March 28, 2024

EP Monthly News Briefs...

Posted

City Manager - Mayor - HR Director Still Squabble

The continuing battle going on in City Hall over the firing of city Human Resources director Katherine Waterbury is still brewing.  Contrary to rumors of a settlement between the fired Waterbury and the city, it seems that Waterbury still wants her job back.  While trying to keep the peace, Mayor Tom Rose says that he is concerned because manager Richard Kirby fired Waterbury without any hearings with statements or reasons.

Last month, frequent council critic and speaker Scott Scienzo addressed the council concerning allegations that Manager Kirby previously made about Mayor Tom Rose and interference within city hall.  Resident Scienzo wanted to know if any follow up investigation was taking place as some were led to believe would happen.

Scienzo has been active in social media as well as in-person at council meetings in criticizing Mayor Rose relating to the Kirby-Rose confrontation in February.  Although the conversation got a bit heated between Mayor Rose and Mr. Scienzo, most of the council and even Manager Kirby seemed unwilling to support Scienzo's call for an investigation of wrongdoing by Mayor Rose.

At one point, East Providence Police Chief Chris Parella addressed the council. "There are no charges filed and nothing has been reported to me," said Parella.  The police chief said he has no problem conducting an investigation if one is warranted.

"I am pursuing my concerns via the State Police/Ethics Commission," Scienzo told The Reporter.  "I had been in contact with them previously regarding this and was advised to wait and see what the City Manager was going to do.  Now that we know he is going to do nothing more, I will be contacting the State Police to see what our next step is.  If city officials won't pursue this then we as residents will take it up directly," said Scienzo.

New Finance Director for Schools:

Lucy Maddock was hired as the new school finance director after Linda Dykeman was the latest in a long line of business or finance managers to leave the job after brief stints.  School Board Chairman Charlie Tsonos said he was satsified with the Maddock hiring, "although she does not have the required RI State Department of Education (RIDE) certification."  Tsonos believes that although RIDE has issued an emergency certification, Maddock will eventually qualify for the state certificate.

As stated in an earlier Reporter article, there has been a merry-go-round of finance administrators who came and left this post.  Long time Business Manager Peter Barilla retired in August of 1992 and Lori Miller came over from city hall to take over.  As relations deteriorated between school and city officials, Miller left and was hired in a similar post in Lincoln, RI.  Leah Foster was then hired but didn't last as the turbulent period of Superintendent  Dr. Patricia Daniel began.  A succession of staff filled in "by committee" and former Superintendent Taras Herbowy then hired James Hilton.  Hilton soon moved on and a former finance director under Mayor Stephen Laffey of Cranston and Providence's former Mayor Buddy Cianci, emerged for a brief but tumultuous period.  Jerome Baron was hired by the Anthony Carcieri-led school committee in 2008.  Called the school district's "financial guru," Baron was hired to solve the mounting money woes in the school department.  However Baron left the city upon falling out of favor with Carcieri and then Superintendent Mario Cirillo and Cirillo's right hand man, Lonnie Barham.   There was consolidation and other hires and now Ms. Maddock is in place.   

New City Athletic Director Hired:

After a few months of conjecture and rumors, the school department has accepted the resignation of East Providence Athletic Director, Bob Duarte.  Duarte had been on the job for almost 3 years and will return to classroom teaching.  Superintendent of Schools Crowley said the decision to make a change was a mutual one between the parties.  Crowley had named high school assistant principal Roxie DeBlois to serve as Interim A.D. until a permanent replacement is named.  In the past, high school assistant principal Frank DeVall had wanted the full time job as A.D. but was asked to stay on in the high school administration instead.  DeVall is retiring at the end of this school year.

The school department is also advertising for an assistant principal to replace DeVall and an elementary principal for the retiring principal Kathleen Caffrey.

Want To Be An EP Cop?  Apply until June 22nd:

The East Providence Police Department is now accepting Applications for the position of Police Officer.  "We are looking for highly motivated candidates with a strong work ethic, a sense of responsibility to the community, and of high moral integrity," said a city of East Providence press release.  Applications are being accepted through June 22nd. Applications and required paperwork are available at the City website, eastprovidenceri.net/

All applicants:

  • Must be at least 21 years of age by June 22, 2016.
  • Must possess a valid driver’s license.
  • Must be a United States citizen.
  • Must have the ability to speak, read, and write the English language.
  • Must have the ability to pass a physical examination given by a physician, a physical fitness/agility examination, a written examination, an oral examination, a swim proficiency test, a drug screen, a psychological examination given by a psychological test center, and a comprehensive background investigation.

All applicants must meet the following minimum requirements and have one or more of the following:

  • An education at least equal to the completion of an associate degree (60 credit hours), from an accredited college or university
  • Two years of honorable active military service or four years of honorable military reserve or National Guard service 
  • Certification from the RI Municipal Police Academy as a municipal police officer
  • Three years of satisfactory employment as a correctional officer.

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