Bob CollinsThis just in from the Department of You Can’t Make it Up:
Minnesota has its share of weird decisions by politicians to look good for the TV cameras, but we’ve got nothing on Cranston, R.I.
Apparently, it seemed like a good idea to Sue Stenhouse, the executive director of the Senior Enrichment Center in the city, to hold a news conference announcing a program for teens to shovel snow for seniors.
That’s a sweet idea and for maximum optics, Stenhouse wanted a senior citizen to stand with her during the news conference.
This is where it gets weird.
Like many New England towns, you can’t throw a stick in Cranston without hitting an older person.
But Stenhouse had a guy dress up like an old lady instead.
There was also no snow in Cranston at the time of the news conference, so Stenhouse has ice shavings from a nearby arena dumped in front of the participants.
Stenhouse has resigned her $55,000 a year city position.
Says the Associated Press…
Meanwhile, a hair salon owner told WJAR-TV that she unwittingly supplied the wig for the caper to David Roberts, the van driver who transports seniors to the salon. Roberts did not immediately return a message left at his work.
“He says to me, ‘Elaine, do you have a wig that I could borrow? I have to get dressed as a senior,'” Elaine Mancuso told the station. She later realized why he wanted it.
“I said, ‘Oh, my God. He wanted it for that.’ I probably would have given him a better wig if I had known.”
