I believe in Montville

I believe in Montville. That may sound a little corny but it really describes how I feel. After looking all around southeastern Connecticut, my wife Sue and I chose this town more than 30 years ago to raise our family in. There was just something about this town that drew us in. Every time we came here we weren’t visiting, we were home. It really just felt right; it felt like we were home. I felt like a home-town boy when we were here. So we began looking around. We couldn’t afford to buy, after all we were just kids ourselves yet, but we could rent. And we had big dreams; we wanted a big family so we rented the old farmhouse at the top of Velgouse Road. We made friends with Elsie Velgouse who now lived in a mobile home about half way down the road. She took us under her wing and taught us how to do things that we had only dreamed about before. She taught us how to turn off the television and really enjoy the life that God had given us. She told us stories about Montville that were utterly fascinating. That farmhouse was about as close to heaven as you can get on this earth. We worked the farm as best we could and loved it with a passion. I had a day job but after I got home I could be found until it was too dark to see working the gardens, the orchard, the grape arbor, or tending to the chickens, goats, pigs and beef cow. I welded up my own wood stove (we still have that stove) and we heated the house with it and were never cold, no matter how frigid it got outside in January. Sue would get up in the morning and though you’d never get her to admit it I would go off to work many a day listening to her singing to herself as she went about getting the day started and the kids off to school, who by now numbered 5. I used to really enjoy watching her as she went about doing whatever it was she was engaged in. Life was good, really good. It was one of the most memorable and pleasant times in our life. But we didn’t stay on Velgouse Road. Eventually we bought a house in 1982 on Laurel Drive in Oakdale heights, where we still live today. Of course we don’t have 5 kids living with us anymore. Instead we have 13 grandkids and 1 great grandchild. Life just gets better and better. Family is so important and we are blessed with a wonderful family.

Everywhere we went in town over the years we met really nice people. Folks in Montville just seemed to get along with each other in a way that makes you glad to be around them. When anybody had difficulty there was always somebody there to lend a hand. I managed to make it to some meetings of the Board of Selectmen and was really intrigued because local government had been one of my favorite subjects in High School Civics class. I started to look at how I could get involved but everything took more time than I had to give then so I vowed to get involved once my time loosened up a bit. That opportunity began to present itself about 10 years ago and I started showing up at various town meetings. Eventually I decided it was time to actually try to run for office so, being a registered Democrat I went there first. Alas I had waited too long and the slate was full. But I didn't give up. I tried to run for Town Council with the Independents for Montville, but as a Democrat. Wow, that was an experience. Needless to say I didn’t win a seat but I learned a lot about running for office.

Not to be deterred, I approached the Town Committee about what kind of service was available that I could be a part of and was given a list of vacancies on various boards and commissions. Over the course of time I ended up on the Economic Development Commission and eventually became its Chair. I also serve as an alternate on the Zoning Board of Appeals and I chair the Conservation Commission. I ran for office again but had the misfortune to run during a year when the entire nation was turning out any and all incumbents and the Democrats in town just happened to be the incumbents so not only did I not win again, but a lot of Democrats did not win – everywhere. Oh well. You win some and you loose some. But loosing an election is no excuse for not continuing to serve, and I have. I enjoy being able to contribute to the town, a town that I have grown to really love. But there is more that I have to give and so I’m running for office again. I have some neat ideas and hope to get them considered by the Council, which I hope to be a part of this time. I have learned the ins and outs of our town government and I know how to work with it. I know how to work with people with differing ideas and find common ground to get things accomplished. The first lesson of political life is that nobody gets everything they want and that if you really care about your constituents then you learn to compromise. Councilors don’t just serve the members of their own party; they serve all the residents of town no matter who they are. And if they are going to do a good job for them all then you have to learn to work cooperatively with the other Council members who represent the people that think differently than you do. All residents have a right to expect that their councilors will work cooperatively to get things done for them.

It’s not about which party controls the Council – that’s petty thinking. It’s about the people who live here. It’s about what they want and what they need. It’s about making sure that our kids get the best education we can afford to give them. It’s about doing whatever it takes to make sure that the town does not get in the way of people living their own lives and chasing their own dreams. It’s about making sure that our seniors, after a lifetime of supporting this town, can live comfortably in their own homes. It’s about honoring the veterans and active servicemen in town who serve our nation unselfishly and giving them the respect they deserve. Being on the Town Council is not a job – it’s a trust and an honor. And I hope you will honor me with your trust and your vote on Tuesday. I ask you for your vote on Tuesday November 8th.