Monthly Archives: July 2017

Sherman Dems Nominate Lowe/Keenan Team

Press Release, slate
slate 2017
The Sherman Democratic Town Committee caucus was held on July 24th. The slate of candidates proposed for municipal office by the Nominating Committee was unanimously accepted with Selectman Don Lowe running for First Selectman and Kevin Keenan running for Selectman.
Don Lowe has served as Selectman since 2016, and was previously elected to the Board of Selectman for two terms from 2004 to 2008. He served on Planning and Zoning from 2000 to 2003, was the first (and current) chairman of the Land Acquisition Fund Board, served on the Sherman Higher Education Fund Board for 15 years, and has been on the Chamber Ensemble Board since 2009. In addition to serving the town as Selectman, Don is currently the administrative coordinator for an eduction program sponsored by IBM for high-risk high school students who take college courses through P-Tech at Orange County Community College. He also teaches English as an adjunct professor at Naugatuck Valley Community College.
Kevin Keenan has lived in Sherman since 1989, and is the sole proprietor of Southview Builders. Kevin has a Master’s degree in City and Regional Planning, and served on the Sherman Board of Education for over ten years.

To contact the campaign, email:

 

 The complete slate includes:
Don Lowe, First Selectman
Kevin Keenan, Selectman

Board of Education
James Neunzig, David Silvay

Planning & Zoning Commission
Neil Volkmer, Ryan Peburn

Planning & Zoning Alternate
Jerrold Siegel

Board of Assessment Appeals
Kim Devine-Kean

Zoning Board of Appeals 2018
Kenric Gubner

Constables
Joe Keneally, Ken Knipple, Ernie Dech

Sherman Democratic Town Committee Newsletter 7/24/2017

Hot Topics, Newsletter

Welcome to the newsletter of the Sherman Democratic Town Committee. Our goal is to share with local Democrats news and resources to help us stay involved for positive change on a state and local level. We are committed to working for and with the citizens of Sherman to promote issues, initiatives, and candidates that will make Sherman a better place to live and work.


Small Town Government, Part II:
How Our Sausage Is Made (and Who Makes It): A Brief-As-Possible History of Sherman Politics

Given today’s divisive political climate, it’s understandable that Democrats and Independents are experiencing epic levels of apathy if not downright disgust. We hope that shedding some light on how our town works will prove to educate readers about how to best support those hardy souls who are putting themselves up for election in various town positions this coming November.

Death By a Thousand Cuts?

Big stories make big news, but the sum of many little stories may be just as important.

We are all familiar with President Trump’s “successes,” such as withdrawal from the Paris climate accords and gaining confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Gorsuch. The ways that the resistance to Trump has succeeded, such as delaying and partially blocking the travel ban and the massive opposition and (as of this writing) successful mobilization to block the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, are also well known.

But the devil is in the details. The malevolent impact of the Administration’s executive orders, regulatory and deregulatory actions, personnel decisions, and withdrawals of grants is beginning to add up.

The New Agenda Foundation’s Amy Siskind reminds us that authoritarian governments often take hold through incremental changes that seem shocking at first but quickly become normalized. “Experts in authoritarianism advise to keep a list of things subtly changing around you, so you’ll remember,” she suggests.

Sherman Democratic Town Committee Regular Monthly Meeting
Monday, July 24, 7:30 PM
Old Town Hall (Senior Center)
Caucus to nominate and elect the slate of candidates for the upcoming municipal elections. All registered Democrats from the town of Sherman are welcome and encouraged to attend our monthly meetings.

Board of Selectmen Monthly Meeting
Thursday, July 27th, 7 PM
Mallory Town Hall

Sherman Volunteer Fire Department’s
Annual Ball
Saturday, August 5th, 6 PM

Sherman Park & Rec Summer Concert Series
After Hours Band
Saturday, August 12th, 4-7 PM at the pavilion

Sherman Park & Rec Summer Concert Series
Cripple Creek
Sunday, August 20, 3-6 PM at the pavilion

Sherman House & Garden Tour Returns This September
Save the date! The ever-popular Sherman House and Garden Tour will return this year on Saturday, September 16, 2017, from 10 AM to 1 PM.

This self-guided tour affords one-day-only access to several of the region’s most magnificent private residences and their gardens. Ticket holders will receive a program that describes what to expect at each home, along with addresses. In past years, the Sherman House & Garden Tour has featured lakeside estates, historically significant homes, working farms and horse properties, and Sherman’s most architecturally stunning abodes.

A garden party with refreshments will take place in Sherman’s historic center after the tour.

The Sherman House & Garden Tour is sponsored by the Sherman Democratic Town Committee. A portion of the proceeds are donated to the Guido Tino Scholarship Fund.

Tickets will be available at local retailers this summer.

