Letters to the Editor - September 29

Generous donors for diabetes event

I would like to take this opportunity to express my thankfulness and heartfelt appreciation for all the generous donations and support Team Tavern received for the Juvenile Diabetes Walkathon.

The patrons of the Sharon Valley Tavern and the Cousins Mini Market in Wassaic, N.Y., really showed their commitment by not only donating to the cause but by also joining me on Sept. 20 at the walkathon to help raise awareness of diabetes.

It’s gratifying  to know that even in economic times like these, our small community came together to help fund research so that we can find a cure. Team Tavern raised nearly one-third of the Lions Club’s (event sponsor) total take.

I want to thank each and every single one of you who helped contribute to making this such a successful fundraiser — I couldn’t have done it without you guys. Thanks again.

Jessica Kain

Sharon Valley Tavern

Sharon

Keep lid on lake structures

More than a year ago the Lake Wononscopomuc Association proposed a change to the Zoning Rules to prevent the vertical expansion of nonconforming structures within the Lake Protection Overlay Zones.

Despite strong support from those around the lakes and the general public, this proposal was first defeated because of concerns over punctuation and various possible interpretations. When the idea returned as a proposal by the Planning and Zoning Commission, it was defeated in two votes when there was disagreement over whether special permits for such vertical expansions should be abolished only within 75 feet of the water or within the full 300-foot  Lake Protection Overlay Zone.

In each case there was majority support for this further protection for the lake. Approval was only frustrated by an inability of the commissioners to get on the same page for the vote.

Now the commission is considering abolishing special permits for vertical extensions of nonconforming structures in the whole town. Leaving aside the discussion of special permits vs. variances, there is a practical rationale to allow for certain liberties within the zoning rules if changes are found to be minor and conditions are imposed to assure such changes would not prove harmful to others. Most of these applications would impact at most a few neighbors.  

The issue of activities around the lakes is clearly different since what happens on the lakefront not only impacts all property owners around the lakes, but those of us who swim, boat and fish in the lakes. The lakes are important recreational, ecological and aesthetic resources for all of us, and this extra level of protection is appropriate. Protecting the aesthetic and environmental quality of our natural resources is a prime responsibility of the Planning and Zoning Commission.

In the event that the commissioners defeat the motion to eliminate all the special permits dealing with vertical expansion of nonconforming structures, I hope they will revisit the elimination of these special permits one zone at a time. They should start with the lake zone.

I hope that the commissioners make their views clear on both the general elimination of the permits and the elimination of special permits only in the lake zone. Similarly, if there is to be a vote on a 75-foot or 300-foot setback from the lake, I encourage the commissioners to make their thoughts known before either vote is taken.

That way the vote would accurately reflect the will of the commission and members of the public would be able to understand why each commissioner voted the way he or she did.

George Massey

Salisbury

Gratitude

Words cannot adequately express the gratitude each of our families feels for this wonderful community in which we live.  We all know that this is a special place to raise a family, and never has that been more apparent than during the days and weeks following our sons’ automobile accident on July 31.

It seems as though the entire community has assisted all of us in some way as these young men continue to recover from their injuries. From the truck driver who stopped to help to the Norfolk and North Canaan emergency service volunteers, the state police and the medical professionals from LifeStar, Sharon and Hartford Hospitals, whose quick thinking and rapid response saved at least one life that night.

The thoughts, prayers, words of encouragement and of course the food we have received from our friends, co-workers and the community at large have been overwhelming and are deeply appreciated.

It’s perhaps cliché to say that “it takes a village,” but we now know firsthand how incredibly caring and compassionate our “village” was when we needed it the most. With all our appreciation.

The Bellanca, Cantele and Diamond families

Salisbury

Salisbury’s field of affordable housing dreams

How many of the seven  members of the Salisbury Affordable Housing Commission (SAHC) read the SAHC reports before signing on? Perhaps two. Then ponder that two of the members — Democrat Jim Dresser and Republican Robert Riva — are selectmen who report to themselves on the Board of Selectmen.

Consider the SAHC’s profligate (and predetermined) hiring process for their $25,000 assistant (more taxes), plus the $50,000 SAHC annual allocation (more taxes) approved by Dresser’s “sizeable majorities” (60 townspeople voted yes, 19 voted no) — the kind of vast majority that typically establishes most town and school budgets.

There are approximately 3,000 registered Salisbury voters, which doesn’t include the non-registered non-resident property owners who currently own 50 to 60 percent of the town’s tax-generating real estate and should be allowed to conveniently vote on all town financial matters. How suspicious that these votes are always held in the middle of the week.

The two SAHC reports contain biased assumptions and opinions; social engineering objectives fly in the face of state demographic reality and the Salisbury we know. The reports leave those who read them baffled. Have you read them?

What does the SAHC really intend for beautiful Salisbury? Salisbury is exactly what it wants to be, with 50 percent of the town property preserved from any development, making land values a natural result of supply and demand. With the exception of a few financial service businesses, most local jobs are retail, service and manual labor.

