Which Candidate is Right for Sherman

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Citizen News, Letter to Editor, October 14, 2015.

To the Editor:

The dialogue leading up to this year’s election has
included mention of the First Selectman’s purchase
of capital equipment without the required Town
approval (SandPro) – he should know better by now
-his deliberate refusal to inform or at least open a
timely discussion regarding the selection of
membership in a HVCEO replacement organization,
his over-budget/over reliance on attorney opinion,
his questionable recounting of our Town’s past and
current financial position (fortunately this was
cleared up in a recent news publication) and his
penny wise-pound foolish decision to eliminate the
Town‘s Facilities Manager’s position. This latest
decision has already begun to backfire and has
started to cost the Town unnecessary tax dollars.

Speaking of costing the Town, his attitude towards
volunteers has cost the Town mightily, too. Why
have people stopped volunteering? Read on.

Lowe/Blake’s focus is on government
transparency and the lack of volunteerism occurring
throughout the current First Selectman’s tenure.
Volunteerism, one of many attributes that make
Sherman unique, is essential in keeping the pipeline
flowing. Why are fewer people volunteering now? I
cannot answer with complete certainty, but I can
share my experience. When becoming aware of this
shortfall, I volunteered for some opportunities. The
First Selectman’s inability to follow-up in a sincere
manner was disappointing. Feel flee to contact me for further explanation.

At a time when Sherman desperately needs
volunteers, should one’s party affiliation determine
who is chosen? That should only be a consideration
when complying with minority representation
statutes. Some voters remain loyal to their party of
registration on the national front. It seems
appropriate to put that aside on the local level and
do what’s right for Sherman. Talk to P&Z
volunteers who devoted their time and effort
towards the possible cell tower sites, only to
discover the First Selectman at the last minute
abandoned their combined efforts. His treatment of
these unpaid volunteers was nothing short of
shabby… a plausible explanation for the downward
trend of volunteerism.

Published author & college professor, Don Lowe, a
candidate for First Selectman, holds a Masters
Degree and works with “at-risk” students. Don is a
former selectman (2004-2008), former Chairman of
Sherman’s Land Acquisition Board, member of
Planning & Zoning and Sherman Higher Education
Fund.

Ashleigh Blake holds a BFA degree from  Parsons School of Design. Ashleigh was the Vice  Chairman of the Sherman Conservation Commission, President of the Sherman PTO, Secretary of the Sherman PTO, and a Recipient of the Sherman School Friend of Education Award twice, volunteer at the Sherman School, Library,
Historical Society, Matthew’s Hearts of Hope, Matthew 25 and Happy Acres. Lowe/Blake’s team supports “inclusion” of all regardless of one’s party affiliation, not “exclusion”.

Forget the perfunctory, pro-forma glossies you see l in the local papers, the lackluster support the First  Selectman is receiving from his own party in contrast to that of his running mate is telling…the
silence is deafening.

I hope you’ll join me in voting for the
Lowe/Blake team, the team that’s right for all
Sherman residents.

Ann Chiaramonte,
Sherman

Lowe has High Ideals

Letters to the Editor, Press

Citizen News, Letter to Editor, October 7, 2015.

To the Editor:

I recall the first time I met Don Lowe. It was on a
veterinary house call to vaccinate his new, beloved
beagle puppy. As I waited in the living room of his
charming farmhouse, a framed vintage photo of a
bison herd on his wall caught my eye. This
conversation piece proved to be the beginnings of a
long and continuing friendship. I learned that Don
was the son of a North Dakota dairyman-tumed-
cropduster. His backyard and playground was a
landing strip and wheat farm in prairie pothole
country. There, as in Sherman, it is the countryside
and natural beauty that dominates and shapes the
man. Don earned a degree in journalism at North
Dakota State and then migrated east to New York
City to pursue an interest in the entertainment
industry. As a result Don, much like Sherman. is a
mixture of the best qualities of the country boy and
city man.

