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A Great BOS Team: Promises, Successes

Press, Press Clipping, Published Article, slate, Uncategorized

By First Selectman Don Lowe in Town Tribune, September 28, 2023

(editor note: The title was added by the SDTC webmaster, not by Don)

Friends and Neighbors,

I have had the privilege of serving as your First Selectman since 2018. I’m asking for your vote to serve Sherman for two more years.

PROMISES: When I ran in 2017 and you elected me, all I had to offer were promises. I promised to keep Sherman financially strong, promised to budget prudently, to manage Sherman responsively and effectively, and to be actively engaged on issues concerning our seniors, our Sherman School, emergency services, public works, Flappy Acres Farm, Candlewood Lake, and other Sherman matters. And, as I will point out later in the column, all of those promises have been met and Sherman has thrived in the last six years.

SUCCESS: But I didn’t do this alone. This success has taken an entire team of good people working together. The only thing 1 can truly take credit for is my ability to get people to work together. I’m pretty good at that. When I started in 2018, I made a conscious decision to not be concerned about politics, to work in a non-partisan way that incorporates the skills of many amazing people. And it starts with my Board of Selectmen (BOS). I can’t say enough good things about both of the selectmen, Joel Bruzinski and Bob Ostrosky.

A GREAT SELECTMAN: Joel Bruzinski has been on the board for two years now and has made a tremendous difference with his good judgment and his conscientious work ethic. (Previous to this, Kevin Keenan was the democrat selectman and he served the town exceedingly well too!) Joel brings a hands-on business acumen and is an old-school conservative when it comes to spending tax-‘ payers’ money. He graciously stepped up as a committed member of the Sherman School Building Committee and has served as the BOS’s liaison for that critical project. He works cheerfully and honestly for Sherman, has a strong sense of planning and Sherman’s future, and I’m proud to call him a fellow board member.

ANOTHER GREAT SELECTMAN: Bob Ostrosky, on the Republican ticket, has served on the BOS for 10 years and is, in my opinion, an unsung hero for his repeated good judgment and for the care that he puts into his decisions. Bob brings corporate management skills to the table and keeps the BOS on track both procedurally and progressively. Like Joel, he has a vision for Sherman’s future and he bases many of his decisions on where Sherman will be in the near and the far future. Bob is exceptionally strong at creating budgets and finding the most economically sound ways to use taxpayers’ money to keep Sherman running well.

RESULTS: This is not some “rubber stamp” Board of Selectmen where all three plod along in sleepy lockstep with each other. Quite the opposite. We disagree but without the political backstabbing, we disagree to find the best solutions, and we disagree politely and constructively.. Consequently, this BOS has leveraged some favorable financial circumstances to save Sherman taxpayers money by budgeting tax decreases five years in a row. We also nearly doubled the Sherman surplus/rainy day fund, and overall, as taxes dropped services increased. As a board, we completely revived and repaired Happy Acres farm and we have shepherded successful capital projects on every single Sherman-owned entity. It’s been a good six years for Sherman. For Sherman’s well-being, I hope all three of us are back working together for two more years.

THE SHERMAN SCHOOL: Saturday, October 7 will be the referendum to fund a plan to renovate the Sherman School in order to fix the building’s severe infrastructure issues and to right-size the building for current and projected K-to-8 enrollment. If that referendum passes, it will be full speed ahead to make that building whole again. If the referendum fails, it will still be full speed ahead to make that building right again. As long as I’m the First Selectman, we will find a way. Sherman is greatly marginalized when its school building – its most expensive asset – is marginalized. An even worse scenario would be regionalization in which we send our young students to other schools. That’s unacceptable. Property values are dependent on a strong school and the Sherman School is a key part of our Town culture. I’m proud to have put three children through the Sherman School and am pleased that others, in years past, voted to fund the school for them. Now it’s time to fund the school to make it whole for new generations for years to come.

COMING UP: In my next campaign column, I will write about what is expected of a First Selectman to serve Sherman correctly. I will mention others who have furthered the collective improvement of Sherman over these last six years. I will outline, specifically, a list of successful capital projects completed over these last six years

Excerpts from Don Lowe’s Campaign Kickoff Letter

Press Release, slate

June 2023

Dear Sherman Friends and Neighbors,                        

Over the last six years, you have generously supported my three elections to First Selectman and that support has borne fruit. Yes, it’s been a wonderful six years for Sherman.  I will be running again this year…let’s keep a good thing going! 

