Because the Rochester Town Board meeting on February 1, 2007 was cut short after only 20 minutes, Manuela Mihailescu never got to read this statement she prepared for the public comments period.



Manuela Mihailescu
5868 Route 209
Kerhonkson, NY 12446-3110
845.626.4462


Thursday, Feb. 1, 2007

I would like to make some clarifications — for the record — regarding my application as volunteer on the Historic Preservation Commission. My application, updated for and distributed on Jan. 24, 2007 to all 5 board members and the town's attorney, is attached.

My updated application highlights my interest, qualifications and ways I can help in historic preservation, best proven by obtaining the largest Preservation grant in the history of our town, all based on individual initiative, determination, hard work and marketing skills applied to preservation.

On Jan. 8, 2007, when attending a meeting of the Historic Preservation Commission, I was called by Supervisor Pam Duke in her office and told that I have to come for a second interview on Jan. 24, 2007. Having today's perspective, I now realize that most of the members of the HPC already knew why I am singled out, the only applicant asked for a second interview.

My interview was supposed to be about PRESERVATION, NOT PORNOGRAPHY. It's hard to find two more distant extremes.

I was ready to share with the board the good news regarding an article about the barn grant published the same day in Ulster County Press; instead I was shown extremely offensive pornography. The so-called second interview was a pretext for an intentional vicious attack, premeditated and well planned, "prepared" for months by the leadership's inner circle who spread the ugly rumor about me and my husband all over the town.

THE FACTS

When
The interview took place on Wed, Jan. 24, 2007, around 7:00 pm. I was not called in immediately after the subdivision public hearing ended, but only after the board spent 10-15 minutes behind closed doors. Completely shocked, shaken and emotionally distressed after the interview, I hit a car in the parking lot, my first accident in 37 years of spotless driving record. The accident report indicates Jan. 24, 2007, 7:30 pm.

Where
The interview took place in Supervisor Duke's office - a very small room, which has no windows and is extremely intimidating especially when 6 people, all in position of authority, surround you. It was a very hostile environment, a threatening atmosphere which - when I replay the interview in my head, which I do continuously - is best described as a chamber of torture.

The Participants (5 men, one woman)
1) Supervisor Pam Duke
2) Deputy Supervisor Francis Gray
3) Councilman Alex Miller
4) Councilman Tony Spano
5) Councilman Ron Santosky
6) Town Attorney Rod Futerfas
The participants were sitting almost in a circle, in the following order, from my far (behind) left to my right: Ron Santosky, Attorney Rod Futerfas, Francis Gray, Tony Spano, Pam Duke, Alex Miller.

Supervisor Pam Duke
Sitting in her chair, facing me (not the computer). Basically she showed no reaction to all the accusations or to my answers, almost unreal, a stone face; at some point it seems that she checked on her computer the "rumor" but not finding anything to confirm it, she did not admit that fact except by a bothered head gesture. Mr. Gray said at that time "I don't know if the site is still on."

Councilman Francis Gray
He is the elected town official who had in his possession the obscene, porno printouts. He took them out from his personal, yellow folder - a huge lot of color printouts from Internet porno sites which I'm going to call the "book".
I was shown hundreds of obscene color photos depicting penises of all colors, vaginas and asses, ejaculations, close-ups of people in the peak of sexual acts; on the first page I could see that the printout was from a Yahoo search including my name. The rest of the pages were covered by bands of small square obscene photos without any connection with my name. On the last page, black and white, was just text with the headline "Manuela's early American literature text book," which I wrote down on my pad. I asked two times to be provided with at least a copy of the first page of the "book," so I can track down the Internet path, but Mr. Gray refused to do so twice.

Councilman Alex Miller
Sitting to my right, trying to explain how they got the porn site results: "go to Yahoo search, #9 or 10 is going to take you there"; to which Mr. Gray added that it's "Manuela's early American literature text book" taking you to the porn site...
Mr. Miller made a point in stressing that they discuss my case independently of that of my husband's and that "there is no agenda" in this. He concluded that to take a vote at that time would be unfair to me, as it would mean NO appointment, but that the town board could not "ignore" what was brought to their attention. He also mentioned that a search on his name would not take you to such an adult site, as my name did.
None of my denials or my outrage at the accusations seemed to reach either Mr. Gray or Mr. Miller.

Councilman Tony Spano
Facing me, sitting between Supervisor Pam Duke and Francis Gray. He started the "interview" by stating that "it was brought to our attention that your name is associated with an adult site." I asked about the name of that web site and nobody was able to provide it. On two occasions he addressed me politely: "Manuela, is your name/are you associated with an adult site?" It seemed that he tried to actually get an answer from me, as opposed to Pam Duke, Francis Gray and Alex Miller who were definitely not interested in what I had to say. He also stated that he is not familiar with such Internet searches.

Councilman Ron Santosky
He was sitting almost behind my chair, in a corner and did not participate in any way to the discussion. As our closest neighbor for over 5 years (his auto repair shop being at the border of our property on Route 209), I'm sure he knows and feels what kind of people we are...

Town Attorney Rod Futerfas
He is the person who ushered me in. When Mr. Gray was enjoying accusing me without the slightest track of a proof, Mr. Futerfas told him that I have the right to see what he is talking about. He was seated at my left, next to Mr. Gray.

The absurd association made by the Town Board between preservation and pornography not only dirties my name but also a noble cause. It also tries to shadow our biggest preservation achievement, the $50,000 barn grant which represents something positive for the entire town.

To Conclude:

This is to publicly deny any and all allegations and accusations made by board members regarding the association of my name with an adult site.

This is to condemn the orchestrated interview-attack, the hostile way in which I was treated, the vicious way in which I was accused, a tragic reminder of my life in Communist Romania. I was shocked, harassed, humiliated and threatened, and I continue to feel this way.

Town board officials, you cannot play with peole's lives the way you did... you cannot ruin people's lives the way you tried. Not without being accountable and facing consequences. Because there is no justification in the world for what you did...

You have no idea what wounds you have re-opened... As an immigrant, I escaped totalitarian oppression; the United States granted me political asylum to be protected, not attacked or threatened!