Saugus holds productive special Town Meeting

SAUGUS – Town Meeting members cleared the way for the Hamilton Street White Hen Pantry to receive early morning newspaper deliveries, accepted three-dozen new streets and wrapped up another special Town Meeting in just under four hours Monday.The new streets are actually paper streets and some have been around for years. By deeming them official, the town must take responsibility for their upkeep but will also receive additional Chapter 90 funds, which is state funding for roadwork.Lt. Stephen Sweezey was ready with a slide presentation for his article, “True name, address, date and place of birth” that requires a person in any public area to offer up an identification when asked for one by a police officer. Due to the late hour, however, he let the slide show slide and got the article approved based on his pitch alone.An article seeking $25,000 for an archeological survey of the town was indefinitely postponed while an article seeking $75,000 for Youth and Recreation was referred to the annual Town Meeting in the spring.Meeting members almost adjourned before someone noticed that it had yet to act on article 37, which would allow for early morning newspaper deliveries to local establishments.Tucked at the bottom of page four of the five-page warrant, Moderator Robert Long said technically the article wasn’t necessary but it passed nonetheless 29-7. Businesses looking to receive deliveries between 10 p.m.-7 a.m. need only to seek permission from Selectmen.Thus ended what was considered one of the busiest special Town Meetings in recent memory.Selectmen voted to accept a $5,948 gift from Wheelabrator Tuesday, which is aimed at funding a youth-at-risk survey for the Youth and Recreation Department.Ironically, just minutes before the check issue came up, the board debated Wheelabrator’s request to use Ballard Street during the Belden Bly Bridge construction project. Members were overwhelmingly against allowing the company locally known as RESCO to use Ballard Street, though no formal decision was made.Minutes later when Town Manager Andrew Bisignani asked Selectmen to accept the gift from RESCO, the irony was not lost on several board members who smiled broadly while the voted to accept the check.Looks like Wheelabrator will have to mail the check rather than drive it.RESCO has not been the only group pitching in to financially help the town. While giving a wrap up of Veterans Day activities, Selectman Stephen Castinetti spoke on the generosity of residents, including the small ones.Castinetti said during ceremonies at the Belmonte Middle School and the Lynnhurst School, the veterans were presented with checks for $400 and $285 respectively and later Mike’s Barbershop handed over $1,041. All the money raised was aimed at helping replace the flag holders stolen last month from the veterans’ graves in Riverside Cemetery.”It’s an outstanding example,” Castinetti said. “When a community wants to make an impact it can do it. Look how it’s all coming together.”Castinetti was quick to add that there was a long way to go to hit the $14,000 mark, which is the estimated cost of replacing the nearly 700 flag holders that were stolen and a sold for scrap.