Working together with other talented team members, these six years have seen historic financial good for Sherman:  Taxes decreased more than 12%, while our Rainy Day Fund nearly doubled to more than 5 million dollars, our capital fund has increased, all six budgets ended in the black, and Sherman is in the finest financial shape ever witnessed. 

But that’s not all: numerous critical capital projects were completed on time and under budget including the successful re-imagining of Happy Acres Farm, new bathrooms at Veterans Field, and significant capital repairs on every Town-owned building.  

In 2017, when I first ran, I promised efficiency and responsiveness.   The relationship between the Town and emergency services has never been stronger as we continue to improve responsiveness during all types of emergencies.   A wide range of accomplishments – big and small — point to efficiency and responsiveness, which has put Sherman in a better position financially, ensured the safety and well-being of our community, streamlined operations so that our facilities and public services are properly managed, and has lent an air of “things are good” to the Town.  

Another accomplishment has been the absence of “politics” in Sherman through a teamwork approach which includes members of all parties in decision-making as seen especially in the work of the Board of Selectmen. Selectmen Bob Ostrosky (REP) and Joel Bruzinski (DEM) are both excellent for Sherman and, thankfully, are both running again. 

I look forward to serving Sherman for a fourth term and will be forever grateful for your support. There are challenges ahead – the Sherman School repair, unfunded state mandates concerning housing, a demand for more parks and recreation programs, and an increasing senior population that needs increased services.

As we had with past challenges, the current Board of Selectmen (Bob, Joel, and myself), if elected to another term, will continue at full strength.  

Callahan and Ginsburg, running for 108th District, share Candlewood Lake as priority but little else

Debate, Press, Press Clipping, slate

Callahan and Ginsburg, running for 108th District, share Candlewood Lake as priority but little else

by Kendra Baker, Oct 7, 2022

Patrick Callahan and Jeff Ginsburg have little in common, aside from their love of Candlewood Lake.

As they seek to be elected state representative of Connecticut’s 108th House District this November, the candidates present distinctive perspectives on how to improve the state and cite different priorities from addressing youth crime to supporting senior citizens.

Callahan is a longtime New Fairfield resident, seeking a second term in the seat he’s held since defeating Democrat Dannette Onofrio in the 2020 election.

“I’m looking forward to how productive I can be with the relationships I’ve taken the past two years to develop,” said the Republican incumbent, who has served on the legislature’s Education, Environment, Judiciary and Juvenile Justice Policy & Oversight committees.

“You’re getting your feet wet your freshman first two years,” Callahan said, “and I feel like I’ve made some really great connections and working relationships with both sides of the aisle.”

Ginsburg — a Democrat who’s lived in Sherman for nearly 20 years — said he decided to run for the 108th House District seat for several reasons.

“I realized that the towns have a number of common interests, and I’ve gotten to a point in my life where I like advocating for those interests,” he said. “I have a threshold of experience working in and with local organizations, and I think it’s time that I start giving back.”

In addition to serving as chair of the Sherman Democratic Town Committee, Ginsburg is a founding member of both the Sherman Artists Association and the Great Hollow Photographers Club. He’s also a member of the board of directors for the Candlewood Yacht Club in New Fairfield and chairs the organization’s finance committee.

Whoever is elected in November will represent a slightly different 108th House District. As a result of recent changes to Connecticut’s voting district lines, the 108th will include a larger number of New Fairfield constituents as of 2023.

The town’s southwestern corner — which currently belongs to the 138th House District — will become part of the 108th, joining all of Sherman, a section of western New Milford and part of northern Danbury.

Candlewood Lake

Both candidates said Candlewood Lake would be among their top priorities if elected or re-elected representative of the 108th House District.

The issues they say they would focus on, though, are different.

Ginsburg said serving on the Candlewood Yacht Club’s board of directors for the last 10 years has given him a greater understanding of the lake, as well as the impact it has — and could have — on the area.

