Letters to the Editor
Letter to the Editor Thomas Jefferson

US Rep Jim Himes Knows the Danger of Addiction and Fights for Anti-Drug Funding

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To the editor:

In the United States, it is more likely that an individual will die from an opioid overdose than a motor vehicle accident. The overprescription of painkillers by medical professionals has resulted in widespread addiction to narcotics. Opioid addiction ruins lives. People become so dependent on the drugs that they neglect their jobs, families, friends and their own well-being. From oxycodone to heroin, Americans’ lives are plagued by the hold that these drugs have on them.

Letters to the Editor
Letter to the Editor 2 cents Parcel Post

Selectman McNally: Vote for Jayme Stevenson on Tuesday. She’s Shown How to Be an Effective Public Servant

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To the editor:Jayme Stevenson, a Republican candidate for the 4th Congressional District in the primary on Tuesday, Aug. 9, is our best chance to have a voice in Washington on what matters most to us. Jayme led Darien for 10 years in a way that made her name synonymous with expertise.  In her role as first selectman of Darien, Jayme extended her hand to helping Connecticut towns like ours through her leadership role with the Connecticut Council of Municipalities. As chairman of Western Council of Governments, Jayme showed she can work with small towns and big cities on regional issues.  As a candidate for lieutenant governor a few years ago, Jayme became well known in state politics.As a candidate for U.S. Congress, Jayme is continuing her roles as a strong proponent of Darien and Fairfield County, and as a practical, hard working, and dedicated representative of core values that make our country the true leader of the free world.Jayme is a great candidate we can all support, and she can win.  Join me in supporting Jayme for U.S. Congress. Sincerely,Monica McNallyEditor’s note: Monica McNally is Darien’s current first selectman.

Fourth District Election 2022
Letter letters

Here’s How U.S. Congress Candidate Jayme Stevenson Walks the Walk, Not Just Talks the Talk

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To the editor:

Connecticut needs a winner, and we’ve got one in Jayme Stevenson. Jayme Stevenson’s stellar track record should leave no doubt as to how she will perform on Capitol Hill. Astute Connecticut residents realize that corruption in D.C. has hit historic and unprecedented levels. The next generation of policymakers will need to be strong leaders, who espouse what is best for Connecticut and the country and who are willing to fight until they win. Lucky for us, Connecticut has a winner — Jayme Stevenson.

Letters to the Editor
Letter to the Editor Horse brown

Two RTM Districts Meet Thursday to Learn About, Discuss Proposed Great Island Purchase

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To the editor,

Members of the Representative Town Meeting District II and District IV will hold a special meeting at 7 p.m., Thursday, June 23 in Town Hall Auditorium to learn more about and discuss the proposed Great Island purchase. First Selectman Monica McNally and Board of Finance Chair James Palen, as well as members of the Board of Selectmen and Board of Finance will be on hand to provide information and answer questions. Great Island is in RTM District II and borders neighborhoods in District IV. The meeting will be of particular interest to RTM representatives and residents of these two Districts but is open to the community. Clara Sartori

Chair , RTM District II

Letters to the Editor
Letter to the Editor Abraham Lincoln

Advice and Resources on Coping With Grief Over the Third Recent Loss of a DHS Student

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Dear fellow Darien residents and parents:

Right now, our community is grieving. Our hearts are hurting. The pain and sadness over loss together with fear for our children’s future, weigh on us during this difficult period. We in this community need to serve as touch points for one another, while also taking care of ourselves. Specifically, engage your friends, family members, neighbors and even acquaintances in conversation.

Letters to the Editor
Letter to the Editor Horse brown

Friends of Animals President: ‘Trees are the Planet’s Lungs’ With Multiple Benefits for the Environment

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To the editor:

I’m unnerved when I hear that morbid sound of trees being dismembered, limb by limb until they’re pulverized into saw dust. It’s a racket outside my office window in Darien this morning. In the backyard of a home that abuts our parking lot, I can see a red band tied around the trunk of the huge tree, which a tree cutter in a cherry picker kills, branch by branch, without ceremony. I don’t know why people so easily kill trees, but it’s done with reckless abandon, and watching each limb cut and remain suspended in the air for a while incenses me. Last weekend, I heard the same jarring, tree-killing sound of a chainsaw in a neighbor’s yard on McKinley Street in Rowayton, and the weekend earlier, it interrupted a visit to a friend’s home in Hilton Head, South Carolina.

