To the editor,
I’m writing this in defense of Shelly Timmer.
Over the past couple of months I've seen the deputy chief (of the Littlefork Ambulance Service) tear Shelly apart because she had made a complaint against him about taking call time from the Falls. I have witnessed many phone calls from the deputy chief threatening her to watch her back or else.
Four months ago, after the complaint was made, the deputy chief had called a meeting with the city administrator and two other officers. The chief officer was not informed of this meeting, neither was Shelly. In this meeting the deputy chief gave the ultimatum, that if Shelly was not fired he and another officer would quit. When the former chief had found out about the meeting he had told them that it was wrong and that they have no reason to write her up or terminate her.
Due to the fact of all that was going on, it seemed like a witch hunt to the former chief. He resigned that day. Within two months the deputy chief had finally got his wish to have Shelly terminated from her secretary position, which she willingly stepped down in hope that this would end, but the deputy chief still pushed for a 60 day suspension.
At Shelly's hearing the city attorney threw out evidence and letters stating "We’re not going to read through a bunch of papers." In the evidence that was thrown out, there was proof to show that there was no motion or approval for this policy. Therefore, she has not broken any policy of theirs. Ever since the complaint was made against the deputy chief, the Littlefork ambulance has been on a witch hunt towards Shelly. In the six plus years that Shelly has worked on the ambulance, she has never been written up, demoted or terminated from her positions as, given suspension or terminated.
For the deputy chief, anyone who ever made complaints against him, they have been written up, demoted, given suspension or terminated. Shelly is the fifth woman that the deputy chief has made attacks against. I guess all I have to say is this, wake up Littlefork City Council. You gave her a 60 day suspension for putting supply away without two people being there. When Shelly informed you guys of her complaint, she told you she was scared of what the deputy chief would do next. You should be able to work a job with out fear. Has it gotten so bad that now only one person runs things? I thought that we live in a free state were dictatorship is not aloud. To put an end to all the rumors, Shelly's 60 day suspension had nothing to do with the petty cash.
Andy Timmer
Littlefork, MN