Tag Archives: Election 2025

Letter to the Editor: Residents Deserve to Hear From Candidates in Open Forum

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To The Editor:

I am writing to inform the residents of Lyme of the recent dismaying development in the election campaigns for our town offices.

For the past month, I and the Republican Town Committee (RTC) have been planning to participate in a Lyme candidates’ debate, suggested in an email on Thursday, August 14 from olwenonline.com/ reporter Ms. Elizabeth Regan to the chairs of the Democrat Town Committee (DTC) and RTC. That same day, the RTC agreed to Ms. Regan’s suggestion and further proposed a split debate event that would include a First Selectman candidate forum followed by a Board of Selectmen forum. No DTC response was received.

After a morning town meeting Friday, September 5, while leaving the Center School building, I was approached by Mr. John Kiker, DTC Chair, who declared emphatically that his Democratic slate of candidates would NOT agree to meet in any public debate or voter question forum. I replied by suggesting multiple options to address Mr. Kiker’s numerous (and I believe unfounded) concerns about having his candidates face questions from all Lyme voters. Mr. Kiker threw up roadblocks to each, including a “Meet the Candidates” forum hosted by non-partisan reporters; Mr. Kiker just wouldn’t budge.

Notably, Ms. Christine Zelek, the DTC-supported First Selectman candidate, was present throughout this discussion yet failed to utter a single word, wholly deferring to Mr. Kiker. The DTC Chair’s troubling and puzzling refusal to permit his slate of candidates (especially his top candidate, Ms. Zelek) to be engaged by Lyme’s voters in an open forum is antithetical to the foundations of our democratic electoral process.

On Wednesday, September 10, I, Ms. Zelek, Mr. Kiker, Ms. Kristina White, and Dr. Mary Powell-St. Louis received a follow up email from Ms. Regan proposing a Candidate’s Forum sponsored by the Old Saybrook Chamber of Commerce, OPEN TO ALL SELECTMAN CANDIDATES AND VOTERS. A response was requested from each of us by Friday, September 12. As with the August email exchange, the RTC response was quick and supportive of participation in such a forum.

This afternoon Ms. Regan expressed her sincere disappointment to me in a phone call that the Candidate Forum would not move forward because Mr. Kiker stated that Ms. Zelek and his DTC candidates for Selectmen will NOT participate in olwenonline.com/’s proposed open candidates’ forum to inform and benefit all Lyme voters.

I believe voters deserve to hear directly from their candidates on issues including: 1) what skills and experience does each candidate possess and how will they use their skills to execute the role, 2) how does each candidate’s record of public and/or organizational service demonstrate their commitment to sustain performance in the role, 3) the “why”…what motivation brings 1) and 2) together for this candidate at this time for this particular role, 4) what does the candidate view as the most pressing issues facing Lyme, and 5) what actions does the candidate believe Lyme should take to address these issues?

Fellow residents, I believe we are fortunate to finally have choices this November for important contested town board and commission roles. It’s crucial that everyone be fully and transparently informed about each candidate, their position on issues, and what is at stake. I encourage us all as voters to have open conversations about the experience and motivation of the candidates that we will elect to our important municipal boards and commissions: for you, for your family, and for Lyme.

I sincerely hope Mr. Kiker will have a change of heart (very soon) and permit his DTC slate to join us in a Candidates Forum to speak to Lyme’s voters directly.

Respectfully,

Thomas St. Louis

Editor’s Note: i) The author is the Republican candidate for Lyme First Selectman.
ii) Here is a reminder of our Policy on Letters to the Editor and our Policy on Comments.

Federation of Old Lyme Beaches to Host ‘Meet the Candidates’ Forum, Saturday

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OLD LYME — The Federation of Old Lyme Beaches Inc. (FOLB) will hear from Old Lyme candidates up for election this November at its Meet the Candidates event on Saturday, Sept. 13.

The forum will be held from noon to 1:30 p.m. at the Shoreline Community Center, 39 Hartford Ave. 

FOLB in a press release said candidates for the office of selectman and other municipal elected offices will be in attendance. All Old Lyme residents are invited to attend. The four selectman candidates will each present brief remarks regarding their vision for Old Lyme as well as challenges the town faces. Audience members will be able to ask questions of the candidates.

FOLB represents the beach or shore communities of Old Lyme. The purpose of the Federation is to benefit and promote, by united action, the common interests of the beach and shore communities of Old Lyme in their relations with the local government and people of Old Lyme.

