Letter To The Editor: Halsey's Record

READING, MA — The following letter to the editor was submitted by Town Meeting member Angela Binda in response to an Aug. 17 letter from Alec Giacalone.

To the Editor:

In an August 17 rebuttal letter to my August 11 letter, Mr. Alec Giacalone attempts to
correct some of my statements. His letter is titled "Facts Matter about John Halsey." Facts
do matter. Mr. Giacalone does not have all the facts. I stand by my original letter.
Mr. Giacalone writes that I "claimed that Mr. Halsey threatened to sue members of the
Recreation Committee, which is not true." On June 12, 2018, the Recreation Committee
met, and Mr. Halsey attended their meeting and talked to Recreation Committee members
about their vote asking to remove him as liaison. These are excerpts from the meeting
minutes, publicly available on the Town website:

"J. Halsey says that he met with a lawyer twice and had the resources. He says he has been
considering lawsuits against recreation committee members. He also states that he could
fill the room with 60 people." The minutes also state, "J. Halsey says that he indicated that
he would not stop his involvement… He said that he will be coming to recreation committee
meetings instead of Select Board meetings unless a quorum is needed at the Select Board or
important issues are being discussed." The minutes continue with, "J. Halsey exits.
Committee members briefly discussed J. Halsey’s comments. Several members state they
felt personally threatened by the lawsuit comment."

Mr .Giacalone wrote "She claimed ‘John Halsey is the only Select Board member in memory
to have been required to resign from a position as Select Board liaison to a Committee’
which is wrong. At the July 10, 2018 Select Board Meeting, which is on YouTube, Mr.
Halsey resigned from his position as Recreation Committee liaison of his own volition. Mr.
Halsey acknowledged that the Recreation Committee felt it was time for a change in their
liaison and he was more than willing to accommodate that."

Mr. Giacalone is wrong in his characterization of events that occurred and the facts
surrounding those events. I attended the July 10, 2018, Select Board meeting, fully
expecting Mr. Halsey to be replaced as Select Board liaison to the Recreation Committee
during the discussion of the 9 pm agenda item, which was "Discussion of the Recreation
Liaison Assignment." Instead Mr. Halsey gave his resignation earlier in the meeting. Mr.
Giacalone states that Mr. Halsey was "more than willing to accommodate" the Recreation
Committee's desire for a new liaison. However, Mr. Giacalone does not explain why the
resignation took place months after the request, months after Mr. Halsey knew of the
request, and only when the matter was to be discussed publicly, and it was expected that
the Select Board would vote to replace him as Recreation Committee liaison. Admittedly,
"required to resign" was a poor choice of words on my part. Mr. Halsey chose to resign, in
my opinion, to avoid the embarrassment of a public discussion of events leading to that
moment, and to avoid a vote to remove him from this appointed position. Mr. Halsey was
allowed to frame the narrative, as long as he was removed. He no longer controls that
narrative.

Mr. Giacalone intimates that the reason the Recreation Committee asked for a new liaison
was that Mr. Halsey was wearing too many hats, and heavily involved in recreation
organizations. This is only partly true. Select Board members are given liaison
assignments based on their interests, so there’s no inherent conflict with Mr. Halsey’s many involvements with ball leagues and other recreational activities and his work as Select Board liaison to the Recreation Committee. It was his behavior that precipitated the need for his removal. This is reinforced in a contemporaneous email from the then-Select Board Chair to a Recreation Committee member, in discussing Mr. Halsey’s many recreation involvements and his possible removal as liaison, where the Select Board Chair wrote,

"Board participation by itself is not a reason [for removal]. But overstepping staff, and making volunteers uncomfortable is." (Email obtained through public records request.)

Angela Binda
Town Meeting Member
Orchard Park Drive