Letter to the Editor: Singletary Spearheaded Staten Island Secessionist Movement

To the Editor:

It's been said that all politics is local, so it should be no surprise that when I was up visiting friends in Jefferson, the local elections in Jefferson and the local elections down here in New York City, where I live, were a topic of discussion.

What was a bit surprising was a name that came up in our discussion, and that was Dan Singletary.

My friend shared some of his own observations about Dan and (via the wonders of the internet) a letter from Country Treasurer and some local editorials and news stories. He has since shared with me news of "The Report" and it's many implications, but there was too much there for me to even digest, so I'll ignore that for now.

As a long time Staten Island resident, I remember Dan from his days here, some 20 years ago. And it seems that, although I know little about Jefferson and Schoharie, little has changed about Dan.

In the late 80s and early 90s, and the New York City Government was being revamped, Dan spearheaded a campaign for Staten Island to secede  from New York City, founding a local "Secession Party."

While Staten Island's direct government representation was being reduced, the real impact of that change was a matter of serious debate. What could be of no debate was that every responsible study showed that Staten Island could not -- without gargantuan tax hikes -- possibly support itself as a city.

With fear mongering and grandstanding, Dan made common cause with some of the politicians who feared that their "power" would be reduced to "influence," and Dan recklessly pursued his agenda. (That seems to be reflected in much of "The Report."

Twenty years down the line have proved Dan's fearful predictions false.

Yes, Staten Island has grown, but rather than being weaker, it is now larger and stronger than it has even been. It's infrastructure as part of the City has been strengthened, not reduced.

I understand that Dan has been in charge for several years now, and the accusations I've seen (and heard) leveled against him them carry all the hallmarks of the campaigns that he led here. It seems that long-term sustainability and financial stability are simply not Dan's forte.

Good citizens of Jefferson, I suggest you proceed with great caution.

Alfred Stein

Staten Island, New York

Questions Still Unanswered by the Report

The Fitzmaurice Report certainly has cleared the air around the Schoharie County Civil Service. It has also brought to light many alleged transgressions headed by a group around Cassandra Ethington.

Still, as bad as Ethington's actions were she was not the only one involved. She was aided by Supervisors such as Tom Murray, Martin Shrederis, Harold Vroman, and Dan Singletary, but she was still just one person in the larger food chain and these Supervisors alone could not seize the entire County government or civil service without a wider net.

How could this happen? How did this happen?

What appears to be unsaid throughout all this is how the mechanisms that placed Cassandra Ethington in charge of so much were created. Now we know how she engineered her takeover of the CHHA transfer and the Health Department, but not other vital questions.

How did Todd Ethington receive the Conservative Party nomination for Sheriff? How could he receive the nomination even when challenged by incumbent Tony Desmond without a caucus or primary?

How did the Conservative Party find the money to bankroll major races across the County? The Party is the third largest but is still paltry in size and scope compared to the Republicans and Democrats. The Conservative Party has bankrolled two County Clerk races, two Sheriff's races, and multiple Supervisor races across the County since 2007. Yes, some of the campaign was paid for by the candidates themselves, but we are talking about thousands and thousands of unaccounted-for dollars.

How did Cassandra Ethington's "reign of terror" stay out of the eyes of the Supervisors for so long? Was there an intentional cover up or did the complaints never reach the top?

How could Cassandra Ethington hire multiple allies-- including Conservative Party Chair Bill Hanson-- and her own mother without a review from the Board of Supervisors?

Who set up and paid for the crooked campaigning in the Town of Jefferson? If Singletary did not-- then who did?

There are even more questions than this and the Schoharie News will do its best to get to the bottom of each one. However, it appears that the Report created more questions than answered them. It appears that the corruption in County government had more strings than from Cassandra Ethington.

Opinion: Holmes in Cobleskill

This year's election cycle brings many lynchpin races to our County. One of the largest is for the most powerful executive of all of the County villages. Cobleskill has been mired in economic doldrums since the middle of the last decade and has not had the leadership needed to right itself.

