Meeting set for Feb. 17

WINSTED — A special town meeting to discuss potentially renaming East End Park to Veterans Memorial Park is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 17.

The location and time for the meeting have not yet been scheduled.

The town meeting was scheduled after the Board of Selectmen held a public hearing about potentially renaming the park during its meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 20, at The Gilbert School.

The hearing lasted for about an hour, with residents on both sides of the issue speaking at length, including several members of the East End Park Renaming Committee.

The committee was formed by the selectmen in early October after resident Jay Budahazy submitted a petition with 71 signatures asking for the town to rename the park.

Budahazy, along with town historian Milly Hudak, Town Manager Dale Martin, Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 296 Commander Neil Hunt and Selectman Steven Sedlack were all named to the committee in October.

At the Jan. 20 hearing, the majority of the speakers said that they were against renaming the park, including veteran Arthur Melycher, who is the commander of American Legion Post No. 43.

“As the commander, I called some of my older veterans, including World War II veterans,” Melycher said. “They are in favor of keeping the park the way it is. Back in 1988 or 1989, Bill Riiska spearheaded the American Legion into doing a Vietnam memorial because we had lost three residents from Winsted during the war. A few years later, I said that we needed a World War II monument. We expanded that memorial because we included [veterans from] Colebrook, Barkhamsted and veterans who were deceased. We gave the veterans a ceremony at East End Park in 2005. My older veterans want to keep the name, and I am speaking for them because a lot of them can’t come to this hearing.”

Resident David LaPointe said he is in favor of renaming the park.

“Tonight we are here for a public hearing on Winsted Park, the park, East End Park, also known as the Green,” LaPointe said. “There are four different names for this park — I am sure that Milly can tell us at one time that park was named a different name. This park has had all of those names at various times. The parks has monuments donated to the town by various people. I support the name Veterans Memorial Park because what other fitting name can we rename it? What is the difference?”

Hudak said that the town already has 13 memorials dedicated to veterans that are spread throughout the town.

“At the previous meeting [Hunt] said that most of these memorials were in cemeteries,” Hudak said. “Only four of those memorials are in cemeteries. There are several areas in town that veterans can use [as Veterans Memorial Park]. We only have one Green. What I want the residents to know is that I am doing my job. I was appointed as the town historian. If I didn’t fight for this historic district, I would be accused of not doing my job. I have been advised over the past few weeks that people have been urged not to do business with the organizations that I am involved with. I think that is hitting below the belt, and I hope that it stops. I urge the selectmen to deny the petition to change the name.”

After the hearing, the selectmen could have chosen one of two options: Either deny Budahazy’s petition and keep the park’s name as East End Park or call for a special town meeting.

Selectman Candy Perez made a motion to reject the petition and keep the name East End Park.

The motion was not seconded by anyone on the board.

Selectman Glenn Albanesius proceeded to make a motion for a special town meeting to rename the park, which was seconded by Selectman Daniel Langer.

The motion did not sit well with Perez.

“It’s been clear in two meeting that the majority of people here, between 70 to 80 percent of people who have spoken, have said, ‘Please do not change the name,’” Perez said. “In addition to that, I have spoken to people that I represent and eight people have told me not to change the name. We have had two meetings where it is clear that the people in attendance have said not to change the name. And we are going to go through another month when we have all these other things we have to do. There are serious, major issues that this board has to consider. Setting a name change when there are so many people in attendance who have said no, I don’t understand this.”

Selectman Albanesius disagreed with Perez.

“I think Mr. Sedlack and I are here tonight as seated selectmen because of a decision by the people to file a petition,” Albanesius said. “I would venture a guess that most of the people in this room tonight filed that petition. I think what we have here is an opportunity to celebrate and an opportunity for the people to decide whether or not to make this change. I don’t think you will ever get sides to agree. I sleep pretty well at night knowing that Winsted people are passionate about their opinions. I think this is a huge opportunity for the board to kick it back to the people.”

Selectman Sedlack seconded Albanesius’ comments.

“Nobody knows about what’s in my heart about veterans,” Sedlack said. “But I will tell you that I have the greatest respect for the men and women who protect our country and have fought for our right to come to this auditorium and have this discussion and to petition our government. A petition has been legally and lawfully presented. Sixty people signed a petition that said they would support renaming East End Park to Veterans Memorial Park. We can’t alter that tonight or compromise because the petition was clear on the request. I hope that I always represent this town by thinking about the people’s right to decide.”

Selectman Langer fell in line with both Sedlack and Albanesius in his comments.

“I favor putting it out to the public to let them decide, instead of the seven or five of us decide, or the people who are currently in the room,” Langer said. “I’m sure that there are many people who are on both sides who couldn’t make it to the hearing tonight. Making a decision with only 50 or 60 people here, whether or not the majority is for it or against it, I don’t think is the right thing. Do I want to spend extra money on a referendum vote? Absolutely not. But getting as many people involved in this decision, I think, is the right thing.”

The vote for the special town meeting was 4-1, with Perez the only selectmen voting against the motion.

According to the town’s charter, a special town meeting must be called before any referendum vote can be scheduled.

At the special town meeting, residents can send the decision on renaming the park to a referendum vote.

Selectmen Jorge Pimentel and George Closson were not present at the Jan. 20 meeting.