By Beth David, Editor
At its meeting on 10/23/23, the Fairhaven Select Board held a pinning ceremony for two Fire Department lieutenants, Brian Riggs and Tyler Correia. Fire Chief Todd Correia told the board that Lt. Riggs was actually promoted last year, but due to a medical issue was not able to have a ceremony.
Fairhaven Fire Department Lt. Brian Riggs watches as his wife Cheri pins the lieutenant badge on him during the pinning ceremony at the Fairhaven Select Board meeting on 10/23/23. Photo by Beth David.
Lt. Riggs started as a Call Firefighter in 1996 and became full time in 1997. He was instrumental in bringing the paramedic ALS service to the fire department and was EMS coordinator for two years, said Chief Correia. Last year Lt. Riggs scored one of the top ranks in the civil service. He is also a veteran in the US Reserve for the Army, and did a tour in Iraq.
Chief Correia also recognized Lt. Riggs for his 25 years of service as a firefighter.
Lt. Correia was a call FF in 2012, but left for a time to serve in Falmouth from 2014 to 2016.
“We were able to recruit him back in 2016,” said Chief Correia, adding that Lt. Correia was the highest scorer in the civil service promotional exam as well as the department’s internal assessment.
“Both of these individuals bring a new style of leadership to us,” said Chief Correia. “They both can be autocratic as well as democratic, which we need today in the fire service. And we look forward to both of them developing the fire department in the future.”
Interim Town Clerk Elisabeth Horan swore in the lieutenants.
Young Jameson pins the Fairhaven Fire Department lieutenant badge on his father, Tyler Correia, while Acting Captain Paul Correia keeps an eye on his grandson and son during the pinning ceremony at the Fairhaven Select Board meeting on 10/23/23. Photo by Beth David.
Lt. Riggs’s wife Cheri pinned his badge on him. Lt. Correia was pinned by his son Jameson with a little help from Lt. Correia’s father, Acting Captain Paul Correia, also of the Fairhaven Fire Department.
In another matter, the board met in executive session for more than an hour to discuss the fate of Peter DeTerra, the chairperson of the Zoning Board of Appeals. At the 8/21/23 meeting (see 8/23/23 issue), Ms. Ellison explained to the board that Mr. DeTerra had allegedly engaged in “chain deliberation,” where he lobbied a quorum of members to approve a project that he would be doing the work on.
On Monday, the executive session presumably consisted of a hearing on the matter. Mr. DeTerra was in the room, and both Ruy DaSilva and Pat Carr, who are members of the ZBA, also in one at a time during the session.
On Tuesday morning, Mr. DeTerra submitted a letter of resignation to the Town Clerk.
In the two-sentence letter, he wrote, “I am no longer able to continue to serve the residents of the Town of Fairhaven and the Zoning Board due to health issues.”
Executive Sessions are not open to the public, but minutes should be available after they are approved and released.
Town Administrator Angie Lopes Ellison also addressed “diversity, acceptance, respect,” an item listed in her report.
She said a lot of things are being done that people may or may not agree with. She said she makes a decision, sticks by it and lives with it.
Either we are a community that is going to accept differences or not, she said, and there have been a lot of “microaggressions” towards her, towards staff, and to members of the community.
“Some of the comments have crossed the line,” said Ms. Ellison, adding that when people work hard for the community to make it the best it can be, they should not have to put up with “character assassination.”
She said people can disagree respectfully. Instead they are posting anonymously on social media.
Ms. Ellison said she makes every effort not to make her race a factor, but everyone who has disagreed with her has made her race a factor.
“It’s not okay, and I’m not going to accept it,” she said.
She did not give details, saying, “you know who you are.”
When it starts affecting departments and department heads getting called out for doing their jobs, it’s a problem, she said.
“It’s not okay,” said Ms. Ellison. “It’s just not.”
“It’s not just you,” said SB chairperson Leon Correy, who is also Black. “Everyone else can bring up race except the people who are members of that race. I thought this town was better than that.”
Mr. Correy said people are either complicit or not, and silence is complicity.
“We have to live like this every day. We have no choice,” he said, adding the they ask people to make themselves uncomfortable just once to call out racism.
SB member Stasia Powers said there was a lot of divisiveness in the world now but it does not have to happen in “our town.”
“We can disagree, but we don’t have to destroy each other in the process,” said Ms. Powers. “That’s ugly.”
She said they need people who can be respectful to step up and be active in town. If we want them to be part of our town we need to make sure the community is treating each other with respect.
“It’s that basic,” she said.
SB member Bob Espindola said they all receive anonymous messages, and apparently it has become a “big thing on Facebook.”
“It’s shameful,” said Mr. Espindola, adding they can only have control regarding the people they appoint to boards and committees.
“I’m a firm believer in freedom speech,” said SB member Charlie Murphy, but added there is also a choice in how to deliver it.
He said he was a “firm believer in respect, whether you disagree or agree.”
“I do not want to tolerate character assassination,” said Mr. Murphy, and would support an end to that in any way he can with the board.
SB member Keith Silvia said Ms. Ellison was chosen to run the town to turn it around because it was headed in the wrong direction.
“She has big shoulders,” he said, but the board has to support her.
He added she has done nothing to hurt the town, and told her she was taking the town in the right direction.
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