Mike Sellers started the trend, accentuated by the 2008 Great Recession and followed by a term of confusion before Mark Galasso took over in 2010. Mr. Galasso is a smart businessman and has shown in his personal life that he knows how to turn a profit. Unfortunately, he has also shown with his Route 7 water deal that he is able to turn a personal profit from efforts on behalf of taxpayers.

His single minded support for the dissolution of the Village of Cobleskill is unfounded and in poor taste following revelations that Town taxes would inevitably jump in the process. Dissolution can be studied but should not be carried out. As Mr. Galasso has said in the past-- a vote for him is a vote for dissolution. If you do not want dissolution, then holding back a vote for either is a smart idea.

Linda Holmes has served her community for decades in various capacities. Her ability to corral resources and people for many goals is a worthy skill and a great indication of what she would do as Mayor. Holmes' tenure on the Village Board has been one of a pensive, caring individual that has the governmental experience to be able to carry out the job-- and carry it out well.

Mr. Galasso is a smart, cultured man that was clearly out of place as Mayor of Cobleskill and should return to the family business. Linda Holmes has all of the qualities that residents of Cobleskill should want to lead the community for the next two years.

Election 2013 Interview: Cobleskill

The Schoharie News reached out to both candidates in the Cobleskill Mayor's race, but only one reached back. Trustee Linda Holmes was gracious enough to respond and be interviewed for almost an hour. Incumbent Mayor Mark Galasso did not respond to our request.

Trustee Linda Holmes has served her community in various roles over the last thirty years. She currently sits as a Trustee on the Village Board and has assisted in projects youths and community spirit in Cobleskill. She runs her own business and describes herself modestly-- as a "homely grandmother."

She has told voters that she just wants to "give them a choice" in the race between herself and the incumbent. She holds no ill will towards Galasso, who she describes as doing a serviceable job as Mayor. She, however, passionately disagrees with Mr. Galasso's plan to dissolve the Village of Cobleskill, explaining that the she is against it as it stands. There are no significant savings to justify such an action, especially when Cobleskill already has many services consolidated with the Town.

She stressed the need for community involvement and that many problems are not solved by the Village government alone. She would like to see more people involved to assist in Cobleskill's economic and social revitalization.

Opinion: No Choice But to Re-Elect Gene Milone

Simply put: there is no other logical choice for Schoharie residents other than incumbent Supervisor Gene Milone. Since his election  two years ago, Mr. Milone has consistently stood on his principles with complete disregard for party identification or whatever status quo existed on the county board prior to his arrival, instead focusing on the needs and welfare of Schoharie County's residents as a whole.

Mr. Milone, who initiated the Fitzmaurice Report by his motion almost twenty-one months ago, has fought what can only be considered a Goliath sized campaign in not only seeing the report through to its inevitable conclusion but also in its complete and damning release - with the end result being Personnel Director Cassandra Ethington's suspension and the discovery of several supervisors working in collusion with her to assist her takeover of the county Health Department.

After weeks of personal indecision on whether to endorse in the Town of Schoharie, due its contentious nature and the poisonous details of the report's release, we simply could not sit on the sidelines after putting together the final piece of this entire puzzle which pointed towards former Schoharie Supervisor Martin Shrederis as being among a conspiracy of supervisors that worked in coordination with Cassandra Ethington's reign of terror. 

As such, the Schoharie News would like to endorse Mr. Milone's re-election bid and encourage every voter in Schoharie to hold their ballot high for the incumbent's principled, honest leadership in the fight to reform Schoharie County politics, regardless of its political costs to himself... And to remember the words of his opponent in our interview published last week that "amount of money [spent on the report] is a waste," and that the report is nothing more then a "witch hunt."

Shrederis Colluded to Hand CHHA, Health Dept to Ethington

After spending hours of time reviewing the second portion of the Fitzmaurice Report released Friday evening, two years worth of county board minutes and holding several off-the-record conversations with members of the board, the Schoharie News has been able to put together the final piece of the puzzle.

