Sunday, January 24, 2021 - 5:42 pm BY ANDY GARDNER North Country This Week MASSENA — Village trustees approved hiring a Department of Public Works backhoe operator, but declined to move forward with appointing a new assistant street foreman for the DPW. The board took the actions at their Tuesday, Jan. 19 meeting broadcast live online via Zoom. The board voted 4-0 to appoint Andrew Beaulieu to the backhoe operator position. The next action item was to appoint Thomas Blair as assistant street foreman. DPW Superintendent Hassan Fayad said both Beaulieu and Blair were interviewed by village officials including himself, the board’s Personnel Committee and the village administrator. He said they are the candidates that “we believe have the best qualifications for the two positions.”