Letter in the April 18 Tomahawk Leader

To the Editor:

It was with great interest that I read the article on the front page of your newspaper of April 11, 2006 concerning the Skanawan Town Clerk resigning because of bullying. Now she is writing about her actions, not those of any board members.
Karen has taken her position of clerk to all time lows in her actions to both the present town board and more importantly to the good residents of the town. In the past if someone did not agree with her she would not only argue with them at open meetings but debase and ridicule them. As a prime example during the March monthly meeting Karen took the floor without being recognized by the chair and when told to be seated as she did not have the floor she started to holler and I do mean shout at everyone trying to get her to follow rules. When one of the supervisors told her sit down she replied by shouting at that supervisor to “shut up.” What a way to act at a meeting of the town board attended by a number of our own residents.
I have been involved with town government for over 43 years and have never seen any individual much less an elected official act in such a completely disruptive manner. Picture yourself attending a meeting of Tomahawk common council and telling them to shut up! It just is not done by normal people and much more not by elected officials.

People in the past have been also put through pure **** because of her uncalled for remarks when they attempted to explain something or ask questions at a town meeting. With this attitude people from the town do not want to appear at town meetings and speak of their problems or concerns. There is a time and place for everything but not at a public meeting, which must have some type of decorum to operate with.

Some of the issues mentioned in her farewell letter have been addressed in the past by the Attorney General’s office are not violations as she suggests. Somehow Karen does not want to listen to what other people have to say, which is poor conduct for an elected official.

Yes, there has been bullying, but it has been done by Karen Olson, the former clerk.

I will not even get into other issues due to space constraints involved, but there are many, many of them. By the way a recall election was going to start next week, after Karen was in office for one year as per state law. Looks like she got out of the pot before the fire got too hot.

As you know every story should have a moral and the moral of this story as I see it is: It is nice to be important, but more important to be nice.

Tom Rick
Former Treasurer, Town of Skanawan
Irma

Well.... out of curiosity, what was she trying to say?

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The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese....