Group exit

Three resignations from the Cultural and Heritage Committee have been accepted by the Borough Council but in doing so they claimed no knowledge of what spurred the group departure.

“It’s not often that we get three (resignations) at once,” Councilman Jack Mikolajczyk told colleagues at the Tuesday, Oct. 24 meeting. “Did we get an exit interview?”

Borough Administrator Michael LaPlace said no explanation was given by the three resigning Cultural and Heritage members – Emily DeScenza, Shirley Penrose and Judy Levesen. None of the three were present at the council meeting.

Mayor John Madden and council members said they’d received no reason for the resignation circumstances when asked by Inside – Middlesex. They referred questions on the matter to Councilman Jeremiah Carnes, the governing body’s representative on the committee.

Carnes was absent from the Tuesday, Oct. 24 council meeting.

“Honestly I don’t know why,” said Mikolajcyzk, adding he would leave it to the Cultural and Heritage representative to answer the question.

“Councilman Carnes would be the only one who can answer that,” added Council President Michael Conahan.

Conahan said a group’s chairperson typically passes along info to the council on the reason for a resignation from their panel. “We were all surprised to see that,” he said of the three resignations.

The cultural group had two other members resign in mid-2022. Including Carnes, the committee had 11 members prior to the three recent resignations. The group has sponsored seemingly benign events like Open Mic Nights at the borough library and a Colors and Flowers Festival at the Community Garden. 

The Cultural and Heritage Committee was established by council ordinance in October 2020. Members are appointed for three-year terms. 

According to the borough’s administrative code, the committee’s duties consist of engaging and encouraging cultural, historic and artistic engagement, events and related activities.

The committee is charged with advancement of the visual, literary and performing arts; the collection and display of art objects; and the preservation and commemoration of Middlesex’s culture and history.

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