Tag Archives: elections

Letter to the Editor: Behringer, Linderman, Walsh Support Fiscal Responsibility

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To the Editor:

The role of the Board of Finance (BOF) Alternates demands fiscal acumen and community experience. We are fortunate that the Old Lyme Democrats endorsed an exceptional team with an extraordinary balance of municipal knowledge and business expertise: Fred Behringer (Unaffiliated), Diane Linderman (Democrat), and Tom Walsh (Democrat). This slate offers a combined record of fiscal responsibility and collaborative attitudes:

  • Fred Behringer has worked constructively with all BOF members as an alternate member over the past two years. As Chair of the McCurdy-Salisbury Foundation, a former small business owner, scientist and environmentalist, he brings a critical and balanced perspective to the BOF.
  • Diane Linderman is seeking a second term and provides invaluable continuity to the BOF. She possesses a unique understanding of both the municipal and school budget processes – experience that serves the town well.
  • Tom Walsh’s extensive management career with UPS and 11 years of effective CT town committee experience will be a significant asset to the BOF.

Fred, Diane, and Tom are prepared to serve our town with integrity and intelligence. Please join me in supporting this highly qualified team for Board of Finance Alternates on Election Day, Nov. 4.

Sincerely,

Lucinda Hautaniemi ,
Old Lyme.

Letter to the Editor: Vote Kimberly Thompson for Responsible Fiscal Leadership in Old Lyme

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To the Editor:

The upcoming election for the Old Lyme Board of Finance is critically important and our town needs proven, sensible leadership to navigate complex financial waters. That is why I wholeheartedly endorse Kimberly Thompson for the Board of Finance (BOF). 

Kim brings four years of valuable experience to the BOF. She stands up for the taxpayer, debates town spending, and looks for sensible investments, prudent planning, accountability, and finding common ground – the exact skills our community needs on the BOF.  Her professional experiences as a researcher in corporate and private business and as a small business owner will continue to serve us well as the Town works to balance progress with retaining our rural beauty and small-town charm. 

Importantly, Kim understands that the Board of Finance’s duty is to evaluate town investments by comparing their importance with the burden placed on taxpayers. This past spring Kim, together with the other Democrats on the BOF, negotiated with recalcitrant Republicans on the board to utilize the high budget surplus to offset the increase in taxes due to the school renovation project. They finally reached agreement on withdrawing $800,000 from surplus, compared to the Republicans’ first offer of $400,000.  

In a climate where municipal finances are becoming increasingly complicated, we cannot afford guesswork. We need Kim’s professional expertise to ensure that our town’s financial health remains strong while maintaining predictable, sustainable taxation.

I urge all Old Lyme voters to cast their ballots for responsible fiscal leadership and elect Kim Thompson on Election Day.

Sincerely,

Sandra Y. Rueb,
Old Lyme

Letter to the Editor: Lyme Deserves Better

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To the Editor:

If ever there was any doubt that Republicans at the local level embrace the bullying tactics of Donald Trump, it was dispelled this past Saturday. Led by the husband-and-wife-Republican candidates running for office in Lyme, a small group of sign-wavers set up along an unusual stretch of Rt. 156, near Sterling City Road. While their behavior appeared peaceful, their intent was suspect at best. They deliberately chose a spot directly across the street from the home of Christy Zelek, the Unaffiliated candidate who the Democrats are supporting for First Selectman.

As a strong supporter of the First Amendment, I embrace peaceful political activities by all persuasions, including roadside sign waving and shouting. I am even amused by Republican efforts to disguise themselves by featuring a proliferation of blue signs for their candidates. However, I am profoundly disturbed by the Trump’s Republican Party’s embrace of threats and widespread efforts to intimidate political opponents and voters.

So, I cannot help but conclude that the true purpose of the Lyme Republican show on Saturday was to alert the opposing candidate that she and her family are targets. This pattern of Republican behavior is antithetical to the civil discourse the citizens of Lyme and the state of Connecticut expect and deserve.

Lyme has always prided itself on being neighborly. We argue about zoning and budgets, sure — but we remain civil. We hold doors for each other at the Town Hall; we wave to our neighbors, and we show up to support our schools and seniors, regardless of party. We can disagree without being disagreeable.

That’s what makes this moment disappointing. This hostile campaign led by Republican candidates Tom St. Louis and his wife, Mary, seems to resort to personal attacks, treating politics as a culture war, rather than a service to community.

This isn’t about partisanship. It’s about character. Leadership in a small town is about bringing people together, not trying to score points by provoking discomfort. The goal of the St. Louis’ display may have been to demonstrate strength, but it had the opposite effect by revealing a brand of pettiness that has no place in Lyme politics. This kind of behavior does not reflect the judgment or temperament we expect from people seeking to lead our town.