“The five towns on the lake — four of which are in the 108th District — do not have a commission where they work together to enhance the economy as the lake contributes to that,” he said. “That would be something … that I would advocate for from my position.”

Ginsburg said such a commission would differ from the Candlewood Lake Authority in that its primary focus would be the “economic aspect” of the lake.

“The lake is very important to me. I live on the lake, I recreate on the lake and I know that it’s a critical economic force for our area’s economy,” he said.

Callahan — who served as chairman of the Candlewood Lake Authority for 10 years — said Candlewood Lake is “always a top priority,” and he also has concerns about Squantz Pond State Park in New Fairfield.

“The issues we’re having at Squantz with the influx of out-of-staters through the summer months on the weekends have to be addressed,” he said. “I’m also really concerned about people parking their cars wherever they want and walking with children down Route 39 to Squantz Pond when it’s full.”

It’s been a safety concern for years and town officials have tried to restrict people walking along the road to get to the park — either by asking the state to restrict walk-ins or cracking down on illegal parking in town — but the problem persists.

Callahan: Affordability and juvenile crime

If re-elected, Callahan said some of his other priorities would be affordability and juvenile crime.

“Affordability is the top one,” he said. “In the past two years, Democrats have passed a couple of new gas taxes that are going to cost us a lot of money on the highway use tax and the diesel tax.”

Driven by wholesale fuel prices that more than doubled over the past year, the tax on diesel saw a 9.1 cent increase in July — six months before the imposition of Connecticut’s new highway use tax on large commercial trucks, which is expected to cost the industry millions of dollars per year.

“We use diesel to heat our homes and any tax you put on a truck delivering goods is going to get passed down onto the consumer,” Callahan said. “We continue to tax people that serve us and it continues to drive up the cost of living in Connecticut — even more so than inflation.”

Callahan — who worked in law enforcement for almost 30 years — said juvenile crime is still a problem, and one he would keep fighting to address if re-elected.

He said part of the ongoing juvenile crime problem is that the courts go too easy on youthful offenders.

“In the pre-trial process, there’s no accountability. There’s nothing being done to curb it,” Callahan said. “There has to be consequences, and right now there aren’t.”

Even though Republicans presented “several different solutions” in the past two sessions that all got voted down, Callahan said he’s determined to continue trying.

“I’ve worked with so many different groups of people and kids to turn their lives around,” he said. “If they’re not getting disciplined and not seeing consequences early on, they think they can keep doing this forever and it escalates into larger crimes — and then they wind up in jail.”

Ginsburg: Senior citizens and zoning

If elected, Ginsburg said one of his other priorities would be “ensuring that senior residents have good options for staying and enjoying the area.”

He said he would focus on what can be done financially and organizationally at the state level to “improve what’s going on for the seniors.”

When asked if housing would be part of his focus, Ginsburg said he would work with the towns “to see what resources are available from the state level,” but the decision would ultimately be up to them.

“I would certainly be in the mix, asking questions and making sure people are making decisions very explicitly — but the towns would have to drive it and decide to what extent,” he said.

Ginsburg said he knows several older residents who had to move out of the area due to a lack of alternative, smaller-scale housing options. He also knows the topic of housing development can be controversial.

“With some people, there’s that not-in-my-backyard kind of syndrome — and others say, ‘Look, people are moving out,’” he said. “It’s going to be a compromise, but I think the platform of being a state representative might help bring attention to that, and I think it’s something worth looking at.”

Ginsburg — who manages residential apartments in the Danbury area and has helped tenants obtain emergency rental and other types of assistance over the years — said he gets his passion to help people from his dad.

“My father had the biggest drug store in Danbury, and he always went out of his way to provide outstanding service and help customers,” he said. “That has inspired me to do that with my tenants and in my career.”

Ginsburg said keeping zoning regulations within the control of the towns would be another priority of his as a state representative.

“Each town is different, so I want to make sure they have the autonomy to determine their own zoning regulations because that affects the quality of life in a town,” he said.

Callahan said that is something he, too, feels strongly about.

“I want to make sure that control over zoning remains local, and I always vote that way — to protect our communities and our ability to handle our own zoning,” he said.

2022 election

Callahan said he believes he’s done a good job representing the 108th district and hopes voters re-elect him in November.

