PERU — Nick Waugh, administrator for the Facebook page of Friends of Peru Elementary School and its School House Consignment Shop page, was asked by selectmen Monday night to monitor posts.
Selectman John Witherell showed a printout of a March 5 post written by Kathy Hussey that contained the same language as the recently circulated petitions calling for Witherell and Selectman Wendy Henderson to be recalled from office. The post called Witherell a “bully” and said Henderson could not vote without Witherell’s guidance.
The post prompted residents to speculate whether the petitions were being circulated earlier than the August date they claimed.
Hussey referenced the two selectmen voting down the new Worthley Pond fire station and implied that the board didn’t trust the judgment of her husband, Fire Chief Bill Hussey.
“I don’t condone it and I don’t support it,” said Waugh, who promised to look into controlling the content of the page.
“When you hold a position of office, you have to have broad shoulders,” Selectman Raquel Welch told Henderson. “Let it roll off your back.”
The board changed gears to discuss the potential renewal of the town’s contract with Friends of Peru Elementary School. Members of the group said they need the town’s support.
Welch and Selectman Carol Roach agreed that the building is useful to the town and therefore worth supporting, but were uncomfortable with how the contract process had been handled in the past.
According to the past four contracts, the center must have liability insurance for injury and contents, while the town insures the building. The center also was to have nonprofit status. However, the contracts had been signed without all terms being met.
Members of the group agreed to seek clarification on the insurance and to finalize their nonprofit status, if it is not official.
emeisner@sunmediagroup.net
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