Saugus may allow Verizon to compete

SAUGUS-The Board of Selectmen is looking to bring a little competition into town at least as far as cable is concerned.Tired of the lackluster performance of Comcast, the board members sat down with a Verizon representative to discuss what it would take to get the cable/Internet/phone giant to offer services in town. Essentially they were told, “You’re on the list.”According to Selectmen Peter Rossetti, former Salem Mayor Stanley Usovicz, the Verizon representative who sat with the board, said Verizon is interested in coming to town, but not right now. In fact, Usovicz indicated it might not be for a couple of years.”It’s a big investment for the company because they have to run the fiber optic cables and that’s expensive,” Rossetti said. “It might not happen even next year.”Not to burn any bridges, Rossetti was also quick to add that the town wasn’t necessarily unhappy with Comcast, it was simply looking for options.His colleague Stephen Horlick agreed”We made it perfectly clear the public would like some competition,” he said. “People would like a choice.”In case you haven’t caught a glimpse of him yet, the new superintendent Richard Langlois is in town and working diligently.School Committee member Christine Wilson said it’s been two weeks and Langlois hasn’t been scared off yet. But aside from a surprise coffee hour on his first day, there has been no formal introductions either.Wilson said they decided to put off a meet and greet until September when everyone is back from vacations and school is underway. Then parents, teachers and the general public will be invited by to say hello.For his part, Langlois said his first two weeks were tremendous, but busy.In his first week in the corner office, Langlois made two bold moves hiring a director of Pupil Personnel and a new assistant principal for the Belmonte Middle School.Kevin McCormick will join Linda Gaieski at the middle school while Cynthia Joyce will join the staff at the School Department’s central office in the Roby School.A former social studies teacher who has also served as in interim principal from Medford, McCormick said he is “delighted” to join forces in Saugus and Principal Charles Naso said he is equally delighted to get him.Naso said it’s no secret that he is retiring at the end of the 2008/2009 school year and he wanted his staff to have someone they wanted to work with.”He’s capable and experienced,” he said. “I’m excited about him.”Langlois said he was impressed with McCormick’s work ethic and experience.It is Joyce, however, that brings a wealth of experience to her new position. The soon-to-be former Harvard University employee has 30 years as a Special Education teacher and administrator under her belt and is well versed, according to Langlois, on state and federal regulations.Joyce called her new job a new and different and exciting opportunity and she is looking forward to being part of the new team in the Saugus School Department.When Fire Chief James Blanchard read a report about a medical aid call from a previous night, he wondered why Capt. Thomas R. Nolan used his own name in place of the victim’s.”It’s not unusual to see John Doe in there if we don’t have a name, but they don’t usually use their own names,” Blanchard said.But he Nolan hadn’t used his name, really.Nolan had a busy night first responding to a propane grill fire that had gotten out of control, then tending to a man who had overdosed in a bathroom. After fishing through the man’s pockets looking for identification, Blanchard said Nolan was startled when he read the man’s name: Thomas R. Nolan.”Right down to the middle initial,” Blanchard said. “That’s weird.”