Tag Archives: Old Lyme Democratic Town Committee

TOP STORY: Recounts Possible in Old Lyme Due to Multiple Close Races

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Poll worker Barbara Crowley watches closely as Fred Verillo, head moderator at Tuesday’s Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School polling place, collected the receipt from a new vote tabulator on Tuesday evening. LymeLine photo.

OLD LYME–Several tight races between members of the same party have triggered an automatic recount, but one affected candidate has already waived her right to the review process.  

Only 13 votes separate Republican John Mesham and incumbent Republican Selectwoman Jude Read for a spot on the three member Board of Selectmen, based on returns announced Tuesday evening at the culmination of this year’s municipal election. 

The results show Mesham, who lost the race for first selectman against incumbent Democrat Martha Shoemaker, had enough votes to secure a spot as selectman along with Shoemaker and incumbent Democrat Jim Lampos. 

But state law requires a recount when the race is closer than 20 votes. The law also allows the lowest vote-getter in affected contests to call off the recount if they wish to accept the initial results. 

Town Clerk Vicki Urbowicz on Thursday said Read is waiving her right to the recount, which is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 12, at 9 a.m. in the Town Hall.

Read did not immediately respond to emailed requests for comment. 

The race for three open Board of Finance alternate seats also spurred two sets of recounts due to close results and a state minority representation law that precludes all of the finance board’s three alternates from belonging to the same party. 

The three highest vote-getters – Fred Behringer, Tom Walsh and Diane Y. Linderman – all ran under the Democratic banner. Behringer, who is unaffiliated but considered a Democrat under the state law because he was endorsed by the Democrats, was elected with 1,967 votes. 

Urbowicz said the first recount affects the 7-vote difference between Walsh’s 1,955 votes and Linderman’s 1,948 votes. While the close vote would not typically matter in a race with three open seats, it’s significant this time around because the minority party representation rule says one of the seats needs to go to a Republican.

That means the highest vote-getter among the Republicans will be seated on the board – except that there’s a close vote there, too. 

Only six votes separate Republican Maria Marchant, with 1,687 votes, and Republican Michael Presti, with 1,681.

Democratic Town Committee Chairwoman Kimberly Thompson on Thursday said it was still “up in the air” whether Linderman would waive the recount. She said the candidates were notified by Town Clerk Vicki Urbowicz that Linderman has until the day of the recount to decide. 

Urbowicz said she has not heard from the Republicans yet about whether the recount sparked by the close Marchant/Presti result will be waived.

Presti could not immediately be reached for comment.

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: 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: Old Lyme Democrats Announce First Selectwoman Martha Shoemaker’s Bid for Reelection

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Full Slate of Candidates for November Election Unveiled, Shoemaker Will Not Run Again for BOE

Old Lyme First Selectwoman Martha Shoemaker

OLD LYME–First Selectwoman Martha Shoemaker, unanimously endorsed this week by Democrats in her bid for a second term, wants to keep trying her best for the town. 

“There are still things that I want to finish,” she said Thursday at the Town Hall. 

Shoemaker, who also serves on the Region 18 Board of Education, said she will not run again for the school board.

The first selectwoman cited several big projects she hopes will come to fruition in the next two years, as well as some new initiatives bolstered by volunteers committed to making the roads safer and the shoreline more resilient. 

“I’d like to see the sewer project through,” she said of the decades-long push to update several beach communities currently reliant on septic systems. “I’d like to see the Grassy Hill (Road) Bridge and the Emergency Operations Center completed.”

She said she’s excited to see the work being done by a reinvigorated Flood and Erosion Control Board. The group had been dormant for four years before she made good on a campaign promise two years ago to bring it back. 

“We live in an area that is prone to floods, and we need to do everything in our power to make sure that we’re keeping all water areas safe,” she said. 

She also pointed to the creation of the Road and Public Safety Committee earlier this year to address resident concerns about speeding and other safety issues. 

Shoemaker became first selectwoman in 2023 with a 51.8% majority. She brought in 1,820 votes compared to Republican opponent John Mesham’s 1,697. 

The Republican Town Committee on Thursday had not yet announced the slate of candidates approved at the party’s Tuesday endorsement meeting. 

Shoemaker acknowledged the past two years have not been without controversy. 

A plan from the Halls Road Improvements Committee to reenvision the commercial strip as a mix of apartments and businesses was widely panned. The Board of Selectmen, which had voted to send the proposal to the Zoning Commission, reacted to the subsequent outcry by putting the Halls Road committee on hold while considering a new path forward. 

The scaled-back focus now is on sidewalks, according to Shoemaker. She signed off in May on a grant application to the Connecticut Department of Transportation (DOT) for $800,000 to install them on the north half of Halls Road. 

Also contentious was Shoemaker’s failure to promptly disclose public documents requested by the CT Examiner involving the independent Old Lyme Ambulance Association. Reporters for the media outlet told the state Freedom of Information Commission it took 168 days for Shoemaker to provide incident reports revealing allegations that an intern was touched inappropriately and repeatedly by an adult emergency medical technician. 

The state commission issued Shoemaker a $250 civil fine for not promptly handing over the public documents. The hearing officer at the time acknowledged Shoemaker had put corrective measures in place and agreed to annual transparency training.   

“I made a mistake,” Shoemaker said, without specifying where she went wrong. “I paid the fine. And we’ve revamped.” 

The Democratic Town Committee on Wednesday voted on a slate of candidates that includes incumbent Jim Lampos for selectman, according to a committee press release. 

Shoemaker said Lampos’ love for the town makes him an ideal running mate, again.

“He is so thoughtful in his comments,” she said of the business owner and author of several books on local history. “He has a historical perspective to anything that we are looking to do.”

Also endorsed were: (*incumbent, +current alternate)

Planning Commission – Michael F. Riggio

Board of Finance – Kimberly Thompson*, Candace A. Fuchs*

Board of Finance Alternates – Diane Y. Linderman*, Tom Walsh, Fred Behringer (U)*

Zoning Commission – Michael Fogliano (U)*

Zoning Board of Appeals – Michaelle Pearson+, Kip Kotzan*

Zoning Board of Appeals Alternates – Kathleen Tracy*, Richard Korsmeyer

Board of Assessment Appeals – Devin Berke+

Regional Board of Education – Jason L. Kemp*, Michael J. Hansen, Sheryl Shyloski and Cynthia Love McCollum

Editor’s Note: This article was corrected to show the Republican Town Committee endorsement meeting was held Tuesday.