Two of the four Salisbury residents who drafted the first SAHC report are lead activists in the fight against expanding Noble Horizons, which takes care of our elderly folks and has a waiting list in the hundreds. Do you really know what the SAHC is creating and how they will spend hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars over the next few years?

Exploiting the Salisbury Volunteer Ambulance Service and Lakeville Hose Co. as financial Damocles swords to justify and bludgeon through this commission’s mission and social agenda is outrageous and an insult to brave volunteers. If anything, these organizations should create their own private affordable housing funds; who better to know who, when and what they will need in the way of future personnel?

The current “build it and they will come” plan to socially engineer a younger population to retain diversity is nothing but Dresser’s and Riva’s “Field of Dreams.” It’s a tremendous waste of taxes, another costly misguided progressive initiative.

If Salisbury’s leaders were visionary, they would heed the demographics and, while there is still land available for development, pursue master planning for housing the inevitable increased elder population and inevitably needed support workers; or better, find areas where half-acre zoning could provide opportunities for real workforce home ownership. And let the local banks — which hold and lend local deposits — come up with creative financing options for our workforce citizens and neighbors.

There is no little arrogance in the SAHC’s attempt at artificially fecundating our population that would be better left to some other laboratory and higher authority.

Chris P. Janelli, Chairman

Salisbury Republican Town Committee

Salisbury

Event supports affordable mental health care
 

What began as a concept for an Evening of Laughter became Come On, Get Happy and turned into a project of pure joy. To all who worked to make this happen and to all who contributed to its success, I can only say, thank you.

To those who attended and supported Greenwoods Counseling Referrals in its work to bring affordable mental health care to everyone in Litchfield County who is seeking emotional help in difficult times, thank you.

 The generosity of our neighbors was overwhelming. We received wonderful support from the town of Warren, who allowed us the use of beautiful Warren Woods. We received contributions toward our buffet from Washington Market and Bantam Market. The wine and tastings were arranged by Casa Bacchus. All of our cooks, decorators, arrangers for the silent auction, bartenders, servers and managers of the thousands of details were heroic volunteers. I have never known a better crew.

Robin Hood Radio and our Litchfield County newspapers assisted us in getting the word out about Greenwoods and about our event. Thank you.

Wonderful music contributed by Still the Homegrown Band filled the hall and Patricia Campbell led the dancers. Vishwa Prakash drove 100 miles to bring us laughter yoga; Jim Sisti and his magic astonished the crowd. Thank you.

 To those who made reservations and contributed financial support and tons of good will to the event, thank you.

 We are proud to say that 100 percent of the proceeds will go to support therapy sessions for those who come to Greenwoods’ door. This was our goal, and thanks to so many, we were able to achieve it.

 Patsy Stroble

 Vice President of the Board of Trustees

Greenwoods Counseling Referrals

Litchfield

Electing Perotti is in Sharon’s best interest

It is with great pleasure that I take this opportunity to encourage fellow Sharon voters to support John Perotti in his run for selectman in this year’s municipal election.

John is no stranger to my wife, Jane, and me; we have known him for as long as we have lived in Sharon — and worked with him as both our personal and business banker. John is a true son of Sharon, having been born here and then making Sharon his family home since 1975.

As a Sharon selectman, John will bring tremendous financial acumen and business experience to the job. John had an illustrious and highly successful career as a community banker, spending his entire career with the Salisbury Bank & Trust Company. During his tenure as chief executive officer, the bank enjoyed unprecedented growth and profitability, as well as increased dividend payouts to shareholders.

It is exactly that kind of proven ability that will serve our town so well, especially in these difficult times with the daunting fiscal challenges that small towns across Connecticut, like Sharon, are facing.

On the state level, John’s achievements were recognized by his industry peers when they elected him chairman of the Connecticut Bankers Association, and then president of the Connecticut Community Bankers Association. Having fulfilled those terms, John continues to share his banking and financial expertise by currently serving as vice chairman of the Center for Financial Training, Atlantic and Central States.

John has long been involved in community affairs as a former member of Sharon’s Planning and Zoning Commission, a charter member of the Sharon Housing Authority, a 35-year member of the Sharon Lions Club, having served a term as vice president as well as president, as a member of the Sharon American Legion where he served as finance officer for many years, and currently as chairman of the 21st Century Fund for Housatonic Valley Regional High School. John continues his volunteerism by assisting many nonprofit organizations in the Tri-state area.

John is a U.S. Army veteran who served his country in active duty from November of 1966 thru November of 1968. He attended the Non-Commissioned Officers Academy at Fort Rucker, Ala., prior to serving a one-year tour of duty in South Vietnam with the 9th Infantry Division. He was in Saigon during the 1968 Tet Offensive and received his honorable discharge as sergeant E-5 from the United States Army in November of 1972.

How blessed Sharon is to have such a qualified and accomplished citizen as John Perotti who wants to continue his service to all of us as one of our selectmen. His election should be unanimous and in my opinion, anyone who doesn’t vote for John is not voting in Sharon’s best interest.

Roger Elwood

Sharon