For more information, contact FOLB President Scott Boulanger at scottjboulanger@gmail.com.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Fogliano, Candidate for Old Lyme Zoning Commission, Explains His Reasons for Running

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To the Editor:

As a 33-year resident of Old Lyme, raising a family here with my wife Susan, I am deeply invested in our town. I have seen the town change over the decades, along with the challenges to land use policy and practice that change brings. This has motivated me to accept the Democratic Town Committee’s endorsement to run for the Zoning Commission, and to ask for your vote in the upcoming election.

My priorities as a Zoning Commission candidate are clear: advocating for sensible regulations and development that protect Old Lyme’s essential qualities – our cultural legacy, our small-town lifestyle, and the fragile ecosystem we share – while also recognizing our economic development and housing needs. I’m dedicated to making rational decisions based on thorough preparation and open dialogue with all stakeholders.

Over my career as a scientist and senior leader, I developed a pragmatic, data-driven, results-oriented approach to solving problems and making decisions. Through my service as Chairman of the Affordable Housing Commission and the Regional Housing Committee, and currently as a Zoning Commission alternate, I have gained an understanding of public policy that affects – and increasingly threatens – our local land use decisions. With your support, I will bring this insight and foresight to the Zoning Commission.

I look forward to a public discourse on the issues before us, and am eager to work together both within town government and with you to ensure that Old Lyme continues to be a great place to live for generations to come.

Sincerely,

Michael Fogliano,
Old Lyme.

TOP STORY: Lyme Republicans Endorse Tom St. Louis for First Selectman

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The Lyme RTC this week announced a slate of 11 candidates. From left to right are: (standing) Mitchell Etess, Steven Deveaux, Tom St. Louis, Corey Lomas, Isaiah Griffith and Stephen Buccheri; and (sitting) Jennifer Tiffany, Mary Powell-St. Louis and Lannie Mossberg. Not pictured are Harry “Skip” Broom and Lori Caine.

Mitchell Etess, Retired Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority CEO, Tapped for Board of Finance

LYME–The Republican Town Committee (RTC) this week endorsed the husband-and-wife team of Tom St. Louis for first selectman and Mary Powell-St. Louis for selectman. 

The Republican’s 11-member slate also includes retired Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority CEO Mitchell Etess for Board of Finance. 

St. Louis will face unaffiliated petitioning candidate Christy Zelek in a rare contested race for first selectman. Election data from the Secretary of the State going back 25 years show only two elections included challenges for the town’s top spot. 

St. Louis on Wednesday said he retired from Pfizer two years ago as the director of a manufacturing group operating across multiple facilities. He cited familiarity with federal and state labor law and experience managing people and budgets. 

The candidate said he was compelled to run after the Connecticut General Assembly passed a comprehensive bill to make housing more accessible. Gov. Ned Lamont vetoed the bill largely because of opposition from town leaders, who didn’t want to be required to plan for more housing based on targets set by the state. 

He said he could see the local implications of the proposal from his seat as an alternate member of the Planning & Zoning Commission for more than three years. 

“It was apparent that the state was now clawing back at the autonomy that they had given us decades ago to manage our own zoning,” he said.  

He is not running for reelection to the Planning & Zoning alternate seat, which is up in November. 

St. Louis and Powell-St. Louis raised three boys in the local school system and served as longtime leaders in the Boy Scout organization. 

Powell-St. Louis, who is the RTC chairman, previously served two terms on the Region 18 Board of Education. She said she was spurred to run for selectman this year after successfully engaging the public in reversing a decision by the school board to eliminate a music teaching position from the district budget that she said would have a cascading effect on arts instruction across the district.   

She said the Republican slate includes a mix of experienced and first-time candidates. Among the newcomers is Etess, who expressed an interest in serving after being approached by St. Louis and Powell-St. Louis with the idea. 

“I think the Lyme Republican Town Committee is very enthusiastic about our slate,” she said. “We are very happy to be able to have options for the community of Lyme, and all of us that are on the slate are looking forward to serving.” 

The following candidates were endorsed by the Lyme RTC to run for election in November: (*incumbent, +current alternate)

Tom St. Louis – First Selectman

Mary Powell-St. Louis – Selectman

Mitchell Etess – Board of Finance 

Corey Lomas – Board of Finance Alternate 

Harry Broom Jr.* – Board of Assessment Appeals

Lannie Mossberg – Board of Education (U)

Jennifer Tiffany+ – Planning & Zoning Commission 

Steven Deveaux – Planning & Zoning Commission Alternate

Stephen Buccheri – Zoning Board of Appeals 

Isaiah Griffith – Zoning Board of Appeals Alternate 

Lori Caine* – Library Board of Directors

Editor’s Note: This article was updated with a name omitted from the slate.

