THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – Friday, November 8, 2019 Page 7 School Committee Race at a Glance Winners are in bold: Thomas R. Whittredge Ryan P. Fisher John S. Hatch Arthur Grabowski Joseph D. Gould William A. Marchand Jr. *Jeanette E. Meredith Darren S. Ring *Linda N. Gaieski *Marc Charles Magliozzi What the winners had to say Thomas Whittredge “It’s a little bit overwhelming, but at the same time I know people wanted some change. I think the custodians issue definitely had an impact on what happened here. And I think people wanted new leadership. “Right now, I am looking forward to the challenge and working closely with the superintendent and the other committee members to improve the school district. I know Jeannie has done a lot for the town. And I want to thank her for all of the work she has done over the last couple of years.” Ryan Fisher “The custodians meant a lot to a lot of people. They aren’t just people who clean the schools. This was a hot button issue that people didn’t forget. “I was surprised and very gratified at the results. I wasn’t expecting this to happen. I just appreciate the work everybody does as a School Committee member. This is a thankless job and you don’t get a lot of pats on the back for doing this. This is our chance to address a lot of tough issues.” Arthur Grabowski “It was a tough day in Saugus if an “I” (incumbent) followed your name on the ballot. “I think that the School Committee vote showed that the residents will not stand for arrogance and disrespect in their elected officials. They also recognized that the privatization of the school custodians was something that they vehemently opposed. There was overwhelming community support for keeping the custodians, as witnessed by the hundreds who signed a petition in opposition to the privatization, as well as a near unanimous vote from town meeting for a resolution opposing the privatization of the custodians and asking the School Committee to reconsider. “While the electorate in Saugus may be somewhat forgiving of their elected officials, the fact that Saugus high school and middle school have fallen from the bottom 25 percent of TOP VOTE-GETTER: Thomas Whittredge celebrates at Prince Pizzeria on Tuesday night after learning he had drawn the most votes – 2,366 – of any of the candidates running for School Committee. (Saugus Advocate Photos by Mark E. Vogler) all similar schools in Massachusetts to the bottom 10 percent of similar schools…has caused parents to expect more from a school committee and administration that seems to concern themselves with everything else but bringing a laser focus on improving student performance. That lack of achievement and the total arrogance and disrespectful display at School Committee meetings brought the broom out and swept an ineffectual school committee out of office. “The new school committee, to a man, has committed themselves to being the servants of the public and having meetings at times that are convenient to the parents and being completely transparent and above board in all their actions. The goal is to instill a sense of confidence and trust that the residents can approach any school committee meeting and be assured that their ideas and thoughts will be heard and considered.” Joseph Gould “The custodian issue hurt the incumbents so I believe that was the driver for them getting low vote totals. “I personally was very pleased that so many gave me the support and votes and I very much look forward to serving.” What the losers had to say Marc Charles Magliozzi “First off, I want to congratulate the members who were elected, I am sure that Tom, Ryan, John and Dennis will do a great job. I hope that they continue to move the district forward and continue to implement the policies that we began. “In summary, I believe that we were not re-elected because of the decision the five of us made to outsource the custodial services. I know that it was not a decision that was www.reverealuminumwindow.com taken lightly by any of us and if we could turn back time, I would have handled the situation differently. I would not have changed my decision but I would have had more discussions about the process. Unfortunately, I was bound by laws and an oath that I took to not speak during Impact Bargaining. “What I am truly disappointed about is how many people carried themselves during the last month. While I understand that being in public office puts myself under a microscope, what I didn’t realize is that people wouldn’t have regard for me when I was with my children. “There were times when I was driving with my children in the car and people would call me names and be disrespectful with my children in the car. When I had to explain to my children what the reason was, they couldn’t understand why someone would resort to name calling. I have always tried to teach my children to be respectful even when you don’t SCHOOL COMMITTEE | SEE PAGE 8 2,366 2,260 1.907 1,888 1,715 1,707 1,455 1,415 1,224 1,122 *Denotes incumbent SNOW BLOWER SALES, SERVICE & REPAIRS Pickup/Delivery Available 781-289-6466 AUTOTECH 1989 SINCE Get Your Vehicle Winter Ready! OIL CHANGE SPECIAL Up to 5 Quarts of Oil (Most Vehicles) Includes FREE Brake Inspection & Safety Check Only $24.95 DRIVE IT - PUSH IT - TOW IT! CASH FOR YOUR CAR, TRUCK OR SUV! 2011 FORD F-150 CREW CAB Platinum Package, 4X4, Loaded, Every Option, Clean Title, Only 99K Miles, Trades Welcome! WORKING LUXURY $18,900 Easy Financing Available! 2006 PONTIAC TORRENT 4X4, All Wheel Drive for the Winter, Only 43K Original Miles, Excellent Condition, Clean Title! BEAUTIFUL BLUE $4,900 781-321-8841 1236 Eastern Ave • Malden EddiesAutotech.com We Pay Cash For Your Vehicle!
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