Selectmen discuss audit and Freedom of Information Act

KENT —The Board of Selectmen revisited the issue of mishandled funds by former administrative assistant and assistant treasurer Tina Agard during a meeting on Tuesday, July 1.  

First Selectman Ruth Epstein said she has been in contact with town Auditor Mike Zemitis to discuss whether an audit is necessary and how much it will cost. The figures vary between $500 and $25,000, depending on the areas that the selectmen would like to have looked at.

The Board of Finance  also will be meeting to discuss the issue further.

Selectman Vince LaFontan continued to ask for greater controls over the way that the town books are handled, even more so now that this issue has come up.

The selectmen also have been told that two selectmen must sign any check before it goes to the town treasurer for a third signature.

A criminal investigation by the state police at Troop L in Litchfield is underway to examine Agard’s conduct while she was employed in the two jobs.

The full details of the investigation have not been revealed but First Selectman Ruth Epstein said at a meeting June 24 that there had been misuse of the town’s credit card and that payments were made to the administrative assistant before any work had actually been performed.

The selectmen went into executive session during the June 24 meeting to discuss the situation and the job description and policies that will govern the assistant treasurer’s position in the future.

Several town residents were unhappy that the matter was discussed  in executive session, which is closed to the press and the public. It is, however, legal to do so, according to state Freedom of Information laws, because the board members were discussing a personnel issue.

Since then, there have been some requests for a public hearing.

Epstein said that the selectmen have always planned on holding a public hearing in the fall to address whatever concerns town residents have.

The selectmen agreed that a workshop explaining the Freedom of Information Act would be a good idea, so that they could all educate themselves more thoroughly.

“I think it is a great idea,� said Epstein. “I will be inviting the other boards and commissions to attend as well.�
 

Latest News

Club baseball at Fuessenich Park

Travel league baseball came to Torrington Thursday, June 26, when the Berkshire Bears Select Team played the Connecticut Moose 18U squad. The Moose won 6-4 in a back-and-forth game. Two players on the Bears play varsity ball at Housatonic Valley Regional High School: shortstop Anthony Foley and first baseman Wes Allyn. Foley went 1-for-3 at bat with an RBI in the game at Fuessenich Park.

 

  Anthony Foley, rising senior at Housatonic Valley Regional High School, went 1-for-3 at bat for the Bears June 26.Photo by Riley Klein 

 
Siglio Press: Uncommon books at the intersection of art and literature

Uncommon books at the intersection of art and literature.

Richard Kraft

Siglio Press is a small, independent publishing house based in Egremont, Massachusetts, known for producing “uncommon books at the intersection of art and literature.” Founded and run by editor and publisher Lisa Pearson, Siglio has, since 2008, designed books that challenge conventions of both form and content.

A visit to Pearson’s airy studio suggests uncommon work, to be sure. Each of four very large tables were covered with what looked to be thousands of miniature squares of inkjet-printed, kaleidoscopically colored pieces of paper. Another table was covered with dozens of book/illustration-size, abstracted images of deer, made up of colored dots. For the enchanted and the mystified, Pearson kindly explained that these pieces were to be collaged together as artworks by the artist Richard Kraft (a frequent contributor to the Siglio Press and Pearson’s husband). The works would be accompanied by writings by two poets, Elizabeth Zuba and Monica Torre, in an as-yet-to-be-named book, inspired by a found copy of a worn French children’s book from the 1930s called “Robin de Bois” (Robin Hood).

Keep ReadingShow less
Cycling season: A roundup of our region’s rentals and where to ride them

Cyclists head south on the rail trail from Copake Falls.

Alec Linden

After a shaky start, summer has well and truly descended upon the Litchfield, Berkshire and Taconic hills, and there is no better way to get out and enjoy long-awaited good weather than on two wheels. Below, find a brief guide for those who feel the pull of the rail trail, but have yet to purchase their own ten-speed. Temporary rides are available in the tri-corner region, and their purveyors are eager to get residents of all ages, abilities and inclinations out into the open road (or bike path).

For those lucky enough to already possess their own bike, perhaps the routes described will inspire a new way to spend a Sunday afternoon. For more, visit lakevillejournal.com/tag/bike-route to check out two ride-guides from local cyclists that will appeal to enthusiasts of many levels looking for a varied trip through the region’s stunning summer scenery.

Keep ReadingShow less