Published September 30, 2020
By DAN TOMASELLO
LYNNFIELD — The Board of Selectmen unanimously voted last week to present the fourth annual Daniel Townsend Award for Excellence to two dedicated volunteers.
The selectmen established the Townsend Award three years ago in order to recognize a local volunteer or volunteers who have worked diligently to make the community a better place. The award is named after Daniel Townsend, who perished on April 19, 1775 in the first battle of the Revolutionary War.
Selectmen Chairman Chris Barrett nominated Council on Aging Board of Directors Chairman Fred Santangelo and retired Conservation Administrator Betty Adelson for the award.
“These are two people I have looked up to as a young, aspiring leader in the town of Lynnfield,” said Barrett. “Both of them have always stepped forward to give their best for the town. I think they are both worthy of the Townsend Award for their past and continued dedication to the town of Lynnfield.”
Fred Santangelo
Barrett recalled that Santangelo and his wife, Gloria, moved to Lynnfield in 1962 in order to raise their family.
“Fred had been a standout football player and track and field performer at Lynn Classical High School, where he is a member of the Hall of Fame, and received an athletic scholarship to Wake Forest,” said Barrett. “He later served as a line coach at Lynn Classical and remains involved in his college alma mater as a member of the Demon Deacons Club.”
Barrett said Santangelo has been repeatedly asked to serve on town boards and committees over the years “due to his dedication, wisdom and positive attitude.”
“Fred has served for more than a decade on the Council on Aging, where he has worked closely with Director Linda Naccara and his fellow board members to expand programs for local seniors,” said Barrett. “His work for the town’s senior population also included serving on the board of directors for LIFE. He has also served on the town’s Personnel Board and Public Works Support Committee.”
Barrett said Santangelo worked as a manager for AVCO, a subsidiary of Textron, and worked on defense systems such as the Minuteman Missile. In addition to volunteering in town government, Barrett said Santangelo was active in local sports leagues while his children were growing up and is still involved with religious organizations.
“Fred was a longtime fixture in the local youth sports community, as a youth football and baseball coach for several years, and served on the Lynnfield Junior Sports Board of Directors,” said Barrett. “As a parishioner at St. Maria Goretti Church, he has served as a Eucharistic minister and usher, and was a member of the Capital Improvements Committee. He is also a past grand knight at the Lynn Valladolid Council Number 70 Knights of Columbus.”
Betty Adelson
Barrett noted that Betty Adelson and her husband, Jack, moved to Lynnfield with their family on New Year’s Eve in 1986. He said both of them “quickly became involved in the Lynnfield community.”
“Betty was hired by the Conservation Commission as a clerk in 1988 for seven hours a week,” said Barrett. “She shared a desk, phone and typewriter with the Planning Board clerk. She quickly immersed herself in the field, and as the work of the commission expanded, so did Betty’s knowledge and commitment. She took courses at Salem State College and through the Massachusetts Association of Conservation Commissions, and studied on her own as well to get to where she was. By the time she retired in 2018, she was a much-respected expert on wetlands and conservation issues, and was an ambassador in the community for conservation and open space. You could often find Betty in the field or at Town Hall working long after regular work hours.”
Barrett noted that Adelson is president of the Lynnfield Flower Workshop and serves on Townscape Lynnfield’s Board of Directors. He also said Adelson has been involved with the schools’ PTOs, Lynnfield Athletic Association, Tricentennial Committee and was a past co-president of the Lynnfield Couples Club with her husband Jack. She is a member of the Historical Society.
“Betty has been involved in a large number of civic organizations,” said Barrett. “She remains active in town government as a volunteer member of the Open Space Committee, where her knowledge, insight and enthusiasm is contagious and invaluable.”
Adelson is the first woman to receive the Townsend Award.
Nominations praised
Selectman Dick Dalton said Adelson and Santangelo are well deserving of the Townsend Award.
“These are great nominations,” said Dalton. “I have known both of them for decades. They have done so much for this community over the years and they are both very, very deserving of this recognition. I fully support their nominations.”
Selectman Phil Crawford agreed.
“I think they are both well deserving,” said Crawford. “They have had a lifelong career of civic duty and working for the town.”
Barrett noted that the selectmen have yet to honor last year’s winners, retired Town Administrator H. Joseph Maney and former Selectman David Drislane, in-person because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. He said the selectmen will be honoring Adelson, Santangelo, Maney and Drislane at a future public meeting that has yet to be determined.
After the discussion, the selectmen voted to name Santangelo and Adelson as the 2020 recipients of the Daniel Townsend Award for Excellence.