Although we still own a house in Sherman. it’s
been over a decade that it’s been our home. Yet I
often think of Don as local crop clusters, who still
ply the skies of rural Idaho, dust the surrounding
comfields for spider mites and spray the spring
wheat for rust. The pilots demonstrate admirable
grace and skill as they make precipitous dives and
then skim the crops to drop a precise load on their
target. I know that Don, at the helm of Sherman’s
selectmen, would exercise similar good judgment and
talent and will practice careful stewardship in town
affairs.

His unique blend of urban sophistication and rural
common sense, caring nature and strong work ethic
make him a fine fit for town government. I strongly
recommend that you vote for Don Lowe for First
Selectman.

Paul Biagiotti, DVM
Jerome, Idaho

Support for Ashleigh Blake

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Citizen News, Letter to Editor, October 7, 2015.

To the Editor:

In the race for Selectmen I would like to show my
support for Ashleigh Blake. I am a registered
Republican who is putting her party aside and voting
for the changes and hard work that I know Ashleigh
will bring to this position.

As a friend of Ashleigh I have witnessed her work
tirelessly at everything! She is a woman of strong
values that are consistent with our great town. She
is decisive and brings a vision of growth to our
future. I watch her time and time again bridge
differences, make compromise and most importantly
take groups and achieve results.

People in Sherman are committed to their
community and making it better. Ashleigh Blake is
a leader who has the patience and ability to take
Sherman into this next phase. She is someone who
we are lucky to have and makes me proud to be a
part of this great town.

Kristina Wilmot,
Sherman

Misleading Statements in First Selectman Cope’s Recent Column

Letters to the Editor, Press

Citizen News, Letter to Editor, October 7, 2015.

To the Editor:

As part of the O’Connor/Lowe administration
(2004-2008), I take exception to the misleading
statements in First Selectman Cope’s recent column.
While he claims to be “Right for Sherman.“ he
certainly is not right on the facts.

Spending on projects was high under our
administration, through a combination of adequate
budgeting to build the capital expenditures fund and
substantial grants that enabled the town to move forward
on neglected infrastructure repairs and upgrades—not
through depleted reserves as Cope claims.

Borrowing was proposed—and approved by a
substantial majority of voters—for much needed
projects that could not be paid for through annual
budget allocations to the capital expenditures fund.
Borrowing is particularly well suited to projects that
are anticipated to have a long-life, spreading the cost
over both the current and future taxpayers who will
benefit from the investments. The projects supported
by the borrowing that the First Selectman seems to
disdain included the expanded library, which Cope
constantly references as his grand achievement in
project management, but one where delays in
planning forced the town to re-enter the bond market
for a small issue at greater cost to taxpayers in
higher interest payments.

Reserves were depleted when our administration
followed the long-standing practice of applying a
portion of reserves to lower the mill rate. Once this
practice was discontinued and a reserve policy was
developed—again, by our administration—reserves
were quickly restored to the point where funds could
be transferred from reserves to the capital
expenditures fund, just as Cope has proposed for the
upcoming Town Meeting.

It is true that Moody’s issued a negative outlook
to the town, but that occurred in 2013—on,Cope’s
watch. The town’s bond rating was never lowered
under my administration—and it hasn’t increased
under Cope’s. The town’s credit rating was Aa2, the
highest level that can be achieved by a town of our
size, when we entered the bond market in 2010 and
continues to stand at Aa2 today.

Cope boasts of a surplus of over $460,000 in the
2014-2015 budget, rightfully crediting the Board of Education for its major contribution to this amount.  Has he forgotten that half of those funds have already been committed to the School boiler project?

Finally, Cope attempts to camouflage his
mismanagement of both the closeout of the ESF
construction and the transfer of Happy Acres to
town management by casting blame on my
administration, when his own ineptitude and
inexperience coupled with an unwillingness to heed
the advice of those more familiar with these issues
worked to the disadvantage of taxpayers.

