Local Political Races Already Attracting Newcomers

By John Voket

A pack of contenders is forming at the starting line for a run for the first selectman’s seat in November. The list includes current First Selectman Herb Rosenthal, who has not absolutely confirmed or denied he will seek another term.

While Mr Rosenthal is on the record saying he would give the Democratic Town Committee (DTC) 30 days notice before a planned July 24 caucus, he has not announced his incumbent candidacy yet.

“I still have a few things to finish lining up before I am ready to make an announcement,” Mr Rosenthal said Tuesday.

In the meantime, three local businessmen and two current elected officials are still considering, or already committed to running. They include school board member Paul Mangiafico, Legislative Councilman Joseph Borst, local liquor store owner and blogger Matthew DeAngelis, and neighboring South Main Street bridal shop owners, Jay Mattegat and Christian Qualey.

Mr Borst has completed interviewing for the first selectman’s position by the Republican Town Committee candidate committee, and Mr Mangiafico has said repeatedly since late last year he is entertaining a possible run for the town’s top seat.

Mr Mangiafico, who unsuccessfully vied to unseat Ms McClure as school board chairman in 2005, confirmed more recently he will not seek another term on the school board.

Mr Mattegat, who owns a bridal salon with his wife, Melanie, and Mr Qualey, who owns a neighboring retail plaza currently housing South Main Pizza about a quarter mile south on South Main Street both said they have initiated the necessary paperwork to petition for a first selectman’s spot on the fall ballot.

Mr Mattegat, who briefly served as an appointee on the Conservation Commission and volunteered as a medic truck driver assisting the local ambulance corps, said he was motivated to run as an unaffiliated candidate because he never wanted to see the local budget top $100 million.

“I’m frustrated with both parties from the top down, from Washington to Newtown, but here I can do something about it,” he said. “Our taxes are so high our young people can’t afford to come home after college. And if they could afford to buy a home here, could they afford the taxes?”

Mr Qualey said he has been increasingly frustrated over what he sees as a lack of communication and transparency in local government. He is also currently involved in both a civil suit and a state freedom of information complaint against the town over Planning & Zoning Commission actions regarding his commercial property.

Mr DeAngelis, who launched a blog website Insidenewtown.com in 2006 and recently withdrew a federal lawsuit against the town and numerous elected officials, told The Newtown Bee Wednesday that after all but abandoning his plans to run for first selectman, he had a change of heart.

“I was interviewed by the RTC as a candidate for first selectman,” he wrote in an email to The Bee July 11. “I have also been interviewed by two independent parties, and am considering becoming a petition candidate. I actually had decided not to run, but when I saw that both parties in town continue to offer the same old same old I decided that I wanted to help facilitate change.”

School Board Politics

The political activity surrounding this year’s races for the Board of Education has also affected the make-up of the Democratic Town Committee (DTC). Two current school board members, vice chairman Lisa Schwartz and David Nanavaty recently resigned from the (DTC) following a meeting where both came under fire over issues related to a recent board appointment.

DTC vice-chair James Juliano told The Newtown Bee that, as a candidate committee member, Mr Nanavaty took confidential personnel information and provided it to the Republican chair of the Board of Education. Mr Juliano said school board chair, Elaine McClure, was then able to contact and interview two applicants the DTC had considered to fill a Democratic vacancy created after the resignation of Thomas Gissen.

After Mr Nanavaty provided information on all interested Democrats interviewing with his committee for the seat, the school board interviewed all three, ultimately rejecting the DTC’s exclusive recommended candidate, Anna Weidemann.

The school board instead seated the party’s third choice for the post, Lillian Bittman.

Mr Juliano said, because Ms Schwartz was specifically directed to bring just the single candidate, Ms Weidemann, to the school board for consideration, she faced angry comments and criticism at the DTC meeting following Ms Bittman’s appointment.

“I think she quit after a lot of the members directed a significant amount of anger towards her because as the secretary, she was responsible for bringing just Anna to the (school) board for consideration,” Mr Juliano said. “Then she ended up voting against her own committee’s sole candidate for the seat, and she didn’t seem to have any problem with that.”

At a subsequent DTC meeting in June, the Democrat’s candidate committee voted to recommend Ms Weidemann fill the two-year slot on the ballot in November to complete the remainder of Mr Gissen’s term. If the full DTC endorses Ms Weidemann, she will run without any major party opposition on the fall ballot.

Independent Party Forming

The first selectman candidacy of Mr DeAngelis, has not yet been recommended by the Republican Town Committee, and is not mentioned in any documentation filed by former special interest group co-founders Po Murray and Gary Davis who recently switched their focus from educational to political pursuits. Having established WeCAN (We Care About Newtown) as a local initiative to support a high school expansion project and other predominantly school-related causes, Ms Murray and Mr Davis have begun the process of establishing a minor party from among WeCAN affiliated supporters.

The committee seeking to become a party has been dubbed the Independent Party of Newtown (IPN), according to filings in the town clerk’s office Wednesday. One day earlier, Ms Murray filed a slate of independent candidates who all hope to share a single party line on the ballot in November.

Those candidates include possible school board contenders Desiree Galassi, a local PTA president, Donna Monteleone-Randle, a retired Army Signal Corps Captain and PTA volunteer, and Mr Nanavaty, who may be seeking to be endorsed as a Democrat by the aspiring Independent Party.

Upon contacting Mr Nanvaty via email to confirm this information, he declined to comment, directing the newspaper to direct questions about his candidacy to Ms Murray.

Among others on the IPN candidate list are Albert Roznicki, a frequent letter-writer and critic of the Queen Street traffic improvement program, developments at Fairfield Hills and the first selectman.

He is joined by former RTC chairman Charles Stofko, who is rumored to be seeking a board of selectmen’s seat, but did not return numerous messages to confirm this information. Neither IPN candidates Ann Ziluck nor Ruby Johnson have firm aspirations. Both said they will serve in whatever capacity the party requires.

Ms Murray said she and Mr Davis will run for the council, but would not confirm speculation that Charter Revision Commissioner Guy Howard is either seeking a seat on the finance board or possibly the first selectman’s office.

Questioned about his candidacy at this week’s Charter Revision Commission public hearing, Mr Howard said his campaign plans were, “…a secret,” adding “I am not ready to discuss this publicly at this time.”