LIVERMORE FALLS — Town Manager Jim Chaousis apologized Monday to witnesses for his behavior after he became upset that his wallet was stolen after the selectmen’s meeting on June 7.

He publicly issued the apology and also said he tried to apologize in person to each of the witnesses.

Chaousis said he had very little sleep over the weekend before that meeting when his second daughter was born.

When he came out of the selectmen’s meeting and saw that his office was not secured and his wallet was missing, Chaousis said, he became enraged and took it out on people talking politics in the parking lot.

“I made a terrible mistake,” Chaousis said. “You cannot talk to people that way.”

Witnesses stood behind their account of the incident, but resident Val Nichols said “I accept his apology.”

Resident Richard Korhonen said he would like an apology printed in the newspaper.

After the meeting Nichols said he wondered how they could stop the state police investigation into Chaousis’ conduct.

Chaousis’ wallet is still missing.

In other business Monday, selectmen approved Chaousis’ hiring of Gerard “Gerry” Pineau of Manchester as the new Fire Department chief of operations for a six-month probationary period.

The job pays $3,600 a year. Pineau was a former captain at the Jay Fire Department years ago and has served on other fire departments since then and currently serves on the Oxford Fire Rescue and is an emergency medical technician at the intermediate level with United Ambulance in Lewiston. He has 19 years of firefighting experience and 14 years of emergency medical service.

Six candidates submitted applications, and the review panel requested to interview four of them, Chaousis said.

After second interviews with three candidates, the panel recommended Pineau to fill the position, Chaousis said.

Pineau outlined his goals, if he was chosen for the position, in a letter submitted with his resume.

“My goals if I were to become fire chief would be to create an infrastructure for the department. To implement policy. Look to ways to provide the same service and prepare others in the department to gain knowledge and experience to be able to go up through the ranks and hold positions including fire chief,” Pineau wrote.

“I would also work for the community and the department to understand each other’s needs and work together for the common goal of public safety to the highest protection,” he said.

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