Happenings Behind Closed Doors

Tuesday night’s vote to replace outgoing Democrat Kathleen O’Brien with Winchester Party member Lisa Smith had its share of controversy, with board members spending more than an hour behind closed doors in executive session to discuss the short-term appointment. Just what took so long remains a mystery.

When board members finally emerged from their private colloquy, they made it clear they had still not come to a complete agreement. Smith was elected by a board minority, with Dr. Richard Dutton, Chairman Rose Molinelli and Christine Royer voting in favor of the appointment. Susan Hoffnagle voted against the nomination while Ray Pavlak and Carmelina Connole abstained.

Executive session is a privilege that has been abused by elected boards in Winsted on many occasions and this appears to be another instance of that infraction. Just what is so sensitive about the appointment of a board member to fill out the last two months of a term? And why was Superintendent of Schools Blaise Salerno included in the private discussion regarding the appointment of one of his bosses? Something doesn’t seem right.

Not surprisingly, it’s been difficult to find people to even run for seats on the school board this year. The Winsted Independent Party has not offered a single candidate, apparently due to lack of interest, and perhaps a desire among residents to distance themselves from the group. In any case, the disincentive appears to be rooted in ongoing personality conflicts that should not be used as a basis for withholding information. Former and current members of the board have publicly complained in the past about secret meetings and decisions made without the input of the public, or even from certain members of the board.

If the school board had spent just a few minutes in executive session to discuss nominations for the new board member, the meeting would not have raised a red flag, but an hour-long debate behind closed doors is completely inappropriate and probably illegal.

Latest News

Mountaineers fall 3-0 to Wamogo

Anthony Foley caught Chase Ciccarelli in a rundown when HVRHS played Wamogo Wednesday, May 1.

Riley Klein

LITCHFIELD — Housatonic Valley Regional High School varsity baseball dropped a 3-0 decision to Wamogo Regional High School Wednesday, May 1.

The Warriors kept errors to a minimum and held the Mountaineers scoreless through seven innings. HVRHS freshman pitcher Chris Race started the game strong with no hits through the first three innings, but hiccups in the fourth gave Wamogo a lead that could not be caught.

Keep ReadingShow less
The artist called ransome

‘Migration Collage' by ransome

Alexander Wilburn

If you claim a single sobriquet as your artistic moniker, you’re already in a club with some big names, from Zendaya to Beyoncé to the mysterious Banksy. At Geary, the contemporary art gallery in Millerton founded by New Yorkers Jack Geary and Dolly Bross Geary, a new installation and painting exhibition titled “The Bitter and the Sweet” showcases the work of the artist known only as ransome — all lowercase, like the nom de plume of the late Black American social critic bell hooks.

Currently based in Rhinebeck, N.Y., ransome’s work looks farther South and farther back — to The Great Migration, when Jim Crow laws, racial segregation, and the public violence of lynching paved the way for over six million Black Americans to seek haven in northern cities, particularly New York urban areas, like Brooklyn and Baltimore. The Great Migration took place from the turn of the 20th century up through the 1970s, and ransome’s own life is a reflection of the final wave — born in North Carolina, he found a new home in his youth in New Jersey.

Keep ReadingShow less
Four Brothers ready for summer season

Hospitality, ease of living and just plain fun are rolled into one for those who are intrigued by the leisure-time Caravana experience at the family-owned Four Brothers Drive-in in Amenia. John Stefanopoulos, pictured above, highlights fun possibilities offered by Hotel Caravana.

Leila Hawken

The month-long process of unwrapping and preparing the various features at the Four Brothers Drive-In is nearing completion, and the imaginative recreational destination will be ready to open for the season on Friday, May 10.

The drive-in theater is already open, as is the Snack Shack, and the rest of the recreational features are activating one by one, soon to be offering maximum fun for the whole family.

Keep ReadingShow less