Don Lowe First Selectman Column 07/22/24
The Board of Selectmen (BOS) will hold its regularly scheduled monthly meeting on this Thursday, July 25 at 7pm in Mallory Town Hall. The agenda is posted on the Town website and will also be sent out via NIXLE. Please note that the BOS is now using the Zoom meeting function and this meeting, and subsequent others, will be broadcast and recorded via Zoom. A link is provided on the agenda. Please note that the Zoom option is view-only and not interactive. If you wish to comment at the meeting you'll need to be in attendance.
One of the main agenda items concerns the Sherman School renovation/repair and the financing of that project through bonding. It is hoped that the BOS will arrive at a choice between one of several bonding options and, from that point on, we can begin to inform the public of how much the school project will cost and how it will affect your tax bill. We will also be discussing updates on other Town capital projects including the new Town boat docks, the proposed new Sherman Senior/Community Center, and the pickle ball courts construction.
Thank you to those who offered opinions on the YOUR SPEED signs and I can report that, so far, 100% of them were for keeping the signs. The people I had contact with over this issue all agreed that they helped in mitigating speed through Sherman. It’s not perfect, it’ll never be perfect, but the signs, according to these folks, help a lot. I agree with that assessment myself as I have seen the effect of drivers slowing down when their speed is indicated to them. I wish the signs weren’t necessary, but they do help with the difficult situation of getting people to drive more slowly and carefully through Town.
Next week will be the last week of Sherman Summer Camp. And what a camp it’s been with more than 200 campers having signed up. Another record amount! The children have enjoyed the outdoor splendor of our parks, the lake, and went on cool field trips along with having fun with their friends and with the counselors. Bravo to the Parks and Recreation Commission for holding and organizing another successful camp.
Tickets are going fast for The Fireman’s Ball to be held on Saturday, August 3. Starting at 5pm on the Town Green. Live music, great food, raffles, door prizes, and community communing with friends and neighbors! Get your tickets online at ShermanVFD.org! (“Community communing”…? I’m going to stick with it…)
In the coming two months Sherman taxpayers will be offered a ton of information about the Sherman School repair/renovation project. It’s the main topic in Town. If all goes as planned, we will vote on this on October 5 in a Town referendum. Sometimes, in some towns, these school facility decisions get dubbed as “people with children in the school” vs. “people without children in the school.” I think that is an incorrect way of looking at it. In future columns I will be writing about this and illustrating that ALL taxpayers benefit when they live in a Town with a well-functioning school facility. However, I’ve run out of writing room for now. Keep enjoying this beautiful summer and appreciate every moment with your loved ones!
