Freedom of speech reigns in Saugus

SAUGUS ?Selectmen voted unanimously Monday night to strike down a provision in the Saugus Cable Television Station rules that would give them authority to approve the regulations handbook.The vote came after a heated, hour-long debate on First Amendment rights as more than 30 people packed the first-floor conference room to speak about the document.Saugus resident Fae Saulenus derided a provision requiring anyone who makes derogatory remarks about someone on SCTS to notify that person within five days. Saulenus said the town doesn?t need a document that “treats us like infantile idiots and makes our decisions for us.”?This is America. The First Amendment needs to stand because it?s much more important than someone that may be obnoxious on cable television,” said Saulenus to a round of applause and a “Hear, hear.”Chet Stentiford has a gardening program on SCTS and said the provision will be “an interruption of people to broadcast their opinions.”?They have a right to it,” he said. “We don?t have a right to say they can?t voice their opinions.”Selectmen have met four times to discuss the SCTS handbook after voting over the summer to bring SCTS, formerly SCTV, under more town control.Vice Chairman Steve Castinetti wanted to know why the selectmen were trying to “recreate the wheel” when people were already satisfied with the original incarnation of SCTS.?If it wasn?t for Mike Downing we would not be sitting here tonight,” said Castinetti. “Because a few people in this room are thin-skinned, they want to change this document to prohibit (derogatory speech). If you can?t deal with it, you?re in the wrong game.”?As you can see by the crowd this evening this is not a topic that is going to go to bed real easily,” he added.Castinetti said he wants to go back to the original document.?I think we opened up a can of worms that needs to be closed and the easiest way to do that it put the channel right back to where it was,” he said.Selectman Stephen Horlick said the selectmen had to act after half of the previous board of directors resigned last year. He asked current board member Janice Jarosz if the new board is easier to work with now, to which she replied yes.However, Operations Manager Rich Garabedian said the current board is “non-effective.”Under the new SCTS handbook, the selectmen appoint all five board members.Selectman Debra Panetta made a motion to refer the vote back to the board of directors, noting it?s not the selectmen?s job to “manage the content or what?s in the guidelines” for SCTS.Saugus resident Stephanie Fail, 25, wanted to know why the handbook wasn?t posted on the SCTS website longer after selectmen voted to do so on Oct. 2.Serino said the issue has already been “pretty well-discussed.”?This will be our seventh public hearing and I don?t think you were involved in the public hearings in the beginning,” said selectmen Chairman Michael Serino.Garabedian said he took the document down over the weekend because he thought there was a time restriction.He also said the document should be posted on the town website, but Serino asked, “Is your website not accessible?”?I think we had plenty of meetings on this,” said Serino.Later in the meeting Serino said “in hindsight” selectmen shouldn?t have had “oversight over the rules and procedures.”?Maybe that?s a mistake we made, but we were heading into new territory here,” said Serino.SCTS board member Jim Ravagno asked Garabedian to put the handbook back on the website along with his e-mail address and urged residents to e-mail him directly with any problems.Matt Tempesta may be reached at [email protected].