HUDSON – Newly-appointed Fire Chief Jamie Desautels recognized former Fire Chief Bryan Johannes for his work and service to the town of Hudson at the Jan. 8 meeting of the Select Board.
He acknowledged his predecessor via a Jan. 2 letter that was read by Select Board Chair Scott Duplisea. According to the letter, Johannes’ retirement began Jan. 13. He had been a member of the Hudson Fire Department for over 35 years.
As outlined in the letter, Johannes was appointed as a permanent call firefighter on Aug. 5, 1988, a permanent full-time firefighter on Nov. 12, 2001, and a permanent lieutenant on Sept. 1, 2014. He then rose through the ranks to become acting fire chief on Jul. 23, 2019, and finally fire chief on Nov. 5, 2019.
“Throughout his distinguished tenure with the town, Bryan served Hudson with a consistent commitment to the safety and well-being of its residents. In the final years of his tenure as chief, he provided leadership and stability to a department of 32 full-time firefighters,” said Duplisea.
He led the men and women of the department by example, Duplisea noted, and thought ahead to do what he “believed was right.” He was confident that Desautels would continue the good work that Johannes started and wished him “the very best in his well-deserved retirement.”
Select Board member Judy Congdon, who worked with Johannes about 10 years, also wished him well in retirement.
“Since I’ve had to retire [from the Fire Department], I’ve missed his cooking. He was our chef on our shift, and I just want to wish him well in his retirement,” Congdon said.
The Select Board also acknowledged the retirement of Deputy Fire Chief Brian Sleeper as of Jan. 26. He became a call firefighter on Aug. 5, 1988, a firefighter on Nov. 8, 1992, and a lieutenant on Mar. 24, 2020. He became the acting deputy fire chief on Jun. 14, 2021, and the deputy fire chief on Jan. 20, 2022, according to a memo from the executive assistant’s office dated Jan. 2.
Duplisea said, “Good luck, Mr. Sleeper in your retirement.”
Other news
The Select Board awarded the Armory Disposition request for proposal (RFP) to the Hudson Cultural Alliance — a vote which referred to the 1.84-acre parcel of land at 35 Washington St., with an execution of the deed as prepared by town counsel.
Founder and President of the Hudson Armory Project Tom Desmond said the RFP was the final step so they could start getting grants and funding for the project. The goal is to “enrich the cultural economy of the region by creating an environment in which the arts flourish,” according to the project’s website.
Desmond said, “This should help us down the road.”
In other business, the Select Board accepted a $25,000 grant from the Stanton Foundation for the design of the dog park project slated for Sauta Fields. In the letter to Recreation Director Steven Santos, Elisabeth Allison, co-director of the Stanton Foundation, noted that the organization was “pleased that the town of Hudson has reached the design stage for a dog park.”
She wrote, “We look forward to seeing the designs of Hudson’s new dog park.”
