Page 2 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, MAY 13, 2022 WHITTREDGE | FROM PAGE 1 third-highest vote-getter last fall, could become vice-chair. Serino declined to comment on whether he wants the chairmanship or expects to succeed Whittredge. The School Committee will take a formal vote on the matter before it becomes offi cial. “Nothing has been done yet as we are in between meetings,” Serino said in an email to The Saugus Advocate. An emotional announcement Whittredge nearly decided not to run for a second threeyear term on the committee last year because of his wife’s worsening health condition. Back in the early fall, even as she battled metastatic breast cancer for the second time, Theresa Whittredge pushed her husband Tom to run for a second two-year term on the Saugus School Committee. Tom waited until the end to pull nomination papers, and with Theresa’s blessing, he went on to top the fi eld of seven candidates and continue as chair of the fi ve-member panel. On Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 24), Theresa Whittredge died at Tufts Medical Center in Boston after a gallant fi ght with breast cancer. Friends and relatives say she was a great inspiration to others as she fought the disease. She was the mother of two children, Brody and Finley Whittredge. Theresa and Tom, married for 17 years, were known as the fi rst couple of the Saugus National Little League when Tom served as president. She was known as the 1st Lady of Saugus Little League. After recovBilly Tse’s 441 Revere St., Revere (781) 286-2882 www.Billytserevere.com Hours: Sunday – Thursday, 11:30 AM – 9:30 PM; Friday & Saturday, 11:30 AM – 10:30 PM • Order Online: www.order.mealkeyway.com • Reservations: Billytserevere.com Sushi Chef David, formerly of Super Fusion in Boston with Billy Tse’s owner, Xiang Wang at the brand new Sushi bar. New Sushi Bar Now Open! Sushi Specials: Sushi Cupcake 4 pcs - $18 / 8 pcs- $35 Broiled fresh lobster, sea scallop, pressed sushi rice Hatata Kaiyaki $10.95 Sea scallop, crab meat, and shrimp. Tobiko baked in spicy mayo. Topped of scallop shell. Spicy Salmon Tartar $9.95 Salmon, Avo, Tobiko, Tempura flakes. Spicy mayo mix topped with taro chip. Sea Spoon (4 spoon) $18.95 Uni, Ikura, quail eggs, scallion and Panzu sauce. n HE MAY RETURN: School Committee Chair Thomas Whittredge resigned this week to be with his children, but he hopes to serve again someday. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate) ering from her fi rst bout with cancer, Theresa threw out the fi rst pitch of the Little League season in 2018, and league players wore the pink ribbon on the side of their hats, with money raised going to cancer research. At last week’s School Committee meeting, Whittredge seemed emotional and uneasy as he shared with his colleagues his decision to resign. “I really can’t make it work anymore,” Whittredge said. He apologized several times, saying he didn’t want to disappoint anyone. And he stressed that he really loved the job. “It’s just that I got two kids at home that really need my attention,” he said. “It’s hard for people who are not in my situation to understand it. I’m what they have at home. Those kids have me and that’s it. They depend on me. I don’t want to put them in front of babysitters all of the time,” he said. The School Committee members, joined by Superintendent of Schools Erin McMahon, other school offi cials and members in the audience, gave Whittredge a standing ovation. Committee Member Joseph “Dennis” Gould, representing his comments as being on behalf of the School Committee, all of the parents and all of the students, told Whittredge, “You really did a great job,” adding that the committee respects his decision “and we support you 150 percent.” Whittredge thanked committee members for their support. Challenging times Whittredge and most of the new School Committee members who were elected in the 2019 Saugus Town Election cited public outrage over the privatization of custodial services and the layoff s of 21 custodians as a major reason for the anti-incumbent atmosphere that led to the defeat of the three incumbents who decided to run for another term. But there was also a highly critical report issued by the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education which explained the reasons for the Middle and High Schools ranking in the bottom 10 percent of the state in academic achievement. They also cited the controversy and acrimony that engulfed the divided committee. The new chair and his colleagues vowed to work in a spirit of cooperation and looked forward to a turnaround of the town’s public education system in a new Saugus Middle-High School and the consolidation of the school system into three buildings with the closing of three elementary schools and the Roby School Administration Building. But four months into the new board’s fi rst year, the COVID-19 pandemic erupted, leading to the indefi nite closing of schools and in-person instruction being replaced with remote learning. School officials look upon Whittredge’s two and a half years as chair as among the most challenging times in the history of Saugus Public Schools: In addition to coping with the challenges of the pandemic, the School Committee oversaw the eventual opening of a new Middle-High School, the consolidation of school buildings into three, the retirement of School Superintendent Dr. David DeRuosi, Jr., and the search for a new School Superintendent. The School Committee made history last June by hiring the fi rst woman superintendent to lead Saugus Schools. They also approved a fi ve-year contract for Erin McMahon. No Saugus School Committee has ever invested so much money — close to a million dollars over the life of the contract — for a school administrator So, what were the most significant accomplishments under Whittredge’s time as School Committee Chair? The Saugus Advocate asked each of the committee members for reaction to Whittredge’s resignation — on how he contributed to the betterment of Saugus Public Schools during his time on the committee. School Committee Member Joseph “Dennis” Gould, who was one of the fi ve new members who ousted three incumbents and replaced two other veteran members who decided not to seek reelection during the 2019 Town Elections: “It was a privilege to serve on the School Committee with Tom Whittredge.
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