That piece?

Uncovering a conspiracy of supervisors, who aligned with the now-suspended Personnel Director Cassandra Ethington, worked in coordination to not only aid Ms. Ethingon's desire to take over the Health Department but also the questionable closure of the Community Home Health Agency in 2010. 

According to the report, Ms. Ethington "interposed herself in the affairs of the Health Department long before she was asked by the County Attorney to handle the closure of the CHHA," and that after "continually imposing herself in the discussions for the sale of the CHHA's license and management of the department."

This was confirmed by not only e-mails between herself and multiple supervisors in the report, but on multiple occasions are clearly stated in county board minutes, most notably during a special meeting in July 2009 when former Middleburgh Supervisor Dennis Richards asked Ms. Ethington to address board members concerning the financials of CHHA, the County and additional issues facing the program. Then Health Director Kathleen Strack argued against closure or sale, while Ms. Ethington used her position to push the advantages of private over public ownership.

Ms. Ethington would continue to subvert the authority of Ms. Strack from that July meeting until the former director's resignation in late 2010, with Fitzmaurice stating that "Ethington actively sought a managerial role within the Health Department even before the director's resignation." She would later email Supervisor Richards in anticipation of Ms. Strack's resignation asking if that "Since I have been doing all of this work already, I would like to be considered for the interim health department team."

In the aftermath of Ms. Strack's resignation, Ms. Ethington ghost wrote a letter of recommendation for herself by then-Wright Supervisor Bill Goblet, who passed away earlier this year, using the Public Health Committee's letter head which she e-mailed back to the Supervisor Goblet for "inspection and distribution." The letter constituted an official grant of authority by Supervisor Goblet, head of the aforementioned committee, who motioned in January 2011 for the board to "request Ms. Ethington to continue in the capacity of managing the health department."

All of this occurred in the months after the county board dealt with CHHA, which despite considerable opposition by county health officials, employees and seven town supervisors, was sold to an outside firm from Rochester on an abrupt motion by Supervisor Goblet in August 2010. Ms. Ethington would later be asked by County Attorney Mike West to "handle the closure of the CHHA."

Multiple sources in County government confirm that former Supervisor Shrederis assisted in the corralling of votes on the Board despite other members' reservations and without the direct collusion of the three Supervisors as directed by the request from Ethington, that the CHHA transfer and, by extension, her stint as Health Director, could not have occurred.

Supervisor Goblet's motion, which was tabled and then untabled in a series of votes, was supported by Supervisor Richards - who initiated the entire process over a year prior - former Supervisor Martin Shrederis and other implied members of Ms. Ethington's email network. Then-Chairman of the Board Earl Van Wormer refused to sign the contract with the Rochester firm, which then Vice-Chair Shrederis signed without complaint.

Angered by the board's decision, Fulton Supervisor Phil Skowfoe stated that he was "appalled at the Board," particularly against Supervisors Richards and Shrederis, adding that when the board gave CHHA time to turn things around that they "were there." He concluded his statement by blasting the process and accusing those included of "soliciting behind the scenes."

Whether it be Ms. Ethington's takeover of the Health Department or CHHA's transition into private hands, there is a clear and documented collusion between the suspended Personnel Director and former Supervisors Shrederis, Richards, and Goblet, with emails showing close ties to additional supervisors who later formed the basis for the Vroman/Conservative faction that has actively opposed and attempted to prohibit the Report's completion.

Sources: Ethington Received Unredacted Report from Singletary, Has Access to Confidential Interviews

Cassandra Ethington may have been suspended on Friday, but she may now have access to the names and interviews of those that testified against her in the Fitzmaurice Report. According to multiple sources, Supervisor Dan Singletary was handing out multiple copies of the unredacted first portion of the Report-- and in all likelihood at least one copy went to the Personnel Director.