We face real challenges — environmental protection, maintaining our schools and infrastructure, and preserving the small-town values that make Lyme special. Those problems demand focus, cooperation, and emotional maturity — not theatrics or thinly-veiled threats across from an opponent’s driveway.

Christy Zelek has run a campaign rooted in respect and inclusion. She’s shown the kind of grace under pressure that our town should value. The same cannot be said for those who think politics is about intimidation or spectacle.

Lyme deserves leaders who elevate our civic life, not those who cheapen it. In November, let’s choose candidates who remember that public service begins — and ends — with respect for one another.

For respect in democracy.

Sincerely,

Allan Dodds Frank,
Lyme, CT.

Plan Ahead: Early Voting, Absentee Ballots, and Election Day in Lyme, Old Lyme

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LYME/OLD LYME —We’re doing all we can over the next few weeks to inform you about this year’s municipal election through candidate Q&A features, profiles of key races and a Letters to the Editor section open to all viewpoints.

Now, it’s up to you to turn knowledge into power at the voting booth. Check out this schedule to learn everything you need to know about where and when to cast your ballot in Lyme and Old Lyme. 

OLD LYME

Early Voting

Where: Old Lyme Memorial Town Hall Meeting Room,  52 Lyme Street

When: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Oct. 20–27, 29, 31

 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., October 28 and 30

 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., November 1 and  2

Election Day Voting

Where: Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School gymnasium, 53 Lyme St.

When: 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. 

Same Day Registration

Those who are not registered to vote may register in person every day of Early Voting at the Town Hall. If you want to vote on Election Day but have not yet registered, you may register in person on Nov. 4 at the Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School gymnasium. 

Absentee Ballots

Applications are available through the Town Clerk’s office. They can be returned by mail, deposited in the secure absentee drop box outside the town hall, or handed to the town clerk. Completed absentee ballots must be received at the Town Clerk’s office by 8 p.m. on Election Day. 

LYME

Early Voting

Where: Lyme Town Hall, 480 Hamburg Road

When: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Oct. 20–27, 29, 31

8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Oct. 28 and 30

10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Nov. 1 and 2

Election Day Voting

Where: Lyme Town Hall, 480 Hamburg Road

When: 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. 

Same Day Registration

Those who are not registered to vote may register in person at the Town Hall during early voting hours and on Election Day. 

Absentee Ballots

Applications are available through the Town Clerk’s office. They can be returned by mail, deposited in the secure absentee drop box outside the town hall, or handed to the town clerk. Completed absentee ballots must be received at the Town Clerk’s office by 8 p.m. on Election Day. 

TOP STORY: Lyme Board of Selectpeople Candidates Respond to Our Questions

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Hopefuls Weigh In On Affordable Housing, Shrinking Volunteer Numbers and Taxes

A snapshot of the sample ballot from Lyme’s municipal election on Nov. 4. Early voting starts Oct. 20.

LYME–A rare contested election for the Board of Selectpeople is playing out on road signs spread across the town’s serene landscape in variations of red, white and blue. 

The candidates responded with a 350-word limit to four questions that we posed. We thank them for responding in a timely fashion and adhering to our rules.

Click on each name below to learn more about them in their own words. 

  1. Why are you running for the Lyme Board of Selectmen, and what skills or experiences make you the right candidate for that role?
  2. Lyme, like the other municipalities in the state, is being called upon to increase the availability of affordable housing. What is your view on the need for affordable housing in Lyme, and how should the town balance state requirements with local calls to preserve its rural nature? 
  3. Lyme proudly relies on its volunteers to create a safe and supportive community, from fighting fires and responding to medical calls to sitting on boards and commissions. With volunteer numbers shrinking and a limited pool to pull from, what ideas do you have for encouraging more people to serve the town? 
  4. In order of importance, what do you see as the top three challenges facing Lyme over the next two years?

Candidates for Lyme First Selectman

Tom St. Louis (R)

Christy Zelek (U–petitioning)

Candidates for Lyme Selectmen

John Kiker (D—incumbent)

Mary Powell-St. Louis (R)

Kristina White (D—petitioning incumbent)

In Lyme, all Board of Selectpeople seats are up for election every two years. Voters will be asked to vote for one candidate for first selectperson and one candidate for selectperson. The winner of the first selectperson contest wins the title, with the next two highest vote-getters securing spots as selectpeople. State law specifies no more than two members of the Board of Selectpeople can be from the same party.

Absentee ballots for the Nov. 4 election are available now. Early voting begins Oct. 20.

In keeping with our long-held tradition, we will not be making candidate endorsements.

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