THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, OCTObEr 20, 2023 Page 11 Saugus mom wins “Mrs. Essex County” title at Topsfield Fair S augus native Lori Burke has been going to the Topsfield Fair most of her life, enjoying the events while spending quality time with her mom – Phyllis Berrett – a longtime fair volunteer. But Burke, 50, said nothing can top the memories produced by this year’s fair when she was crowned Mrs. Essex County earlier this month – on the same day (Oct. 8) that her mother decided to retire as a fair volunteer. “The Topsfield Fair has been a part of my life for as long as I have been alive, and I have never missed a year!” Burke told The Saugus Advocate. “My mother began entering baking contests in the Foods Department at Coolidge Hall approximately 40 years ago. Her love for the department grew, and 35 years ago she TOWN MEETING | FROM PAGE 5 of the year can make a big difference, too. Some town residents on Town Meeting may not be able to attend because they have already made family plans for vacation. “The ATM [Annual Town Meeting] is always the first Monday in May so the attendance for the ATM is high because TMM’s [Town Meeting members] already know the date(s),” Schena wrote in an email to The Saugus Advocate. “It is the STM’s [Special Town Meeting] where the attendance [might] be lower because these come up with shorter notice time. Many absences for STM usually [are] due to work schedules. There were a few absences in the past due to illness and of course some for personal matters. Sometimes life can THE NEW MRS. ESSEX COUNTY: Lori Burke of Saugus got crowned at this year’s Topsfield Fair. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate) began to volunteer her time in the kitchen of Coolidge Hall,” Burke said. “She became the Co-Chair of the Foods Department, and as a teenager, I began going with her to volunteer my time. I get in the way,” she said. Perfect Attendance It should be noted that there are pockets of perfection clustered in several town precincts. Eight of them have at least one member with perfect attendance. Precinct 2, with an overall attendance record of 97 percent over the past two years, has three members with perfect attendance: Christopher P. Riley, Robert J. Camuso, Sr. and Peter A. Rossetti, Jr. Town Meeting members Christine M. Moreschi and John Joseph Vecchione IV missed just one meeting apiece. Precinct 4 had the second best attendance record in town, at 96 percent, featuring two members with Perfect Attendance: Town Moderator Steve Doherty and Town Meeting Member Glenn R. Davis. Town Members William SAUGUS PRECINCT ATTENDANCE RECORDS (Editor’s Note: Based on information compiled by the Saugus Town Clerk’s Office, here is how the 10 precincts rank in attendance based on the composite attendance of each of their five Town Meeting members.) Precinct 2 4 10 6 1 9 5 7 8 3 Percent Attendance 97 96 94 91 87 86 83 79 67 64 have continued volunteering with her ever since!” This year’s contest was judged by a panel of fair volunteers and a former Mrs. Essex County. Contestants must be married and enter a L. Leuci, Robert C. Northrop and Maureen Whitcomb just missed perfection with one absence apiece. Precinct 10 finished a close third place overall, with an attendance record of 94 percent. They had two Town Meeting members with perfect attendance: Martin Costello and Peter Z. Manoogian, Sr. Members Darren Ring and Carla A. Scuzzarella missed just one meeting apiece. Member Peter A. Delios missed two meetings. Precinct 6 finished fourth, with an overall attendance rate of 91 percent. Jean M. Bartolo had a perfect attendance record. Member Kevin D. Currie missed one meeting. Members Elisa LeBrasseur, Allen V. Panico and William S. Brown missed two meetings apiece. Precinct 1 finished with an 87 percent attendance record, with Mark J. Bell the lone member with a perfect attendance record. Members Susan C. Dunn and Sue Palomba missed just one meeting apiece. Precinct 9, with an 86 percent attendance record overall, had two members with perfect attendance over the past two years: Daniel Kelly and Judith Worthley. Precinct 5, with an 83 percent attendance record, had two members with perfect attendance: Brenton H. Spencer and Ronald Wallace. Precinct 7, with a 79 percent attendance record overall, had one of its members achieving perfect attendance over the past two years: Robert A. Palleschi. Precinct 5 Town Meeting Member Ronald Wallace has maintained a “perfect attendance” record since he was elected eight years ago. (Saugus Advocate file photo by Mark E. Vogler) baking recipe contest. Burke finished second in the contest, after sharing her recipe for a Thanksgiving pecan tart. Burke was crowned in Coolidge Hall, which houses the kitchen where her mom volunteered for 35 years in the fair’s food department. She was born and raised in Saugus, where she still lives with her husband William and her two children: Rachael (17) and Will (13). She is a Saugus High School graduate and attended Northeastern University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. She obtained a Master of Public Health, with a specialization in Environmental Health, from Boston University School of Public Health. She dedicated her nursing career to the specialty of Occupational Health Nursing, and she is a Certified Occupational Health Nurse Specialist. She volunteers for both the American Board of Occupational Health Nurses and the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses. She currently works for Tufts University, Occupational Health Services, on their Boston Campus. “I have always admired the [former] Mrs. Essex County winners and have grown to know many of them over the years. I have always aspired to be Mrs. Essex County, but the time was never right for me,” Burke said. “This year felt like the right time to compete. I was stunned when they called my name! It is an honor and a privilege to have been chosen to represent the Essex Agricultural Society as Mrs. Essex County 2024! I look forward to what the year ahead holds!” “Poor attendance” by 16 percent of the members at Town Meetings has become a top issue in several precincts in this year’s town election, which is set for Nov. 7. (Saugus Advocate file photo by Mark E. Vogler)
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