Author Archives: George Finley

Letter to the Editor: Shoemaker, Lampos Have Clear Vision, if Elected, for Moving Forward on Specific, Critical Old Lyme Issues

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To the Editor:

At a Federation of Beaches event held on September 17, Martha Shoemaker and Jim Lampos spoke about what they hoped to accomplish if elected to the Old Lyme Board of Selectmen. Martha focused on three specific areas, which I want to share with the broader community.

First, Martha believes that public safety–the work of our police, fire, EMS, and public works departments–is of paramount importance. She understands that the nature and amount of their services vary over the year and wants to assure that the resources are available to meet the changing seasonal demands. Her first step toward this end will be to implement regular meetings with the police and other departments, as well as community leaders, in order to gather information and determine needs.

Second, Martha and Jim are concerned that the town’s flooding problems have not been adequately addressed. Our Flooding and Erosion Control Board is currently inactive, with only two of the required five members. They will restaff and reactivate this critical body, created by the town nearly 70 years ago.  Needless to say, flooding at the Cross Lane underpass and blockage at the Hawk’s Nest crib are two of the problems that need fixing. The town must also comply with the ongoing state stormwater discharge permit (MS4) requirements.

Third, this team is committed to finding a solution to the shoreline sewer issue. As you probably know, bids on a plan to connect Sound View, Miami Beach, Old Colony, and Old Lyme Shores to the New London wastewater treatment facility have come in much higher than anticipated, making the project currently infeasible. Additionally, there is significant opposition to the proposal from shoreline residents on environmental as well as financial grounds. Martha and Jim will explore every available option for solving this problem, from identifying and re-examining alternative infrastructure solutions to finding adequate state and federal funding. They will maintain open communication with the community throughout the process.

These are just a few of the reasons why you should vote for Shoemaker and Lampos on November 7.

Sincerely,

George Finley,
Old Lyme.

Editor’s Note: Martha Shoemaker and Jim Lampos are the candidates endorsed by the Old Lyme (OL) Democratic Town Committee in the upcoming election for OL First Selectwoman and OL Selectman respectively.

Letter to the Editor: Correcting Carter’s Negative Mailer About Reemsnyder

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To the Editor:

A few days ago the Republican candidate for Old Lyme First Selectman circulated an “attack mailer” purporting to set forth “The REAL Reemsnyder record.”  Portraying Bonnie Reemsnyder in an ominous black and white photo and misstating her record, the piece typifies the sort of disinformation we see in negative, dishonest campaigns elsewhere.  It also foreshadows the tone and substance we could expect in Town Hall were Cathy Carter to be elected.  Some corrections to Mrs. Carter’s misleading statements are these:

Bonnie supports the efforts of the beach communities to pursue a sewer solution and has done nothing to impede them.  She agrees with the WPCA that sewers are the most cost-effective response to the DEEP’s orders to correct shoreline pollution, given its attitude toward a local solution.

The design changes in the boathouse project have reduced the estimated cost from the $883,000 approved by town meeting to $600,000 ($478,000 of which to come from a STEAP grant).

The earliest cost projections for the Sound View improvements project were based on a conceptual plan and not a defined project scope or engineering estimates.  They were too low.  The project is NOT going to double in cost but, instead, will decrease in scope until additional funds can be found.  A $601,000 federal grant will pay most of the current construction budget of $751,000.

The DEEP’s requests for additional work increased the cost of the WPCA’s wastewater study.  Mrs. Carter’s public statements that the potential sewer project would result in a $50 million expense to Old Lyme taxpayers is patently false.  The cost of the study and the project are subject to reimbursement from Clean Water Funds, and the balance is expected to be financed by bonds to be repaid by users of the sewers, not any other Old Lyme taxpayers.

When the Old Lyme police department encountered internal discord impairing its effectiveness, Bonnie had to step in.  Some officers were unhappy and filed grievances, which were rejected unanimously by the Old Lyme Board of Selectmen and are expected to be dismissed on appeal.

In summary, Mrs. Carter and her team are making things up for purposes of soliciting votes.  (It would have been helpful to have a truth-meter at the October 29 debate.)  Rancorous, deceptive politics have no place in Old Lyme.  We need Bonnie: open, honest, inclusive, moving forward.

Sincerely,

George Finley,
Old Lyme.

Editor’s Note: The author is an elected Democrat on the board of assessment appeals as well as on the  Democratic Town Committee, both in Old Lyme. He also sits as an alternate on the Harbor Commission.