Seeking Person to be the Democratic Assistant/Deputy Registrar

Press Release, slate

The current Democratic Assistant/Deputy Registrar, Carol Muska, will be stepping down soon.  Anyone interested in this post or knows someone who may be, please email shermandems@gmail.com.

This Deputy position will be appointed by the Democratic Registrar.

Carol says, “It is a pleasant, nonpartisan environment working with the Republican Assistant/Deputy Registrar and both the Democrat and Republican Registrars.”

Assistant/Deputy Registrar’s duties vary depending on the time of year. December through March are quiet times and office hours are minimal, if at all. Generally, June through September are also quiet requiring few office hours, unless it is a year with voting event(s). Occasionally,  the Registrars may need office coverage in their absence for vacations or extra office work.
The regular Registrar of Voters’ office hours are on Thursdays, 10 am – 1 pm.
During the six weeks prior to the following voting events: primaries, elections, and referendums,  the Deputy would work the regular office hours.  During each day of the voting event, the Deputy with a team, would work the entire day and coordinate poll workers, test ballots, and set up for the vote.
Carol emphasizes, “It’s a wonderful opportunity to serve our community through this very important privilege of voting.  I have enjoyed my position immensely and would be happy to provide more information to anyone interested. Being part of the town’s voting process was an experience I’ll forever savor.”

Sherman Democrats Caucus to Elect Delegates

Events, Press Release, Vote

During its March 23rd caucus, the Sherman Democrats unanimously elected its three allocated delegates to the Democratic State Convention to be held at the 30,000 seat Xfinity Theater in Hartford. The delegates are Vice Char Sunday Fisher, Treasurer, Bob Gamper, and Chair Jeff Ginsburg

During that caucus, no one volunteered to be alternates for the state convention nor as delegates for the other conventions: state senate, congressional, state rep, and probate. Therefore, the caucus unanimously voted to give SDTC Chair Jeff Ginsburg the authority to appoint alternates to the State Convention, and up to three delegates each to the Senate, Congressional, and Probate Conventions.

Barbara Ackerman, a former probate judge, will be a delegate to the probate convention.

Dates of the conventions:
May 6th & 7th: State Convention
May 9th: Congressional Convention (nominates the U.S. Representative to Congress)
May 10th: State Senate
May 11th: 108th House District Convention (via Zoom)
May 12th: Probate Judge

If you are a registered Democrat or Unaffiliated, you are welcome to take part and be a delegate in this historic process vital to our democracy.  It’s also a chance to get to know other like-minded folks. Please contact shermandems@gmail to find out more.

Eva Bermúdez Zimmerman Announces her Candidacy for the 30th District Seat in the Connecticut State Senate

Biography, Events, Press Release

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Eva Bermúdez Zimmerman, 203-895-4403

eva@eva4senate.com

To donate to the campaign, click here

NEW MILFORD, CT (March 9, 2022) – Eva Bermúdez Zimmerman, a long-time champion for children and families has announced her candidacy for the 30th District seat in the Connecticut State Senate. Redistricting now has Sherman in the 30th.

“I am ready to work hard for all 18 towns in the 30th District,” said Zimmerman, a Democrat. “I am an organizer at heart. I love talking to people to find out what’s important to them. I look forward to building coalitions among our diverse residents for smart, bottom-up policies that address our needs. And I really look forward to taking those ideas to Hartford and making our voices heard. I won’t be shy.”

Zimmerman is an organizer who advocates for better pay and benefits for workers. “My Dad was a teacher and my mom owned a bakery,” Zimmerman said. “The challenges faced by employees and small-business owners are the challenges that shaped who I am. I have been fighting for working families my whole life. Now, when our health care is threatened by corporate hospitals, the quality of our children’s education is pressured by unequal access to online learning tools, and our environment is in crisis, I will stand up for our communities and find solutions that benefit all of us.”

Zimmerman has local government experience having served a term on the Newtown Legislative Council and statewide political credentials from her 2018 bid for lieutenant governor and her 2016 race for the state legislature. Her passion for public policy yields results. Eva was awarded Latina of the Year by the Connecticut State Legislature as she enrolled more than 15,000 people in the state’s healthcare exchange during the first three years of the Affordable Care Act.  Zimmerman also launched “Road to Rights,” a voter registration coalition of more than 60 statewide organizers to support civic education and engagement.

