~ The Advocate Asks ~

Selectmen and School Committee members talk about their Christmas gifts to Saugus and top 2025 priorities

  Editor’s Note: For this week’s column, we reached out to each of the members of the Board of Selectmen and the School Committee and asked them if they would like to send a holiday message to our readers. Four of the five selectmen responded. Four of the five School Committee members participated. Their individual holiday wishes to the residents of Saugus, comments about their ideal Christmas Gift for the town and their top priorities for 2025 follow.

Q: I would also like to give every member a chance to share their thoughts on an ideal Christmas gift for the town this year and a quick overview for their top priorities for 2025. Feel free to send a holiday message to town residents, too.

Board of Selectmen Chair Debra Panetta

Ideal Christmas Gift for Town (and top priority)

I am excited that Saugus has had a significant upgrade to Anna Parker Park. We heard from many residents requesting pickleball courts, a street hockey rink, and a picnic area, and I was happy that we could accommodate these requests in 2024. Next year, the Town Manager, Board of Selectmen, Town Meeting, and the Finance Committee will be working on making significant upgrades to other parks and playgrounds in Town for all residents to enjoy. Spending time with family is so important, and having these new facilities will benefit residents for generations to come.

Top Priorities

• Our residents on the west side of Town have been requesting a fire station for decades. When there is a crisis, every second counts. I believe the feasibility study has been completed, and I am looking forward to hearing the results.
• It is vital that we maintain our S&P Global Bond Rating of AA+/Stable. This strong rating helps Saugus achieve better borrowing rates which eases the tax burden on residents. The better our bond rating, the more funding that can be used for important projects that benefit our community, as opposed to going toward interest obligations.
• We need to continue our work getting back [to our Town] liquor licenses that are not being used. That way, other restaurants will have the opportunity to use these licenses which will bring more meals tax revenue into Saugus. It would also be an incentive for new restaurants to open.
• The Town will continue making efforts to revitalize Cliftondale Square.
• There has been much speculation on the schools that have gone offline. More discussions are needed where no decisions have been made.

  The more we work together, the more we can get done for the residents of our community.

I hope everyone comes out this Tuesday to enjoy the parade on Christmas Eve!

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Holidays for whatever you may celebrate, and a happy and healthy New Year!

Board of Selectmen Vice Chair Jeffrey Cicolini

I would like to wish everybody a happy holiday season surrounded by family and friends, I also wish everyone peace, health and happiness as we turn the page on 2024 and head into 2025. We have so much to be thankful for and 2025 will be an amazing year for sure!

Selectman Corinne Riley

I believe the most ideal Christmas gift for our Town would be to remember we are all Saugonians and that we should work much harder at being kind to one another. Also, I look forward to quality-of-life improvements that I hope will benefit every resident.

As one Selectman, my top priorities still are to move a 3rd fire station getting closer to fruition, that Cliftondale will continue to be addressed to be an active business area, replacement of the Golden Hills Playground, and a subscription-based email/SMS-compatible notification service for residents.

This is the season to be at peace, to live, love and forgive. I want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and may 2025 be happy and healthy. Merry Christmas to you and your family. May 2025 bring you happiness and health. Corinne and Chris

Selectman Mike Serino

My Christmas gift and top priority for the Town would be to continue to be a hardworking Selectman that does his homework, makes common sense decisions, respects everybody’s opinion and fights to protect our neighborhoods in order to preserve the quality of life in Saugus.

In 2025, I will continue my work in keeping Saugus Town government stable and financially sound. Moreover, I will continue to advocate for improvements to our parks, playgrounds, roadways, sidewalks, water and sewer systems along with Cliftondale Square.

We recently held our annual tree lighting event at Town Hall. It was an amazing event with many young families attending. I would like to thank all the volunteers who helped make this event so successful. Volunteerism is what makes Saugus so great. In closing, I would like to wish all our residents a Merry Christmas and a Happy Holiday season. My sincere wishes for a happy and healthy New Year.

School Committee Chair Vincent Serino

I want to thank The Advocate for this opportunity. First, I wish the people of Saugus a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. My ideal Christmas gift for the town would be peace and prosperity for our community. I believe in Saugus and the direction in which it’s heading. I want to thank the Manager, the town meeting, the selectmen, Fincom, the parents, and all the boards that have helped the schools this year. We appreciate everyone and everything they do.

As far as schools and our priorities are concerned, we continue to put student achievement at the top of our list. It is so important for us to start making progress in the education of our students. We have made strides in other aspects of the district; we need to focus on learning and student engagement, as well as the overall well-being of the students.

School Committee Member Ryan Fisher

2025 will, like every year, be a challenging. We’re ready for it. I’m on the negotiation and finance subcommittees, and we have three contracts up and the FY26 budget season already underway. My gift for Saugus will be the same as the last five years. I’ll work very hard, behind the scenes, for schools that are robust and safe for every family.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!!

School Committee Member John Hatch

Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all, I am so blessed with an amazing family, and so thankful for all the dedication of all of our municipal and public safety employees. My wish is to continue to support our dedicated educators in our school district, and to keep moving our district forward and improving all of our students’ and teachers’ critical needs.

School Committee Member Stephanie Mastrocola

My ideal Christmas gift for the town of Saugus would be that nobody feels alone on the holiday. People would know that life can have moments of loneliness but there is someone who cares and can help. There are many people in Saugus who are hurting, away in the military, in the hospital sick or who have lost loved ones around this holiday. We need to make the holiday about opening our hearts and being there for one another. I have a special family who is going through a lot right now. They are in my prayers daily. She is an inspiration to me every day. For anyone else out there who feels alone, you’re not. Let’s work together on this special holiday and always to help people never feel alone.

When thinking about priorities for the town in 2025, let’s start with respect, understanding and conversation. Then comes the budget for the schools and giving the staff the support they need to succeed in 2025. From ice packs to a strong curriculum, we all know the needs are very different from years ago. Making sure our staff feel supported by not only their leaders in the school but by their School Committee. We can do better, get better and most of all stay better. Have a wonderful holiday and be kind.