“Right for Sherman?” Hardly.

Andrea O’Connor,
Sherman, Selectman

Support for Don Lowe

Letters to the Editor, Press

Citizen News, Letter to Editor, October 7, 2015.

To the Editor:

This town and all of its residents would be very well served by the energy, the sound judgement, the straightforwardness, and the habits of ethical conduct that Don Lowe would bring to the office of the First Selectman in Sherman.

Neal Goodwin, Sherman

 

Support for Don Lowe

Letters to the Editor, Press

Citizen News, Letter to Editor, October 7, 2015.

To the Editor:

I know Don Lowe to be a fair-minded individual who is well-versed in the concerns and needs of Sherman, who I believe will seek and find consensus in order to serve all of our residents

Joy Goodwin, Sherman

Ashleigh Blake: Engaging the Public

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CNArticleAshleigh

Citizen News, October 7, 2015. Since announcing my candidacy for Selectman, the most frequent question I am asked is, “Why do you want to get involved in town government?” So, what is it that draws one to take on a leadership role in our community?

When I first moved to Sherman I was asked by a fellow resident if I would consider becoming a member of the Sherman Conservation
Commission. I said, “Yes.“ I soon found myself involved in many
Sherman organizations. Like so many other Sherman residents who
answer the call of volunteerism, I am an everyday resident who decided
to help the town through serving on boards and commissions. I have
attended many town and commission meetings over the years and have
at times thought that there is room for improvement.

When one sees such a need he or she can:

  • do nothing,
  • stand on the sidelines and criticize, or
  • roll up his or her sleeves and jump in to better the situation.

I have always been inspired to follow the example of those who choose the latter. My decision to become more deeply involved in our town, to take a leadership role, is not one that I take lightly. The decision has arrived by what I see as an opportunity for town leadership to do better in many areas, one being improved communication with our citizens.

Good leadership actively engages the public by constantly soliciting
and encouraging involvement. In our small town, strong lines of
communication should always be more important than strong party
lines. All views, even opposing ones, can lend needed perspective to an
issue. As Selectman, I will work to be sure that the public is better
informed on the business of our town government and our town in
general. I will look to have meeting agendas and pertinent event
information better communicated to you, the citizens of our town. It is
my belief that a more informed public will be a more involved public and through this increased involvement, Sherman will become a
stronger community in many positive ways. A recent example of the
need for better communication occurred this past Saturday. I was
dismayed to see that an important meeting on the health of Candlewood Lake was poorly attended. The meeting. contained a plethora of valuable information from a panel of experts in addition to an informative Q&A. The lack of public attendance stood out as an area of needed improvement.

During my three years as president of the Sherman Parent Teacher
Organization I worked tirelessly on “e-blasts” (a weekly informational
mass e-mail using Constant Contact) to get as much pertinent
information out to the parents as possible. I took the sharing of
information very seriously, often staying up into the early morning
hours to be sure as much information as possible was included before
that week’s deadline. Time and again parents mentioned how helpful
these communications were in keeping them up to date on a wide
variety of events, topics and policy changes. Through allowing parents
to feel more deeply vested and involved in the school, this service also
helped the SPTO to cultivate the volunteer base that is needed to run a
successful organization. A similar model could be set up with an “opt-
in” link on the town website. Citizens could sign up for a timely
emailing of important facts and upcoming dates allowing the opportunity for greatly improved public participation in shaping our town.

Sherman, as a whole, will do better when we all know more, take a
deeper interest, and get involved. The impetus and desire to do this
needs to come from the top, from our town leaders. So, in short, the
best answer to the question of “why do you want to get involved in
town government” is because I hope to get you more involved too.