Zimmerman’s energy and commitment to public service won praise from State Rep. Maria Horn (64th), co-chair of the Public Safety and Security Committee. “Eva Bermúdez Zimmerman has spent her career advocating for working families throughout the state and would bring passion and intelligence to representing the 30th District as our Senator. I look forward to the opportunity to work alongside her representing the Northwest Corner” said Horn.

Zimmerman had an earlier introduction to politics than most. Before age two, Zimmerman became a plaintiff in a landmark school desegregation case, Sheff v. O’Neill.  The court ruled that “The state had an affirmative obligation to provide Connecticut’s school children with a substantially equal education opportunity … the Court further concluded that school districting based upon town and city boundary lines was unconstitutional.”

Eva’s family lived in the South End of Hartford. Her father, Pedro, is a retired k-12 teacher. He taught at schools in Hartford’s North End during a time in which that community saw violence at unprecedented levels. Eva remembers losing friends to gang and drug violence that plagued Hartford during the years of her youth. Her mother, Carmen, owned and operated a local business located in New Britain, Connecticut that made wedding and sweet fifteen “Quinceanera” cakes. Later on, going back to school for a Bachelor in Education and has worked with special needs children for over 15 years.

Zimmerman attended a regional magnet school in Hartford that was set up in response to the Sheff v. O’Neill verdict. She loved learning and politics was her passion. She volunteered for the Presidential campaign of Al Gore at age 12. At age 16, Zimmerman finished high school early and was selected by Rotary International to go on a humanitarian service project that brought her to the favelas of Brazil. Having grown up in a bilingual community, Zimmerman was fluent in English and Spanish, and during her time in Brazil, she also became fluent in Portuguese. Her experience with the poor in Brazil led her to a career in public policy advocacy, where she has fought against poverty, for wider access to healthcare, and for workers’ rights. She returned to Hartford eager to make a difference. Before college, she worked as a field organizer for Connecticut Public Interest Research Group (CONN-PIRG) helping reduce carbon emissions and create more environmentally sustainable policies.

Eva continued her advocacy during college, protesting the tuition cost increase of the University of Puerto Rico Interamericana, where she was a political science major. She finished her studies cum laude at the University of Puerto Rico Interamericana and was awarded a prestige’s spot representing the government of Puerto Rico through the Cordova Fernos fellowship program where she was stationed with Congressman Rangel Chair of Ways and Means and Representing Harlem New York. As an aide, Eva was assigned to lead abatement, labor relations, and Puerto Rico affairs.

She has been organizing for over 13 years and is currently Director of Child Care and Field Organizing for CSEA SEIU.  She most recently received close to 80,000 votes in this year’s Democratic primary.

In more recent years, Zimmerman has been a leader in CT’s fight for a $15 minimum wage, a state Dreamers’ bill, environmental justice, and women’s rights. If elected, she intends to focus her efforts on those kitchen-table issues that affect working families — affordable healthcare, education, the environment, and economic development. “Like many of you, I am proud to call Connecticut home and even prouder of what our district has to offer,” she said. “I am committed to advancing policies that benefit all the citizens here and that optimize those qualities that make the Northwest Corner so special.”

###

Taking Stock—Accomplishments with Don Lowe as First Selectman—Through Feb 14, 2022

Hot Topics, Press Release

As Sherman enters the fourth year with Don Lowe as First Selectman, it’s gratifying to appreciate what he and the town have accomplished together. Here’s a list of 37 of the more noticeable items.

Taxes and Finances

  1. Taxes have decreased more than 8% during Don’s first 4 years
  2. Surplus and capital fund and Happy Acres restricted Fund all significantly bolstered
  3. After complicated negotiations, we added Sprint/T-Mobile as a carrier and gave Sherman a $26,000 increase in yearly revenue
  4. Offered property tax relief to disabled Sherman Veterans
  5. Chose a better investment company for Town employees

Happy Acres

  1. Happy Acres Farm is now properly managed and, finally, is once again a working farm and a place that Sherman can be proud of calling its own
  2. Repaired, resurfaced, and repainted the Happy Acres barn and house.

