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