To the Editor:

By CURT CLARK

Published: Oct 31, 2003 12:00 am

To the Editor:

Whenever Iâm out and about in Newtown, I am taken with the number of new faces I see. Itâs great to have ânew bloodâ in town. For those of you who do not know the history of Herb Rosenthal, I encourage you to take a few minutes to find out about his contributions to our community.

While working full-time and raising four children, Herb was a member of the Newtown Board of Education and its chairman until he left to serve as first selectman. During his tenure we saw the Newtown schools renovated and growth accommodated with additions. As a member of that board I saw him repeatedly work to build consensus. He worked tirelessly to keep budgets tight and deliver top quality services to all our students. He also was Newtownâs representative to the Board of Directors of the Education Connection (our regional education service center), where he was elected their president. Clearly he does not ever give a halfway effort.

Because Herb respects his constituents the discussion about the future of Fairfield Hills is still an open one. No referendum was required. We only had one because he promised to include the citizenry in the final solution. Under his leadership we have seen growth in open space acquisitions without a major outlay of property tax dollars, we have had economic development in locations that do not impact the beauty of Newtownâs landscape, and we have increased tax breaks for seniors.

Herb left a job in financial services because he felt that his contributions as first selectman would be more valuable. He is a chartered financial consultant and had worked for 30 years in insurance, investments, and financial planning. Prior to his financial services career, Herb was an officer in the US Navy and a veteran of Vietnam.

Herb Rosenthal is a proven leader, clearly committed to Newtown. Please support him on November 4.

Sincerely,

Amy Dent

10 Country Squire Road, Sandy HookÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â October 28, 2003

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Randi was my first crush. She was the first girl to kiss me. We lived in Ashbourne Hills in Claymont and Randi's home was about a block from me. We walked to Darley Road Elementary many days, and spent time after school together (I had 3 younger brothers but me being, I guess, 8-9, they weren't much fun). I don't remember getting a chance to say good-bye to her the summer she moved away. But not a week has gone by in the last 65 years that I don't think of her. I send my deepest respects to her family. Know that Randi will be a part of my heart as long as I breathe.

Randi (Decater) Beardsley

A birth certificate is a permanent document that doesn't change...your marriage license/certificate is proof of a name change and used to confirm changing your driver's license, SS card, Passport, etc.

Elections Have Consequences XXI

The “Newtown has no town green/town common” line is doing a lot of work. We literally have Ram Pasture — a huge public green space — right at Main Street and 302. And it’s not like it’s never been used for exactly this kind of thing. Ram Pasture was used for a candlelight vigil, and it was also used during the warehouse protest. So yes — there is a highly visible public space for gatherings that doesn’t require turning the busiest intersection in town into a choke point. If the goal is truly to be heard without disrupting day-to-day life, then use Ram Pasture, keep sidewalks passable, and don’t “accidentally” crowd the roads in front of Town Hall because it’s the most effective way to force attention. Free speech is a right — manufactured gridlock doesn’t have to be part of it. I have yet to hear a convincing argument as to why it needs to be on and IN the busiest road in town. The Bee's own photos show people standing in the road. Of course, local PD doesn't want to get involved because we all remember what the mob did when they suggested some common-sense suggestions to protect the crowds...

The proposed Director of Operations salary is roughly $125,000. With benefits, the cost jumps fast. Even conservatively, you’re looking at about $162k all-in ... and if we end up with two senior administrative roles, we’re easily at $325k+ annually. Apparently, the new strategy is: run for First Selectman, get the salary, then announce you’ll need an additional executive (or two) to do the actual job. Must be nice—most of us don’t get to accept a role and then immediately propose hiring extra people at six figures to make it workable. But sure, why stop there? The first Selectman needs a new driver and a private chef to handle those late 7:00 meetings. Quickly slip it in the budget and hope nobody notices. In classic Billy Mays fashion, but why stop there, let's add some admin staff, the First Selectman doesn't like to have to respond to his constituents directly, before he was elected, he did, but no longer, let's add a couple of staffers, how about a Deputy Director of Folllw up, Chief Email Forwarding Officers, Director of Accountability Avoidance. If the First Selectman role isn’t manageable, then maybe the answer is to elect someone who can manage it—not to keep adding expensive layers. At minimum: publish the duties, reporting structure, and measurable results that justify the cost.

Town Administrator, Town Manager, Director Of Operations?

I was talking about the state being forced to turn over our voter data files to the federal government. Last I checked States are in charge of elections. I show my license every time I vote. There is no evidence of wide scale nton-citizens voting in this country. The Heritage Foundation looked into this and could not find a problem. If the so-called Save Voting law were to be passed, I, as a woman who changed my name when I got married, would have to go through additional work to prove who I am because my name no longer matches what was on my birth certificate.

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