NEWBURY — The town's health agent had to scramble to find a site for an H1N1 flu clinic next week after her request to Triton Regional School was apparently misdirected.
Tension between town officials and a Triton School Committee member briefly flared during Tuesday evening's meeting of the Board of Selectmen.
At issue was School Superintendent Sandra Halloran's lack of a response to a request by Newbury Health Agent Deborah Rogers for use of a Triton site for the Dec. 2 clinic.
Town Administrator Chuck Kostro sent selectmen a copy Tuesday morning of an e-mail message from Rogers to two other Triton staff members, in which she related leaving messages for Halloran on Nov. 18 and 19.
Newbury School Committee member Frank Chiaravalloti, sitting in the Town Hall audience, said Halloran was at a conference of Cape Cod at the time. She checked her messages, he said, but did not receive Rogers'.
Rogers said she called Halloran again on Nov. 23 and received a callback.
"Ms. Halloran did not feel comfortable with Newbury using Triton's facilities for Newbury's dispensing site because it was restricted to Newbury residents only," Rogers wrote in her e-mail. "I asked if we were unable to use Triton, could we use Newbury Elementary School, she stated she needed to get back to me."
Rogers said she felt a sense of urgency in getting the clinic scheduled and, when she didn't hear from Halloran, she turned to The Governor's Academy, which gave her an answer "within the hour."
The two-part clinic will be held at the Whiston-Bragdon Arena, the new hockey rink on the campus of The Governor's Academy, from 3 to 4:30 and 5 to 6:30 p.m.
(Reservations and screening are required. To make a reservation, call 978-465-0862, ext. 316, Monday through Thursday, 2 to 4 p.m.)
Chiaravalloti said Halloran had never vetoed Newbury's use of a Triton site, but she wanted to make sure the other two Triton towns — Salisbury and Rowley — had their own clinics.
Chiaravalloti said if Rogers was unable to reach Halloran she could have called him. Selectwoman Audrey Keller suggested Rogers could have called Newbury Elementary School Principal Sylvia Jordan directly.
Those comments drew a sharp response from Kostro, who contended Rogers was following pre-established procedures.
It was unfair, Kostro said, to expect Rogers to call School Committee members or other Triton officials when Halloran was the designated contact person.
"Our staff did everything they were supposed to do, when they were supposed to do it," Kostro said.
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