or unwanted items. For more information: See BBB’s holiday HQ for more holiday-related tips and information at https://www. bbb.org/all/holiday. Read more about package scams at https://www.bbb.org/article/scams/20283-scamalert-dont-be-fooled-bya-fake-package-deliveryscam. Visit BBB.org/AvoidScams to learn more, and if you’ve been the victim of a delivery scam, please report it at BBB.org/ScamTracker. Your report can help others avoid falling victim to similar scams. ׉ 7cassandra://l7rUOMs2ADdWEHQsBkqUgJL24JE1rxRoXNSxo1mdkkg+`̰eih@_׉ETHE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, DECEmbEr 22, 2023 Page 9 Trees are your true friends The SAVE Green Living Column THEN: Tree advocates gathered at the Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site for a Bicentennial elm tree planting. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate) H ave you ever wished you had more true friends – the type who will shelter you from a storm, the kind you can really lean on, the type who will be there for you? If so, then look no farther than a tree. A tree is a true and, possibly, a life-long friend. No one understands this better than the hardworking members of the Saugus Tree Committee. Now celebrating its 25th year, the Tree Committee had its start in January of 1998 when thenTown Manager Richard Cardillo announced the formation of a “tree planting committee.” SAVE co-president Ann Devlin and former tree committee leader Tim Hawkes were two of the original members of the committee, which first met in February 1998. Of course, friendship is a two-way street and the Tree Committee has a long list of accomplishments serving as friends and advocates of our urban forest. One of the group’s earliest accomplishments was the creation of the Saugus Tree Farm in 2003. Ann Devlin notes that at the time “there were so many trees coming down and no way to replace them. This was the impetus for the tree farm.” Longtime Tree Committee member Nancy Prag started the annual Arbor Day poster contest for Saugus’s fifth-graders 15 years ago and it is still going strong. (This year’s contest theme was “How Trees Make Us Happy.”) The group was also instrumental in creating a shade tree bylaw, which passed town meeting. In 2017, Saugus was named a Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation thanks to the work of the committee – and it remains a Tree City in 2023. To name just a few more of the Tree Committee’s numerous accomplishments, they maintain the Saugus Tree Farm and care for young saplings until they can be planted as Saugus street trees; the committee planted the now towering Saugus Bicentennial elm at the Saugus Iron Works; and the committee members meet regularly to help devise ways to expand our town’s tree cover and to protect and nurture its existing trees. And, if you want a tree planted, guess who you contact! All members of this hardworking committee serve as volunteers. However, the work they do is not without expenses. Formerly, the Tree Committee received $10,000 annually to cover the expenses of buying trees, caring for them until they are ready for planting and planting them. (Over the years, the Saugus DPW has helped the committee with digging holes, has moved bigger trees to planting sites and has contacted Dig Safe.) Currently, the Saugus Tree Committee receives no funding – and, to make matters worse, $60,000 was awarded for a study to see if the tree farm could be taken over to become part of the town cemetery. But don’t despair: There are many ways you can become a friend to trees and help improve the quality of life for everyone in Saugus. Contact Town Manager Scott Crabtree and ask him to support the Tree Committee. While you’re at it, please tell him that trees are the best and easiest defense against climate change. Contact your Town Meeting members and ask them to lobby for a request in funding in the 2025 fiscal year budget that begins next July 1. Sign up to volunteer during tree farm maintenance days. And, if you are able, make a contribution to the Tree Committee. Just $250 would plant a maple or a redbud along our town’s streets. One hundred red maple saplings can be NOW: A recent photo of the elm tree. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate) purchased for $140. For more information or to become a volunteer, contact chairman Nancy Prag at NRPRAG@ GMAIL.COM or go to this section of the official Saugus website: https://www.saugus-ma.gov/tree-committee Trees help reduce the cost of both heating and cooling our homes. They sequester carbon and provide homes and food for wildlife. They help to stabilize soil and improve air quality. They enhance property values and make our streets safer for pedestrians – providing shade in the summer heat and clearly defining the boundaries of roadways. Support the Saugus Tree Committee and consider becoming a tree friend. You won’t regret it! ׉ 7cassandra://WwlCdQmQeyEo54XbRn1aE1GBk8mpu2QEPlW5vL0tQg8(`̰eih@_eih@_ PבCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://gx3znKUPKf1OhBJ9Z7s5miol-GS2LcNC8kj1VhXWO9s-`)׉ 7cassandra://tUyRmrcGUKibeZrLfEgWZlzVyACMLSKJcX20t1ICGBẅ́`J׉ 7cassandra://fZ0BcTHg6UXAWBJv1uq_hYAPxmVx_RRPRyup-mZYG_0&`̰evh@_ט((u׉׉ 7cassandra://MuW4D1xcn1D7CWntwJIb9ziYFD4ZAIiBhwUK_DWojeA`)׉ 7cassandra://O0DSgbO7bOCQw0rkHV5taLSvZZUrfe4FB909XWc0mn4͕``J׉ 7cassandra://AW0CT4c7ku4NhImzpwp1P1vHtrczh_vnNXeLav4blxM)`̰evh@_Βנevh@_Ӂ 6+̈9ׁHhttp://identitytheft.govׁ ׁ Јנevh@_ҁ 699ׁHhttp://ftc.govׁ ׁ Ј׉EPage 10 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, DECEmbEr 22, 2023 Sachems Girls’ Basketball Coach Lowe brings accountability to his game By Dom Nicastro J oe Lowe wasted no time taking accountability in his new position as head coach of the Saugus High School girls’ basketball team. After the team’s 38-36 loss to Northeastern Conference rival Winthrop this week, the coach put the loss on himself. “I need to do a better job coaching in the fourth quarter in tight spots and put us in a better spot to succeed,” said Lowe, whose team got a big night from Peyton DiBiasio (18 points), Jessica Bremberg and Ashleigh Moore. “All of our girls played unreal. This loss is 100% on me with coaching.” Lowe wants nothing but the best for his Sachems, which began the young season 1-1, beating Swampscott to open things up. Lowe’s a Saugus guy, has been in the program for several years and is looking to keep the program momentum going in his first year as the varsity girls’ coach. He takes over for 10-year coach Mark Schruender, whose team won an NEC title for the first time in decades and averaged around 13-14 wins in the last six seasons. “The focus this year is continuing to build upon the success of last season,” said Lowe. Saugus went 14-7 and were co-champions in the NEC Lynch Division. “Our goal is to get a little better each day and string together a lot of good days so that come tournament time, we are prepared to make a run. If we take care of small, focused goals each practice and game, we will have a successful season.” Lowe is in his fourth season as a head coach, having served in that role with the Winthrop boys, and is now in his first head coaching gig in Saugus; Lowe’s coached 13 years in total. Lowe played for Saugus from 2007 to 2010, serving as team captain in 2010. He played for coaches Titus Manderson, Mike Broderick and Paul Moran. After graduating, he coached middle school, freshman and JV for the Saugus boys’ program for eight years before becoming a head coach at Winthrop. He then joined Saugus girls for one-year last winter as an assistant and is now the head coach. Lowe will be joined on the bench this season by varsity assistants Chris Brablc and Manny Lopes. Norma Waggett, former player in the program and 1,000-point scorer, heads the junior varsity and serves as a varsity assistant. “I was on the staff last year as an assistant and developed a great relationship with the players and coaches in the program,” Lowe said. “Being an alumnus and comfortable in the school made THIS WEEK ON SAUGUS TV Sunday, Dec. 24 from 9 to 11 p.m. on Channel 8 – “Sunday Night Stooges” (The Three Stooges). Monday, Dec. 25 all day on Channel 8 – “Movie Monday” (classic movies). Tuesday, Dec. 26 at 4 p.m. on Channel 8 – Saugus Catholics Collaborative. Wednesday, Dec. 27 at 6 p.m. on Channel 8 – What’s Cookin’? with Mojgan. Thursday, Dec. 28 at 1 p.m. on Channel 9 – Board of Selectmen from Dec. 19. Friday, Dec. 29 at 5 p.m. on Channel 22 – SHS Holiday Concert 2023. Saturday, Dec. 30 at 6 p.m. on Channel 22– Boys Basketball vs. Amesbury from Dec. 21. 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 Joe Lowe SHS girls’ basketball coach it an obvious fit for me.” In all, Lowe’s program this winter features nearly 25 girls between the JV and varsity teams. The team has eight seniors, and each one of them is on the varsity team as a returnee from last year. “Experience and leadership have been great,” Lowe said. “We have three of the premier guards in the NEC who at any night can take over a game scoring, as well as any one of the 12 on the roster being a threat to knock down 3’s.” Lowe wants the team to establish a defensive identity: tough defense and good shooting or is it going to be an up-tempo team looking to apply pressure and press the whole game. “I think it’s important to have something to mold yourself into and work toward being,” Lowe said. “There will be nights we do not shoot it well, but if we can play multiple defenses we will be in every game.” DiBiasio, Ashleen Escobar and Ella Castle provided a majority of the Sachems’ scoring last season and can fill up the score sheet. Taylor Deleidi, Juliana Powers, Moore, Ana Silva and Amelia Pappagallo can shoot. “They will make it tough for teams to play in a zone,” Lowe said. Bremberg and Devany Millerick are solid post players who do a ton of dirty work rebounding and battling inside. Madison Botta and Madi Femino are two of the best defenders in the league who on any given night can shut down the opposing team’s best player. The Sachems play in the NEC Dunn division with Winthrop, Danvers, Gloucester and Swampscott. The NEC Lynch division is Peabody, Masconomet, Marblehead, Beverly and Salem. “The league has a lot of parity amongst each other, and any