Many of those interviewed were hesitant (or did not take part) because of fear of retaliation. Some spoke strictly on the basis of anonymity. Only the attorneys from Fitzmaurice, Schoharie County attorneys, and the Board of Supervisors were to have access to the confidential information, which included names and specific complaints. The fear that these employees would face firing, demotion, or lawsuits from those accused in the Report was palpable.

If Cassandra Ethington received a copy of the first portion of the Report, she now knows who said what and when to the investigators. With her now infamous claim that she would sue any person that testified the idea that she has the list of those that started the process that will likely end in her dismissal is a disturbing prospect.

The Schoharie News to Ethington: From our Cold, Dead Hands

Todd Ethington believes that he can rally his supporters against the allegations against his wife Cassandra by attacking the messenger. Ultimately, it is not the Schoharie News, or Gene Milone, or Bill Cherry that acted in the way that Cassandra Ethington and her allies did. That is their burden to bear, not for those that are fighting against it.

The allies of the Conservative Party have been up to one dirty trick after another: alleged illegal push polling against Dan Singletary's opponent Sean Jordan, a mailer attacking Bill Cherry, Carl Barbic, Gene Milone, and Phil Skowfoe for daring to stand up to the Ethington machine, and now a call for the very First Amendment rights that we hold dear to be silenced.

No, Mr. Ethington.

Soldiers fought and died for that right. Men and women worked diligently for decades to protect that right. The Constitution was written to ensure that right.

Freedom of the press and freedom of speech are not simple playthings to be thrown away when things are not going your way.

If you want coverage to change, act differently. If you want negative coverage to become positive, be constructive yourself.

To call for the silencing of people you disagree with is against the values that you have taken an oath to uphold.

If you want to stop democracy-- if you want to stop the Schoharie News-- if you want to stop the discourse of the people of the County-- if you want to stop investigations into corruption-- if you want to trample upon the natural rights of anyone we have a message for you:

From our cold, dead hands.

Ethington to Supporters: I Will Fight to Make Activity Like the Schoharie News "Illegal"

Editor's note: Below is a copy of what Todd Ethington placed on his public Facebook page. It is in its entirety so that I won't be accused of taking things out of context-- and with some emphasis added. After his interview the Ethington campaign has made zero efforts to reach out to me or correct any "half-truths." I am the Schoharie County Young Republican Chair and am willing to support worthy candidates of any party. My site is mine alone and not the mouthpiece for the GOP or any candidate.

Todd Ethington blasted critics for what he described as "bullying." He calls for actions like the Schoharie News and the criticism that he and his wife as received to become illegal. As to not color opinion on his words-- here they are in their entirety posted on Facebook.

The Schoharie News is run by the President of the Schoharie County young republicans. Each day he reports a story with half truths or that are completely incorrect. He has been given information to correct his stories or to get both sides, yet he never does. He has used this site to push the Republican views onto the public as truthful and researched news, when in fact they are not. I have run a positive campaign, I have not attacked another candidate and when my supporters have wanted to respond to the nonsense I have asked them not to. I am all for freedom of speech but this has become ridiculous. I guess the behavior of the adults explains how and why kids are bullying others kids to the point of suicide. People are hiding behind fake screen names attacking each other, what has happened in the world to make people think this kind of behavior is acceptable. Win or lose I am going to make it my life's mission to get laws passed making this kind of behavior illegal. The internet was not made to attack people, it was made to connect with people.

Conservative Party Mailer Blasts Cherry, Supervisors for Report

Just hours after the Board of Supervisors voted to release the damning details of Fitzmaurice's second portion of their controversial report, opponents of Treasurer Bill Cherry and leading supervisors that were behind the report's initiation and subsequent release sent a massive mailer to thousands of residents blasting the aforementioned as being apart of the "good old boys club," urging no votes against Fulton Supervisor Phil Skowfoe, Seward Supervisor Carl Barbic and Schoharie Supervisor Eugene Milone.

