SAUGUS – After nearly two years of work, the Youth and Recreation Center is getting a new name and a dedication ceremony in honor of Christie Ciampa Jr.Selectman Michael Kelleher said a ceremony would be held Saturday, Sept. 27 at 10 a.m. to unveil the “Chris Ciampa Jr. Youth and Recreation Center,” named for the former selectman and Youth Commissioner.Kelleher, along with Sue Dunn, administrative assistant to the Town Manager, and resident Kevin Nigro, have been working out the details of the program for several months.Ciampa lost his battle with cancer in April 2006. Following his death, town officials past and present sought ways to honor the man who had given 35 years of public service to the community.In November 2006, Town Meeting members backed a plan to rename the Youth and Recreation Department for Ciampa since one of his most beloved posts was said to be his service on the Youth Commission.At the time of the vote, his widow Rosemary said she was touched by the decision and knew Christie would have been as well.The Youth and Recreation Department is not the only public building waiting to be renamed.Selectman Stephen Castinetti also asked about the status of the Public Safety Building during a recent meeting. Town Meeting members voted 33-7 in June 2007 to rename the Public Safety building in honor of former Town Manager Ed Collins, but it appears there has been no movement on that project.Kelleher said the committee has been trying to work out the details for the Collins celebration as well, but it has been harder to coordinate. With family members scattered, Kelleher said they are trying to be sensitive in getting input from everyone, but admitted it is presenting problems.”We don’t have a date for the Public Safety building yet,” Kelleher said. “We’re trying to touch base with all the family members regarding the wording on the plaque.”Like Ciampa, town officials wanted to do something for a man who served their community well, but not everyone was happy with the decision to rename the Public Safety building for Collins.Holdouts from the vote came primarily from meeting members who served on the Police or Fire departments. Representatives from both departments said they weren’t opposed to having a building named for Collins, but they felt the public safety building should be renamed for one of their own. The departments combined have three names they could chose from, all of whom were killed in recent history and in the line of duty former. The names include Fire Chief Mellon Joy and police officers Augustine J. Belmonte and Harold Vitale.Kelleher said the ceremony would be held as soon as he could coordinate everything will family members.In the meantime, the public is invited to the Ciampa ceremony that begins at 10 a.m. and is followed by a coffee reception.”The family wanted to keep it simple but it will be a nice ceremony,” Dunn said.
