Privatization of the custodians in our town has been a hot topic in our community for quite awhile.
As a son of one of the custodians of course I see this as a poor decision, but my reasoning goes beyond that. I have been a student and athlete in this town for as long as I can remember. Various teachers, coaches, mentors, counselors, librarians, custodians, and many other workers of this town have taught myself and all kids the many things that make Saugus the town we love.
My father, Michael Mabee, grew up in this town, graduated from Saugus High School, has coached football, basketball, and baseball for the school, and youth teams in our town. He has continually put in hours of his time to give back to this town, for the love he has for this town.
Loyalty and pride is what keeps alumni coming back and working to better our very own community. The school we see being built for a better education for our youth, and to keep Saugus kids in Saugus instead of a “better option” at a private school.
So what kind of example are we setting ditching the custodians for a cheaper option? All of my life Saugus has been a place I wanted to grow up in and one day raise a family here and hopefully even work for. Seeing what can happen to these loyal employees, taxpayers, and community members is not encouraging for the future of our town.
In a time where we are working so hard to make our town a better place, please do not take these steps backwards. The custodians are loved throughout the town. If you ask around any school or even open Facebook you can see the support they receive because of the time, effort, and enthusiasm they put into their work.
This past year my dad filled in for the football team, when their season was in jeopardy. With the small coaching staff he did everything he could to give this town a football team and even won a playoff game, something that hasn’t been done in a long time in this town.
He did it because the kids deserved it and the town deserved it. All of these janitors deserve much better than to be kicked to the curb. They all have their ties in our community that run extremely deep. We must make the right decision not only for these custodians, but for the future of our town.
Michael Mabee Jr. is a Saugus resident attending Worcester State University.
