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Date: 6/20/2022
MONSON – The Monson Select Board appointed several individuals to various committees and positions during their June 14 meeting.
Raymond Beaudoin was appointed to the General Bylaw Committee, through June 30, 2025.
Steve Kozloski and Mat Wawrzyk were also appointed to the General Bylaw Committee. Their terms will end on June 30, 2025.
Geraldine DePace was appointed to the Scholarship Committee, Historical Commission and Memorial Hall Renovation Committee. All three terms will go through June 30, 2025.
Moira Hatton was appointed to the Keep Homestead Museum Committee, lasting through June 30, 2025.
Sara Malo will serve on the Scholarship Committee through June 30, 2025.
Patricia L. Smith, Board of Registrars, was appointed to a term ending June 30, 2025.
Dr. Richard Smith, Select Board chair, was appointed as town constable. His term will go through June 30, 2025.
Erin Wallace and Mary Watson were appointed to the Memorial Hall Renovation Committee. Their terms will expire on June 30, 2025.
Heather Wilson was appointed to the Zoning Board of Appeals, through June 30, 2026.
Council on Aging
Smith explained that the Council on Aging has three vacancies, with four people interested. Those residents include Allan Curtis, Lisa Hamill, James Hobbs and Nancy Morrell. Curtis, Hamill and Morrell are currently in this position and Hobbs is looking to be appointed, said Smith.
Patricia Oney, Select Board vice chair, made a motion to appoint Curtis, Hamill and Hobbs to the Council on Aging, through June 30, 2025.
The motion passed with Oney and Hull voting in favor of the motion and Smith voting against it.
Board of Health
Similarly, the Board of Health had one vacancy with three people interested in being appointed. The residents seeking appointment included Larissa Krutov, Kathleen Nothe and Joan Simmons.
Oney made a motion to table this appointment until the July 26 Select Board meeting. The motion was seconded and approved.
Proclamations
The Select Board recognized resident Kylee Teixeira for receiving a Girl Scout Gold Award. Marry Hull, Select Board member, explained that this is the highest award someone can receive in Girl Scouts. “[The Gold Award] acknowledges each recipient’s power and dedication to not only bettering herself, but to making the world a better place for others,” said Hull.
For Teixeira’s Gold Award project, she created roughly 30 grab and go garden kits and distributed them to a class of high schoolers in Holyoke. Hull said this allowed the students and their families to grow food – mainly vegetables – from their windowsills. “The kits contained everything needed from soil to watering cans, made from recycled plastic soda bottles and booklets on gardening directions in both English and Spanish,” said Hull.
She went on to say that Teixeira even built a website to educate others on the effects of climate change and global warming, and ways to combat it.
Leslie Duthie, Monson resident, also received a proclamation from the Select Board.
Smith said the board is honoring Duthie for her “many years of selfless offerings of service and commitment to people everywhere [and particularly the people of our community], going above and beyond to leave her mark on Monson through her dedication through our community and whereas, Leslie served on the Community Preservation Committee (CPC) since its inception…”
Duthie has been chairperson of the CPC for several years. “Her leadership has brought funding to many projects throughout the town,” said Smith. Some of the projects that the CPC has funded include the disc golf course, skate park, pickleball court and open space protection, to name a few.
Smith shared that Duthie has also been a member of the Replanting Monson Tree Committee and the Conservation Commission.
“The definition of Leslie is dedication and compassion, and many of us could learn by her example,” said Smith.
Duthie said, “I have never done any of this for the acknowledgment. I love this community. This town is very important to me. It’s my home, it’s where I raised my family. I love everything about this town and I want this town to be all of that, for everyone.”
Public comment
During public comment, Roxanne Gunther, Monson resident, made a complaint against Town Administrator Jennifer Wolowicz.
Gunther explained that the complaint against Wolowicz was in regard to her actions at the General Bylaw meeting on June 13.
Gunther said the committee was conversing about a noise bylaw letter that seemed to have been intercepted. “The next thing I know, Jennifer came in and started to tell me in a very rude tone of voice that it had not been intercepted, but was with the ARPA Committee,” Gunther alleged.
She went on to say that Wolowicz was not a part of the meeting but came in without asking to speak and started “chastising” her.
“I feel she had no right to barge into the meeting and verbally attack me in that manner. I was not speaking to her and if she chose to eavesdrop, that’s something I can’t help,” said Gunther.
Gunther provided other examples to the board on occasions that she alleged Wolowicz was “condescending” to others.
When the board informed Gunther that she was beyond the two-minute time frame for public comment, Gunther said she would continue the conversation at the next meeting.