BY JEFF CHUDZINSKINorth Country This Week

MASSENA -- The Massena Permanent Fire Department will have a new assistant foreman in the near future following a resignation made official Oct. 20. 

Village trustees accepted the resignation of the position by long-time Firefighter Walter Bean during their Oct. 20 regular board meeting. 

Bean will remain with the department as a firefighter, with an internal promotion expected to be announced in the coming weeks. 

The board will likely take action on the promotion during next month's meeting on Nov. 17. 

Bean also serves as the village's lead code enforcement officer. 

In years prior, many firefighters undertook double duty with the department and Code Enforcement as a cost saving measure for the village. 

In recent years, however, many firefighters who have joined the ranks have come in with EMT certifications. 

Trustee Ken McGowan said that is now standard practice at the State Fire Academy, as the vast majority of professional departments statewide no longer hire recruits as just firefighters. 

"That just doesn't happen anymore. You have to be trained in both now to even be considered by most of the departments, especially the bigger ones like Syracuse, Rochester, Buffalo and even Plattsburgh," he previously told trustees. 

In other action, trustees also approved the temporary appointment of Melissa Dishaw as a clerk for the village Police Department. 

Dishaw will be on staff "for a few months at least" with the department's current clerk going out on maternity leave. 

Mayor Greg Paquin said the clerk role is a vital one to the department as the clerk handles a number of tasks, including FOIL requests. 

"That eats up so much time, (responding to FOILs), without having someone there. You have the chief and lieutenant...keeping them away from actual police work. So I think this is pretty vital to do that," Paquin said.

Trustees also approved the appointment of Todd Manning to the Village Zoning Board of Appeals, filling one of the two vacancies on the board. 

Village officials said the Village Zoning Board of Appeals and Village Planning Board both need one more appointment each. 

Paquin said anyone interested in either position should reach out to Village Administrator Monique Chatland and trustees would review the application. 

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