Democratic Town Committee chair Chris Jacques added public comment at the Board of Selectmen meeting Monday, Oct. 6. From left, Jacques, First Selectman Brian Ohler, Selectman Craig Whiting and Selectman Jesse Bunce.
NORTH CANAAN — At the Oct. 6 meeting of the Board of Selectmen, speakers had to use a microphone sound system so those in the back of the audience could hear them as residents filled the meeting room for the last selectmen’s meeting before the Nov. 4 election.
In the month leading up to the October meeting, state troopers were called to Town Hall to remove Town Clerk Jean Jacquier, whose return to work after nearly eight months of absence followed a judge’s decision to upholdher removal from the ballot as a candidate.
Democratic Town Committee (DTC) chair Chris Jacques spoke during the public comment period at the start of the meeting.
He said that First Selectman Brian Ohler deliberately waited until after the Aug. 6 deadline for nominating petitions to be filed to alert the Secretary of the State’s(SOTS) office about the faulty DTC paperwork and that the Republican candidate for town clerk, Krystian Segalla, had used a nominating petition because of a similar error on the Republican Town Committee’s part.
He said the Republicans were notified but the Democrats were not.
“When standard procedures for correcting errors are selectively applied there are serious questions about fairness in our electoral processes.”
Ohler then spoke for about 40 minutes about the controversies surrounding Jacquier and provided his timeline of events.
“This has been a long two years, I won’t sugarcoat it,” he said.
He said complaints about Jacquier’s conduct as town clerk go back to the previous administration and that he received at least six complaints early in his term.
He said he had no choice but to act on the complaints.
Ohler responded to charges that he or Paul Mattingly, who is the selectmen’s executive assistant and filling in as assistant town clerk, had manipulated Town Hall security video footage that was the subject of a Freedom of Information Act request from the DTC.
Ohler said the reason there are gaps in the footage is that the video system uses a motion sensor, which does not provide continuous footage.
“So yes, there are long periods with no recording.”
He said allegations that the footage was altered are baseless. “We don’t have the capability.”
Ohler said that he and Cheryl Duntz did examine the DTC endorsement form (missing the information for Jacquier and Overby) shortly before 4 p.m. on July 23.
He said he did not have advance notice of the errors on the DTC form but did see the paperwork. “I went in on deadline day and took a photo.”
Ohler said candidates and party officials usually look at the candidate filings so they know who they are running against. “That’s how I found out you were running for First Selectman,” he said to Selectman Jesse Bunce.
Ohler said the Republicans were not notified of the missing signatures on the endorsement slates for candidates Krysti Segalla and Tucker Whiting. He told The Lakeville Journal that RTC secretary Cheryl Duntz noticed the missing signatures while double checking the forms on July 30. She then asked for advice from the SOTS office and learned the candidates could petition to remain on the ballot if enough signatures were attained and filed by Aug. 6.
As far as querying the SOTS office on Aug. 7 about missing information on the DTC slate, Ohler said he was within his rights as first selectman to do so.
Ohler said that in early February 2025 he assumed Jacquier had left her position. He said one person had asked her about an absentee ballot and Jacquier replied that she had received it but was no longer Town Clerk. He showed an email sent from Jacquier to the Adkins Printing Company on Feb. 7 instructing them not to send grant materials because she had left the job.
When asked about the email to Adkins, Jacquier confirmed she sent it and stated “there was a good reason for it. I knew I was not in the office for a time. There are reports that have to be filed on certain dates for that grant also, the grant has to be done by a certain date or the money has to be returned, and I did not want to take responsibility for that. And of course my assistant had never really done it on her own before so I was being very safe and saying, I just don’t want that responsibility since I’m not there.”
Ohler said he made contact with Jacquier’s husband who said she was finished with the job.
“So what would you assume?” Ohler asked the audience at Town Hall.
Moving on, Ohler said the State Elections Enforcement Commission (SEEC) was investigating Jacquier as of July 10 for soliciting for candidates in Town Hall, untimely stamping of documents and failure to fine candidates forlate campaign filings.
The Lakeville Journal has confirmed the SEEC investigation is ongoing.
Ohler said Jacquier came to Town Hall on Aug. 14 at 7:45 a.m. and found the locks had been changed, which Ohler said was done back in March.
Ohler described Jacquier as “enraged” and said she “proceeded to tear down all the signs” on the door of the town clerk’s office.
The state police were called. Ohler said Jacquier was ordered to leave and did so. He said he had to restrict Jacquier’s access to Town Hall until her intent could be determined, and that if Jacquier wanted to return to work she must have her legal team get in touch with the town’s lawyers to make that happen.
“To date this has not happened.”
Jacquier provided copies of emails to The Lakeville Journal that were sent by her attorneys to North Canaan town counsel Randy DiBella. On March 11 attorney Jeffrey Mirman wrote “Ms. Jacquier has not abandoned her office” and intends to return to work when she feels ready. On Aug. 14 attorney John Kennelly wrote Jacquier did not resign and cannot be locked out of the office. He requested a set of working keys be provided to Jacquier.
Ohler said Jacquier returned to Town Hall at 8:30 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 29, sat down at a computer and asked for a copy of the current key.
Jacquier told The Lakeville Journal she went to help prepare for the election.
The state police were called again, and again Jacquier left.
Ohler said he has an obligation to maintain the security of Town Hall, and particularly the Town Clerk’s office and the documents and records therein.
