Letters To The Editor

Run for Office!

As election season approaches, I’d like to encourage members of our community to consider stepping forward and running for town office. Local government may not always make the headlines, but it is where some of the most impactful decisions are made - right here at home.
From the school board to the select board, planning commission to finance and library, these roles help shape everything from how our tax dollars are spent to how our neighborhoods grow. Yet many times these many of these important positions go uncontested.
What our town truly needs are people who care - people who are willing to listen, learn, and work together for the good of the whole community. Whether you’re a young adult looking to get involved, a parent with kids in our schools, or a long-time resident with a passion for civic life, your voice matters.
If you’ve ever thought, “Someone should do something about that “, maybe that someone is you. A member of any party, or no party at all can run. (Check with State of CT, How to run for Office.)
Please consider stepping up and helping to shape the future of our town.

Sincerely,
Josephine Jones
Goshen
 

Bd of Ed Election

I was great to see so many residents attending the vote at the Region 20 BOE meeting on March 25. The meeting seemed to go fairly smoothly, and I was glad the vote was completed in a better fashion than a previous vote was. Though I still have a few concerns.

The first concern is: while I agree that very long meetings deter attendance, I feel a question-and-answer time should have been allowed. I realize this idea was voted on and declined, but to disallow voters from an opportunity to gather valuable information was unfair. Residents could and should have researched ahead of time. Considering the second candidate only came forward a few days before the vote it would have been a fairer process to allow even a short time to ask/answer questions. It felt like one person did not want the attendees to get answers to their questions. Researching, alone, rarely answers all the questions and the opportunity to ask questions should have been given, even if for only 20 minutes.

My second concern is: Selectman Scott Olsen is a resident and has the absolute same right as any other resident to give his opinion about town matters. But he was there as a resident. I feel that when a selectman attends a vote as a resident, they should speak from the floor to give their personal opinions; not at the front of the room where voting authorities were located.  Speaking at the front of the attending crowd gave the impression he was speaking as one of the vote representatives, but he was not sitting at the front table as a selectman. Giving an opinion in that manor could and did (as I heard other residents around me speaking about it) sway the opinions of the residents in the room which was an unfair advantage.

Respectfully,
Tammie Valentine

Goshen