SAUGUS Vol. 24, No. 29 -FREETh e Advocate–A household word in Saugus! OC C www.advocatenews.net Published Every Friday A vote to stay the course Selectmen reward Town Manager Crabtree with a 3-year contract extension to keep him in charge of town government through August 2025 By Mark E. Vogler A ll five of the town’s selectmen agree that Scott C. Crabtree – Saugus’s longest-serving town manager – deserves to be presiding over his hometown government a little longer. With a year remaining to the existing fi ve-year contract Crabtree received back in August of 2017, selectmen voted 4-1 to give Crabtree a three year extension that would enable him to be in charge at least through Aug. 24, 2025. Even Board of Selectmen Chair Anthony Cogliano – who has had political differences with Crabtree and has spoken of aspirations of becoming town manager one day – supported Crabtree. “I’m happy that you’re here, Scott, keeping the seat warm for me, hopefully, and I wish you well and congratulations,” Cogliano said at Tuesday night’s (July 20) Board of Selectmen’s meeting. Selectmen voted during a June 25 Executive Session in the fi rst fl oor conference room to extend Crabtree’s contract. They said they convened briefly in public after that secret session to confi rm their vote, but waited nearly a month to comment publicly about it at the beginning of this week’s meeting. Crabtree, 51, under his current contract, would become the fi rst town manager to serve Saugus for a decade in the history of its current form of government (town manager/Representative Town Meeting), which dates back to 1948. “I commend, I applaud you and I congratulate you for a job well done,” Selectman Jeff rey V. Cicolini told Crabtree in explaining his vote to extend Crabtree’s contract three years during Wednesday night’s Board of Selectmen’s meeting. Cicolini said he would have preferred to have given Crabtree a fouryear extension, based on his sixplus years of experience working with Crabtree. Reading from a detailed statement which highlighted Crabtree’s accomplishments, veteran Selectman Debra Panetta said Crabtree was well-deserving of the extension, declaring “he’s done an exceptional job moving our town forward.” “I believe he’s been able to listen to the residents and elected and appointed offi cials, prioritize needs, put plans together, and execute eff ectively,” Panetta said. Board of Selectmen ViceChair Corinne Riley was the only board member opposed to the three-year extension. VOTE | SEE PAGE 6 SOMETHING TO SMILE ABOUT: Town Manager Scott C. Crabtree at a town event earlier this month. He already knew that he would be getting the threeyear extension selectmen voted to give him during a June 25 Executive Session, which became offi cial that day when selectmen reaffirmed the 4-1 vote in a brief public session. Selectmen discussed that vote for the first time publicly at the beginning of the Board of Selectmen’s meeting on Tuesday night (July 20). The extension enables Crabtree – Saugus’s longest-serving town manager since the town adopted its current form of government in 1948, to remain in charge of town government through August 2025. For more photos and related story on the explanation of each selectman’s vote, see inside. (Saugus Advocate photo by Tara Vocino) D O TE CAT 781-233-4446 Friday, July 23, 2021 Making the Square safer Town gets $98K Shared Street & Spaces Grant to make Cliftondale Square traffi c and sidewalk improvements; new crosswalk signs for dangerous intersections By Mark E. Vogler I t’s been a great month for residents and local offi cials who are committed to the revitalization of Cliftondale Square. On Wednesday, Town Manager Scott C. Crabtree’s offi ce announced that the town had received a $98,000 Shared Street and Spaces Grant to create a safer Cliftondale Square. News of the town receiving the grant comes on the heels of flashing crossing beacons being installed last week at two dangerous intersections in the Cliftondale area – one adjacent to the Cliftondale Post Offi ce and the other near the Lincoln Avenue/Central Street intersection. “Cliftondale Square is a special neighborhood within the Town of Saugus, and it has been a longterm goal of this administration to revitalize it,” Crabtree said in a press release issued by his office announcing the grant which enables the town to make traffic and sidewalk improvements in the Cliftondale Square area. “With this grant award, the Town will be able to make the necessary investment to improve safety within the Square, and take initial steps towards attracting more business, visitors, and residents to this beloved area within the community,” Crabtree SQUARE | SEE PAGE 5 ANGELO’S FULL SERVICE Regular Unleaded $2.859 Mid Unleaded $2.919 Super $3.079 Diesel Fuel $3.079 "42 Years of Excellence!" 1978-2020 KERO $4.65 DEF $3.49 9 Diesel $2.859 9 HEATING OIL 24-Hour Burner Service Call for Current Price! 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