Rec job remains in flux

WINSTED — Even though the Civil Service Commission has compiled a list of five candidates for the open recreation director position, Town Manager Keith J. Robbins wants more names to choose from before he hires someone for the job.

In an interview Tuesday, Robbins said he does not feel the candidates the commission proposed are qualified for the job.

“I sent them a note stating why the candidates were not qualified and acceptable for the position,� said Robbins. “They said we need to pick one.�

Robbins added, “I have to hire someone that I don’t think is qualified for the position and that is not going to happen.�

The open recreation director position has been a controversial topic in the seven months since former Recreation Director Alicia Corso resigned. Joe Nichols was appointed interim director while the hiring process was initiated. His term ended in October despite Robbins’ request that the CCS extend the interim assignment.

Since October, Nichols has continued to serve as recreation director on a volunteer basis and said he has hope that he will be hired for the permanent position. However, his name was not one of the five on the “qualified� list from Civil Service, according to Nichols.

Nichols said he continues to volunteer his time for the sake of the town.

 â€œI’m doing it because I have faith in the town. I have lived here all my life. The kids need an outlet and somebody has to do it,â€� said Nichols, who added it has been difficult to keep the programs running with nobody in the position.

As for the status of the position, without an approved budget, Robbins has been wary of appointing someone to the position. Though he would prefer to hire a recreation director as a full-time employee, Robbins said the Board of Selectmen has once again cut the position in the budget to part time against his recommendation. This battle has also delayed the hiring process.

On Tuesday night Robbins met with the Civil Service Commission to discuss whether additional applicants will be considered for the recreation director position.

Civil Service Commission Chief Examiner David Villa said progress is being made and the commission is working with the town manager to hire an eligible candidate.

CCS member Linda Dew expressed the same sentiment and explained that according to the rules of the commission, new names cannot be added to the list until current names are removed. Dew said she understood that two candidates on the list had made it clear during the interview process that they would not be interested in a part-time position. Once that is confirmed, their names can be removed from the list and two new names added.

“I have to ascertain and verify that two people have declined to accept the part-time position. Once that happens, he will receive two more names,� said Villa. “Some of those folks actually work for a living, so I may have to wait until this evening to make those phone calls.�

Villa said once he has confirmed with the current applicants that they are no longer interested in the position, he will have a new list to the town manager “the following business day.�

“We have moved as expeditiously as we could and we will continue to do so subject to the direction of the commission,� said Villa.

Dew said overall the meeting was very cordial between the town manager and the Civil Service Commission and progress has been made. “Everybody wants to work together and get the town running smoothly.�

Latest News

Housatonic softball beats Webutuck 16-3

Haley Leonard and Khyra McClennon looked on as HVRHS pulled ahead of Webutuck, May 2.

Riley Klein

FALLS VILLAGE — The battle for the border between Housatonic Valley Regional High School and Webutuck High School Thursday, May 2, was won by HVRHS with a score of 16-3.

The New Yorkers played their Connecticut counterparts close early on and commanded the lead in the second inning. Errors plagued the Webutuck Warriors as the game went on, while the HVRHS Mountaineers stayed disciplined and finished strong.

Keep ReadingShow less
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