team could beat each other,” Lowe said. “Winthrop and Peabody are the two teams that stick out with the most talent and experience. They will be tough outs and the frontrunners to win the conference. Peabody has the returning twotime league MVP in Logan Lomasney as well as some great shooters in the Bettencourts (Abby and Ally) who are tremendous athletes. Winthrop has great size and a ton of experience while having one of the best players in the league in Grace Fleuriel. They also added a tough freshman in Angela Tshowa who is extremely talented and athletic.” For non-league games, Saugus picked up Ipswich, Wakefield, Arlington Catholic and Lynn English. “With the [MIAA] ranking system I do not care about seed,” Lowe said. “I want to find good quality teams that will prepare us for the tournament.” ׉ 7cassandra://fZ0BcTHg6UXAWBJv1uq_hYAPxmVx_RRPRyup-mZYG_0&`̰eih@_׉EdTHE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, DECEmbEr 22, 2023 Page 11 Giving of Time and Honor A veteran answered the call of duty as Saugus observed Wreaths Across America ceremony at riverside Cemetery (Editor’s Note: Joan Allbee, daughter of a World War II Purple Heart Recipient, submitted this article to share her observations about last Saturday’s [Dec. 16] Wreaths Across America event at Riverside Cemetery in Saugus.) N avy and Marine Veteran Jack Marino played a major role in honoring 150 veterans buried in the Riverside Cemetery graves last Saturday at the Wreaths Across America ceremony. On an unusually warm December day at the event sponsored by The Parson Roby Chapter, National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) and Judge Samuel Holten Society Children of the American Revolution (CAR), Jack served as both volunteer and participant. He filled in and honored the United States Merchant Marines in the Wreath Laying of Ceremonial Wreaths. Jack also assisted in obtaining 150 additional wreaths donated by his daughter, Tracey Marino, and Keith Babcock of the Ice House in Topsfield. With family, Jack piled Jack Klecker’s truck to the brim with generosity of wreaths, then they headed to the Saugus cemetery. At 8 a.m. on the Friday morning before the ceremony, volunteers were needed for various positions. Jack assisted with the traffic from the DAR wreath loaded tractor trailer for Wreaths Across America. The trailer parked on Winter Street was too big to make the turn, so Jack assisted with organizing the traffic of volunteers’ trucks loading wreaths and crossing over into the cemetery. He then shared some unloading duties in the cemetery in preparation for Saturday’s honoring event. Jack is the Adjutant for Saugus Veterans Council. At the opening of the ceremony, there was the mentioning of the wreath placeSharon Genovese and Dottie O’Toole got their wreaths from a collection point in Riverside Cemetery before going out to lay them on Saugus veterans’ graves. (Courtesy photo of Joanie Allbee) ment policy in one section. The wreaths in that section could only be placed in the corners instead of directly on the soldiers’ graves. Jack felt downhearted as well as others that no wreaths could be placed in the World War II Vietnam Section. “I think all of the veterans should be honored,” Jack said. “No Man left behind. The WW-2 Vietnam section should be included and the town should take a closer look at that policy, the grass is dormant in the winter.” Jack said he doesn’t see how that would be an issue for the honoring of resting heroes with wreaths. He expressed his willingness to discuss it with whoever is in charge. Next year he would like to see wreaths in that section. He offered to go over with a group in the spring, to assist with cleaning the wreaths up if that is the problem. “I think all the Veterans need to be honored. That’s what Wreaths Across America is about,” Jack said. “Everybody came out and did a great job and I commend everyone who participated. Saugus should be proud; they do better than larger cities.” The ceremony began with a moment of silence, followed by a processional walk to the podium for the display of ceremonial wreaths, led by the Salem High School Jr. ROTC and Color Guard Commander Sgt. Major John Sumner. Chaplain Jacalyn Bracewell, Parson Roby Chapter, gave the Invocation. Tony Smith of CAR led the Pledge of Allegiance. Parson Roby Chapter Vice Regent Wendy Renda led the American’s Creed. President Caylee Cassarino of Judge Samuel Holten Society Children of the American Revolution read the CAR Creed. Thomas Bracewell, Husband of a DAR, sang the National Anthem, spurring whispers of admiration for his perfect pitch rendition. Parson Roby Chapter Regent Gail Cassarino mentioned the wreath policy in her opening speech. Next, each branch of the Parson Roby Chapter Treasurer Linda Ross displayed one of the 150 wreaths donated by Jack Marino’s daughter, Tracey Marino, and her husband, Keith Babcock, at last Saturday’s Wreaths Across America event. (Courtesy photo of Joanie Allbee) Military was honored by a service member in The “Wreath Laying of Ceremonial Wreaths.” Lt. Col. Mary McKenzie honored the United States Army. John Macauda honored the United States Marine Corps. Senior Chief Jack Klecker honored the United States Navy. Chief Master Sgt. Robert O’Toole honored the United States Air Force. Lloyd Sales honored the United States Space Force. Jane Conrad honored the United States Coast Guard. Gold Star Wife Dee Whittemore-Farris honored Prisoners of War and Missing in Action. Navy and Marine Veteran Jack Marino filled in at the last minute to honor the United States Merchant Marines. Regent Gail Cassarino gave closing remarks and then there was a rushing, windy scurry as many hands reached out across the cemetery to spread wreaths on silent soldiers’ graves to honor them. After a brief interview with Navy and Marine Veteran Jack Marino, his touching dedication for the soldiers and words stuck in my mind the whole weekend – the U.S. Military sacred commitment creed of “We leave no man behind” and Marino’s solemness, like as if, he was leaving men behind on the battleground by not getting to honor those wreathless graves of our heroes of yesterday. Dunkin’ and the Judge Samuel Holten Society donated coffee, cocoa and donuts. Children of the American Revolution served guests enthusiastically. Don’t Give Your Information Away During the Holidays T he Drug Enforcement Administration is warning the public of a widespread fraud scheme in which scammers impersonate DEA agents in an attempt to extort money or steal personal identifiable information. DEA personnel will never contact members of the public or medical practitioners to demand money or any other form of payment, will never request personal or sensitive information and will only notify people of a legitimate investigation or legal action in person or by official letter. In fact, no legitimate federal law enforcement officer will demand cash or gift cards from a member of the public. You should only give money, gift cards, personally identifiable information, including bank account information, to someone you know. Anyone receiving a call from a person claiming to be with DEA should report the incident to the FBI at www.ic3. gov. The Federal Trade Commission provides recovery steps, shares information with more than 3,000 law enforcement agencies and takes reports at reportfraud. ftc.gov. For any victims who have given personally identifiable information, such as a social security number, to the caller can learn how to protect against identity theft at www. identitytheft.gov. ׉ 7cassandra://AW0CT4c7ku4NhImzpwp1P1vHtrczh_vnNXeLav4blxM)`̰eih@_eih@_ PבCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://VoGDU_btdBukBbWE7agW31R5cYRJqKm5hbISSEYgpQY ?@`)׉ 7cassandra://xcCRRfNyEgI0Brc34s1L6N26PIUXe07IFuVD1vSMWkw͎`J׉ 7cassandra://oc96zWdw8t3uxCs3XlSyB1v5c5RQscCHMQlvDt4WCZU$9`̰evh@_ט((u׉׉ 7cassandra://CUHcrxvk1GPyNP3I6GbOinkUqTpzW5WFeSzQwVgxiL4 `)׉ 7cassandra://GmBnifb0-U4vBCBYdXpLzYKeLbL5kcrpOUCcPP0lps8͑`J׉ 7cassandra://7iRZwAlRYW7a77ZYmoOgn90jMWmU0aXY7fdqbqJHTH0&`̰ewh@_Օנexh@_߁ JX9ׁHhttp://SavvySenior.orgׁ ׁ Јנexh@_ށ 2{p9ׁHhttp://IRS.gov/Help/ITAׁ ׁ Јנexh@_݁ 29ׁHhttp://IRS.gov/pub/irsׁ ׁ Јנexh@_܁ R̲9ׁHhttp://IRS.gov/pub/irsׁ ׁ Јנewh@_فL= 9ׁHhttp://call.comׁ ׁ Ј׉E)UPage 12 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, DECEmbEr 22, 2023 The senator who voted with If you have any questions about this week’s report, e-mail us at bob@beaconhillrollcall. com or call us at (617) 720-1562. Beacon Hill Roll Call Volume 48 - Report No. 50 December 11-15, 2023 Copyright © 2023 Beacon Hill Roll Call. All Rights Reserved. By Bob Katzen GET A FREE SUBSCRIPTION TO MASSTERLIST – Join more than 22,000 people, from movers and shakers to political junkies and interested citizens, who start their weekday morning with MASSterList— the popular newsletter that chronicles news and informed analysis about what’s going on up on Beacon Hill, in Massachusetts politics, policy, media and influence. The stories are drawn from major news organizations as well as specialized publications. MASSterlist will be e-mailed to you FREE every Monday through Friday morning and will give you a leg up on what’s happening in the blood sport of Bay State politics. For more information and to get your free subscription, go to: https:// lp.constantcontactpages.com/ su/aPTLucK THE HOUSE AND SENATE: There were no roll calls in the House or Senate last week. This week, Beacon Hill Roll Call reports on the percentage of times local senators voted with their party’s leadership in the 2023 session through December 15. Beacon Hill Roll Call uses 97 votes from the 2023 Senate session as the basis for this report. This includes all roll calls that were not on local issues. The votes of 34 Democrats were compared to Senate Majority Leader Cynthia Creem (D-Newton), second-in-command in the Senate. We could not compare the Democrats’ votes to those of Senate President Karen Spilka (D-Ashland) because, by tradition, the Senate president rarely votes. Nineteen (55.8 percent) of the Democrats voted with Creem 100 percent of the time. The other fifteen (44.2 percent) Democrats voted with Creem at least 90 percent of the time. ton Creem the least percentage of times is Sen. Walter Timilty (D-Milton) who voted with her only 88 times (90.7 percent). Rounding out the top four who voted with Creem the least number of times are Sens. John Keenan (D-Quincy) who voted with her 91 times (94.7 percent); and Barry Finegold (D-Andover) and Becca Rausch (D-Needham) who each voted with her 93 times (95.8 percent). Beacon Hill Roll Call contacted these four senators three times each and asked them to comment on the percentage of times, lower than the other senators, each one voted with the Creem. None of the four responded. The votes of two of the Republican senators were compared with those of GOP Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester). Sen. Ryan Fattman (R-Sutton) voted with Tarr 85 times (87.6 percent). Sen. Patrick O’Connor (R-Weymouth) voted with Tarr 100 percent of the time. The third Republican, former state representative and newly elected Sen. Peter Durant (R-Spencer) just joined the Senate on November 29 and was not yet a senator when the 97 roll calls in the Senate took place. Since Durant was a representative before moving onto the Senate, we based his numbers on how many times he voted with House Minority Leader Rep. Brad Jones (R-North Reading) in 2023. He voted 100 percent of the time with Jones. SENATORS’ SUPPORT OF THEIR PARTY’S LEADERSHIP IN 2023 THROUGH DECEMBER 15 The percentage next to the senator’s name represents the percentage of times the senator supported his or her party’s leadership so far in 2023 through December 15. The number in parentheses represents the number of times the senator opposed his or her party’s leadership. Some senators voted on all 97 roll call votes. Others missed one or more roll calls. The percentage for each senator is calculated based on the number of roll calls on which he or she voted. Sen. Brendan Crigh100 percent (0) ALSO UP ON BEACON HILL GIVE WORKERS PAID TIME OFF TO VOTE (H 4217) – The House approved and sent to the Senate legislation that would require employers to give employees sufficient time off, with pay, to vote in state, city and town elections, on Election Day, if the employee does not have sufficient time to vote outside working hours. Employees would be required to give an employer three days’ notice of his or her intent to take time off to vote on Election Day. The measure also bars employers from requiring an employee to vote by mail or to vote during a designated early voting period prior to Election Day. The proposal would replace a current law that is narrower, applies only to manufacturing, mechanical or mercantile establishments, only allows the worker to vote during the two hours after the polls open on Election Day and does not require the employers to pay the worker for the time off. “The legislation that was advanced by the House today will help to guarantee that every Massachusetts voter has time to vote on Election Day, regardless of the constraints of their job, a critical step towards ensuring that every eligible voter has the chance to make their voice heard at the ballot box,” said House Speaker Ron Mariano (D-Quincy). Authors of the bill and other earlier versions of it did not respond to requests by Beacon Hill Roll Call asking them to comment on this new version of the measure. Legislation. Legislators who did not respond are Sen. Brendan Crighton (D-Lynn) and Reps. John Lawn (D-Watertown) and Aaron Michlewitz (D-Boston). PUBLIC SAFETY LEGISLATION – The Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee held a public hearing on several bills including: RETIRED POLICE DOGS – DAKOTA’S LAW - (H 2424) – Would create a Retired Police Dog Care Fund to provide grants to non-profit organizations to provide care and medical services to retired police dogs. The law is named after Dakota, a police dog who suffered PTSD following the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing. “Dakota’s Law is based on a true life Massachusetts story which is now an award winning documentary called ‘Healing Dakota,’” said sponsor Rep. Steve Xiarhos (R-Barnstable). “Dakota’s Law is aimed at providing a lifetime of financial support to pay the medical bills of heroic police K9s injured in the line of duty and upon their retirement.” ALLOW ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT FOR POLICE DOGS (H 2423) – Would allow advanced life support care to be administered to an injured police dog by a licensed, trained, qualified professional. The bill is a follow up to a law, known as Nero’s Law, approved in 2022 that requires EMS personnel to provide emergency treatment to a police dog and use an ambulance to transport the dog injured in the line of duty to a veterinary clinic or hospital if there are not people requiring emergency medical treatment or transport at that time. Nero’s law does not require EMS personnel to administer treatment on the way to the hospital. This new bill adds that requirement. “[This bill] is also a true life Massachusetts story involving the murder of my fellow Police Officer Sean Gannon and the shooting of his devoted partner K9 Nero,” said sponsor Rep. Steve Xiarhos (R-Barnstable). “Nero’s Law Phase 2 enhances the current Nero’s Law [by] offering specially trained Massachusetts first responders the option to provide Advanced Life Support for police K9s injured in the line of duty.” HELP POLICE OFFICERS AFTER A CRITICAL INCIDENT (H 2355) – Would require all police department and other law enforcement agencies to develop and maintain a program for supporting law enforcement officers who have been involved in a critical incident. A critical incident is defined as a traumatic event that may cause powerful emotional reactions in people involved or exposed to the event. These events could include a line of duty death of an officer, the suicide of an officer, multiple casualty incidents, an event involving children, an officer involved shooting, as well as any other event that elicits an emotional response. “This legislation acknowledges the emotional impact that traumatic events have on law enforcement officers and ensures that every officer involved in a critical incident receives the necessary support they need to maintain their mental well-being,” said Rep. Kathy LaNatra (D-Kingston). “Untreated trauma weighs down on officers, and as each officer encounters more and more critical incidents, that trauma builds on the last incident, similar to adding rocks to a backpack and asking the officers to just continue marching despite the extra weight. This bill will ensure that every officer has access to support after an incident, to help them remove the rocks from the backpack before returning to service. This legislation takes a significant step toward prioritizing the well-being of those who dedicate their lives to serving our communities.” PRIMARY ENFORCEMENT OF THE SEAT BELT LAW (H 2395, H 2340) – Would allow police officers to issue tickets for seat belt violations even if the driver is not first stopped for another violation as required under current law. “Seatbelts offer the best defense from injury or death in car crashes,” said Rep. Jeff Roy (D-Franklin), sponsor of H 2395. Seat belts promote safety, save lives and save money. We could save 45 lives, prevent 500 injuries, and save $525 million over 5 years with a primary seat belt law in effect. According to a recent study in the New England Journal of Medicine, the single greatest opportunity to improve health and reduce premature deaths lies in personal behavior and seat belt use is yet another form of impaired driving that must be addressed.” “There are so many highway deaths in the news where people have been ejected from their cars,” said Rep. Jim Hawkins (D-Attleboro), sponsor of H 2340). “It’s not so corny to say seatbelts save lives. This bill makes not wearing seatbelts a primary offense meaning that you can be pulled over for that. There would have been issues with the possibility of racial profiling but those issues were taken care of recently when we passed the hands free driving law.” Supporters of the bill have been trying to get it passed for years and have been unsuccessful. The original secondary enforcement law was approved in 1985, repealed on a ballot question in 1986 and then reimposed in 1994. Opponents of the primary enforcement bill say that they have warned for years that creeping incrementalism would inevitably lead to these attempts to impose primary enforcement. They say this bill is another example of unnecessary government intrusion and argue people should have the perBEACON HILL | SEE PAGE 13 ׉ 7cassandra://oc96zWdw8t3uxCs3XlSyB1v5c5RQscCHMQlvDt4WCZU$9`̰eih@_׉E( THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, DECEmbEr 22, 2023 Page 13 Raising Cane’s wins approval on permit to open two-lane drive-through on Route 1 South By Mark E. Vogler R aising Cane’s, a fastfood chicken tender restaurant that originated in Baton Rouge, La., hopes to be operating a fastfood drive-through restaurant on Route 1 South late next fall. Selectmen voted 5-0 to grant the company a Special Permit (S-2) under town zoning so it can operate at 799 and 799R Broadway. “Raising Cane’s is a hot spot for Saugus kids,” Selectman Anthony Cogliano said Tuesday as he praised the company. “They flock to the Commonwealth Ave. store in BosBEACON HILL | FROM PAGE 12 sonal freedom to make their own decisions. They express concern that primary enforcement will result in racial profi ling and more minorities being pulled over for suspected violations of the law. MASSACHUSETTS LAW ENFORCEMENT MEMORIAL FUND (H 2417) – Would establish the Massachusetts Law Enforcement Memorial Fund to maintain the Massachusetts Law Enforcement Memorial in Ashburton Park outside of the Statehouse. The memorial honors Massachusetts law enforcement personnel killed in the line of duty. “I sponsored [this bill] to provide for the sale of specialty license plates with the proceeds directed towards the stewardship and upkeep of the memorial,” said sponsor Rep. Tom Walsh (D-Peabody). “Having attended the annual Massachusetts Law Enforcement Memorial Foundation ceremony for fallen officers, I can attest to the deep appreciation the commonwealth has for our law enforcement families as well as the need for this legislation to provide a stable, off-budget