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Stafford Little League Votes to Keep Embattled VP

On Tuesday night, Staffordville School saw a crowd big enough to put any recent town meeting to shame, complete with a police presence just in case things got out of hand. While the 130+ attendees mostly kept it together, the real fallout may be yet to come, as parents and volunteers seemed unhappy with the outcome, and one announced that Tolland Little League would take kids from Stafford.


Police cars outside of Staffordville School on February 4, 2025.
Police cars outside of Staffordville School on February 4, 2025.

I'll preface this story by saying that the sound system in the gymnasium was awful, and people weren't always stating their names for the record, even if I could have heard them. A lengthy and detailed explanation from Stafford Little League President Rich Smith confirmed the basic facts we reported last month: "JJ" Martorelli wrote two checks from the Stafford Little League (SLL) checkbook. One on September 27, 2024, was written for $5,749.25 to RWM Mechanical. The other was written on November 21, 2024, for $2,347 to Suffield Academy. Both were eventually paid back. Additionally, Smith told the audience that SLL did not have any "financial problems" and said there was more than $26,000 in a checking account with additional funds in a savings account. With this in mind, he pledged the league would not seek funds from the town's Recreation Commission as the town budget is tight, and the league does not need those extra funds to operate.


Smith told the audience that Martorelli paid back the first check sometime in October, though it wasn't entirely clear when. He did say that the owner of RWM was the one to notice the check was from the Stafford Little League account and alerted Martorelli, but only after it was deposited. The owner himself later confirmed this in a public comment. Martorelli then brought the check to the attention of the previous league president and paid back the funds, which were ultimately deposited on October 25, 2024. The other check was paid back after Dave Galotto, the new treasurer who was voted in at the end of 2024, brought it to the attention of Smith and the board in early January. When Martorelli paid back the second check, he added $500. At this time, Martorelli turned in his SLL checkbook. He will not be allowed to access funds or handle finances for as long as Smith is president.


Smith explained that Martorelli was in the habit of keeping the SLL checkbook and his own checkbook in his truck console and accidentally grabbed the wrong one both times. Smith consulted East Region and District 12 for advice on handling the situation and says he followed their advice to handle matters internally. A vote was held in January, and the board voted to keep Martorelli in his current position. Shortly thereafter, Galotto resigned. In a statement during the meeting, he said the way things were handled "seemed wrong to me." The votes were done privately and counted in a separate room. Other members of the SLL board did not feel the response was adequate and let that be known during the comment period. They called the same organizations as Smith to express their concerns. This ultimately resulted in guidance suggesting SLL take another vote on whether or not to remove Martorelli from his position as vice president, which happened in private at Tuesday's meeting.


Many people spoke in support of Martorelli, and others spoke out against the league's handling of the situation. One person who said he was a former president of Stafford Youth Football called Martorelli a "trusted member" of that board. Another, who extolled his own resume as a volunteer, said, "This isn't the first time this has ever happened in town...It's the first time it hit social media." He then challenged people to spend more time volunteering and less time criticizing the league. One woman suggested she would be fired if she made the same mistake in her job. Audience members shouted down some speakers, while others attempted to keep the meeting focused on when the checks were written and how long it took to pay them back.


Before the board left the gymnasium to take a vote, one audience member who spoke suggested that by not removing Martorelli, the league was "choosing one person over everyone else." It would have required a two-thirds majority to vote out the VP, which they did not have, as Smith returned and announced Maroterlli would remain in the position. Tensions were still running high as people lingered in the auditorium after the announcement. As I left, one man shouted profanity from the back of the room. The conversation continued in local social media groups after the meeting ended. What this means for league registrations remains to be seen, with opening day fast approaching in April.



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