Page 14 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – THURSDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2020 2020 | FROM PAGE 15 COVID-19 cases are confirmed in Saugus as the town surpasses the 1,000 mark (1,025); the death toll is now at 45. The Town installs a new tree on the Saugus Center rotary, just in case there is a tree-lighting ceremony later this year. State Rep. Wong cites COVID-19 issues as his top priority as he looks ahead to his sixth two-year term representing residents of the Ninth Essex House seat (which includes eight of 10 Saugus precincts – everything but Precincts 3 and 10).Crabtree calls for a Dec. 7 Special Town Meeting to get the town’s fiscal house in order before the year’s end – session needed to help set tax rate. Positive Saugus COVID-19 cases surge, ending the town’s hope for a Christmas tree lighting event; a Christmas Eve Santa parade might go on. Confirmed COVID-19 cases increase to 1,080 as the death toll remains at 45. Saugus Public Schools Superintendent David DeRuosi discloses a positive virus case in the school community. Precinct 2 Town Meeting Member Joe Vecchione authors an article to spur revitalization of the town’s declining business district in the Cliftondale section of Saugus. The Conservation Commission approves an order of conditions for a controversial veterans housing project. State police seek the public’s help in catching a hit-and-run driver who fled the scene after striking and seriously injuring a pedestrian on Route 1 South. Wheelabrator officials suggest ASKS | FROM PAGE 4 story to this story. School Committee Chair Thomas Whittredge: Covid really dominated the entire year and overshadowed everything. For me, the top story is Tom Brady not playing for the Patriots. That’s how the year all started. It went downhill from there. Locally, the top story for me stems from COVID-19. The biggest story for me is trying to get these kids back in school. School Committee Vice ways the town can reap more benefits from the trash-to-energy plant – by forming a host community agreement and continuing to operate its ash landfill. The School Committee ponders a December “orientation” to prepare students for a Jan. 4 return to classes. Volunteers – including members of the Saugus High Sachems football squad – discuss helping the Saugus United Parish Food Pantry deliver about 200 turkeys during the annual Thanksgiving food drive. COVID-19 confirmed cases continue to soar in Saugus as the state reports the total at 1,167; the death toll remains at 45. December After more than two hours of discussion, the Finance Committee gives a favorable review to nine articles that will be considered at the Special Town Meeting. Many of the articles have a direct bearing on the town’s ability to maintain fiscal stability as local officials cope with the COVID-19 pandemic. The Selectmen approve a 7 percent increase in the sewer rates for the 2021 fiscal year, a $22 annual increase for the average residential user. Retired Saugus postal worker Karen Coburn keeps the spirit of Christmas alive by making sure kids’ letters to the North Pole still get answered. The Saugus Lions Club Toy Drive is a roaring success. Prince Pizzeria partners with the Fire Department for the annual toy drive. The Selectmen set new tax rates; on average, homeowners will pay $303 more, Chair Ryan Fisher: After the pandemic, it has to be the presidential election and race relations in the United States, both of which show how divided we’ve become. Any of these three would overpower a normal year, and we had all three happening at once, all interconnected. Fortunately, the murder hornets were a dud, or that might have been it! School Committee Member Joseph “Dennis” Gould: The biggest story in Saugus in my opinion, other than Covid-19, was how Whitsons – working with USDA – supplied MASKED THANKSGIVING HEROES: These Saugus High School students had to consider their own safety as the volunteered to help in the Saugus United Parish Food Pantry’s annual Thanksgiving food drive, which delivered close to 200 turkey meals this year. businesses, $246 more. Saugus Public Schools Superintendent DeRuosi announces plans to retire next June 30 – at the end of the school year – while offering to help the School Committee search for his replacement. Precinct 10 Town Meeting Member Peter Manoogian implores his colleagues to reject a 4 percent water rate increase, offering nine reasons to vote “No.” The Town Meeting votes 27-19 to reject the proposed water rate increase, as most members agree it is