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12/24/2019 03:13 PM“Well this created a life of its own. We got one letter and then we got a heck of a lot of letters.”
That’s how an amused Town Council Chair Chris Aniskovich described the recent peculiar case of the attempted appointment of Clinton’s town historian.
Clinton’s town historian is a ceremonial position to be the go-to person for all questions pertaining to the town’s history; ideally this person would have substantial knowledge of Clinton’s past. However, there was a misunderstanding as to how the appointment should be handled.
Recently Peggy Adler, a Clinton resident, was told by an acquaintance that there currently is nobody serving in the capacity as the town historian. Adler was told that position belonged to the town, and that she should apply for it. Adler recently authored a book on Clinton’s history and wrote the article detailing the town’s history that is displayed on the town website. Soon letters endorsing Adler were being sent to Town Hall.
Concurrently, longtime Clinton resident Jane Scully-Welch also found out about the opening and was encouraged by Aniskovich to apply for the position. Additional letters endorsing her were sent to Town Hall. Besides those two, letters endorsing a third candidate began to circulate.
Clinton Historical Society President Christy Pontillo found out about the buzz surrounding the position, and appeared at the TC meeting on Dec. 18 to set the record straight. Pontillo stated that it was traditionally the Clinton Historical Society that made the appointment of a town historian, not the town’s head board.
Citing the important and pressing matters that the council will need to deal with, Pontillo said, “It shouldn’t be in your court, we got it.”
The Connecticut General Statutes state that a town can appoint a town historian, but is not required to do so.
Pontillo said that while there has been someone in the position of town historian in the past, there hasn’t always been one.
“I believe we don’t need a town historian,” Pontillo said.
According to Pontillo, the historical society has a knowledgeable staff, cultivated a large collection of material in its library, and renovated its buildings to make them more accessible over the years.
“If you need a question answered, you can come to us on Wednesday’s from [9 a.m. to noon] and we’ll help you or make an appointment. We got it covered if you need help,” Pontillo said.
After Pontillo’s speech, the TC unanimously voted to table any discussion regarding the town historian unless the historical society decided to appoint someone for the position in the future.
“I think it’s good to go outside the council for this particular item,” Aniskovich said.
Neither Adler or Scully Welch were upset after finding out that the appointment was not forthcoming. Adler noted that the historical society isn’t a town agency, but the Historic District Commission, of which she is a member of, is. Adler said she believes that commission should also be consulted on any potential recommendation for a historian in the future.
While Pontillo said it’s unlikely the position will be filled, Aniskovich said he chose to look at it as a positive sign that people are even interested.
“I like that people are listening and interested in getting involved,” Aniskovich said.