He noted that Jacquier is still technically the town clerk. “I did not remove her,” he said. “We’re restricting access until we know her intent.”
CORNWALL — At the recommendation of the Cornwall Volunteer Fire Department, on Jan. 20 the Board of Selectmen voted to move forward with the purchase of two new trucks.
Greenwood Emergency Vehicles, located in North Attleboro, Massachusetts, was chosen as the manufacturer. Of the three bids received, Greenwood was the lowest bidder on the desired mini pumper and a rescue pumper.
CVFD’s Ian Ridgway sat on the truck committee and said Greenwood was not just chosen for the price, but also for the design of each vehicle. He said their models had a shorter wheelbase and more ground clearance, as well as extra storage space on board, compared to the next best bid.
After $100,000 in discounts offered by Greenwood, the combined purchase price for both vehicles was shown to be $1,200,408. The delivery time was estimated at 15 months.
CVFD raised $600,000 during its recent fundraising campaign, of which $500,000 will be given to the town to buy the trucks. That figure will be paired with $720,000 in town truck fund reserves. The additional donated funds will be used to outfit the trucks with equipment and tools.
“I want to praise the town of Cornwall,” said CVFD President Dick Sears. “We’re able to buy these beautiful new pieces of equipment courtesy of the tremendous citizenry of this town.”
FALLS VILLAGE — Robin Lee Roy, 62, of Zephyrhills, Florida, passed away Jan. 14, 2026.
She was a longtime CNA, serving others with compassion for more than 20 years before retiring from Heartland in Florida.
Robin loved the beach, sunshine, and gardening, and was known for her strength, humor, and unwavering support of those she loved.
She is survived by her daughter, Sierra R. Zinke, and brothers, Darren Roy and Todd Roy.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Sharon Thomkins Roy and Robert Roy, and her brother Nevin Roy.
No services will be held at this time.
SALISBURY — Marjorie A. Vreeland, 98, passed away peacefully at Noble Horizons, on Jan. 10, 2026.She was surrounded by her two loving children, Richard and Nancy.She was born in Bronxville, New York,on Aug. 9, 1927, to Alice (Meyer) and Joseph Casey, both of whom were deceased by the time she was 14. She attended public schools in the area and graduated from Eastchester High School in Tuckahoe and, in 1946 she graduated from The Wood School of Business in New York City.
At 19 years old, she married Everett W. Vreeland of White Plains, New York and for a few years they lived in Ithaca, New York, where Everett was studying to become a veterinarian at Cornell. After a short stint in Coos Bay, Oregon (Mike couldn’t stand the cloudy, rainy weather!) they moved back east to Middletown, Connecticut for three years where Dr. Vreeland worked for Dr. Pieper’s veterinary practice.In Aug. of 1955, Dr. and Mrs. Vreeland moved to North Kent, Connecticut with their children and started Dr. Vreeland’s Veterinary practice. In Sept. of 1968 Marjorie, or “Mike” as she wished to be called, took a “part-time job” at the South Kent School.She retired from South Kent 23 years later on Sept. 1, 1991.Aside from office help and bookkeeping she was secretary to the Headmaster and also taught Public Speaking and Typing.In other times she worked as an assistant to the Town Clerk in Kent, an office worker and receptionist at Ewald Instruments Corp. and as a volunteer at the Kent Library.
“Mike” loved the sun, sand and water and spent many summers at Westport Point, Massachusetts with the kids and their best friends, the Bauers.She was the consummate hostess, and a wonderful cook.She also appeared in several plays with The Sherman Players and also a show or two on special occasions at The Kent Community House.She took enjoyment from working outdoors doing chores around her home in North Kent.She lived in that house until she sold it and bought a condominium on North Main Street in Kent in May of 2003.She lived in the condo until 2018 after which her light began to fade and her last 8 years were spent comfortably at Noble Horizons.
“Mike” leaves behind her children, Richard (Susan) of Lakeville, her daughter Nancy Rutledge (Jim) of Salisbury; two grandchildren, Chandra Gerrard (Sean) of Litchfield, Matthew (Larissa) of Lakeville; three great grandchildren, Addison, Emilia and Everett, all of Lakeville.
She was predeceased by her beloved granddaughter Caroline in 2020.
All services are private.The Ryan Funeral Home, 255 Main St., Lakeville, is in charge of arrangements.
To offer an online condolence, please visit ryanfhct.com
SALISBURY -— Rafael A. Porro, 88, of 4 Undermountain Road, passed away Jan. 6, 2026, at Sharon Hospital. Rafael was born on April 19, 1937 in Camaguey, Cuba the son of Jose Rafael Porro and Clemencia Molina de Porro. He graduated from the Englewood School for Boys in Englewood, New Jersey and attended Columbia University School of General Studies. Rafael retired as a law library clerk from the law firm of Curtis, Mallet Prevost in 2002 and came to live in Salisbury to be nearer to his sister, Chany Wells.
Rafael is survived by his sister, Chany Wells, his nephew Conrad Wells (Gillian), and by numerous cousins in North Carolina, Florida, Wyoming, Arizona, Cuba and Canada. He was the eldest of the cousins and acknowledged family historian. He will be greatly missed.
A memorial service will be held at St. John’s Episcopal Church in June. Memorial contributions may be made to Salisbury Volunteer Ambulance Service, St. John’s Episcopal Church in Salisbury and Scoville Memorial Library.
The Kenny Funeral Home has care of arrangements.
