William Chamberlain of the Rochester Police Department may have retired, but he is not going anywhere any time soon.
Chamberlain was first on the agenda for the June 2 Rochester Board of Selectmen meeting, with Chief Paul Magee stating that, although Chamberlain retired from the police department just one day ago, he was now back asking to be appointed as a reserve police officer.
Magee praised Chamberlain for all his many years of service beginning in June 1994 when he was appointed as part-time officer. He then advanced to full-time in 1997, finally earning the title of sergeant in 2003.
Magee shared with the board a long list of roles that Chamberlain filled within the department, which will now be taken on by nine other employees. Magee said that Chamberlain is “everything Rochester.”
“Bill is such a wealth of knowledge about everything Rochester,” said Magee. He used the words integrity, dependable, and trustworthy to describe his colleague and friend.
The chief presented a certificate to Chamberlain, as well as a plaque from the selectmen and a card from another officer in attendance.
Also during the meeting, the board appointed Stephen McGraw as Plumbing Inspector for the Town of Rochester, and Frederick Underhill was appointed to the Mattapoisett River Valley Water Supply Protection Advisory Committee.
In other matters, Town Administrator Richard LaCamera notified the board that the state will award the town of Rochester $45,000 for paving and filling potholes under the condition that the work is completed by the end of this month.
Also, William Chamberlain wrote to the board seeking permission to install a granite memorial stone at the Perry’s Lane fisherman’s parking area on behalf on his sons, Paul and Adam, in honor and remembrance of their grandparents, Joseph and Georgia Chamberlain. The stone would be put into place at no cost to the town.
Chairman Naida Parker stated that she would like to see “more of a bench than a granite block,” elaborating her fear that this stone could be misconstrued as a monument put in place by the Town.
The other selectmen approved the granite stone as is, with Selectman Bradford Morse saying, “I’ll second it. I don’t have a problem with it.”
Chief Magee notified the board of an upcoming opportunity for Police Department employees to take the exam for promotion to sergeant on July 12, 2014. Magee also asked the board to approve a letter to Verizon regarding a new problem the department has been experiencing with Verizon trucks working on busy roads without a police detail.
According to Magee, on more than one occasion, Verizon trucks have been found without the required police detail and, when questioned by the investigating officers, the Verizon workers have replied, “We have been told to work without a detail until we get caught.”
The board unanimously approved this letter of concern to be sent to Verizon.
The next Rochester Board of Selectmen meeting will be June 16 at 6:30 pm at the Town Hall.
By Sarah Taylor
