Democratic Town Committee To Honor Herb Rosenthal At June Dinner Event

By Nancy K. Crevier

Jefferson-Jackson Day dinners, named for Presidents Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson, are annual fundraising dinners hosted by Democratic Party organizations in the United States. In Connecticut, the events are known as Jefferson-Jackson-Bailey Day (JJB Day) dinners, in honor of the late Democratic National Committee chairman John Moran Bailey (1961 to 1968). Mr Bailey was a party boss for many years in Connecticut politics, and a main behind-the-scenes backer of President John F. Kennedy. The fundraising dinners also serve as an opportunity to honor Democrats who have served and are serving as party leaders.

The Newtown Democratic Town Committee (DTC) hosted a JJB Day dinner last year for the first time, celebrating longtime DTC member Earl Smith’s commitment to the party. This year, that honor goes to former Newtown first selectman Herbert C. Rosenthal.

Mr Rosenthal will be feted at the JJB Day fundraising dinner, Tuesday evening, June 5, beginning at 6:30 pm, in the Alexandria Room of the Edmond Town Hall. Guest speaker Lieutenant Governor Nancy Wyman will address guests that evening, and Newtown State Representative Chris Lyddy will emcee the event. Other local and state officials are expected to be in attendance, said Maureen Crick Owen, who is co-chairing the event with Jan Brookes.

A local Democrat who demonstrated a strong commitment to Democratic causes and civic involvement was one of several criteria considered by the subcommittee that nominated Mr Rosenthal this year, said Ms Owen. He was selected from a strong field of qualified candidates.

“The suggestion [to nominate Mr Rosenthal] was presented and was voted on. It passed unanimously that we honor Herb,” Ms Owen said. A 59-year resident of Newtown, as well as a former Naval officer and Vietnam veteran, Mr Rosenthal is best known in the community for the five terms he serve as first selectman, from 1997 to 2007. Additionally, he served as a selectman from 2007 to 2009.

His service to town and state go much further, however. He is the newly elected president of the Connecticut Coalition for Justice in Education Funding (CCJEF), a coalition of municipalities, boards of education, professional education associations, unions, and parents. Currently the treasurer for the Housatonic Resource Recovery Authority, Mr Rosenthal has served on that board since 1998. He has been a member of the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities since 1998, serving two terms as president of that organization. From 1998 to the present he has been with the Connecticut Interlocal Risk Management Agency, and has held the position of chairman.

Over the years, Mr Rosenthal has served with the Council of Small Towns, the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities (CCM) Smart Growth Task Force, CCM Tax Reform Tax Force, and on the steering committees for the Coalition for the Permanent Preservation of the Kelda Lands (protecting thousands of acres of watershed property in western Connecticut) and Endangered Lands Coalition.

He is a former chairman of the Housatonic Valley Economic Development Partnership, as well as the Housatonic Valley Council of Elected Officials (1997 to 2007).

Locally, in addition to his service to the town as a selectman and first selectman, Mr Rosenthal was on the Newtown Board of Education from 1984 to 1997, and was chairman of that board for three years. He served on the Education Connection serving 33 towns in northwestern Connecticut from 1984 to 1997, holding the position of chairman there for ten years. Since 1993 Mr Rosenthal has been a board member of the Newtown Health District. He has served as an alternate, since 2009, on the Newtown Zoning Board of Appeals.

Mr Rosenthal is a Newtown Savings Bank Corporator and is on the President’s Advisory Council for Masonicare at Newtown.

He is self-employed in the financial service industry, investments and insurance, and is a municipal and business planning specialist.

“I’m certainly humbled by the honor, and surprised,” said Mr Rosenthal, Wednesday, April 25. “I’m pleased that the DTC wants to honor me. I’m sure there are other deserving people,” he said.

Serving his hometown and state has been, and continues to be, an enjoyable experience, said Mr Rosenthal. “You get back at least what you give,” he said.

The DTC is happy to honor Mr Rosenthal, said Ms Owen. “He has done so much and still does so much for the Town of Newtown. Herb is very valuable to the DTC,” she said.

DTC Chairman Jim Juliano praised Mr Rosenthal for his dedication to the party.

“We decided to honor Herb because he was a ten-year Democratic selectman in town and very popular. He has always been good to the Democrats, and he’s bipartisan, as well, having a lot of Republican support. He ran unopposed twice,” Mr Juliano said.

“Herb is a very capable fellow and a good friend to all town Democrats, so we thought we would honor him at the Jefferson-Jackson-Bailey Day dinner in June,” he added.

The Jefferson-Jackson-Bailey Day dinner is open to the public. Tickets are $60 per person, and include cocktails at 6:30 pm followed by dinner at 7:30 pm, catered by Tom Devine of Two Steps Downtown Grille in Danbury. Seating in the Alexandria Room is limited to 105 people, so tickets must be purchased by May 21, by calling Ms Owen at 203-270-1774 or Ms Brookes at 203-426-9889. Advertising in the event program is available for purchase by calling either Ms Owen or Ms Brookes.

The Jefferson-Jackson-Bailey Day dinner is an ideal way for Democrats to celebrate one of their own, noted Ms Owen, but is also a wonderful way to find out more about the DTC. “We are always looking for people to join the DTC,” she said.

For more information on joining, contact Jim Juliano at 203-426-0065.