Commissioners approve pair of hires 

DOVER-FOXCROFT — The Piscataquis County Commissioners approved the hiring of two people to fill open positions with the sheriff’s office and district attorney’s office during a Jan. 21 meeting.

“We want to hire Brock Robinson, he already has two years with Penobscot and all the training other than corrections but that can wait,” Piscataquis County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Todd Lyford said. “He does a very good job, he works part time for us already.”

During a commissioners’ meeting earlier in the month Sheriff Bob Young said interviews were ongoing to fill a dispatch/corrections officer vacancy. He mentioned that during a staff meeting he remarked how the county law enforcement agency was fully staffed for the first time in several years but soon that was no longer the case.

On Jan. 7 Young also told the commissioners that Patrol Deputy Tysen Ober has left to join the Dover-Foxcroft Police Department as the school resource officer for Foxcroft Academy and the SeDoMoCha School. Ober succeeds the first position holder, “Officer Pete” Dennis who resigned effective at the end of last month after starting during the previous school year.

“He’s gone there and we just started advertising for the position,” Young said.

The commissioners also approved the recommendation to hire Spencer Desimone for a temporary part-time receptionist job. 

Piscataquis County District Attorney’s Office Domestic Violence Investigator Scott Arno said, “We had this part-time receptionist budgeted this year so we did interviews and one candidate rose above the rest.”

He said Desimone is a resident of Sebec, graduated from Thomas College in Waterville with a degree in forensic psychology, is pursuing a master’s in social work and is considering law school some day. Arno said Desimone has previously interned and volunteered in the district attorney’s office.

“I have worked with her many times and she is a very suitable candidate,” Arno said.

In other business, the commissioners took action on an executive order of enhancing state and local involvement in refugee resettlement. They directed County Manager Michael Williams to draft a letter saying the region does not have the resources, such as adequate housing and social services, to allow refugees to settle in the county and the area is likely not an ideal location as a result of the cold climate.

“I would say we are one of the poorest counties in the state and we have no places to put people,” Commissioner Wayne Erkkinen said, before suggesting a letter be written saying the position of the county is that it is unable to fill a need.

“I think it would be barbaric to bring someone and dump them into this physical and financial climate,” Commissioners Chair James White said. He said he has seen news footage of refugees getting off the bus in Portland, wearing shorts and flip flops.

“It isn’t right to bring in people who aren’t familiar with the climate and dump them into Maine,” the chair said.

“Without the resources to house them safely I don’t think we should be accepting anyone,” White said. “That could change, if someone were to come to us and say we have got a plan with all the resources in place then I would say go ahead.”