Saugus youths awarded scholarships by North Shore Labor Council

LYNN-Three Saugus youth were among those awarded college scholarships Friday by the North Shore Labor Council and IUE-CWA Local 201.Alexander Singer of Saugus received the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Award from the labor council for $500. Veronica Gioia of Saugus, daughter of Ann Marie Gioia, a member of OPEIU Local 6, won the James J. Cordova Scholarship, also for $500.”Especially in these tough economic times, the idea of putting your kid through college is daunting for most working families,” said Rosa Blumenfeld, an organizer at the Lynn-based labor council.According to Blumenfield, for the past 51 years, unions across Massachusetts have helped out by raising money for college scholarships. “High school students with a union member in their family take an exam about labor history, and those who score highest are awarded local scholarships from individual unions and labor councils all over the state,” she said.The winners of $1,000 scholarships from IUE-CWA Local 201 were Kerry Tretola, daughter of Michael Tretola of Saugus, and Singer, who also won the labor council award. Maggie Diu, a student at North Quincy High School, also took home an award from the union.Colleen Kennedy was presented with the Hugh McManus award.The awards were presented by Michael Reidy, a member of IUE-CWA Local 201, and by Elisabeth Daley, a Lynn resident and delegate to the North Shore Labor Council, during the 51st annual scholarship dinner.