By ANDY GARDNER

North Country Now

MASSENA -- The town supervisor on Wednesday announced five new appointments to the Massena Memorial Hospital Board of Managers.

Town Supervisor Steve O’Shaughnessy announced the appointments of Dawn Hewlett, David LaClair Jr., Lenore Lavine, Michael Cook and Dr. Suzanne Daye.

"They volunteered and will do a fine job, I'm sure,” O’Shaughnessy said.

Dr. Michael Maresca, a controversial sixth recent appointee, was not on the list of names that was included as a resolution item on Wednesday’s Town Council agenda.

In a public comment session that lasted more than 90 minutes prior to the announcement, more than a dozen town residents and MMH employees voiced concerns that Maresca serving on the hospital board is a conflict of interest. They cited his association with St. Lawrence Radiology, which benefits financially from a contract with MMH. More about that is here. Critics have also pointed to his residency outside the MMH service area.

Lavine was appointed in December and sat on the board during their Dec. 17 meeting.

Hewlett, a comptroller with the Coinmint cryptocurrency mining firm, was announced as a new MMH trustee around the same time as it was revealed that Maresca was named to the board.

LaClair is also a member of the Massena Central School Board of Education.

Cook is director of the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe’s Health Services.

Daye is a retired physician who O’Shaughnessy said practiced at MMH in the past. When asked if she ever practiced at Canton-Potsdam Hospital, the supervisor said “possibly.”

The appointments do not require Town Council approval.

In other MMH board news, board chair Susan Bellor will have a hearing on Tuesday, Jan. 22 at 1 p.m. in the Town Hall’s second floor boardroom following O’Shaughnessy’s attempt to remove her from the board.