Public Works including Roads and Public Facilities

  1. Purchased several new implements for Public Works
  2. Veterans Field Bathrooms are fixed and working.
  3. Re-surfaced Town Beach Pavilion
  4. Fox Run detention basin project, the longest-running agenda item in Sherman history (14 years) was completed in Don’s first year
  5. Strong and active response to blocked roads and power outages from storms
  6. For the first time ever, Mallory Town Hall has been provided a generator for power outages; Public Works has been provided with a new generator
  7. After 25 years of requests,  the BOS installed ADA compliant entrances into Mallory Town Hall
  8. Paved the Town/Trinity Church road
  9. Solved several longstanding drainage issues on Town roads including Hardscrabble Road, Fox Run, and Taber Road
  10. Improved the face and landscaping at Mallory Town Hall
  11. Helping the Sherman School move forward with capital repairs and a phased modernization plan
  12. Better relationship with State partners resulting in Route 39 S being paved and Route 39 N chip sealed.

ESF and Charter Hall Improvements

  1. Drilled a new well for the Sherman ESF Building/Charter Hall and solved several longstanding water issues there.
  2. Fixed venting system and improved air safety in the garage bays at the ESF building
  3. Repaired the floor in Charter Hall
  4. As promised, there is a far more effective ESF/Charter Hall maintenance plan in effect

Public Health, Safety, and Emergency Response

  1. Strong and active response to the Covid-19 pandemic
  2. Formed an Emergency Response Team that meets regularly and continues to improve services during storms, blocked roads, and power outages.
  3. Formed a CERT TEAM (Citizen Emergency Response Team) – first time ever in Sherman.
  4. Surveillance cameras at Town parks for better safety
  5. Increased traffic safety awareness
  6. After complicated negotiations, we added Sprint/T-Mobile as a carrier and gave Sherman a $26,000 increase in yearly revenue
  7. As promised, the coordination between Town agencies is greatly improved
  8. Park and Rec programming has been expanded to include more programs for adults
  9. Increased tree cutting and removal

Improvements to Quality of Life

  1. Secured a state grant to improve the Sherman Scout House
  2. Provided water for the community gardeners
  3. Better relationship between Town and Eversource and Charter cable
  4. Added more kayak space
  5. Made recycling stickers free
  6. Offered tuition waiver for pre-school parents who suffer financial hardship
  7. More attention to Candlewood Lake quality-of-life and a stronger more vital Candlewood Lake Authority

 

Sherman Democrats Announce a Caucus

Events, Press Release
All Sherman Voters registered as a Democrat or Independent are welcome to attend the caucus and monthly meeting of the Sherman Democratic Town Committee. The caucus will endorse members and candidates for the Sherman Democratic Town Committee and transact other business as may be proper to come before the said caucus.
If you are a registered Democrat and would like to become a member, please either attend or send an email to shermandems@gmail.com
If you are an Independent, you will be able to register as a Democrat at the meeting or register online by clicking https://voterregistration.ct.gov/OLVR/welcome.do
The meeting following the caucus will discuss the year ahead.
These events will occur on Jan 5, 2022, at 7:30 pm at the Sherman Senior Center, 8 Rt. 37 Center, Sherman, CT 06784.
Best wishes to all for 2022!

A Hearty Welcome to the New Democratic Registrar, Sara Laughlin

Events, Press, Press Release

Sara Laughlin has stepped up and agreed to become Sherman’s Democratic Registrar. She has already begun and appointed Carol Muska as the Deputy Registrar.

Sara and her husband Tim became Sherman residents earlier this year. She is a retired teacher, having taught in the Brookfield Public Schools for nearly 40 years. Sara and Tim are excited to call Sherman home and “are enjoying our beautiful community as well as being closer to our children and grandchildren”.

Tim Laughlin, Sara’s son, serves on the BOE and significantly contributed time and effort to our recent campaign.

We are grateful to our previous Registrar of Voters, Joe Keneally, and the Deputy Registrar, Carol Muska, for all the devoted hours they have volunteered.

The Registrar of Voters, one from each political party, performs all duties required by Connecticut General statutes governing voter registration, the annual canvas of voters, primaries, elections, and the compiling and retaining of statistics for federal, state, and municipal agencies.