Council Swears in Wiley As Acting Fire Chief

On Oct. 5, the Winthrop Town Council met in the Harvey Hearing Room of Town Hall, where Winthrop Fire Capt. Scott Wiley was promoted to Fire Chief. The meeting was broadcast live on WCAT, and residents could participate in person or on Zoom.

New Fire Chief

Town Manager Terence Delehanty appointed Fire Capt. Scott Wiley to the position of Fire Chief. The Council Clerk swore in the interim chief, who was surrounded by his friends and family.

Town Manager Delehanty called Chief Wiley “well-suited and well deserving.”

“He has all the knowledge necessary to carry the department forward,” he said.

In an emotional speech, Chief Wiley thanked his family for their support. He has served the department for three decades, and is only the sixth chief in the department’s century-long history.

“Each left his own unique legacy on this department and I hope to do the same,” he said.

Chief Wiley expressed gratitude for the way his department came together during the pandemic. He vowed to seek funding to secure training, staffing, safety measures, state-of-the-art equipment, and, eventually, a new public safety building.

“My job is to make a better department tomorrow than we were today,” he said. “Thank you for the opportunity to serve the community.”

“Congratulations to Chief Scott Wiley,” said Council Pres. Phil Boncore.

General Updates

The Town’s Annual Fall Forum will be delivered on Oct. 19, in the Senior Center.

October is White Cane Awareness month, and Oct. 15 is White Cane Awareness Day. The initiative is meant to raise awareness of visually impaired individuals using a cane to navigate in public. Read our interview series with local resident John Morgan from last fall on our website.

On Oct. 22, the Town will celebrate the dedication of Frankie Fabiano Way.

A ceremony is proposed for next spring to inaugurate the “Never Forget Garden,” a project to honor Winthrop’s veterans.

Construction continues in the CBD. Town Manager Delehanty and DPW Director Steve Calla met with one of the construction foreman to express their concerns that work seems to be lagging behind schedule. The Town is still hoping the project will be complete by the December deadline.

The Dept. of Transportation has told the Town not to rely on them for funding the Winthrop Ferry going forward. Town Manager Delehanty said regionalization was “the way to go” and “the only way I see it succeeding.”