RUMFORD — From a list of three nominees Thursday night, the Board of Selectmen named Myrtle McKenna of the Rumford Historical Society the Citizen of the Year by a 4-1 vote.

McKenna, who did not attend the meeting, will be presented with the award at a future board meeting.

The lone dissenter was Selectman Jeremy Volkernick, who followed Selectman Mark Belanger’s motion to choose McKenna with a motion to instead choose Robert A. McPherson Jr.

The third nominee was longtime barber Carmella Puiia.

Selectmen, however, took Belanger’s motion first, agreeing that should it fail, they would then act on Volkernick’s motion.

Those voting for McKenna did not state their reasons for doing so, nor did they explain that selectmen had in their agenda packets background information on each of the three nominees.

McKenna and Puiia were nominated for the honor by someone at Bartash’s store, whereas McPherson, a Boy Scout leader, baseball coach, auto mechanic and second vice president of the American Legion, was nominated by his sister, Deborah Laurinaitis.

Among the reasons offered to choose McKenna were that she single-handedly “helps keep the history of Rumford alive.”

“She works tirelessly for the preservation of the history Rumford. Her warm smile, kind thoughts are the cornerstone that made Rumford great,” the background document stated.

Additionally, it said that McKenna ensures that society publications are in stock and available in local stores and provides people “any time of the day” with copies of available historical society books.

In other business, selectmen voted 4-1 not to remove several large stumps left along Hancock Street by Central Maine Power Co. when it had the old trees removed several months ago.

All but Volkernick, who has diligently worked to have Town Manager Carlo Puiia find the money to get the project done, approved Puiia’s recommendation to add the project to a “to-do” list. It would be completed when funding became available.

Both the town manager and Selectman Greg Buccina argued that the stump removal project represented “a want” and not a need, and therefore should be put off. Buccina further recommended that Puiia contact CMP and ask it to remove the stumps since they had the trees cut in the first place.

Puiia said money for the project wasn’t budgeted. He estimated the cost at $1,802. Volkernick, who sees the stumps as an eyesore and an impediment to economic development, said it would cost only $950.

“Let’s get it done within 60 days, and if the board doesn’t want to get this done, then let’s just let them sit there and rot,” Volkernick said.

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