NORWALK, Conn. – The differences between the South Norwalk Community Center and Ernie Dumas have been resolved, allowing the Dumas-led Thanksgiving dinner to take place in its traditional way, Mayor Harry Rilling said Tuesday.
This is just six days after SoNoCC Executive Director Kelly Robertson reached out to the South Norwalk looking for a new partner to offer Thanksgiving dinner to the community. Dumas had been rebuffed amid allegations that last year’s event had been “more disruptive” than expected. Robertson’s statement also said there would be a four-figure charge for using the room.
“The room usage charge has been $1,050 with a $300 security for over a year,” Robertson wrote in a statement. “In the past the community center had donated the use of the building free of charge. But in the past it was only for Thanksgiving dinner and sorting of a toy drive. Last year, they requested even more time and more space, and the community center gave it to them, but while it was going on, it was more disruptive than expected, and members of the community were turned away when one of the conditions of use was that no one was turned away from the toy drive.”
“Some are saying that we turned away some of their people. That has never happened since we have been there having this Thanksgiving dinner,” Dumas said. “I don’t know where these comments are coming from. We have never had a problem since the day that we started this program, but I do believe that someone else wants to take over the program themselves but they can’t take over what belongs to us. They can start what they want, (but) we started this 20 years ago and I am not going to give it away to anybody.”
Tuesday afternoon, Dumas said things had been worked out.
“There will be a Thanksgiving dinner,” Dumas said.
His group will not be charged for the use of the center, he said.
“I have not heard any update regarding this Thanksgiving Dinner,” South Norwalk Community Center board Chairman Warren Peña said in an email. “Last I heard Kelly was waiting for a phone call from the Mayor, which to my knowledge has not happened. Therefore, as far as I am concerned, this is at a standstill until it comes back to the board for approval.”
“Warren just said ‘whatever you need to do, get it done,’” Rilling said. “So I met and spoke with Miss Robertson and had a long discussion. It’s going to happen and then we are going to start working on the Christmas party. Because there are some little things that have got to be handled with the After the Bell program, they’re going to have to do it differently than they have in the past.”
This will be the 20th year the Dumas-led group offered free turkey. About 300 people benefited last year, including people who did not even make it to the South Norwalk Community Center, at 98 South Main, as volunteers deliver meals to senior housing centers, Dumas said.
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