a financial hardship to Saugus residents struggling during the pandemic. First Congregational Church of Saugus Pastor Katie Omberg invites Saugus residents of all faiths to join in a “Blue Christmas” celebration on the Winter Solstice (Dec. 21). In a recent six-day period, Saugus reports 270 new confirmed over 60,000 meals to our SPS students from March through November and continues until students are back in school full time. Food insecurity for our students was an issue in 2018 we initially addressed by forming Healthy Students– Healthy Saugus (HS2) and giving SPS students food on Fridays for the weekends. When we closed the schools in March and many parents either lost their jobs or had less hours, food insecurity went from the 60 students we were assisting through HS2 COVID-19 cases, raising the total to 1,581 cases; the death toll is now at 46. School Committee Chair Tom Whittredge backs off a call to return to classes, citing “skyrocketing” COVID-19 cases. For the sixth year, Saugus Boy Scout Troop 62 sells Christmas trees – this time to raise money to help pay for an Alaskan trip in 2022. The School Committee picks search committee leaders and launches a strategy for replacing Superintendent DeRuosi. School Committee Vice Chair Ryan Fisher expresses alarm over 500 confirmed COVID cases in two weeks; the Coronavirus count climbs to 1,847 as the death toll remains at 46. Beloved Saugus High Basketball Coach Mark J. “Bird” Bertrand dies at age 57 after being pinned underneath a Bobcat machine that overturned on weekends to as many as 250 SPS students being assisted for every day of week by the “Grab and Go” program, which is managed by Whitsons Food Service. Without this program, many of our students would not have had the nutritional food they needed. Whitsons also reached out to USDA and was also able to give out over 4,000 “Farmers Boxes” of fresh food to seniors and families at the food pantry. There were seven people, led by Jamie Osgood, District Director of Whitsons. Other Whitsons Team MemHYBRID | FROM PAGE 8 committee and school officials “need to make sure parents do their part to make sure kids follow the guidelines.” “Kids need to wear their masks,” he said. There are still parents who feel uncomfortable with sending their children to class in a on him while he was working at home; his tragic death draws an outpouring of community support for his family. World Series Park presses for identification of suspects sought in the latest vandalism incident. The 10th Annual Marleah E. Graves (MEG) Foundation Festival of Trees goes on as planned – while participants practice social distancing. COVID-19 confirmed cases top 2,000 mark (2,043) as a surge linked to the Thanksgiving holiday continues; the death toll is now at 48. Basketball players hold signs in freezing temperatures to pay tribute to their late coach, Mark J. “Bird” Bertrand. The Town’s selectmen and School Committee members reveal their holiday hopes for residents – with their biggest one an end to COVID-19. Arthur Gustafson – Saugus Lion’s Club’s “roaring Lion” and proud leader of a recall effort that removed four selectmen who fired Town Manager Scott Crabtree and helped overturn town manager’s ouster – passes at age 88. The 7-Eleven store on Hamilton Street closes for cleaning after an employee tests positive for COVID-19. Organizers hail this year’s Christmas Eve parade as one of the best as 60 floats – including one carrying Santa – help put a smile on the faces of thousands of people throughout town. Confirmed COVID-19 cases increase to 2,089, according to a report released by the state on Christmas Eve. Board of Selectmen Chair Anthony Cogliano says he tests positive for the virus shortly before Christmas. bers: Karen Moschella, Roy Leblanc, Denise Palladino and Cathy Calderoni. From the Saugus Youth and Recreation Center: Crystal Cakounes and Emily Grant. Q: What is your resolution for the New Year? Board of Selectmen Chair Anthony Cogliano: As far as a resolution for the new year, it is my goal to rid the Board of Selectmen from zoom meetings and get back to work in open public session sooner than later. If we can go out to dinner and go grocery shopping, we should ASKS | SEE PAGE 19 potentially harmful environment where they could catch the virus. Their children will still be allowed a remote learning education. “Parents need to understand ‘remote’ is still an option for them,” DeRuosi said. The School Committee is set to hold its next regular meeting on Jan. 14.
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