funding source to properly maintain this monument to our police offi cers.” QUOTABLE QUOTES “Farmers are on the front lines of an increasingly volatile climate. When the farming community is hurting, we are hurting. Our administration has been committed to helping these farms in their time of need. The agricultural industry is instrumental in our food system and the overall economy. We hope this funding will go a long way towards ensuring this ton. It would be a welcome addition to Saugus,” he said. Cane’s still must obtain approval from the Planning Board and Conservation Commission before it is able to proceed with the project. Selectmen approved operating hours of 10 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. on Monday through Thursday and Sunday; 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Cane’s was seeking a 3:30 a.m. closing time for Friday-Saturday. The company specializes in chicken fi ngers, French fries, Texas toast and coleslaw, prepared in what its owners call “a unique concept.” “We’ve been looking for a sector remains resilient.” ---Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll announcing $20 million in grants to Massachusetts farms that experienced significant crop losses due to a deep February freeze, a late May frost event and catastrophic flooding in July. “The disruption of the pandemic hurt students in every corner of the Commonwealth, and the data is clear: if we do not act with urgency to mitigate that learning loss, its negative impacts will be with us for years and generations to come.” --- Jay Ash, president and CEO of Massachusetts Competitive Partnership, on recent data that has found signifi cant learning loss since the start of the pandemic, with Massachusetts student achievement scores falling by 12 percent in reading and 8 percent in math. “Every year, vehicle emissions are linked to thousands of deaths in the Northeast. Large bus companies must be held accountable for ignoring idling laws designed to limit toxic emissions and protect public health.” --- Heather Govern, Director of Conservation Law Foundation’s Clean Air and Water program. “Cash has to be accepted everywhere.” ---Attorney General Andrea Campbell on reports that some businesses have refused to accept cash for payment for services or items. HOW LONG WAS LAST WEEK’S SESSION? Beacon Hill Roll Call tracks the length of time that the House and Senate were in session each week. Many legislators say that legislative sessions are only one asBob Katzen welcomes feedback at bob@beaconhillrollcall.com Bob founded Beacon Hill Roll Call in 1975 and was inducted Mon. Dec. 11 House 11:02 a.m. to 11:16 a.m. Senate 11:18 a.m. to 11:22 a.m. Tues. Dec. 12 No House session No Senate session Wed. Dec. 13 No House session No Senate session Thurs. Dec. 14 House 11:01 a.m. to 11:53 a.m. Senate 11:15 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. Fri. Dec. 15 No House session No Senate session location in Saugus for about three years,” Adam Acaracci, Cane’s, if approved by the Planning Board and the Conservation Commission, a 3,300 Square foot single story building with a two-lane drive-through. The property is located near the Hilltop Restaurant site. Board of Selectmen Chair Debra Panetta expressed concerns about residents who live near the planned business might be aff ected by late-hour light emanating from the area. But the company said the lights would be shielded and be facing in toward the restaurant rather than topect of the Legislature’s job and that a lot of important work is done outside of the House and Senate chambers. They note that their jobs also involve committee work, research, constituent work and other matters that are important to their districts. Critics say that the Legislature does not meet regularly or long enough to debate and vote in public view on the thousands of pieces of legislation that have been fi led. They note that the infrequency and brief length of sessions are misguided and lead to irresponsible late-night sessions and a mad rush to act on dozens of bills in the days immediately preceding the end of an annual session.. During the week of December 11-15, the House met for a total of one hour and six minutes and the Senate met for a total of 34 minutes. ward area homes. The sound level would be only slightly louder than the noise level of area traffi c, Acaracci told selectmen. Attorney Richard Magnan, who is representing Raising Sa Cane’s, said he was optimistic about getting a favorable review from the Planning Board at a meeting set for Jan. 4. Town Manager Scott C. Crabtree noted “it’s a big lot with some challenges with it.” Sa nr nior What Is the y Senior Seni by Jim Miller Retirement Saver’s Credit and How Does It Work? Dear Savvy Senior, Can you explain to me how the retirement saver’s tax credit works? My wife and I are in our fi fties and are looking for creative ways to boost our retirement savings beyond our 401(k). Is this something we may be eligible for? Struggling to Save Dear Struggling, If your income is low to moderate and you participate in your employer-sponsored retirement plan or an IRA, the Retirement Savings Contribution Credit (aka “Saver’s Credit”) is a frequently overlooked tool that can help boost your retirement savings even more. Here’s how it works. If you contribute to a retirement-savings account like a traditional or Roth IRA, 401(k), 403(b), 457, Thrift Savings Plan, Simplifi ed Employee Pension or SIMPLE plan, the Saver’s Credit will allow you to claim 10, 20 or 50 percent of your contribution of up to $4,000 per year for couples or $2,000 for singles. Keep in mind that a credit is not the same as a tax deduction – it’s better: While a tax deduction just reduces the amount of your income that is subject to taxes, a tax credit reduces your actual tax bill dollar-for-dollar. To qualify, you must also be at least 18 years old and not a full-time student and were not claimed as a dependent on someone else’s tax return. And your adjusted gross income (AGI) in 2023 must be below $73,000 or less as a married couple fi ling jointly, $54,750 or less if fi ling as head of household, or $36,500 or less if you’re a single fi ler. These income limits are adjusted annually to keep pace with infl ation. To get the 50 percent credit, you’ll need to have an income below $43,500 for married couples fi ling jointly; $32,625 if you’re fi ling as head of household; and $21,750 if you’re a single fi ler in 2023. The 20 percent credit rate applies to couples earning between $43,501 to $47,500; for head of household fi lers it’s $32,626 to $35,625; and for individuals it’s $21,751 to $23,750. And the 10 percent rate is for couples with an adjusted gross income between $47,501 and $73,000; for head of household fi lers $35,626 to $54,750; and individuals it’s between $23,751 and $36,500. Here’s an example of how this works. Let’s say that you and your wife earned $75,000 in 2023. Over the course of the year, you contributed $4,000 to your employer’s 401(k) plan. After deducting your 401(k) contribution, your adjusted gross income (AGI) on your joint return is now $71,000. Since your AGI puts you in the 10 percent credit bracket, and you’ve contributed the $4,000 maximum that can be considered for the credit, you are entitled to a $400 Saver’s Credit on your tax return. It’s also worth mentioning that the Saver’s Credit is in addition to any other tax benefi ts you get for your retirement contributions. So, in the previous example, not only would you be entitled to a $400 credit, but you would also be able to exclude the $4,000 401(k) contribution from your taxable income. So, if you’re in the 12 percent tax bracket, this translates to an additional $480 in savings, for a total of $880. How to Claim To claim the Saver’s Credit, you will need to fi ll out Form 8880 (see IRS.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f8880. pdf) and attach it to your Form 1040 or 1040NR when you fi le your tax return. For more information on the Saver’s Credit, see IRS Publication 590-A “Contributions to Individual Retirement Arrangements” (IRS.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p590a.pdf). The IRS also off ers an online quiz you can take to help you determine if you qualify for the Saver’s Credit. To access it go to IRS.gov/Help/ITA – click on “Do I Qualify for the Retirement Savings Contributions Credit?” under the “Credits” tab. Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book. ior ׉ 7cassandra://7iRZwAlRYW7a77ZYmoOgn90jMWmU0aXY7fdqbqJHTH0&`̰eih@_eih@_ PבCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://Etz1p8JuHvc9jW40M3ouiKsgaoBB3uuKHZ6qr-0v7ZgRA`)׉ 7cassandra://FXIaU4gPq2BUEgugIcalvM2vNoebDb5ZrI_1jdPkxbE͌9`J׉ 7cassandra://BnKbQp56SPOAuBKW34dzS8GLL4JL4U9J8UGpXWgbPug%q`̰ewh@_ט((u׉׉ 7cassandra://YLe3EiVuEJVCTo5H5HspRQbuX_fDL5T2mcyqeuOs8E4_M`)׉ 7cassandra://iETJZ3sB2wb2LzgelmxGdUdeTIpyQZhPZhBYm-peR_o͊s`J׉ 7cassandra://YhzutobvYhVMu-0KqcRv5LSjAM8OPZXw-nJaDS15dOw(`̰exh@_ڒנexh@_ZD9ׁHhttp://neaq.orgׁ ׁ Јנexh@_I9ׁHhttp://neaq.orgׁ ׁ Ј׉EPage 14 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, DECEmbEr 22, 2023 Aquarium to welcome guests during school winter vacation week with extended hours and new animals Spend the holidays with sea lions, sharks, documentaries and more T he New England Aquarium is excited to welcome guests this holiday season to see two newly arrived California sea lions, a new film in the Simons Theatre and a free outdoor photo exhibition called “Voices of the Waterfront.” The Aquarium will extend its hours from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily from December 26 to January 2. Guests are strongly encouraged to purchase tickets online in advance at neaq. org, as timed ticket slots may sell out. Highlights for the week: Meet Gio and Farley: The Aquarium recently welcomed two California sea lions: Gio and Farley. The 15-year-old sea lions are now permanent residents in the Aquarium’s New Balance Foundation Marine Mammal Center, and they join three other California sea lions: Zoe, Sierra and Tipper. Daily presentations have returned to the Marine Mammal Center at 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. and are a great way for visitors to see the sea lions