Selectmen chairman caps ‘unproductive’ meeting
By Gregory A. Scibelli
Staff Correspondent
SOUTHWICK – A discussion to address the non-criminal citation issued to Selectman David St. Pierre for possession of an ounce or less of marijuana ended abruptly on Tuesday, as board members criticized the embattled politician for comparing media reports about the incident instead of sharing his side of the story.
Accompanied by his attorney, Richard Maggi, St. Pierre requested the discussion be held in open session during Tuesday’s regularly scheduled selectmen’s meeting, which was attended by approximately 30 residents. Selectmen Chairman Art Pinell terminated the 13-minute discussion after he and Selectman Nicholas Boldyga agreed St. Pierre was not addressing the events of June 3 in his own words, but simply the media reports that had surfaced over the past two weeks.
“This is not a back and forth about what was reported in the various media,” said Pinell.
“The public is here,” added Boldyga. “We want to know about what happened from you.”
According to police reports, a Springfield police officer patrolling the Walgreen’s parking lot at the corner of Armory and Carew streets in Springfield spotted St. Pierre sitting in his truck rolling a blunt – a slang term for a cigar that has been hollowed out and filled with marijuana – around 2 p.m. on June 3. St. Pierre was issued a non-criminal citation and fined $100. He has since filed for an appeal.
At a selectboard meeting on June 15, Boldyga motioned for the board to go into executive session at its next regularly scheduled meeting to discuss allegations of additional misconduct. St. Pierre has denied any wrongdoing.
He maintains the drugs belong to a 22-year-old West Springfield man that he and his wife have been mentoring for the last two years. The individual was with St. Pierre when he was cited.
“This is a young man that has had a lot of challenges in life and has made some bad choices,” said St. Pierre.
St. Pierre said he and his wife are trying to steer the young man away from drugs and get him back into school.
The meeting turned sour as St. Pierre repeatedly referenced media coverage of the June 3 incident in an attempt to clear up rumors that have been circulating about him.
“There have been a lot of rumors and personal attacks against me that have been completely inappropriate,” he said.
St. Pierre accused Boldyga of going straight to the media when the story broke, as opposed to contacting St. Pierre directly to discuss the situation, which St. Pierre called an “unfortunate misunderstanding.”
Boldyga countered by querying St. Pierre as to why he did not contact his fellow board members when the incident first happened. At that point, the exchange became a bit heated and Pinell terminated the discussion. The move angered some St. Pierre supporters who felt he was not given a fair chance to defend himself. Doreen Goyette-Crowley, chairman of the Democratic Town Committee, said the committee backs St. Pierre “100 percent.”
Senior Center Director Jeanne Margarites said the senior citizens in town who voted for St. Pierre deserved to hear an explanation.
Boldyga expressed his disappointment over the less-than-productive discussion.
“I apologize to the residents of Southwick who were looking for an explanation from David St. Pierre and did not receive one,” he said.
