Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

It is NOT the town worker's fault ... because the town worker was sent to pick up the materials and was turned down.

I question what authority an individual has that can "order" (or cause to be sent) a town EMPLOYEE (paid by tax dollars) to even attempt to go to this persons home.  Seems like a waste of tax payer $ when there's already one person in charge of taking the bull by the horns and getting the job done.

Regardless, a good portion of the history of Rotterdam is gone, forever.

I thought that DVOR was head of the town Parks and Recreation committee, not that he was the town historian.  It appears that he's so important that he now has two positions, and it also appears that he doesn't have enough time to make sure that the responsibilities that come with these offices, including protecting the artifacts.

Coming soon, he wont have any position @ town hall.

Alright I think I understand now, there is a former town historian, that while on duty, collected historical artifacts related to the town, but would not add them to the towns collection. He then had his house flooded, is unreachable and we now assume all this history is gone. Our current town historian knows where the rest of the towns history is but is not in contact with the town supervisor, and neither have reached out to each other. This raises a large number of concerns

1. Why would a town historian be collecting town history and putting it in his own collection while holding the job for the town, is this in the job description?
2. What efforts were made to get these items from him when the new historian took over? Shouldn't that be task number 1?
3. Why are the town historian and town supervisor not in contact? Communication is the key to any successfull organization, and even if there are political disputes they shouldn't get in the way of one's professionalism.
4. How is no leading the way trying to get whatever may be left from the old town historian in Rotterdam?

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

Finally --- if Mr. DelGallo was so concerned about that collection --- why did it take him TEN DAYS to have someone from his office contact me --- he and the office have ALL of my contact information.   I could have been reached at any time on my cell phone when I was out of town.

He probably assumed you did your job and there wouldn't be an issue.  That is, until he was advised that the historical documents were missing.

Nice job Ron ... someday, maybe when you move out of Aunties house, you'll learn to take responsibility and stop blaming everyone else for your failures.  You and sombody must be related.

Quoted from A Better Rotterdam

Alright I think I understand now, there is a former town historian, that while on duty, collected historical artifacts related to the town, but would not add them to the towns collection. He then had his house flooded, is unreachable and we now assume all this history is gone. Our current town historian knows where the rest of the towns history is but is not in contact with the town supervisor, and neither have reached out to each other. This raises a large number of concerns

1. Why would a town historian be collecting town history and putting it in his own collection while holding the job for the town, is this in the job description?
2. What efforts were made to get these items from him when the new historian took over? Shouldn't that be task number 1?
3. Why are the town historian and town supervisor not in contact? Communication is the key to any successfull organization, and even if there are political disputes they shouldn't get in the way of one's professionalism.
4. How is no leading the way trying to get whatever may be left from the old town historian in Rotterdam?

I have been at Town Hall several times since returning from vacation -- the Supervisor has not been in the office -- but I have communicated with his office's  staff and with public works and even dropped by the Town Clerk's Office to verify that the town's historical record, which are housed in the town hall, are all doing just fine.

1) There is no dedicated space in town hall or any other building for the Town Historian --- except for sharing storage space with other town operations.    Since most Town Historians are history buffs, it is not unusual for a town historian to have a large personal collection -- in this case much of the material was about Rotterdam Junction and Pattersonville.    It is really more of a "title" than a "job" --- there is only a $250 annual stipend -- and from that the historian must pay for any costs associated with being Town Historian ---- for example .. many of the artifacts in the basement of the senior center need to be remounted on acid-free mattes or some other more appropriate item.  The cost of this project would come out of the Town Historian's stipend.

It should also be noted that over the years --- previous town historians have either kept their collections or donated them to other historical societies (such as the County Historical Society) or have left no clue as to where those collections went.  I have been trying to get the Supervisor to set aside a space in either town hallor the senior center to PROPERLY maintain our collection and to allow some public viewing of portions of the collection.    Another issue that needs to be tackled is digitally reserving copies of all our records and artifacts --- but that will require an appropriation of money and much time.

2) The previous town historian did bring a portion of his collection to the senior center in 2010 and had indicated to me that he was going to give the remainder of the collection to the Franchere Center when it opened-- that is totally within his prerogatve to do that  -- so I assumed that when the center was completed ... those artifacts would be going from his house to the historical society.

