Hammond Town Council's Langtry, Tague Feuding
HAMMOND - Hammond Town Councilmen James Langtry and Dr. James R. Tague have some differences to settle.
Following Monday's board meeting, Mr. Langtry and Dr. Tague engaged in a public confrontation, with both men standing at the front of the room exchanging heated accusations for several minutes and pointing fingers in each other's faces.
"I don't really know what happened," said Town Supervisor Ron W. Bertram on Tuesday. "I don't know what provoked one or the other. It seemed as if they were arguing over the committee selections, but as far as picking the committee goes, I chose them.
"The confrontation shouldn't have arisen," he said.
Mr. Bertram says that Mr. Langtry doesn't seem to feel that he can work with the rest of the board, which includes Mr. Langtry, Dr. Tague, Mr. Bertram, Douglas E. Delosh, and James Pitcher.
"Tague, Delosh, and myself were elected. The people put us on there. I think he has to," work with the others, Mr. Bertram said.
Appointed to the Wind Advisory Committee were Lenny Bickelhaupt, Allan P. Newell, Fred Proven, Dr. Stephen D. Sarfaty, Michelle McQueer, Richard Champany, Don Ceresoli Jr., Merritt Young, Ronald Papke, and Rudolph Schneider.
Each councilman, according to Mr. Bertram, was charged with delivering the supervisor his 10 selections for the committee.
"I sent in the list," Mr. Langtry said Tuesday. "I thought some past committee members, a past board member, and some land owners should be represented on this new committee." He said "about four" of his selections made it onto the committee.
"There are some people on there who will never be happy," he said, pointing out that David Duff, who has been asked to be the committee facilitator, lives and votes in Macomb.
"He shouldn't be in Hammond telling us what to do. I know him well enough to know that he will be leading people his way," Mr. Langtry said. "Concerned Residents of Hammond (CROH's) got control of it. They will rule the roost."
Mr. Langtry also said that he "knows some people who would be better served" on the Wind Advisory Committee, but refused to name anyone.
As for the confrontation with Dr. Tague, there were no apologies from Mr. Langtry.
"I'm not happy with how they appointed the committee. There were no rules or regulations established and it was all done behind my back," he said.
He didn't pull any punches when it came to Dr. Tague.
"We don't quite see eye to eye. Everything has to be his way. Look at the lawyer's fees for January, about $13,000," he said. "Tague was blaming me for the lawyer fees. He told me he was going to get me off the board. I asked him how."
"He likes to control things, and when he doesn't get his way, he's not happy," Langtry said.
Mr. Langtry said he will work with Dr. Tague "if he comes down off his high horse."
"But he isn't going to tell me what to do," Mr. Langtry said.
"He (Dr. Tague) called me in December, before he was even elected, and told me how to vote. That didn't get us off well," he said. Mr. Langtry said that work has been done on the law for three years, and that he was happy with the law adopted by the previous board.
Dr. Tague said Tuesday that the conflict arose because of one of the committee selections: Dr. Stephen D. Sarfaty.
"He (Mr. Langtry) turned to me after the appointments and said that I must be happy because Sarfaty is my best buddy. I didn't know what he was talking about. I've only met him (Dr. Sarfaty) once, and I certainly didn't appoint him. He wasn't even on my list," he said.
As for getting along with Mr. Langtry in the future?
"That's up to Mr. Langtry. I was surprised by his outburst and don't understand what his big concerns are," Dr. Tague said. "I'm afraid he's been fed misinformation that he's acting on, but the board meeting wasn't the time or the place to have a meltdown."
"I never said I would get him off the board. I don't care, it's the voters decision, not mine," Dr. Tague said. "Mr. Langtry has faithfully served the town for a long time. I hope that he can continue."