interacting with their trainers. Nurse shark feedings: Continuing its decades-long commitment of caring for and protecting sharks, the Aquarium is welcoming a new nurse shark, named Cirri, to its Caribbean coral reef exhibit. Guests can view daily feedings at the top of the Giant Ocean Tank with Cirri and other animals at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Simons Theatre films: The Aquarium’s Simons Theatre is now showing “Arctic: Our Frozen Planet,” a 45-minute documentary filmed on a scale never attempted before. The film captures a year-long adventure across the seasons in the Arctic – and the subsequent impact our changing climate has had on it. Tickets and show times are available at all Aquarium ticketing locations by calling 617-973-5206 or by visiting neaq.org. Also showing are “Blue Whales: Return of the Giants” (3D), “Great White Shark,” “Incredible Predators” (3D) and “Secrets of the Sea” (3D). Voices of the Waterfront: In partnership with the Coalition for a Resilient and Inclusive Waterfront, the Aquarium created “Voices of the Waterfront,” a free exhibition of 27 large-scale photos wrapping around the Aquarium’s exteriFemale sea lion Gio stuck out her tongue during a recent training session. (Photo credit: Vanessa Kahn/New England Aquarium) or along Central Wharf. The exhibition celebrates the creative ways that people and organizations are accessing Boston’s waterfront, and it encourages more involvement to bring about more change to it as a public good amid environmental challenges. The Aquarium gift shop will have extended hours of 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. during the week of December 26, and the Harbor View Café will be open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with the exception of December 31, when it will close at 3 p.m. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit neaq.org or call 617973-5200. About the New England Aquarium: The Aquarium is a nonprofit research and conservation organization By Dom Nicastro SAUGUS TRACK SWEEPS SALEM The Saugus High School boys and girls track teams swept Salem with a 55-8 victory for the girls and a 5032 win for the boys. “It was an excellent first meet by both squads,” Saugus coach Amy O’Neil said. Notable performances were as follows: Saugus girls: • Destiny Okoye: first place, high jump. • Shot put: Angie Lopez, first, Aly Mabee, second, Ashley Rezendes, third. • Mabee was first in hurdles. • Girls swept the 55-meter dash: Soraya Mathieu, first, Okoye, second, Angie Lopez, third. • Sydney Ferreira: first place in 300-meter. • Soraya Alicea: third place in 300-meter. • Kaitlyn Pugh: first place in 600-meter. • Tori Carter: second place in 600-meter. • Mara Faiella: first place in 1,000-meter. • Rezendes: second place in 1,000-meter. • Susie Recupero: first place in the mile. • Girls 4x400 relay: first place (Lopez, Okoye, Pugh, Ferreira). Saugus boys: • Koby Jette took first in the shotput. • Boys swept 55-meter hurdles (Jake Kelley, first, Yousef Tuffaha, second, Connor Bloom, third). • Kaeleb Mathieu: first place in 55-meter dash. • Shane Bourque: First in the 300-meter and second in the high jump. • Alex Modini: second place, 300-meter. • Ryan Laws: first place, 600-meter. • Kason Imbrogna: first place, 1,000-meter. ~ SHS Sachems Sports roundup ~ Connor Blook, Marchand). • Cam Marchand: first place in the mile. • Boys 4x400 relay: first place (Bourque, Ryan Laws, SAUGUS-PEABODY WRESTLING TEAM STARTS STRONG The Saugus-Peabody wrestling team has opened up the season with dual meets and invitationals and plenty of reasons to celebrate – along with areas for growth. The team fell to Salem, 36-34. “It was our first meet and we didn’t wrestle well,” Saugus-Peabody coach Wayne Moda said. “We made mistakes on the coaching and athlete side that cost us the match.” Sophomore Jackson Deleidi (113) of Peabody avenged last year’s loss with a pin in the third period over Javion Cruz. “I’m so proud of this kid,” Moda said. “He came in as a freshman and has quickly fallen in love with the sport. He worked all offseason, and it is paying off for him.” Saugus-Peabody handled Lynn Tech to pick up its first win. Peabody’s Kaleb Corner (215) picked up his first win of the season. “Lynn Tech is a young team trying to build a program,” Moda said. “Much respect to them as they gain experience this season. We wish them luck.” Saugus-Peabody picked up another win, 48-27, over Lynnfield-North Reading. Captain Max LoRusso (138) of Saugus had a great day for Saugus-Peabody. Captain Sam LoRusso (150) of Saugus, Max LoRusso (138), Mike Maraio (144) of Peabody, Jackson Deleidi (113) of Peabody, Luke Calder (165) of Saugus and Justin Bremberg (150) of Saugus all remained undefeated after the meet. Saugus-Peabody participated in the Son’s of Italy that has protected and cared for our ocean and marine animals for more than 50 years. The Aquarium provides science-based solutions and helps shape policies that create measurable change to address threats the ocean faces. It inspires action through discovery and helps create engaged, resilient communities. tourney and took fifth out of 15 teams. Here’s how Saugus-Peabody fared: First: Sam LoRusso (157), Saugus. Second: Bremberg (150), Saugus. Second: Maraio (144), Peabody. Second: Antonio Anzalone (285), Peabody. Fourth: Elias Diaz (132), Saugus. Sixth: Deleidi (113), Peabody. Sixth: Max LoRusso (138), Saugus. Sixth: Freddy Espinal (190), Peabody. “I was incredibly proud how we wrestled at Son’s of Italy,” Moda said. “We only brought 10 wrestlers (of 14 weight classes) and only had one person seeded (Sam LoRusso, 157 as the No. 2). We had some young guys beat returning sectional and state placers, and that really helped. We finally showed some toughness and that led to some wins, that on paper, looked like could be losses. We had four guys in the finals and went 1-3, losing two matches that I thought could have been wins, for sure. We are a young team, and inexperience in that situation is what cost us, but the only way to get that experience is to make it there, and that is priceless.” SAUGUS’ PERRY SWIMMING FOR NORTHEAST Northeast Metro Tech features a Saugus swimmer: junior Abrianna Perry. “Last year she was one of our top backstrokers, but this year she’s been sidelined by an injury and hasn’t been able to compete,” Northeast coach Nicholas Lippman said. “However, she’s still been attending practices and swim meets to support the team and cheer them on.” ׉ 7cassandra://BnKbQp56SPOAuBKW34dzS8GLL4JL4U9J8UGpXWgbPug%q`̰eih@_׉E|THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, DECEmbEr 22, 2023 Page 15 Saugus Gardens in the Winter Here’s what’s blooming in town this week to make your walks more enjoyable This cardinal sits on an elderberry bush waiting for his turn at the feeder. (Photo courtesy of Laura Eisener) By Laura Eisener T he year is winding down and the last full moon will be here the day after Christmas, on December 26. Known as the Full Cold Moon, it remains to be seen whether the temperatures live up to the name, since much of this month has been warmer than usually expected for the time of year. Perhaps it’s the reason Christmas seems to have crept up on us early. There are plenty of homes where the occupants have found time to decorate for the season, and it is worth looking around town at all the brilliance every evening. On Gilway Road off Lynn Fells Parkway, Julie Bentivegna’s house is resplendent with a festive atmosphere – several decorated trees can be seen through the rounded windows, and plenty of energy is shown by all nine reindeer pulling Santa’s sleigh across her lawn! One hundred years ago, on December 24, 1923, Calvin Coolidge lit the first national Christmas tree on the grounds of the White House, a tradition which has been followed ever since, although the lighting now takes place earlier in the season. This year’s tree, a Norway spruce (Picea abies) was lit November 30. The first tree was a balsam fir (Abies balsamea) from Vermont, Coolidge’s home state. It was 48 feet tall and was lit with 2,500 electric lights in red, green and white. Some earlier presidents had Christmas trees indoors, but this was the first outdoor one, displayed for the public. Balsam fir is the most popular tree species in New England for a Christmas tree, famed for its fragrance. The soft needles are green on the upper surface and silvery on the underside. Most wreaths in New England are also made of balsam fir, including those decorated by the Garden club members earlier this month and the wreaths laid on Veterans’ graves at Riverside this past Saturday. This tree prefers slightly colder areas than Saugus but grows very well in the northern New England states and Canada. The Christmas carol “O Tannenbaum” was originally a folk song unconnected to Christmas but was a song in praise of the evergreen fir tree, whose leaves stayed faithfully green all year. The song was written in the 1820’s, and the popularity A manger scene is set between two “palm trees” in the Lynn Fells Parkway neighborhood. (Photo courtesy of Laura Eisener) All nine of Santa’s reindeer gallop across this lawn in the Lynn Fells Parkway neighborhood. (Photo courtesy of Laura Eisener) of Christmas trees increased around this time, and gradually translated versions of the song began to emphasize Christmas trees rather than a wild fir tree growing in the woods. The European silver fir (Abies alba) was probably the species that inspired the song, although there are also some other fir species that are native to Eurasia. In North America, the sap of balsam fir was used by native Americans as an antiseptic and as a salve for injuries. This is where the species epithet balsamea, which means a balm or soothing ointment, came from. A tea was sometimes made from steeping the fresh branches to ease symptoms of colds and coughs. Some species of holly are also closely associated with Christmas and used for wreaths, garlands and other decorations. Holly is a broadleaf evergreen – unrelated to needle-leaved trees like most conifers. We usually picture them with spiny-edged foliage, although there are many holly species that do not have this characteristic. English holly (Ilex aquifolia) is the species