Saugus cable TV drama is long-running show

SAUGUS – It?s been a long, strange year for the Saugus Cable Television Station.The station, formerly SCTV, was brought under more control of selectmen last summer as it ceased being a non-profit, and on May 29 longtime Operations Manager Richard Garabedian was fired.Along the way, board members resigned and new ones were appointed by selectmen (not without controversy), and a huge battle ensued over freedom of speech and censorship issues as the new rule book for SCTS included a provision that anyone making derogatory comments about someone else must provide them with a five-day notice. That provision was eventually struck down.Now one selectman is demanding the entire SCTS board resign and the station be restored to its original non-profit state.?They?re all a disgrace to this town,” said Vice Chairman Steve Castinetti, who stood by his call for the SCTS board to resign last week. “They shouldn?t be able to look anyone in this town in the eye again. This is nothing more than retaliation for the Mike Downing show. Because they couldn?t get even with him, they did the next best thing and attack the executive director that helped get that show on. Richie Garabedian helped every single person that wanted to do a show, no matter what they needed and Mike Downing was no exception.”Castinetti said because Downing poked fun at “the administration” and the “people on the board now,” this was their “opportunity to get even.”Castinetti said he?s calling on the board to “voluntarily” resign because he doesn?t have the support of selectmen for a motion.?Any board that would put Tom Lucey on the Saugus cable board of directors probably is probably not going to support any motion to remove anybody,” said Castinetti. “If I make a motion and they don?t support it, then they?re going to have to face the voters in November.”Support still thereAbout 10 people spoke out against the SCTS board last Tuesday as around 20 people stayed until the very end of the meeting to show their support for the speakers.Despite this, some selectmen still feel the SCTS board is doing a good job, including Chairman Michael Serino, who said he has confidence in the current board.?I thought this board was getting the financial issues in order,” said Serino. “The last non-profit board of directors, I think they failed in their responsibility regarding the audit, financial bookkeeping. They didn?t even file as a non-profit for the last three years. It wasn?t until Debra Panetta and Janice Jarosz that they started getting paperwork in order. I think they?ve done a good job ? I think we?re on the right track.”Serino declined to say whether he would support a motion for the SCTS board to resign.?I don?t want to predict ahead of what might happen,” said Serino. “I hate to comment on anything that might come before the board. No one made a motion to do that. I thought Steve (Castinetti) might have made a motion or something.”Chairman Christopher Peatridge and board members Davis Cottam and Thomas Lucey could not be reached.Multiple calls and emails to board Treasurer Janice Jaorsz, including requests for information about fees to the attorney hired by the board, were also not returned.Selectman Stephen Horlick also said he has confidence in the board and compared asking members to resign to someone asking the Zoning Board of Appeals to resign for not granting a variance.?We appoint the Zoning Board of Appeals,” said Horlick. “If somebody doesn?t get a variance now, are they going to come across the street to our meeting and say, ?I don?t like the decision the Zoning Board made. I demand you give me my variance and remove the whole Zoning Board of Appeals.?”Horlick also asked if people don?t like decisions by the Conservation Commission of Planning Board, “are they going to come and say, ?I want you to remove those boards and reverse those decisions???You can?t do it,” said Horlick. “(Tuesday) was a meeting that had to do with personnel. If you?re not happy with the board,