The mailer accuses Mr. Cherry and the aforementioned supervisors of attempting to "control patronage in the county by funding a "Report" that targets their political rivals - employees of the county." It goes on to claim that "they released the report 2 weeks before Election Day, hoping it would sink their rivals," concluding in large red print that "their plan backfired."

Although difficult to read in the picture above, it states tellingly that the mailer was "Paid for by the Schoharie County Committee of the Conservative Party of New York State."

Opinion: An Option for the Discontented

Editor's Note: Lots of editorials over the next couple of days through the election.

This year's race sees many worthy candidates and many that need to be kicked out of office. However, in some cases there are no good options.

Take the Town of Summit. Cassandra Ethington ally Harold Vroman has the Republican, Democratic, and Conservative Parties' backing and faces no opposition. This should not be the case for a myriad of reasons.

If you are faced with a situation where there is no one to vote for I have a simple suggestion. Write in someone as a protest vote. Let's all have the same name so that it can register in the final tally. Might I suggest "the Schoharie News" so that we can see how many people are tired of the existing system and the lack of choice.

If you don't have a good candidate write in this newspaper. Can't be any worse than what we have now.

Opinion: Murray's Final Disgrace

Editor's Note: In the first draft we accidentally wrote "Dan" Murray, likely because of his similarities to Dan Singletary.

Incumbent Supervisor Tom Murray of Cobleskill has had a tumultuous tenure over the last four years, to say the least.

His first term was marred by the "N-word" incident which brought down Mayor Mark Nadeau and exposed Murray as, at the very least, having very poor judgement.

Meanwhile, his second term is even worse. He assisted in the Cobleskill water expansion which could destroy the business district and funnel money towards preferred businesses along the Route 7 corridor. On top of this, his poor negotiating skills helped kill any deal to get Guilford Mills up and running again.

However, since the release of the Fitzmaurice Report last month, it became apparent that Murray was a chief backer of the Ethingtons. Murray was involved in civil service abuse, rudeness, and wanted strong women "wrap[ped] in cotton."

Such behavior is over the line and deserves firing, but it got even more disrespectful on Friday.

Thomas Murray was one of three Supervisors that did not show up in time to vote on the suspension of Cassandra Ethington or to release the second portion of the Report. Murray showed incredible lack of couth in not coming to at least face the 50 people in the audience-- many of whom were people whose lives were destroyed or hurt by Cassandra Ethington. His blatant lack of respect to the people that make the County work while he has been allied with the suspended Personnel Director is far too far to accept.

Voters of Cobleskill: wrap Tom Murray up in cotton and send him packing with Cassandra Ethington.

Anti-Incumbent Fervor May Prevent Ethington's Firing

Cassandra Ethington will be on the chopping block in next month's hearing, but there could be a severe issue about whether or not she would actually be axed. If the Board of Supervisors receives a stay in the meeting and it is delayed until late December Cassandra Ethington may be untouchable.

The question of how this would even be possible comes to light.

Much of it comes from electoral math. Voters are rightfully angry with the Board of Supervisors, but this anger against the Board as a whole may allow certain Ethington allies to win on Tuesday.

Ethington's closest ally Dan Singletary of Jefferson is almost certainly going to be defeated on Tuesday, but his less than 2% of weighted votes on the Board is almost insignificant during the firing process.

If the largest share of weighted votes represented by Cobleskill can stay in the hands of Ethington ally Thomas Murray, nearly 50% of the Board's votes are in the Conservative Party's backing.

Meanwhile the former Chair of the Board of Supervisors, Harold Vroman of Summit, has no opposition.

The entire balance of the Board of Supervisors would then come down to the third-largest share of votes-- and the balance of the majority. This is the Schoharie race between the first voice for the investigation that brought down Cassandra Ethington, Gene Milone and Conservative Party-backed Martin Shrederis.

If Shrederis, a known associate of the Ethingtons, wins on Tuesday along with Murray, enough votes could keep Cassandra Ethington in her job-- perhaps on extended suspension with pay. Beyond this, there is the possibility that the new majority would open hearings to try and discredit the findings in the Fitzmaurice Report.

