BY LINDA BENTLEY | FEBRUARY 16, 2011
‘Carefree Truth’ and letters from the dead
It didn’t take long to find out Laurette Bouthillier was Hollis Pagliaro’s mother, who died in 1996 at the age of 86
Holly Pagliaro, aka: Hollis A. Pagliaro, Holly Bergman, Hollis Bergman, Hollis A. Pagliaro-Bergman, and Hollis A. Paglialo-Bergman, the statutory agent and organizer of the Carefree Business Group, LLC, is pictured chatting with Lyn Hitchon (r) during a break at the Feb. 2 Carefree candidate forum. Photo by Linda Bentley
CAREFREE – Carefree resident Lyn Hitchon makes no bones about who she likes and doesn’t like and runs a website called “Carefree Truth,” which often contains information to the contrary.
It’s clear she supports the reelection of Mayor David Schwan, dislikes his opponent, Councilman Doug Stavoe and is now conspiring with the dead to bring about his defeat.
On Feb. 1, Hitchon posted “Letters from Readers” disparaging Stavoe.
One letter reads as follows:
“Doug Stavoe includes his status as president of the merchant's group on his website. Here are the facts:
1. He was not elected. He assumed the role when the than (sic) president deferred to a motion.
2. There were two meetings after he took control of the group. Nothing further was accomplished.
3. All events ceased.
4. Wine Night ceased.
5. A vote of no confidence was considered by the merchants but was not acted upon.
6. The group never rebounded from his leadership until the recent formation of the CBA.
7. $1,700 in existing monies remain unaccounted for.
I don't believe this is the quality of leadership that the residents of Carefree expect or deserve.”
It was signed Laurette Bouthillier.
“The allegations are untrue,” said Stavoe. “I find them irresponsible and reckless.”
Several people wondered who Bouthillier was, since no one had ever heard of her and she seemed to have “insider knowledge” about the former Carefree merchant’s group.
It didn’t take long to find out Laurette Bouthillier was Holly Pagliaro’s mother, who died in 1996 at the age of 86.
Bouthillier’s obituary lists among those she left behind her daughter and son-in-law, Hollis and Edward Pagliaro.
That would be the same Hollis Pagliaro, who gives her name at council meetings as Holly Bergman, owner of Wild Holly Garden Gallery and who is also the statutory agent and organizer, along with Jo Gemmill, of Carefree Business Group, LLC, (CBG) as per the documents filed with the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) in November 2010.
She signed all the corporate documents using the name Holly Pagliaro and 22 Easy Street address and Carefree PO Box 1012 for the company’s address.
Those are the same addresses she uses for Wild Holly Garden Gallery, Inc, except she signs those annual ACC reports with a variety of names, including Hollis Pagliaro, Hollis A. Paglialo, Hollis A. Bergman, Hollis A. Pagliaro-Bergman, with the most recent report signed Hollis A. Paglialo-Bergman.
Even Jo Gemmill used her real name, Joanne, in co-organizing CBG, adding only her middle initial for corporate filings for her restaurant and etiquette school.
In any event, when there’s something nasty to post on Hitchon’s website, it’s an interesting touch to sign a dead person’s name to lend it credibility.
Perhaps Hitchon posted the dead woman’s letter in exchange for getting to be an “extra” in the new Carefree marketing video facilitated by Pagliaro with taxpayer money.
We can only wonder what name Pagliaro is using to sign contracts and agreements with the town and/or vendors and how binding any of those contracts really are.
Hitchon is a Carefree Planning Commissioner and while she is entitled to her First Amendment rights as a citizen, her “truth” from beyond the grave emphasizes a lack of credibility.
What is clear, however, is Pagliaro and Hitchon both support the status quo in Carefree’s leadership, something that should give voters pause.
