Saugus group pushing petition

SAUGUS – Saugus Concerned Citizens will be out collecting signatures this weekend in a final push to get a non-binding referendum regarding Saugus Cable Television on the Nov. 5 ballot.”We’re working on getting 2,000 signatures,” said Rich Garabedian, the former operations manager for the station. “We have 1,234 validated and we need the rest by Monday.”Garabedian said the non-binding ballot question simply asks residents if they would like to see Saugus Cable Television revert to a community-operated organization rather than one controlled by the Board of Selectmen and the town.”Because the Board of Selectmen wouldn’t allow us to put the question on the ballot as a non-binding referendum, we had to go this route and collect signatures,” Garabedian explained.Garabedian said members of the organization plan to fan out across town over the weekend and hit popular spots like Kane’s Donuts and Mike’s Barbershop, as well as such busy areas as Lincoln Avenue in front of the Post Office. Garabedian said there will be someone at Anna Parker playground today collecting signatures if anyone wants to stop by.The board voted 3-2 in August against placing the question on the ballot. Chairman Michael Serino said at the time that he didn’t believe the board was the proper venue in which to get a question placed on the ballot. Selectmen Debra Panetta and Stephen Horlick both took issue with the wording of the question which reads, “Would you like to see Saugus Cable Television revert back to Saugus Community Television, a community operated organization, where you have a voice as opposed to a Board of Selectmen controlled operation.”The group admits that the impetus of the question includes Garabedian’s firing, which took place May 29, as well as general unhappiness with the way the station is being run.Martha Clouse has raised issues with the way the station’s finances are being handled and during a recent selectmen meeting Eugene Decareau also scolded the board for treating Comcast funding as a gift when according to the license agreement with the town it was earmarked specifically for the community access station.Stefanie Fail asked the board to simply keep an open mind.”We want the cable station out of the Board of Selectmen’s hands and back into the hands of the people,” she said during last week’s meeting. “And we would like you to work with us on this.”Garabedian is not holding out any hope that the board will change its mind, even if the referendum passes.”It’s non-binding so they don’t have to do anything,” he said. “But it will show the powers that be what the people want.”