By Jonathan L'Ecuyer
Staff writer
May 15, 2008 05:31 am ROCKPORT — Each year, it's customary for Town Clerk Fred Frithsen to give a speech before the newly elected officials take the oath of office, but many residents who attended Tuesday night's ceremony were stunned by Frithsen's comments, saying he went too far in speaking about the controversy surrounding former Finance Committee Chairman Sandy Jacques. Frithsen — alluding to selectmen's decision not to reappoint Jacques to the Finance Committee — told the crowd of at least three dozen people not to confuse someone's passion for the town with "rudeness" and "bullying." Jacques, the target of Frithsen's remarks, witnessed most of the speech. He said Tuesday he was "shocked" by Frithsen's comments. Jacques added yesterday the speech was "full of inaccuracies" and said it bordered on slander. Former Selectman Nicola Barletta, who served on that board for many years, called the speech slanderous. Attempts to contact Frithsen yesterday were unsuccessful as of press time. The speech was not recorded by the local access cable television crew as the cameraman was not told to arrive early. The swearing-in ceremony was on selectmen's agenda for 6:45 p.m. — some 15 minutes before the selectmen's meeting was scheduled to be called to order. The second half of Frithsen's speech focused on the town administrator's role in Rockport government. Frithsen indicated the town should not move backward by reducing the administrator's responsibilities and reminded officials they have the choice to take the administrator's recommendations or not take them. Another former longtime selectman, Ted Tarr, said he "had never heard that type of swearing-in ceremony before." Newly elected Selectmen Ellen Canavan and Andrew Heinze had both campaigned on platforms of change. Both had also pledged to reduce the town administrator's job responsibilities and to make the government "more open." Yesterday, Canavan termed Frithsen's speech "editorializing." "(The ceremony) wasn't quite the place for that little speech," she said. "He was supportive of the prior board's actions, but I didn't agree. He set a tone for the evening." Not everyone was critical of Frithsen's comments. "The issue around (Jacques) has been seized on by different factions of the town as another excuse to force changes on the town they think are appropriate and others do not," said Finance Committee member Frank Hassler yesterday. "(Frithsen), in swearing in the new elected officers, was giving them all some fatherly advice. I think he was disturbed by a lot of the negativism going around town over the last year or two." Newly anointed Selectmen Vice Chairman Armand Aparo said it is "very appropriate" and "customary" for the town clerk to give a speech before such ceremonies as a way of welcoming new members to town boards. However, Aparo would not comment on the content of Frithsen's remarks. Aparo said it was an oversight on the part of selectmen not to notify the local access cameraman of the early start. Selectmen Chairman Sarah Wilkinson was quick to point out the speech was offered by Frithsen before the selectmen's meeting began and that Frithsen is an elected official responsible for his own comments. Sworn into office Tuesday were Canavan and Heinze; George Hobbs as assessor of taxes; Samuel Coulbourn and Patricia Edgerton as Planning Board members; Nancy Kearns as trustee of the public library; Brian Sullivan and Melissa Tingley at School Committee members; Patrick Beaton for a five-year term on the Housing Authority; and Robert Visnick as town moderator.
Jonathan L'Ecuyer can be reached at jlecuyer@gloucestertimes.com.
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