But the town supervisor pins the scandal in part on 'information from residents'
by Melissa Lajara
Still fired up over the controversy surrounding the interview of Manuela Mihailescu for a seat on the town's Historic Preservation Commission, more than 130 people turned out for the town's monthly meeting last week, held in the Accord Fire Hall.
At that meeting, Democratic Town Supervisor Pam Duke read a statement to the audience, her first personal public response regarding the interview and its immediate effects.
In doing so, she said the allegation of a link between Mihailescu and an adult Web site came from "information from residents."
And in a vote by the town board at the meeting last week, Mihailescu was formally denied the position she was seeking.
Mihailescu, a Kerhonkson resident, said she was accused of being linked to pornography in a second interview for the commission position on Jan. 24 - an allegation she has continually denied.
Shortly afterward, a brochure that Duke said was apparently "designed to incite indignation and outrage" on Mihailescu's behalf was printed and mailed by the Rochester Republican Club, of which Mihailescu is a member.
An overflow crowd stormed the town board meeting Feb. 1. The town hall was closed at its legal capacity - several minutes before the meeting began - and the board elected not to move it to a larger venue. Those kept outside protested, often loudly, booing the board and leaning on car horns.
This month's town board meeting was calm by comparison, but the debate continued over the controversial interview, as well as the closure and abrupt adjournment of last month's town board meeting.
Resident Anna Katz commended the board for its choice to end that meeting, saying the crowd outside was "threatening, abusive, loud and scary."
Resident and business owner Dave O'Halloran commended the board for its behavior during his own commission interview, but noted that Mihailescu had received different treatment. "I'm not saying this to ridicule you," he told the board. "Your reasons for not discussing (the interview) are not valid. There's no threat, no litigation pending, nothing."
Some in the audience held up signs that alluded to the events of February's town board meeting, with slogans such as "this is our house" and "we will be heard."
Resident Bill Dukas, who was nearly thrown out of last week's meeting after piping up repeatedly, requested in public comment that interviews no longer be held in executive sessions, saying the board "abused" its right to go into confidential meetings.
Imre Beke, chairman of the conservative party locally, focused on the exclusion of residents from the Feb. 1 meeting. He told the board "when you openly and blatantly turned your backs on the people... you chose power over authority and legitimacy."
Mihailescu called the entire episode "a tragic reminder of my life in Communist Romania."
Duke read her statement early in the meeting, and distributed a printed copy to the audience. In it, she said the town has acted to protect the confidentiality of that interview, which was held in an executive session, and said she believed the town acted "properly and with sensitivity." She said that Mihailescu was given in the interview a chance to "defend herself against unknown accusations," and said much thought was given to the reliability of the source of the information and its relevancy to the position she was seeking.
"We regret the emotional angst that this has created and the division that this has caused in our community," Duke said. "It is time for all of us to work together to face the challenges that are inevitable as we continue to move through our differences."
Still fired up over the controversy surrounding the interview of Manuela Mihailescu for a seat on the town's Historic Preservation Commission, more than 130 people turned out for the town's monthly meeting last week, held in the Accord Fire Hall.At that meeting, Democratic Town Supervisor Pam Duke read a statement to the audience, her first personal public response regarding the interview and its immediate effects.
In doing so, she said the allegation of a link between Mihailescu and an adult Web site came from "information from residents."
And in a vote by the town board at the meeting last week, Mihailescu was formally denied the position she was seeking.
Mihailescu, a Kerhonkson resident, said she was accused of being linked to pornography in a second interview for the commission position on Jan. 24 - an allegation she has continually denied.
Shortly afterward, a brochure that Duke said was apparently "designed to incite indignation and outrage" on Mihailescu's behalf was printed and mailed by the Rochester Republican Club, of which Mihailescu is a member.
An overflow crowd stormed the town board meeting Feb. 1. The town hall was closed at its legal capacity - several minutes before the meeting began - and the board elected not to move it to a larger venue. Those kept outside protested, often loudly, booing the board and leaning on car horns.
This month's town board meeting was calm by comparison, but the debate continued over the controversial interview, as well as the closure and abrupt adjournment of last month's town board meeting.
Resident Anna Katz commended the board for its choice to end that meeting, saying the crowd outside was "threatening, abusive, loud and scary."
Resident and business owner Dave O'Halloran commended the board for its behavior during his own commission interview, but noted that Mihailescu had received different treatment. "I'm not saying this to ridicule you," he told the board. "Your reasons for not discussing (the interview) are not valid. There's no threat, no litigation pending, nothing."
Some in the audience held up signs that alluded to the events of February's town board meeting, with slogans such as "this is our house" and "we will be heard."
Resident Bill Dukas, who was nearly thrown out of last week's meeting after piping up repeatedly, requested in public comment that interviews no longer be held in executive sessions, saying the board "abused" its right to go into confidential meetings.
Imre Beke, chairman of the conservative party locally, focused on the exclusion of residents from the Feb. 1 meeting. He told the board "when you openly and blatantly turned your backs on the people... you chose power over authority and legitimacy."
Mihailescu called the entire episode "a tragic reminder of my life in Communist Romania."
Duke read her statement early in the meeting, and distributed a printed copy to the audience. In it, she said the town has acted to protect the confidentiality of that interview, which was held in an executive session, and said she believed the town acted "properly and with sensitivity." She said that Mihailescu was given in the interview a chance to "defend herself against unknown accusations," and said much thought was given to the reliability of the source of the information and its relevancy to the position she was seeking.
"We regret the emotional angst that this has created and the division that this has caused in our community," Duke said. "It is time for all of us to work together to face the challenges that are inevitable as we continue to move through our differences."
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