Sherman is lucky to be represented by two Democratic senators and a Democratic representative in Congress–but don’t think that your phone calls in support of their votes and actions do not matter. Senator Chris Murphy, speaking recently at a campaign-training event, made it clear that tallying up those supportive calls from his constituents helps him maintain a strong case for his positions. Sherman’s state-level representatives are both Republicans.

Congresswoman Elizabeth Esty
(860) 223-8412  (202) 225-4476

Senator Chris Murphy
(860) 549-8463   (202) 224-4041

Senator Richard Blumenthal
(860) 258-6940   (203) 330-0598   (202) 224-2823

State Senator Michael McLachlan  Senate District 24
(860) 240-0068

State Representative Richard Smith  House District 108
(860) 240-8700

We are an organization of inclusion, not exclusion. We have a longstanding history of attracting both Democratic and unaffiliated voters and endorsing both Democratic and unaffiliated candidates. We work to represent the wide variety of Sherman citizens who hold many different viewpoints and opinions.

Paid for by the Sherman Democratic Town Committee, Thomas Conley Treasurer

From the Desk of Selectman Lowe: Budget, CLA, Fire Department, and Tennis

Press, Press Clipping, Published Article

DeskOfDonLowe2

Town Tribute July 17, 2017

Summer is in full swing and the Board of Selectman is weeks into the new fiscal budget year, which began July 1. We held a Town Meeting on Saturday, July 15 and the voters in attendance (about 30 folks) approved all of the agenda’s items unanimously. These included up to $10,000 to paint the exterior of the Senior Center, $43,000 for the ongoing replacement of docks (5 of them) at Town beach, $8,400 to replace the chain link fence at the basketball courts, the yearly $20,000 appropriation for Happy Acres to be used on non-capital repairs, $52,000 to the Sherman Volunteer Fire Department (SVFD) for a much-needed Ford F-350 pick-up truck, and also $9775 to the SVFD for repairs on Engine 5 and Tanker 8. These approved expenditures totaled $123,175 and that leaves $642,113 in the capitol non-recurring fund.

Referring to the Sherman Fire Department and Emergency Services, I can’t say enough about its members’ commitment to the safety and well-being of Sherman residents. And you can show your appreciation for these amazing people by purchasing tickets to the FIREMAN’S BALL, which will be held on, Saturday, August 5th at 6 pm on the Sherman Green. Scrumptious food, music, dancing, and neighborly nattering with a lot of fun folks all for a good cause! Please come out! This is a special 75th Anniversary Celebration and, again, it’s a wonderful way to show support and have some fun while you’re at it.

On Saturday, July 22 at 9 a.m. we are having a ribbon cutting ceremony for the repaired tennis courts at Veterans Field. The project appears to have come out looking great and the new courts will add a lot to the town’s character. The entire Board of Selectman is pleased and I know that a lot of local tennis players are overjoyed, too. Supporters of this project owe thanks to the Sherman’s Park and Recreation Commission for its steady commitment over the years to refurbishing the tennis courts, which were initially bequeathed to the town by the late Mary Hadlow. Ms. Hadlow, both in life and upon her passing, was a generous benefactor for many lovely matters in Sherman.

This is a critical time for the Candlewood Lake Authority (CLA) and the area’s economics as it seeks a replacement for Larry Marsicano who served exceptionally well as Executive Director for 14 years. Larry once said at an annual gathering of Candlewood Lake stakeholders and interested parties, “There are three primary threats to the lake: milfoil, zebra mussels, and politics.” It is my hope that politics doesn’t cloud the search for Larry’s replacement. Right now there is a small faction — many of the same people (and a few extra cronies) who advocated for herbicide to control milfoil (they were defeated but still persist) — that want to change the standard hiring practice of the CLA in order to favor hiring someone who better supports their agenda. This could have dire circumstances for the lake. For example, the new executive director might appease this group by being less eco-friendly than Larry was or the new executive director might not push for draw downs, which are effective in controlling both zebra mussels and milfoil. So it’s important for anyone concerned about the lake to stay current on the players involved in this hiring situation. Phyllis Schaer, CLA chairperson and lake volunteer extraordinaire, is a wonderful resource. Also, find out who your town’s CLA lake delegates are and ask them their opinion. And who should be concerned? Yes, lake residents and area business owners, but also every area homeowner. Along with being a recreational gem, Candlewood Lake is a vital gear in the economic engine for the five lake towns. There is a lot at stake here.

I had the good fortune of seeing the Broadway smash, Hamilton, two weeks ago. Along with exquisite entertainment, the show serves as a profound reminder of what a precious miracle our great country’s inception was. I followed the show with a lot of reading and refreshing about our country’s origin. It’s easy to take for granted the American way of life, our unique government, our rights, and our freedoms. But to examine the framework from which it all began – so much of it born of reasonable and passionate discussion measured with compromise — is valuable and makes one appreciate the United States of America even more.

Please feel free to contact me with questions and concerns. dlowe@townofshermanct.org and at 860 778 3394. Thanks!