Marshall honors longtime crossing guard

LYNN – Marshall Middle School has been very good about recognizing and honoring those within the school who make an impact but now it’s reaching outside its walls as well.Crossing Guard Tom Reddy, an 18-year veteran of getting kids safely to school, received the first ever Mustang Award during the quarterly recognition ceremony for students who made the honor roll.”We recognize a lot of people in the building throughout the year but we had no way of recognizing people outside the school,” said Principal Richard Cowdell.Cowdell said the school’s leadership team mulled over the situation and decided to institute the Mustang Awards, named for the school’s sports teams, the Mustangs.According to Cowdell, one doesn’t have to do anything monumental to win recognition. In fact, it is those who simply do their job each day and are often overlooked who will likely be singled out. The leadership team plans to hand the award out two or three times a year but wanted to make a bit of a splash with the first award. When Reddy’s name came up it was a unanimous decision to honor him, Cowdell said.Reddy has ushered Marshall students across the street at the intersection of Union and Chestnut streets since retiring from the Post Office.”Through rain, shine, sleet and snow he’s standing out there keeping our students safe,” Cowdell said.Reddy also keeps Ingalls School students safe as well. Located just blocks down from the middle school, Cowdell said Reddy crosses students at the Collins Street Terrace school as well. And he is a big supporter of the school, Cowdell added.Cowdell said Reddy told him recently that it has been a pleasure crossing the Marshall kids the last few years because they are polite, well behaved and genuinely nice children.”I know from the kids’ perspective, they look up to him,” Cowdell said. “We try and start their day off with a smile greeting them at the door at the school but kids that (Reddy) crosses, they get a pre-smile. He always says ?good morning,’ he’s pleasant and professional at the same time.”Cowdell said the eighth-graders gathered for the recognition ceremony knew the Mustang Award was also being given out but they didn’t know who was receiving it. When Reddy came in the students gave him a spontaneous standing ovation, he said.Reddy was joined by his wife Ann and his adult children, Police Lt. Thomas Reddy and Sgt. Chris Reddy, Fire Lt. Matt Reddy, and his daughters Patricia Lauria and Joan Kolidziej, missing from the festivities was a fourth son, Mike Reddy.”It was very cool,” Cowdell said. “His family stood up with him and there were audible ?awwwws’ from the kids when they saw his family.”Superintendent Catherine Latham was also on hand for the short but sweet ceremony.Along with crossing kids, Cowdell said he also learned that Tom Reddy Sr. served as a Cub Scout troop leader, Little League Coach and East Lynn Little League president. He is also a Marshall graduate, which Cowdell said was then known as Eastern Junior High, and Lynn English.”He has that embedded sense of working in the community, his whole family does,” Cowdell said.Chris Stevens can be reached at [email protected].