TOP STORY: Old Lyme Republicans Announce Nomination of John Mesham in Rematch for First Selectman

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The Republican candidate for Old Lyme First Selectman is John Mesham. His running mate is incumbent Selectwoman Jude Danenhower Read (R), who is running again for the same position. Photo submitted.

OLD LYME–This year’s race for Old Lyme First Selectman will be a rematch between incumbent Democrat Martha Shoemaker and Republican John Mesham. 

The Republican Town Committee this week announced Mesham’s candidacy as part of a slate of candidates endorsed Tuesday at their new headquarters on Halls Road. 

John Mesham

Mesham, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, retired from the Connecticut State Police in 2020 as a master sergeant after 29 years in law enforcement. He is a member of the Inland Wetlands Commission and a deputy registrar of voters. 

The Republicans in a press release described Mesham as an experienced leader with “impeccable integrity” and proven management skills. 

“John will also bring much needed ethical standards and transparency back to leadership in Town Hall,” the party said. 

The victory in 2023 went to Shoemaker with 51.8% majority. She brought in 1,820 votes compared to Mesham’s 1,697. 

Along with Mesham, incumbent Republican Jude Danenhower Read will run for reelection to the three-member Board of Selectmen as they work to reverse the current Democratic majority. 

The Republicans said Mesham and Read were instrumental in resisting unpopular initiatives during Shoemaker’s term, including a plan from the Halls Road Improvements Committee to reenvision the commercial strip as a mix of apartments and businesses. 

Selectmen late last year voted 2-1, with Read opposed, to send the plan for the Halls Road Overlay District (HROD) to the Zoning Commission. It was rejected in a 4-1 vote by the commission after hours of testimony at a public hearing in front of 550 people, with more waiting in the wings of the Lyme-Old Lyme High School auditorium. 

“Together, John and Jude have forged relationships across partisan lines in Old Lyme including open and collaborative relationships with Democrats and unaffiliated voters in our town,” the party said. 

Jude Danenhower Read

The Republicans credited Mesham and Read with spearheading opposition “to back door land deals on access to Tantummaheag Landing” as part of a years-long dispute over the ownership of a spit of land bisecting a Tantummaheag Road property. The town going back to previous First Selectman Tim Griswold’s tenure has claimed ownership of the landing amid opposition from the owner, a prominent lawyer and government official with more than a half century of experience, who has signaled his intent to take the case to federal court. 

Republican Town Committee Chairman Randy Nixon in an email said a majority of committee members voted to endorse the slate of candidates, which was recommended by its nomination committee.

In response to a request for an interview with Mesham, Nixon said he would have the candidate reach out next week.

The party’s platform includes maintaining the semi-rural character of Old Lyme; fiscal prudence; control over land use decisions in town; resident access to water through town land; high quality education; environmental protection and transparency in town government.

The press release, which directed questions to campaign manager Shaun Mastroianni, emphasized the slate includes Republican and unaffiliated candidates, who were selected based on qualifications rather than party – “all of whom stood firmly and actively against HROD and are concerned about key issues affecting the public.”

Mastroianni moved to Old Lyme in 2023 from Stonington, where he was active in local politics. He ran unsuccessfully last year for the state Senate seat held by Martha Marx, D-New London.

The following candidates were endorsed with Mesham and Read for the November election: (*incumbent)

Town Clerk – Vicki Urbowicz*

Board of Assessment Appeals – Timothy C. Griswold*

Planning Commission – Harold Thompson*, Todd Machnik*

Board of Education – Jarod Bushey, Shaun Mastroianni, Brandy Campbell, Frank Pappalardo

Board of Finance – Matthew Olson*, J. David Kelsey*, John Flick

Board of Finance Alternate – Michael Presti, Maria Corrao Marchant, Bob Antoniac

Zoning Commission – Sloan Danenhower (U), Jane Marsh*

Zoning Board of Appeals – Stephen P. Dix (U)*

Zoning Board of Appeals Alternate – James T. Scott, Jill Pilgrim, Nicholas Fulton

Editor’s Note: The article was updated to correct the vote at the Halls Road zoning meeting and to clarify Nixon’s statement regarding a possible interview with the candidate.