Voters want incumbents gone, but it appears that many of the problems in the County are not based on incumbency, but rather candidates' relationships with Todd and Cassandra Ethington.

Ethington: I Never Harrassed Employees

Embattled Personnel Director Cassandra Ethington took a defensive stance on the latest revelations regarding allegations that she violated various Civil Service and other laws. According to a report from YNN, she is completely innocent.

"I have never threatened a County employee. I have never harassed or bullied a County employee. I have spent my entire professional career at Schoharie County doing my best to serve the taxpayer and protect the rights of the hard working employees of Schoharie County."

Second Report: Ethington Threatened Lawsuits Against those that Spoke to Investigators Against Her

The very last public portion of the Second Report seems to sum up much of the controversy going on around the County. It shows that Cassandra Ethington said that she would challenge any County employees that spoke negatively about her with investigators.

This is a direct quote from a redacted employee:

"On at least one occasion I recall Cassie telling me that any County employee who spoke to the Fitzmaurice lawyers and spoke/testified against her; trying to ruin her reputation- they would be cross-examined by her attorney. She indicated she would sue any employee if she had to."

The Second Report: Ethington Gave Job to Conservative Party Chair after Changing Civil Service Listing Illegally, Husband then Received Conservative Party Nomination for Sheriff

There is an entire section of the second portion of the Fitzmaurice Report that seems to confirm what rumors around the County Civil Service seemed to imply. Cassandra Ethington appeared to exchange a civil service job in exchange for a political favor.

Two of the three custodians at the County DPW felt that the job description for the custodial supervisor's role had been changed to prevent them from getting the job.

William Hanson, the head of the Schoharie County Conservative Party was interviewed. His name was redacted in some portions of the Report, but his last name appeared unredacted in another part of the Report discussing the case.

Cassandra Ethington is also a member of the Conservative Party and worked with Hanson in 2009 to help elect Tony Desmond Sheriff. Hanson said that it was "his sole decision" to nominate Desmond for the line.

In early 2011, Hanson emailed Ethington asking: "did you find me a job yet?" Three days later he repeated the question.

Another woman was recommended for the job as head cleaner but former DPW head Tom Fignani said, "Yeah but Cassandra wants Bill Hanson." Ethington asked for Hanson to receive the job to which a redacted employee said that Hanson was part of a group "bullying their way in."

Ethington allegedly changed the job descriptions to exclude other candidates and force Mr. Hanson into the job.

When interviewed by Fitzmaurice and Walsh about his hiring by Mrs. Ethington, Hanson responded with "where does the politics stop and the discrimination start?" He repeated it a second time.

Hanson was interviewed another time with a union rep. This time when asked whether Cassandra Ethington helped get him his job illegally he just said, "Goodbye" and left.

Hanson told interviewers that he had read about the job description on the County website. When asked if Ethington told him about it-- he said "No." Meanwhile, his application for the job came in four full months before they were even requested on the County website. On his application he checked the box that he heard about the job from "FRIEND OR FAMILY."

Ethington then refused an interview by investigators on the subject.

Earlier this year Ethington's husband Todd received Bill Hanson's support and the Conservative Party's line on the ballot Tuesday.

Board Votes to Release the Second Report

The Board of Supervisors held another special meeting tonight to decide what to do with part two of the Fitzmaurice Report. In an 10-2 vote the Board voted to release it. Supervisor Harold Vroman and Supervisor Dan Singletary voted no.

The 56 page Report outlines even graver accusations against now-suspended Personnel Director Cassandra Ethington and actions taken during her tenure. The second portion of the Report combed through thousands of emails, Ethington's files, and a second round of interviews.

There was so much information that the author wrote, "when we searched county emails it became obvious that we would have a challenge eliminating topics to be included in the report."

Could take months, said District Attorney Jim Sacket. An outside firm will be hired to search into the additional allegations. Schoharie Supervisor Gene Milone asked-- what if the Board of Supervisors had conspired to introduce the layoffs and used the flood as an excuse?

