From the Desk of the First Selectman

Don Lowe First Selectman Column 05/13/24

I want to remind folks that our Memorial Day Parade will be held on Sunday, May 26. The parade steps off at 1pm and travels south on Route 39 and turns to the right when it reaches Route 37 and then proceeds to Veterans Field where we hold the Memorial Day ceremony that lasts for about thirty minutes. At the ceremony we plan to have the airplane “fly-over” along with all of the usual ceremonial rituals including a guest speaker, singers, state politicians, and free hotdogs.  I’m proud to announce that our parade Grand Marshal this year is Kathy Fazzone. 

The parade, as parades are, will be a happy and jubilant affair, but that does not belie the day’s true importance: to commemorate those military personnel who died in service of our great country. There is no “rain-day” for the Sherman Memorial Parade and if the weather is too imposing we will call it off that morning probably using the Town NIXLE messaging system. Route 39 N will be closed at 12:30 from Spring Lake Road into Sherman. Route 37 will be closed at 1pm until the parade passes. We hope for a sunny day and we hope to see you there!

We’ve had some good news on the Sherman School renovation/repair front. The state General Assembly voted to reimburse Sherman above the normal reimbursement rate (24%) and legislated a 30% reimbursement rate for school construction. For a project as potentially large as the Sherman school project, this is quite a savings. The school building committee meets again at 7pm on Thursday of this week and we will be pressing forward to hopefully bring forth an acceptable plan and hold a referendum on the revised plan in October. Much thanks to our State Senator Harding and Representative Callahan for their good efforts on our behalf. A special thanks to Board of Education member Tim Laughlin who persistently and persuasively shepherded this legislation through. Also, our former Senator, Julie Kushner, (redistricting placed her elsewhere) lent her voice of support and helped us for which we are grateful. 

Please visit our revised Town of Sherman website. This is a promise now fulfilled as we streamlined our info presentation and made items like Park and Rec registrations online and more user friendly. Also, it appears that the Sherman Volunteer Fire Department will be bringing back the Fireman’s Ball this year. The Ball will be held, like it always has been, on the first Saturday of August. 

For all practical purposes, summer seems to be here. The withered bracken from dell to knoll once again have miraculously turned green making spring vanish into the sunny summer days that turn us young again. At least it’s nice to think so!