Tempers flared at the regular Andes Town Board meeting today when a town resident accused the town's highway superintendent of being illiterate.
Town councilman Ritchie Gabriel was reading a report filed by Andes Highway Superintendent Michael McAdams when Gladstone Hollow resident Joe Sicinski interrupted, asking why McAdams was not reading his own report.
"He should read it. Why can't he read that?" Sicinski asked. "If I write a report, I should read it."
"Because the highway committee is presented with the highway report, usually before the meeting, and the chairman of the highway committee is charged with reading the highway report for the superintendent," Andes town supervisor Marty Donnelly responded.
When Sicinski continuted to demand that McAdams read the report himself, Kimberly Tosi, a candidate for Town Clerk who is also McAdams' daughter, threatened to punch Sicinski.
Sicinski was still undeterred, however. Finally, he explained his request.
"I have been told that the highway supervisor cannot read," Sicinski said. "I have heard that from more than one source. So if he cannot read, how can he do his job? I'm a taxpayer."
"As far as I know, he can read," said Donnelly.
"Let's have proof of that," Sicinski said.
"if we can't continue the meeting, we'll have to suspend the meeting and adjourn it," Donnelly said.
"No one agrees with me?" asked Sicinski.
Several people in the well-attended meeting said no. Sicinski then sat down.
Stay tuned for more coverage from the Andes Town Board meeting from the Watershed Post. More in-depth story to follow.
