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(October 17, 2003)
The arrest of selectman Richard Cretinon has once again put the town
center stage in the media spotlight. All of New England saw images of
a town leader in a bulletproof vest, handcuffed, and charged with the
rape of a 14-year old boy that he had corresponded with online for a
year.
Most media coverage recapped former “moments of shame” for the town as
well: the arrest of Police Chief Alan Ballinger in 1994, the Silver
Lake bus episode earlier this year, Monsignor Ryan, and on and on.
It’s almost too easy for the media not to rehash the town’s history.
Without question, Kingston has enough “black eyes” to make it easy
pickings for any news outlet. One such incident is one too many.
Events such as these evoke a number of reactions, from hand-wringing
and people wondering “why does this always happen here” to those lofty
speeches about how the community “must take time to heal.”
We will do much better as a community if our leaders avoid those
speeches on how to “heal” and instead concentrate on how to “deal” –
in particular, how to deal with situations that arise that cast the
town in a negative light.
Regarding the Cretinon situation, there is only one solution that
makes sense. He has to go. There is no way that he can continue to
serve effectively as a member of the Board of Selectmen. Every story
written about the board of selectmen would reference Richard’s
upcoming trial and the crime of which he is accused.
Our board of selectmen would be paralyzed in its tracks with Richard
under such a cloud of suspicion. We cannot afford to have a Board of
Selectmen that cannot focus on the performance of its duties. After
all, these five individuals are the highest elected leaders in the
community.
A selectman’s decisions and words affect literally every member of
this town in one way or another. Our selectmen are police
commissioners. Our selectmen negotiate contracts, they have the
authority to hire and fire, determine what will appear on the town
meeting warrant, and much more. They set the tone for the community.
Every action this board takes if Richard is a voting participating
member could be challenged. Richard’s continued presence on the board
is a no-win for the town. Guilty or innocent, Richard is damaged
goods.
This week reliable sources suggested that a Cretinon resignation was
imminent. If he has not already resigned, he should do so immediately
for the good of the community. And his four fellow Selectmen should
insist on nothing less.
I don’t doubt Richard’s love for the town he calls home or his
dedication to public service. I have known him for as long as I have
lived here and have always found him to be pleasant, friendly, and
someone with a sense of humor. But he cannot function in the role of
selectman any longer; I believe he knows it, and I’m fairly certain
that his colleagues on the board do as well.
That said, what should happen next? Richard’s resignation should be
accepted quickly and quietly, with a minimum of fanfare, simply as a
matter of course. This is a delicate and sensitive issue and should
not become a media sideshow. The board should move forward by calling
immediately for a special election to fill Richard’s seat.
I am not certain if the option exists for an appointment instead of an
election for the relatively short time that exists between now and the
May elections, but this is one time that I would wholeheartedly
support the expense of a special election.
Let the voters choose Richard’s replacement. And if we’re very
fortunate, the winner will emerge from a very crowded field of
contenders.
It seems sometimes that Kingston is characterized by a series of a
dozen or so high-profile crimes that have occurred over the last 15
years. Without question, these incidents are part of our history, but
they are only a part of it. In most ways, our community is a very
typical small town; it’s easy to lose sight of that when a negative
story eclipses everything else that happens. I do not subscribe to the
“connect the dots” theory that every high-profile crime here is
somehow related to all the others, and that there is something
inherent in our town that makes it a breeding ground for evil deeds.
While a community is judged in part by what happens within its
borders, it is also judged by how it deals with the tough situations
that arise. We have a tough situation on our hands that needs quick
action.
As a community, we can take a large step forward by moving quickly
with a special election that will give voters a say in who will
replace Richard Cretinon on the Board of Selectmen. |