3) The Supervisor has my home # and cell phone # ...   when i am in town, I drop by Town Hall at least once a week ------- and for the record, I have always been willing to return to town -if needed - in the summer of 2010, I  drive 4 hours each way from a family reunion in Pennsylvania because the Deputy Supervisor had called an "emergency meeting" about something important with the parks ... it actually turned out to be a15- 20 minute meeting and all of the questions could have been answered over the phone.  
Regardless, the fact remains that when I was notified on the Tuesday after Labor Day of the situation with that collection ... I immediately made the "stop-gap" arrangements to have the materials picked up by a town employee  and had indicated that it would take at least 2 days for me to return to Rotterdam.    

4) His phone isn't in service .. the house is empty .. and I have been trying to find someone who knows where he has relocated to.    

It got in a few digs while he made his excuses, which is his M.O.

So, what have you done for your $250 this year?

How many of those "remounts" have you done, and at what cost? Taxpayers have the right to know.

Quoted from GrahamBonnet

It got in a few digs while he made his excuses, which is his M.O.

You sound like you could use some Haley's MO.

again..................did the historical materials 'belong' to the TOWN or THE PAST HISTORIAN????
WHO OWNS/OWNED IT??????

Mertz, no one cares about you and your dirty diaper. You would have trouble getting lucky with a toad.

Quoted Text

Don’t blame Rotterdam historian for flood loss

    The Gazette Sept. 8 editorial, “Small price for preserving history,” delivered an injustice. Mr. Dick Whalen’s service and dedication to Rotterdam Junction ought to guarantee him a permanent place on the town’s honor roll. Mr. Whalen’s selfless effort in creating an archive of Rotterdam Junction’s history should be applauded as a fi ne example of a citizen scholar laboring without pay in the public good.
    According to Schenectady County Historical Society President Ed Reilly, with the help of the historical society and the Schenectady Museum, Mr. Whalen’s flood-damaged archive will begin to be recovered. University at Albany experts in preservation and recovery have also volunteered to assist if called upon.
    Mr. Whalen deserves praise for the marvelous archive he created, not blame for its loss in a set of freakish weather events. And surely in the wake of our region’s momentous tragedy, the impulse to blame each other for losses widely suffered is out of place.

    TIMOTHY STEPHEN
    Rotterdam Junction

http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r03806&AppName=1

I thought Ron Severson said HE was the historian?

Which is it?

Severe and his group tried to raise the issue as a means to shift the blame, getting their hacks at the DG to smear the previous guy, ALTHOUGH Severe was the historian for 8 months and never bothered to secure the records (too busy eating out at diners and traveling in his trust fund) he wanted to make that poor elderly man the scapegoat.

Quoted from GrahamBonnet

Severe and his group tried to raise the issue as a means to shift the blame, getting their hacks at the DG to smear the previous guy, ALTHOUGH Severe was the historian for 8 months and never bothered to secure the records (too busy eating out at diners and traveling in his trust fund) he wanted to make that poor elderly man the scapegoat.

Agreed!

http://lwvschenectady.org/rotterdam.html
APPOINTED OFFICIALS

Deputy Supervisor: Robert Godlewski 355-7575
Town Attorney: Joseph Liccardi 355-7575 Ext. 322
Police Chief: James Hamilton 355-7739
Comptroller/Budget Officer: Patrick T. Aragosa Ext. 312 355-7575
Assessor: John J. Macejka, Jr. 355-7575 Ext.396
Building Inspector: Mickey Maher Ext. 333 355-7575
Public Works Coordinator: Michael Griesemer Ext. 354 355-7575
Supt. of Parks & Youth Rec.: Diane Marco 356-1561
Zoning Officer: Peter Commenzo Ext. 338 355-7575
Planning Commission Chair: Thomas Yuille Ext. 339 355-7575
Zoning Board of Appeals: Phillip Eats, Chair 355-7575
Historian: Ronald Severson, 887-2451
Animal Control/Code Enforcement Officer: Tim Longo 355-7331