LETTERS: More Support for Former Enfield Senior Center Director

EDITOR'S NOTE: In the past two days, Enfield Patch has received three more letters supporting former Enfield Senior Center director Susan Lather. All three are published here.

I, along with most every senior citizen that knows Susan are asking why did Susan leave the Enfield Senior Center. Was it because she voluntarily chose to? Well, everyone knows that's not true. So the question remains who is responsible for this travesty? The answer becomes obvious.

Susan Lather has been the director of the Enfield Senior Center for 14 years. During that time all of her job performance evaluations were deemed to be “beyond expectations”. The Senior Center has been accredited nationally a number of times, thanks to Susan Lather and her staff. Only a minority of senior centers throughout the country even attempted to seek such national accreditation. I have as yet to encounter even one person who can say anything bad about the former Director of the Center, Susan Lather.

The newly appointed Social Services Director, who did not take into consideration the views and feeling of those seniors who use the Center, was Susan’s immediate boss. Did she take it upon herself to be the instrument that let Susan go? If not, I hope that she can tell us who was responsible. And if she was responsible, then for transparency sake, we might ask her why?

Then there is the Town Manager to whom the Social Services Director answers directly. It's hard to believe that a person who has been on the job for about a year and really does not know our town well would act unilaterally. So it would seem that the Town Manager was also involved. He needs to respond as well.

And to whom is the Town Manager directly responsible? It would be the Town Council and specifically the majority on the Council. Did the majority party know what was going on? Either they did know or they should have known. And if they did know, why did they let this happen?

As it says in Psalms: “Blessed are those who act justly, who always do what is right”. Maybe our local government leaders need to do just that.

Bill Kiner
Enfield

I am a volunteer for 36 years, and always received thank you, appreciate your service, kind words. Many times I was honored statewide - you can check my records.

I truly was in shock when I read about Susan Lather resigning her job due to teh terrible attitude of the Social Services Director, Dawn Homer-Bouthiette. Her objection to honor teh volunteers and present them with a coupon for $10 ice cream gift is just hard to accept.

Dawn should look up in the dictionary the word Social (getting along well with others...) and the word Service (an act giving assistance and advantage to another...). Dawn is in need of big counseling, does not qualify for this job, and resigning would be best. She should apologize to all teh volunteers for her comment, "frivolous purchases" - can you believe this?

Susan Lather always, and again always, appreciated volunteer services. A great lady indeed, she will be greatly missed.

And now to our Town Manager, Bryan Chodkowski. Did he not see Susan 14 years and Dawn three years? Why did he not step in and investigate the situation, or speak out. In my thought, he does not care or has no backbone - useless.

Trudy Dorous
Enfield

While I am no longer a resident of Connecticut, I have been following the trials of Susan Lather. I was formerly a member of the planning committee of the Enfield Single Seniors and was active at the Senior Center.

Susan has exhibited a perfectly exemplary career in the fourteen years that she has been Director of the Senior Center, that is, until the new manager for the Social Services Department was somehow hired. Suddenly, Susan’s performance became subpar.

With Susan in charge of the Senior Center, many of the activities offered not only paid their own way, but were profitable for the town of Enfield. Volunteers performed much of the work done - for free. There was a great atmosphere, numerous programs and active participation. Enfield’s Senior Center is admired by other area centers, which is likely why it has won so many awards and accreditations. Why would anybody ruin such a good thing?

One has to wonder how this woman was ever hired in the first place. Is this an example of dirty politics? The people of Enfield are paying her salary, but apparently have no say in how she handles her job. What’s next on her agenda? A friend who has been promised Susan’s job?

The town of Enfield built this facility for the seniors who have paid taxes all of their lives. The residents of Enfield own the Senior Center. Why are the town manager and the town council letting this woman run Susan’s fourteen years of work into the ground? Somebody should be held accountable for this.

Nancy Lecours
Ocala, Fla.

Patch welcomes letters to the editor on any topic, and reserves the right to edit letters for brevity or clarity. Email letters, including the writer's name, address and phone, to tim.jensen@patch.com.

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