Deputy fire chief leaves position; Department loses 2nd high official.

• Position: LOCAL NEWS

Byline: Brian Lee

SOUTHBRIDGE - Closely following the retirement of the fire chief, Deputy Chief Ajay P. Larochelle has decided to retire, too.

The retirement of Fire Chief Leonard N. Laporte earlier this month led to Deputy Chief Larochelle doing the same last week, Town Manager Clayton R. Carlisle announced at Monday's Town Council meeting.

The deputy chief, whose retirement is effective Dec. 3, will work part of this week and next and then use earned vacation, Mr. Carlisle said. He has worked for the town for more than 30 years.

Mr. Carlisle appointed Fire Capt. Richard Ciesla as acting chief, a move that went into effect yesterday.

Also at Monday's meeting, the council gave third and final approval of a bylaw that regulates where certain sex offenders may live.

The town manager also appointed an ad-hoc committee to assist in formulating the Fire Department's staffing structure before the chief and deputy chief's retirements. The panel would also assist in interim management and recruitment.

Its members are: Theresa G. Colognesi, personnel director at Incom Inc.; Charlene Richard, personnel director at Harrington Memorial Hospital; Palmer Fire Chief Alan J. Roy; Ware Fire Chief Thomas Coulombe. The appointment of William Pioppi had not been confirmed.

On Sept. 10, Chief Laporte retired amid scrutiny on issues concerning wages that some councilors argue he wasn't entitled to as a nonunion department head.

Meanwhile, Department of Public Works Director Hamer D. Clarke will also use earned vacation time before his last day of Dec. 10. Mr. Clarke's retirement is unrelated to the Fire Department departures.

"We'll be running an advertisement for the (DPW) job after finishing the tie-down of the job description," said Mr. Carlisle, who under the charter makes a three-year...