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New contract nears for Stapczynski
Selectmen are coming to the final stages of negotiating a new contract for Town Manager Buzz Stapczynski, whom they reappointed to a fifth, five-year term in February.
Negotiations have been ongoing through the summer, including closed-door executive sessions on Aug. 23 and 31 and another scheduled for Friday, Sept. 3 at 7:45 a.m.
On his last day as a member of the board, outgoing Selectman Jerry Stabile Jr. took part in Tuesday's 7:30 a.m. negotiation session.
When reached Monday, Aug. 30, Selectman Chairman Alex Vispoli could not give a definite date but said Stapczynski's contract will be finalized soon.
Stapczynski's previous five-year contract expired June 4. He is paid a base salary of $131,497. Stapczynski, 62, has been Andover's town manager since 1990.
- Bethany Bray
Rescheduled? Far out!
The band '60s Invasion was supposed to close the town's summer concert series in the Park last Wednesday, Aug. 25. But the show was rained out.
There is good news as the band has rescheduled. '60s Invasion, which, as one might guess, specializes in music from the 1960s, will perform in the Park during the town-sponsored yard sale on Saturday, Oct. 2.
Mary Donohue of the town's Department of Community Services said the band will perform from noon-2 p.m.
- Judy Wakefield
No reference to police escort
An event that has not happened in at least two decades didn't make the record of the selectmen's meeting, and resident Mary Carbone is unhappy about it.
Jerry Stabile Jr., then selectmen chairman, asked a police officer to remove Carbone from the Aug. 9 selectmen's meeting when she went to the podium to ask a question. Town Manager Buzz Stapczynski has said no one had previously been removed from a selectmen's meeting in his 20 years.
Almost immediately thereafter, Stabile announced that he was resigning from the board because of his work schedule. His fellow selectmen then offered their appreciation for his work.
Carbone believes the official record of the meeting, known as the selectmen's meeting minutes, should reflect that she was removed. They do not. But the minutes do include two sentences about how officials "expressed their appreciation to Mr. Stabile."
"They give accolades to each other, but they don't have time in the minutes for something like this," Carbone said. "There is not a word, only accolades for the person that [had me removed.]"
-Neil Fater