originally used in decorating and mentioned in a few traditional Christmas songs. One especially striking variety is silver-edged holly (Ilex aquifolia argentea marginata) with spiny leaves that are green with white edges. English holly is a fairly common tree in the English woods, growing 40’ high or more. More often planted in New England gardens is the shrubby hybrid blue holly (Ilex meservae), which has glossy blue-green leaves and only grows to 10’. Very similar to the English holly is American holly (Ilex opaca), which also becomes a tree and can be found growing wild on Cape Cod, Connecticut and farther south. Editor’s Note: Laura Eisener is a landscape design consultant who helps homeowners with landscape design, plant selection and placement of trees and shrubs, as well as perennials. She is a member of the Saugus Garden Club and offered to Silver edged English holly leaves are an old-world touch on a wreath in Lynnhurst. (Photo courtesy of Laura Eisener) The lights in Saugus Center shined through the storm on Sunday night. (Photo courtesy of Laura Eisener) write a series of articles about “what’s blooming in town” shortly after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. She was inspired after seeing so many people taking up walking ׉ 7cassandra://YhzutobvYhVMu-0KqcRv5LSjAM8OPZXw-nJaDS15dOw(`̰eih@_eih@_ PבCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://k2xES4flDCKg0FQzkUzgbxYmx2sp99HGWAFDyb5m31E֜`)׉ 7cassandra://jhTKi-98Eo2IPbhM8OHxn_UshuvbpKxVcJcS_99H3kg͞`J׉ 7cassandra://sXeGgNR5r0z_CfZFZk3cjuz8vDufovfzvanDh7SjoYk+]`̰exh@_ט((u׉׉ 7cassandra://TRlOq0ueqw2HkZCSUF9efl6Wt7gy7LmMwLEYBJBIQ9g p`)׉ 7cassandra://DSEmk5P1hhrrEFu4mkKvivCdCZT0W5CgWXIJDI0Hfjc͗`J׉ 7cassandra://1EMkpBFatGzOa-jGCkkal13RAmxYf5i6LI0GOdTzAIQ&>`̰exh@_נeyh@_AT9ׁHhttp://i.e.reׁ ׁ Јנeyh@_ 5̢9ׁHmailto:mvoge@comcast.netׁ ׁ Јנeyh@_Lc 9ׁHhttp://comcast.netׁ ׁ Јנeyh@_LƁ̡9ׁHmailto:mvoge@comcast.netׁ ׁ Јנeyh@_XŁ\ 9ׁHhttp://state.ma.usׁ ׁ Ј׉EPage 16 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, DECEmbEr 22, 2023 The Sounds of Saugus By Mark E. Vogler Good morning, Saugus! Santa Claus is coming to town in just two days – Christmas Eve (Sunday, Dec. 24)! Saugus will host its annual Christmas Eve Parade, which has evolved into a popular town tradition over the four decades of its existence. “The Santa Parade is always going to be my Christmas memory,” School Committee Member Ryan Fisher told The Saugus Advocate this week. “It’s driven by my house since I was a child, and my parents would reschedule our Christmas Eve plans around making sure we were home to see it. I’m now the parent that gets to share that experience with my daughter, and it means so much to have that shared memory that I know she’ll always remember. I’m so grateful to the organizers and volunteers for that gift.” The town’s Christmas Eve Parade is ready to roll, with the help of parade coordinator Brian Cross, who is heading up an army of volunteers. Cross, who is looking forward to working as DJ for the night, notes that this will mark the 40th anniversary for the parade. “I’ve been doing this since 2014,” he said in a recent —Cont est— CONTEST SKETCH OF THE WEEK interview. There will be a lot of town departments involved, too, particularly the Youth & Recreation Department. Saugus fire, police and other emergency crews will be involved with the event that’s been a popular crowd pleaser for locals, going back several decades. The parade is set to start on Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, at 6 p.m. from the Public Safety Building on Hamilton Street with a police and fire escort for Santa and some other special vehicles as part of the procession. It is scheduled to finish the three-hour tour through town on Central Street in Saugus Center at 9 p.m. “Santa would like to see as many children as possible, so listen for the sirens and come out and greet Santas as he passes by,” says Buddy, “Santa’s Third Best Elf” in a note on the parade route announcement that was recently released. Santa’s Parade Route Released Santa’s parade route for Sunday, Dec. 24, as posted on the Saugus Christmas Parade Facebook Page (https://www. facebook.com/saugussantaparade/), is as follows: 6-6:10 p.m.: Hamilton Street, Saville Street, Elm Street. 6:10-6:25 p.m.: North Saugus School, Indian Rock Drive, Arrowhead Drive. 6:25-6:40 p.m.: Walnut Street, Central Street, Appleton Street, Summer Street, Taylor Street. 6:40-6:55 p.m.: Saugus Center, Main Street to Forest Street. 6:55-7:10 p.m.: Lynn Fells Can You Guess Who? If you know, call 978-683-7773 and your name will be entered into a drawing contest to win. The prize is a $10 gift certificate from the contest’s sponsor, the Hammersmith Family Restaurant, which is located at 330 Central St. in Saugus. Parkway, Main Street, Hickory Lane, Juniper Drive. 7:10-7:25 p.m.: Howard Street, Main Street, Vine Street. 7:25-7:40 p.m.: Essex Street, Mount Vernon Street, Laurel Street. 7:40-7:45 p.m.: Lincoln Avenue and Cliftondale Square. 7:45-7:55 p.m.: Lincoln Avenue to Seagirt Avenue. 7:55-8:10 p.m.: Venice Avenue, Wickford Street, Pevwell Drive, Gates Road, Richard Street. 8:10-8:25 p.m.: Dudley Street, Ballard Street, Johnson Street, Vincent Street, Chestnut Street. 8:25-8:30 p.m.: Winter Street to Central Street. 8:30-8:40 p.m.: Denver Street, Laurel Gardens, Elmwood to Adams Avenue. 8:40-8:50 p.m.: Central Street, Hurd Avenue, Westland Avenue, Springdale Avenue, Stone Street. 8:50-9 p.m.: Central Street to Saugus Center. A Christmas Eve pageant for kids On Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, at 4:30 p.m., St. John’s Episcopal Church will be reenacting the nativity of Jesus in a family service. All Saugus children are welcome to participate. If you are interested, please contact The Rev. John Beach at revjbeach@gmail.com or the church office phone: 781233-1242. Food Pantry notes The Saugus United Parish Food Pantry is open today (Friday, Dec. 22) from 9:30-11 a.m. Legion Breakfast today There’s a good breakfast deal for Saugus veterans and other folks who enjoy a hearty breakfast on Friday mornings. The American Legion Post 210 at 44 Taylor St. in Saugus offers Friday morning breakfasts for the 2023-24 season. Doors open at 7:30 a.m., with breakfast served from 8-9:00 a.m. for an $8 donation. Veterans who cannot afford the donation may be served free. Special “Shout Outs” Joyce Rodenhiser offered several “shout outs” for this week: “A Shout Out to thank all the volunteers at Saugus Senior Center who ably assist the wonderful staff!” “Let’s give a Shout Out to Louise Nazzarro and Pauline Gautreau and all the other volunteers at the Saugus Public Library who, working with the wonderful staff there, make our library a lively, relevant place in which to learn all kinds of things!” Want to “Shout Out” a fellow Saugonian? This is an opportunity for our paper’s readers to single out – in a brief mention – remarkable acts or achievements by Saugus residents or an act of kindness or a nice gesture. Just send an email (mvoge@ comcast.net) with a mention in the subject line of “An Extra Shout Out.” No more than a paragraph; anything longer might lend itself to a story and/or a photo. We have a winner! Congratulations to Maria Rodriguez, one of several readers who answered correctly to last Friday’s sketch contest and had her name selected in a drawing. Maria will receive a $10 gift certificate from the contest’s sponsor, the Hammersmith Family Restaurant, near Saugus Center. Now, here’s the answer from the person who goes by the name of “The Sketch Artist: “The answer to last week’s sketch is Corinne & Steve O’Neill. They have been married twenty two years. In March, Corinne started teaching beginners line dance at the Saugus Senior Center on Tuesdays at 10:00 am, Steve showed support to his wife by attending the first class and has continued ever since. “Corinne beams a genuine ray of sunshine as she greets everyone. She is full of encouragement and patience in her dance classes. I have on occasion joined her classes and had so much fun and actually learned a lot of dance steps too. “Corinne adds such a peaceful atmosphere to her dancing classes which are conducive to a learning environment. “On Tuesday’s before sunrise, she greets her students with an email encouraging THE SOUNDS | SEE PAGE 17 ׉ 7cassandra://sXeGgNR5r0z_CfZFZk3cjuz8vDufovfzvanDh7SjoYk+]`̰eih@_׉E)THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, DECEmbEr 22, 2023 Page 17 SOUNDS | FROM PAGE 16 them to step out and dance, last week’s message was, “‘It’s brisk, but beautiful outside! Put your holiday to-do list on hold and come dancing.’ Corinne’s welcoming attitude is reflected in her own words ‘we get to have fun with a great group of people sharing new dances while reinforcing the basic steps of line dancing.’ “Corinne’s been involved in the line dancing community for over twenty years both as a dancer and instructor. In addition to Saugus she teaches Dance at the Stoneham Senior Center, [Wednesday] afternoons. Corinne said she’s always happy to help out filling in when her schedule allows and that you may find her in place of your regular instructor, or just dancing at another venue. “Along with a megawatt smile, she has a heart of love to share with her classes. She says come join her class so she can share her love of dance with you. Steve usually is in the back row in perfect step with his wife which helps back row dancers who may miss a step or two like myself. We can look over and catch on. “Thank you Corinne and Steve “You both shine your light brightly Artist” “Yours Truly, The Sketch Compost/Recycling DropOff Site winter hours The Town of Saugus Compost/Recycling Drop-Off Site is closed for the winter. But it will reopen for recycling on the third Saturday of January, February and March 2024 weather permitting. Please note the following dates that the site will be open during the period from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Saturday, January 20, 2024 Saturday, February 17, 2024 Saturday, March 16, 2024 Please contact Scott Brazis, Director of Solid Waste/Recycling, with any questions at 781-231-4036. RMV offers a Senior Hotline Like the vast majority of Massachusetts residents, I don’t enjoy being at the state’s Registry of Motor Vehicles. I never have and never will. The last time I had my driver’s license renewed, I was able to avoid the RMV by going to the local AAA office. Recently, I had a bad experience with the registry when I tried to help my brother renew his driver’s license – online. I found it to be not very user friendly – which seems to be a key trait for most things dealing with the RMV. Probably because Wayne was about to turn 72, it was a waste of time to attempt the online. Disgusted, I decided it might be best to just walk into the RMV Fall River office and handle Wayne’s business in person. What a mistake that turned out to be! When I was down in the Fall River area last weekend, I decided to take Wayne to the registry. But I quickly learned that drivers won’t be served anymore unless they make an appointment for a specific date and time. “You people don’t care about Senior Citizens, do you?” I said angrily to an office clerk. (I drove all the way down from Essex County, and you can’t help me?” I added. At that point, the clerk handed me a sheet of paper headlined “Senior Hotline.” To my surprise, I got a voice pretty quickly. But I wasn’t allowed to schedule an appointment for that day. But there was a silver lining to my latest RMV encounter. “Call 857-368-8005, the RMV’s dedicated appointment line for customers who are at least 65 years of age or have a disability,” the information sheet said. “The RMV’s Senior License Renewal Appointment Line warns customers that they will not be served if they do not meet the above qualifications.” The information sheet went on to say that customers could also email the RMV for assistance at MassDOTRMVSeniors@dot. state.ma.us. I’ve already gotten to use the Senior Hotline twice and I would recommend it. But I told one of the customer service representatives that it was a huge mistake to not allow walk-ins at the local registry office. So, check it out for yourself the next time you have a matter to square away with the RMV. Check out our Year-inReview issue next week Next week’s edition will be dedicated to our “Year-in-Review.” What were the top stories during 2023 and who were the movers and shakers in Saugus? We’ll ask the School Committee members and Board of Selectmen to share their views on what they thought were the major stories. We’ll also ask them to designate their top priorities for the New Year. Readers are also welcome to chime in on what they think are the top stories of the year and the challenges ahead. Email me with your file title “Year-in-Review” at mvoge@comcast.net or leave me a message at mvoge@ comcast.net. What’s new at the Saugus Public Library? There’s always something interesting going on. Below are a few activities worth checking out. The library will be closed next Monday (Dec. 25) and next Tuesday (Dec. 26) in observance of Christmas. Nutcracker Celebration: Kids from ages five to 12 will be able to enjoy a special ballerina reading of “The Nutcracker” with festive crafts and treats, next Thursday (Dec. 28) at 10:30 a.m. $5 for a bag of books: If you love reading, here’s a great deal. Buy a New Friends of the Saugus Public Library mesh book bag for $5 and fill it with as many books as you’d like. Proceeds benefit the New Friends so they can support public library service in Saugus. Town Meeting Sessions: Precinct 10 Town Meeting Member Peter Manoogian is offering quite a Christmas present for Saugus citizens who want to learn the basics about Town Meeting – the legislative body of Saugus town government. Manoogian is a veteran of about four decades in local town government at various levels – including many years as a Town Meeting member. The three sessions Manoogian will be leading next year are tailored for newly elected Town Meeting members or veterans who want to refresh themselves about Robert’s Rules of Order or how to put forward an article for consideration. But the sessions that Manoogian is planning are free and open to the public – for all interested citizens. The sessions will take place on four nights in 2024 – Jan. 29, Feb. 16 & 29 and March 25 – from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Community Room of the Saugus Public Library at 295 Central St. Saugus Library Book Club: “Me Before You,” a novel by Jojo Moyes, will be the topic of discussion for the next meeting of the Saugus Library Book Club – set for next Thursday (Dec.. 28) at 6:30 in the Community Room of the Saugus Public Library. No sign-up is required. Drop-ins are welcome. Copies of the book are available at the circulation desk. Adult Coloring Group: Here’s an invitation to grown-ups to attend the adult coloring group. It’s a great opportunity to take time to unwind, be creative and have fun. No experience is necessary. Pencils, gel pens and coloring pages are ready and waiting. Spaces are limited, so please call to register at 781-231-4168. The next session is set for Wednesday, Jan. 10, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. in the Brooks Room on the second floor of the library. About The Saugus Advocate We welcome press releases, news announcements, freelance articles and courtesy photos from the community. Our deadline is noon Wednesday. If you have a story idea, an article or photo to submit, please email me at mvoge@comcast.net or leave a message at 978-683-7773. Let us become your hometown newspaper. The Saugus Advocate is available in the Saugus Public Library, the Saugus Senior Center, Saugus Town Hall, local convenience stores and restaurants throughout town. TESTAMENTARY SPECIAL POWERS OF APPOINTMENT Testamentary special powers of appointment provisions contained in an irrevocable trust allow the Settlor of the trust to exercise the power via his or her Last Will and Testament. The Last Will and Testament will have to be submitted to a probate court and allowed. It is through the Last Will and Testament of the Settlor of the Trust that the exercise of the testamentary special power of appointment contained within the terms of the irrevocable trust is achieved. If the Settlor of an irrevocable Medicaid trust includes such a provision in the Trust to appoint (i.e.redirect) the Trust principal to a class of individuals such as the descendants of the Settlor, the Settlor thereby reserves the right to change the ultimate beneficiaries of the Trust that were originally going to receive the balance of the Trust estate upon the Settlor’s death. If the Settlor simply wants to change who would actually receive the Trust estate, the Settlor, by reserving this testamentary special power of appointment, can include a provision in his or her Will that exercises the power by having the Will allowed in probate court. Therefore, such a change can still be made even though the trust is otherwise irrevocable. This special power of appointment, also referred to as a limited power of appointment, cannot include the power to appoint to the Settlor, the Settlor’s estate or the creditors of the Settlor’s estate. If such a power was included within the terms of the Trust, it would simply not be a special power of appointment, and would cause the assets in the Trust to be countable for MassHealth eligibility purposes. One other benefit of such a provision in an irrevocable trust is the obtainment of the step-up in cost basis under Internal Revenue Code Section 2038. This is because when the assets are transferred to the irrevocable trust an incomplete gift results due to the special power of appointment provision thereby causing the Trust assets to be included in the gross taxable estate of the Settlor upon his or her death. Treasury Regulation 25.2511-2(b). If your home is transferred to such a Trust that you may have purchased 40 years ago for $150,000, but that is now worth $800,000, upon your death, the cost basis of the home will then become $800,000 in the hands of your beneficiaries due to the step-up in cost basis provisions of IRC Section 1014. A subsequent sale of the home by your children shortly after your death for $800,000 will result in no capital gain. If your total estate is below $2million, there also will be no Massachusetts estate tax to be paid. In a typical Medicaid irrevocable Trust, this is but one provision that will result in a much-desirable step-up in cost basis in order to avoid a substantial future capital gain and a corresponding substantial capital gains tax. Joseph D. Cataldo is an estate planning/elder law attorney, Certified Public Accountant, Certified Financial Planner, AICPA Personal Financial Specialist and holds a masters degree in taxation. ׉ 7cassandra://1EMkpBFatGzOa-jGCkkal13RAmxYf5i6LI0GOdTzAIQ&>`̰eih@_eih@_ PבCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://4RK054nKpJiV9SQHnU_0k7OlfKsUmXBjWKZbuKOU0sY4`)׉ 7cassandra://vQDjMk25SPs9yACGWMpegU09z6T0LAxWwxlzA7jWsIMͫ``J׉ 7cassandra://ooPcnjGhgUjErIRZMy5Sjc9df4ur07Ww9Bq2SVePKWU4`̰ezh@_ט((u׉׉ 7cassandra://UVx2KMKACZ5_-PfUzNX6VPI6vx5VJ8uiQRFDGjNj_EU,`)׉ 7cassandra://acic6amWpmKXEgNoZi_UWCzmdtyQUSd8wC0z-w1cPoE͜P`J׉ 7cassandra://_OkvW4vqAtK98x7NygXqGeRCx2CA9vT5k8gscT1mJQc,`̰ezh@_נe{h@_̪9ׁHmailto:soldwithsue@gmail.comׁ ׁ Јנe{h@_ 4Y9ׁHhttp://danfarber.jimmyfund.orgׁ ׁ Јנezh@_Y9ׁHhttp://cancer.orgׁ ׁ Ј׉E-Page 18 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, DECEmbEr 22, 2023 Clean-Outs! We take and dispose from cellars, attics, garages, yards, etc. Call Robert at: 781-844-0472 OBITUARY Rosita (Strano) Livolsi O f Saugus. Died on Monday, December 18th at Melrose-Wakefield Hospital surrounded by family at the age of 89. She was the loving wife of the late Richard J. Livolsi. Born and raised in Italy, Mrs. LivolFrank Berardino MA License 31811 si was the daughter of the late Salvatore and Concetta (Piluso) Strano. A devoted mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, Mrs. Livolsi is survived by her son, Ronald R. Livolsi and his wife Noreen of Bridgewater; her daughter, Robin Angelo of Danvers; four grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren. She was pre• 24 - Hour Service • Emergency Repairs BERARDINO Plumbing & Heating Residential & Commercial Service Gas Fitting • Drain Service 617.699.9383 Senior Citizen Discount deceased by her brother Victorio Strano. Mrs. Livolsi loved her family, friends and her native Italy. She enjoyed traveling throughout her life. Her favorite trip being the yearly family vacation in New Hampshire. Relatives and friends are invited to attend an hour of visitation in the Bisbee-Porcella Funeral Home, 549 Lincoln Ave., Saugus on Friday December 22 at 10:30 a.m. OBITS | SEE PAGE 19 Lawn and Yard Care SNOW PLOWING *REASONABLE RATES * PROMPT SERVICE * PARKING LOTS USA 781-521-9927 We follow Social Distancing Guidelines! Your Hometown News Delivered! EVERETT ADVOCATE MALDEN ADVOCATE REVERE ADVOCATE SAUGUS ADVOCATE One year subscription to The Advocate of your choice: $150 per paper in-town per year or $200 per paper out-of-town per year. 781 233 4446 Call now! Name_________________________________________ Address_______________________________________ City_______________ State_______ Zip ____________ CC# _______________________________ Exp. _____ Sec. code____ Advocate (City):___________________ Clip & Mail Coupon with Credit Card, Check or Money Order to: Advocate Newspapers Inc. PO Box 490407, Everett, MA 02149 CLASSIFIEDS Call Driveways from $35 ׉ 7cassandra://ooPcnjGhgUjErIRZMy5Sjc9df4ur07Ww9Bq2SVePKWU4`̰eih@_׉EoTHE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, DECEmbEr 22, 2023 Page 19 did gingerbread originate: 9th, 12th or 16th? 1. On Dec. 22, 1989, the Brandenburg Gate was opened in what city? 2. What is the translation of “O Tannenbaum”? 