Westport
in Brief!
EverythingWestport.com
Tuesday,
May 14, 2013
photos/EverythingWestport.com
Quick
Article Index . . .
Westport
business manager hired by select board.
Mass Audubon’s ‘Big Barn Study’ seeks volunteers to help
swallows.
Southcoast Health System offers free skin
cancer screenings in Fall River.
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Westport business manager hired
by select board. EverythingWestport.com Tuesday,
May 14, 2013 Photos/EverythingWestport.com
Selectmen at
their Monday night meeting voted to hire, subject to contract negotiations,
Mattapoisett resident Steven J. Lombard Sr. as the town’s new part-time
business manager. But with age comes
experience and Lombard like Healey has a buckboard full of that. Three Selectmen
(Craig Dutra and R. Michael Sullivan were absent) voted unanimously to accept
the Town Administrator’s recommendation to hire Lombard, a skilled town
manager well versed in budgeting and procurement procedures. The hiring
solidifies Jack Healey’s position as part-time Town Administrator for the
foreseeable future. Lombard will assist Healey, who has been working many
more hours beyond the 16 for which he is paid. Lombard, who
attended the Bentley School of Accounting and Finance, has had a long career
in town government. “I was first
hired by Mattapoisett as Executive Secretary in 1976,” Lombard said. “I
stayed there until 1981 when I was hired by Jack Healey to be Town
Manager/Purchasing Agent for Wareham. “In 1987 I moved
on to Norton as Executive Secretary. The position was subsequently upgraded
to Town Manager by a 1980 change to the town’s charter, making me Norton’s
first town manager.” Another Cape
town, Dennis, lured Lombard away to be their Executive Secretary in 1992.
Dennis also then changed the position to Town Manager. Lombard retired
as Dennis’ Town Manager in 2002, but has held seven interim town
administrator positions since including the towns of Swansea, Hopedale, and
Harwich. Westport becomes
number eight. It seems town
managers/administrators don’t die or even fade away in their jobs. They
thrive on bringing a calm demeanor and steady hand to the hectic pace and
sometime political tomfooleries of small town politics. Lombard attended
Wareham schools where he was raised. He is married with two grown children, a
daughter and son, and has three grandchildren. Lombard has lived
in Mattapoisett for the last 40 years. After his
“retirement” he served as a Mattapoisett selectman for two terms from 2003 –
2009. “I really enjoy
doing this kind of work,” Lombard said. “I enjoy finance and business and
believe I can contribute to improving Westport’s budget and procurement
process; I can provide a positive impact.” The likable
Lombard has been through this transition in several towns. He says he has
lots of experience and maturity, and looks forward to helping Westport put
their financial house in order while moving their purchasing system forward,
a move Westport Selectmen started two years ago. His years in town
government have groomed this “old guy” for his new responsibilities in
Westport. And his high energy outlook on town government will should propel
him through it. Lombard will be
paid for 24 hours a week and Healey will be paid for 16 hours a week at a
rate of $60.00 per hour. Neither of
them will receive health or retirement benefits. The twin contracts, prepared
on the basis of the prior Monday’s executive session discussion, were reviewed
last night for approval by the select board. Although both
contracts were negotiated at the same time, they are “separate, and the
potential future departure of one of these gentlemen will have no impact on
the other,” said Selectmen’s Vice Chairman, Richard Spirlet. “I enjoy fishing
and occasional golf,” Lombard said. “I also enjoy gardening and being
outdoors.” If his
involvement with Westport is as committed for the “part-time” business
manager’s job as that of Westport’s part-time town administrator, he won’t
have much time for any of those vocations. Lombard has
already volunteered to immediately start working for the town, preparing the
ground and learning the ropes prior to officially joining in June, when he
will be on the town’s payroll.
Above: Selectmen share
a laugh with the town’s new business manager, Steven Lombard (left) while
town administrator Jack Healey (foreground) looks on. Mass
Audubon’s ‘Big Barn Study’ seeks volunteers to help swallows. EverythingWestport.com Friday, May 17,
2013 As farms and
barns disappear, populations of these super swoopers
may begin to suffer. Do you own a barn
or know of one you can visit? Are you interested in birds? The Allens Pond Wildlife Sanctuary needs you!
“The Big Barn
Study is an ideal way to engage the natural world for bird enthusiasts,
people who love barns, and in fact anyone who appreciates the biodiversity
and natural wonders of Massachusetts,” Sanctuary Director Gina Purtell said. If you would like
to join the Big Barn Study or if you own a barn and would be willing to allow
a study participant to briefly observe swallows on your property, please
email us at allenspond@massaudubon.org. Learn more about
the study, and how to participate, at www.massaudubon.org/bigbarnstudy. Southcoast Health System offers free skin cancer screenings in
Fall River. EverythingWestport.com Friday, May 17,
2013 Before the summer
begins, get your skin checked by a dermatologist and know the signs of skin
cancer. Southcoast Health System is offering free
skin cancer screenings on Wednesday, June 12, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at Southcoast Centers for Cancer Care, 506 Prospect Street,
Fall River. Dermatologists
Ronald Schneider, MD, a dermatologist with Southcoast
Physicians Group Dermatology, and Richard Waldman, MD, are physicians who
specialize in the treatment of skin disease and disorders. Drs. Schneider and
Waldman will conduct the screenings and provide information on skin cancer
prevention and services provided by Southcoast
Centers for Cancer Care for cancer patients. Pre-registration for the
screening is required as space is limited. To register, please call 800.497.1727. Skin cancer is
one of the most common types of cancer and can have different appearances
depending on the type of growth. “Skin cancer is
directly related to sun,” Dr. Schneider said. “Ultraviolet (UV) rays from the
sun and from tanning beds are the primary cause of skin cancer. Too much
exposure to UV rays can also cause sunburn, eye damage and premature
wrinkles.” The American
Cancer Society recommends a cancer-related checkup, including a skin exam,
when you have your regular health exams. For more information about skin
cancer, visit www.southcoast.org/summer/skin.html. © 2013 Community Events of Westport. All rights
reserved. EverythingWestport.com |