Don Lowe for First Selectman

Letters to the Editor, Press

Citizen News, Letter to Editor, September 30, 2015

To the Editor:

I first met Don Lowe in the way I would come to
know him: at a crowded town event, chatting among a
group of parents. Throughout the years the backdrop
shifted: the Sherman School, the Historical Society, a
town hall meeting, or the Sherman Library-among
others. The one constant was Don, warmly engaged in
the midst of conversation with community members,
whether it be about education, land preservation,
zoning regulations- or the new album he was currently
hammering out. Don Lowe has always struck me as a
man who cares deeply about our town: its citizens and
its history just as much as its attributes and its issues.

Since moving to Sherman sixteen years ago, Don
has immersed himself in our town’s life, perhaps
most notably in education. For many years my
father, Barry Roberts, taught in the Sherman School.
His memories of Sherman families are long, but
Don Lowe was one of those parents who stood out
to him, too. He enjoyed teaching Don’s son, David,
as much as he enjoyed his spirited discussions with
Don-just as I had the privilege of taking a writing
class Don led at the Sherman School, in which the
draft of my first novel came to fruition. And where I
have since had the joy to get to know the rest of
Don’s family: his lovely wife, Mary Ann Lamb, son
Connor, and daughter Rosemund, with whom my
own children now attend school. Don’s work as a
Board member for Sherman Higher Education Fund
is longstanding. In his professional life the thread
remains; a published author, Don is an adjunct
professor at Naugatuck Valley, as well as a tutor for
at-risk students with REACH in Newtown.

It would be hard to throw a rock in town without
hitting a Board or committee that Don Lowe has
served on: the Planning and Zoning commission,
Chairman of the Land Acquisition Board, SHEF, the
Sherman Chamber Ensemble, accompanied by
unswerving volunteerism at the Senior Center,
School, and Library. From 2004 to 2008, Don
served as an elected Sherman Selectman garnering
the valuable experience of town administration
beyond the many years of service he’d already put
in, and continues to put in today. Don’s approach,
no matter the Board on which he serves, is
diplomatic. He is a listener. An eloquent speaker. A
problem solver. Having grown up in a rural North
Dakota town himself, Don doesn’t just understand
small town life- he embraces it.

The depth and diversity of his public service
record speaks for itself. But it is the person that Don
Lowe is that still draws people across the town green, or a stretch of beach, or the school parking lot  to shake his hand. His altruistic efforts embody who he is in our town of Sherman: parent, husband,
educator, board member, former selectman,
volunteer, writer, and musician. I have always felt
honored to call Don Lowe a friend. Our town would
be honored to call him First Selectman.

Hannah Roberts McKinnon, Sherman

A Letter of Support for Don Lowe and Ashleigh Blake

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Citizen News, Letter to Editor, September 30, 2015

To the Editor:

I write this letter as a very proud 3rd generation
Sherman resident. Anyone who knows me knows I
love this town. Could it be better? My answer in the
past would have been, “no way!‘ As I get older, I
get wiser and I see a great opportunity for change in
our leadership.

From the moment I heard Don Lowe was running
for First Selectman, he had my vote. The experience
that he already has under his belt from his time as
Selectman makes him appealing to me. A leader
who is going to come in and hit the ground running
is what Sherman needs.

Although there is sure to be a small learning curve, it will be shorter than the one we are still on. Clarity, Connection and
Cohesiveness – this is the name of the writing class
that Don is offering at the JCC beginning next
month. I believe this to be what he will bring to our
town. Won’t that be nice?

Volunteering comes naturally and effortlessly to Ashleigh Blake. Knowing her the way I do now, it  comes as no surprise that our first interaction a few years ago was her volunteering to take my son to
camp. This is just her way. She sees a need and she
fills it. I am thankful and feel fortunate to have her
as my friend. Moreover, our town is so lucky to be
the benefactor of her giving ways. Now she would
like to do even more by seeking a Selectman
position. A vote for Ashleigh is a win for Sherman.
Could Sherman be better? Absolutely, and it
starts with great leadership.

Join me and vote for Don Lowe and Ashleigh Blake.
Kim Devine Kean,
Sherman