More nonsense?

I actually heard about this (from the Globe) the other day, from a friend who lives in Newbury. I tried to do some research - as in, find a story about it in the Daily News - but was interrupted and never got back to it.

The issue here is that three appointments were pushed through - with no notice - months ahead of the usual time for such things. My friend speculated that the Selectmen were trying to get these people on board before tomorrow's election - just in case Joe Story is not re-elected.

This action alone, I think, should give voters in Newbury pause.

Now questions linger about the sweeping power of selectmen, who appoint dozens of people to volunteer boards and to top paid positions each year.

"There are [hiring and firing] precedents here that seem to override the town's bylaws," said Don Bade, chairman of the Personnel Board, a volunteer panel appointed by selectmen that acts as Newbury's human resources department and oversees personnel issues.

For the past year, the board has been studying Newbury's bylaws. Members say they have found inconsistencies between the bylaws and several appointments by selectmen. "If we have bylaws," Bade said, "then we believe they should be abided by" ...

Selectman Vincent Russo, the board's chairman, placed the issue on the agenda the day of the meeting, said (Selectwoman Jennifer) Wright, who voted for the reappointments and said she did not question them that evening.

Selectman Joseph Story, who is up for reelection Tuesday, said he had "no idea" about the reappointments until he walked into the meeting. He also said Russo asked for the vote, and Story said he assumed it was to avoid a long list of reappointments usually made just before the new fiscal year. The board has not made any other early reappointments since then.

Russo did not return several phone calls.

Town records on the issue are handwritten and sketchy.

A search on the Daily News website yielded no results for this issue, which may mean simply that it was never in the online edition.