3. What city was Al Capone from: Chicago, NYC or St. Louis? 4. On Dec. 23, 1947, Bill Rodgers was born; he won how many Boston Marathons? 5. The fi rst artifi cial Christmas trees used feathers dyed OBITS | FROM PAGE 18 to 11:30 a.m. followed by a funeral mass in Blessed Sacrament Church, 14 Summer St., Saugus at noon. Interment in Riverside Cemetery in Saugus. In lieu of flowers, a donation can be made to the American Cancer Society at cancer.org. green from what bird that is a traditional Christmas dinner in much of Europe? 6. On Dec. 24, 1912, Hartford, New York City and what other city lit the fi rst city public Christmas trees? 7. The Feast of the Seven Fishes originated in what country? 8. What is another word for reindeer? 9. Reportedly, in what century Dorothy M. Palandro O f Saugus. Formerly of Revere. Died on Sunday, December 17th at the Kaplan Family Hospice House in Danvers at the age of 73. Born and raised in Revere, Miss Palandro was the daughter of the late Domenico and Mary Palandro. Dorothy attended The 10. What does noggin mean (besides a person’s head)? 11. According to Guinness World Records, 219 dogs were invited to attend a screening of what 2023 fi lm? 12. On Dec. 25, 1821, Clara Barton was born in Oxford, Mass.; she later founded what American humanitarian organization? 13. In the movie “Frozen,” who says, “Some things are worth melting for”? 14. On Dec. 26, 1966, what holiday began in the USA? Immaculate Conception School in Revere, MA. She formerly worked at both Disney and Price Waterhouse. She was loved and adored by many friends and family. Miss Palandro is survived by her daughter, Maryellen (LoRusso) Mojica and her husband Jose of Saugus and 15. In what Christmas song would you fi nd “a jolly happy soul”? 16. What Canadian musician became known as “Mr. New Year’s Eve”? 17. On Dec. 27, 1932, what venue opened in NYC’s Rockefeller Center? 18. How are Eagle, Tenderfoot and Star similar? 19. What is it called when a legal dispute is resolved before trial? 20. On Dec. 28, 1973, who signed the Endangered Species Act into law? three grandchildren, Marina, Dominic & Kyanna Benedetto of Peabody. Relatives and friends are invited to attend visiting hours in the Bisbee-Porcella Funeral Home, 549 Lincoln Ave., SAUGUS on Thursday, December 21. A funeral was held from the funeral home on Friday, followed by a fuF O R S A L E - S A U G U S C O MM E R C I A L & R E S I D E N T I A L P R O P E R T Y neral mass in St. Anthony of Padua Church, Revere. Interment in Lakeside Cemetery in Wakefield. In lieu of flowers, donations in Dorothy’s memory may be made to either the Jimmy Fund at danfarber.jimmyfund.org of the Joey LoRusso Memorial Foundation, P.O. Box 1144, Saugus, MA 01906. ANSWERS S A U G U S Inviting home with seamless flow, sunfilled interiors, and charming details. Screened porch for relaxation, kitchen opens to living and dining with hardwood floors. Three generous bedrooms, new full bath on each floor. Roof 2 years old. Driveway parks 3-4 cars tandem. Easy access to public transportation, 20 minutes from Boston, close to malls and restaurants. Saugus offers new schools, low property taxes. $545,000. Contact Sue at 617-877-4553. Move right in – this won't last! Exceptional investment opportunity! Long-standing commercial fishing pier/residential property adjacent to Saugus Waterfront Mixed Use Overlay District (WMOD). Owner petitioning Town of Saugus for inclusion in WMOD, providing diverse land use possibilities per Article 18 in Saugus Zoning Bylaws. Zoning contingency applies to sale. Property features licensed pier, boat storage, residential use with permitted accessory dwelling unit. Utilities include electricity, water to pier, and natural gas to dwelling. Deed transfer for pier rights. Offered at $1,455,000. Contact Sue at 617-877-4553 for details. REVERE BEACH SINGLE BEDROOM RENTAL APARTMENTS Fantastic deal: 1-bedroom apartment near Revere Beach with first month free (see firm remarks). Well-maintained, fully applianced, in-unit laundry, central A/C, and heat included. Only small bill for stove, lights, and bathroom fan. Assigned parking, extra storage available for $25/month. $50 pet fee upon landlord approval. Agents collect fees from tenants. Owner requires proof of income of $1,250/week gross. Good credit and rental history essential. $2,195. Contact Peter at 781-820-5690. Efficiency studio apartment, 300 sq ft, with combined kitchen/living/bedroom area (14x14), long hallway, and spacious 8x8 bathroom. Ideal for student or single occupant, Section 8 welcome. Private ground-level balcony with Revere Beach views. MBTA outside the back door, assigned off-street parking. Coin-operated laundry on lower level. Well-managed building, fully inspected by the City of Revere. $1,695. Contact Peter at 781-820-5690. Find us on Google and see what our clients have to say about us! 3 8 M A I N S T . S A U G U S ( 7 8 1 ) 5 5 8 - 1 0 9 1 2 0 R A I L R O A D A V E . R O C K P O R T ( 9 7 8 ) - 9 9 9 - 5 4 0 8 YOUR IDEAL HOME AWAITS IN SAUGUS! CHARMING 1-BR APARTMENT WITH PARKING, PROXIMITY, AND MORE - ONLY $1,495/MONTH! Discover the perfect blend of comfort and convenience in this Saugus gem! A delightful 3-room, 1-bedroom apartment is now available for rent, offering a lifestyle of ease and accessibility. MONTHLY RENT:$1,495.00 1 Bedroom: Spacious and cozy, your new home awaits with a well-designed bedroom for your comfort. 1 Car Parking: Enjoy the luxury of your own parking space, ensuring hassle-free arrivals and departures. Across from Bus Stop: Commuting made easy! The apartment is conveniently located right across from a bus stop, providing seamless access to public transportation. Close to Major Routes: Whether you're heading to the airport, Boston, or other destinations, you'll appreciate the proximity to major routes for a smooth commute. Nearby Amenities: Explore the convenience of being close to shopping, dining, and entertainment options for a vibrant lifestyle. Mango Realty has extended our business model to rentals, property management and short-term rentals and use the platform such as Airbnb, including our Rockport office. Contact Information: For inquiries and to schedule a viewing, please call Sue Palomba at +1 (617) 8774553 or email soldwithsue@gmail.com. 1 4 N O R W O O D S T . E V E R E T T ( 7 8 1 ) - 5 5 8 - 1 0 9 1 1. Berlin (to signify the reunion of West and East Germany) 2. “O Christmas Tree” 3. NYC (Brooklyn) 4. Four 5. Goose 6. Boston 7. Reportedly in the USA (among Italian-Americans) 8. Caribou 9. 16th 10. A small mug or small drink (in olden times, often eggnog or strong ale) 11. “PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie” (Record title: most dogs attending a film screening.) 12. American Red Cross 13. Olaf 14. Kwanzaa 15. “Frosty the Snowman” 16. Guy Lombardo (With his Royal Canadians he played “Auld Lang Syne” on New Year’s for about 50 years.) 17. Radio City Music Hall 18. They are Boy Scouts of America ranks. 19. Settlement 20. Richard Nixon ׉ 7cassandra://_OkvW4vqAtK98x7NygXqGeRCx2CA9vT5k8gscT1mJQc,`̰eih@_eih@_ PבCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://XMmHpHsLoaBzU23A6FqxgaM0bVezaGIvbHcrwzufEgw `)׉ 7cassandra://P4bLsAJVLfP7-U-CVfQyqiWVEqvczovmqOHXhvrKso4͑`J׉ 7cassandra://lv6gqkO5OveXV2YGYkqyBY3A_OtkUxk0zQ2i9_cWuH4-`̰ezh@_נe{h@_Hh 9ׁHhttp://COMMONMOVES.COMׁ ׁ Ј׉EPage 20 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, DECEmbEr 22, 2023 Carpenito Real Estate is now SAUGUS $899,900 Custom colonial in the Woodlands with fireplace, finished lower level, central air, and 2-car garage. SAUGUS $675,000 Expanded cape with fireplace, hardwood, central air, and a garage, located in desirable Indian Valley. SAUGUS $629,900 Expanded ranch with 3 bedrooms, From Our Family to Your Family We wish you a very happy and blessed holiday season and an abundance of health and happiness. and an he COMMONMOVES.COM 335 CENTRAL STREET, SAUGUS, MA | (781) 233-7300 ason of ss. 1st-floor family room, and a great side street location. SAUGUS $329,900 New 2 bedroom condo with a granite kitchen, central air, gas heat, new windows, and off-street parking. SAUGUS $319,900 Austin Court offers a 2 bedroom condo with 4 rooms, fresh paint, and an inground pool. SAUGUS $250,000 Conveniently located 3 room condo offers 1 bedroom, updated kitchen and bath, and new flooring. ©2023 BHH Affiliates, LLC. An independently owned and operated franchisee of BHH Affiliates, LLC. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices and the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices symbol are registered service marks of Columbia Insurance Company, a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate. Equal Housing Opportunity. ׉ 7cassandra://lv6gqkO5OveXV2YGYkqyBY3A_OtkUxk0zQ2i9_cWuH4-`̰eih@_׈Eeih@_eih@_ P,Saugus Advocate 12/22/2023Saugus Advocate 12/22/2023egU