Second Report: Ethington Claimed Not to Want Health Director Job, But Wrote Own Hiring Letter

Cassandra Ethington told investigators from the Fitzmaurice and Walsh lawfirm that she did not want the job as interim Health Director and that it was forced upon her by the Board of Supervisors. Instead, she wrote the draft letter for her own hiring.

In a letter to late Supervisor Bill Goblet, Ethington effectively hired herself without Board approval. She said that since she was assisting in the selling of the County Home Health services, she was "doing all of this work already." She wrote the letter on Health Department letterhead and never indicated that she had done so.

Both Supervisor Harold Vroman and President of the Board of Health Betsy Bernocco signed off on the civil service form accepting her. The Board itself approved the job transfer in January 2011.

Ethington accused one employee Eva Gigandet of being "out of control" after she attended a public health seminar. Ethington asked in an email "what is with her?" Mrs. Ethington broke confidentiality-- emailing criticism of Gigandet to Gigandet herself "accidentally."

Mrs. Gigandet was later fired and sued for improper dismissal. The case was dismissed.

Second Report: Ethington Had 'No Competence' in Health Dept, Fired Employee that Questioned Role

Cassandra Ethington's tenure as head of the County Health Department caused many problems, including those that were included in the first part of the Fitzmaurice Report. However, upon further inspection the situation was even worse than originally believed.

Ethington was advised by both a member of the Board of Supervisors and the County Board's attorney to not pursue the Health Department opening but did so anyway. She wrote the letter that appointed herself to the position herself.

An employee in the Department, Kim Euler questioned whether or not the appointment was legal. Ms. Euler was previously described in work reports as "Extremely effective" but Mrs. Ethington was irritated to the inquiries-- including Ms. Euler forwarding the list of concerns of the NYS Health Department. Ms. Euler was assigned additional work outside of her field. This violated Civil Service law 61(2).

Ms. Euler could not file a grievance because Mrs. Ethington was one of the people meant to send the complaint to as Personnel Director.

When Ms. Euler fell behind on the additional duties, Mrs. Ethington placed her on reduced workload. The Report then states that Mrs. Ethington lied about making the change to a dual-role.

Ethington approached [redacted] and Treasurer Bill Cherry stating that she was going to fire Ms. Euler "whether or not" she caught up with her work.

Ms. Euler was fired on August 22, 2011 even though her job was still funded until the end of the year in the budget. Ethington claimed that the firing was in part due to a "Lack of Work or Funds." Telling other personnel about the decision separate from a Board decision is a violation of NYS General Municipal Law 805-a.

The problems in the Health Department caused by Ethington continue "to this day."

BREAKING: Board Votes to Put Ethington on Leave

It was a warm November night when most of the Board of Supervisors entered into the County Building. However, three of their number were not there. Bob Mann of Blenheim, Tom Murray of Cobleskill, Anne Batz of Broome all were not in attendance as the Board as they voted on what to do regarding the infamous second part of the Fitzmaurice Report and to deal with Personnel Director.

There was a round of applause when the Board voted on what to do with Cassandra Ethington.

The Board voted 10-2 to suspend the personnel director with pay until a public hearing for possible termination for cause. This would take at least 30 days.

Voting no: Daniel Singletary of Jefferson and Harold Vroman of Summit. Singletary attacked Bill Cherry-- getting another hit in on the Treaurer before the election. Singletary also said that getting rid of Ethington was closing a major office an an "outrageous action" by the Board.

"It was a reign of terror," said former employee Penny Grimes about Ethington's tenure.

Anne Batz showed up after the vote.

Rundown of Second Report Articles:

- Second Report: Ethington Threatened Lawsuits Against those that Spoke to Investigators Against Her 

- Fears of Job-for-Political Favors Trade 

 - Ethington claimed not to want Health Director job, wrote own hiring letter 

- Ethington fired employee that questioned her position as Health Director