Darien Board of Selectmen 2022
Letter to the Editor Thomas Jefferson

Darien Board of Selectmen Endorse Sanity and Civility in Public Discourse

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To the editor:

We are so fortunate to live in a town that includes hundreds of amazing volunteers and elected officials who volunteer thousands of hours of their time to help make our town the wonderful place we call home. We are a strong community made up of people who are passionate about contributing to the success of our town. As fellow community members, it is important we are respectful of each other and appreciative of the efforts of those who choose to serve our town. In their roles as elected or appointed officials, they are acting as public representatives and do not deserve to be attacked personally for how they discuss an issue or how they vote. Strength and leadership come from sharing and discussing differing views.

Board of Education Election 2021
Letter to the Editor two cents' worth

Julie Best Has Demonstrated an Ability to Connect with Students, Teachers, Parents, Administrators

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To the editor:

On Nov. 2, I hope you will join me in voting for Julie Best for Board of Education. Her leadership, experience, and dedication make her an ideal choice to guide our school system as we continue through some exciting but challenging times. I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Julie since our oldest daughters entered Tokeneke Elementary School almost eleven years ago. In that time, I’ve seen Julie get involved in almost every facet of the school community.

Letters to the Editor
Letter to the Editor Pilgrim

McNally Has a Strong Work Ethic, Dedication to Darien and Financial Acumen

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To the editor:

I strongly urge the voters of Darien to elect Monica McNally as our first Sselectman on Nov. 2. Having worked with Monica for many years on the Representative Town Meeting, she has earned the highest respect of her peers and is recognized as a true leader. Her dedication, work ethic and financial acumen are the perfect combination we need in our next first selectman. Monica’s extensive experience with our town government has provided her with the practical know-how to manage Darien through the inevitable uncertainty that lies ahead.

Letters to the Editor
Letter to the Editor Washington brown

For Years, Julie Best and Stacey Tie Have Each Been a Go-To Person for Info About Our Schools

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To the editor:

When I first heard that Julie Best and Stacey Tie were running for seats on the Board of Education, I was surprised — because I assumed they were both already on the board. For years, each has been a go-to for information about our schools. Both are active and very visible volunteers in schools and in the community. I watched Julie testify in Hartford to maintain local control of schools and worked with her on the Tokeneke PTO. Stacey has selflessly provided hours of advice to help me navigate the special education system and regularly reminds local parents to attend and participate in the critical BOE meetings and budget discussions that shape our schools.

Letters to the Editor
Letter to the Editor Thomas Jefferson

Vote Your Conscience, Not in Response to Propaganda and Hate

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Letter to the editor,

This week I received a very disturbing call from a member of the Darien Republican Town Committee. As a lifelong Republican and someone who has always supported the Republican candidates, I politely explained that my vote this time would be for Tara Ochman. My response was met with false innuendos and fear mongering over low income housing, as the caller cited the business profession of her “two largest donors.” Interestingly, I personally know that his references were untrue. When I questioned his facts, with the truth, the phone fell silent. It is disturbing to think that some within my own party are stooping this low.

Letters to the Editor
Letter to the Editor 2 cents Parcel Post

Ochman Responds to Letter Writer Who Said He Didn’t Get a Reply From Her on Zoning Testimony

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UPDATE: Earlier today, Wednesday, Darienite.com published a letter to the editor (below) from Benoît Jamar of Raiders Lane saying that first selectman candidate Tara Ochman had said in the candidates debate that she had testified in Hartford against the “proposed ‘take over'” of town zoning regulations by the state. He said Ochman’s campaign had not responded to his request for the transcript of that testimony. Ochman has replied today in a letter to Jamar (also below) that she had not, in fact, testified in Hartford about zoning, only about education matters, and, after reviewing the debate video, she confirmed that she didn’t say in the debate (or anywhere else) that she had testified about zoning. Ochman sent Darienite.com her emailed reply to Jamar, dated Oct. 24 (this past Sunday), and a copy of her second reply, sent today (Wednesday).

Letters to the Editor
Letter to the Editor Washington 1932

If You Get a Call/Text Saying Something Nefarious About a Candidate — Just Ask the Candidate!

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To the editor:

I’ve lived in Darien for over 30 years and cherish so many things about this community — its generosity of spirit, its commitment to excellence, its drive to excel, its general decency! I know politics is certainly not a sport for the faint of heart, but I was deeply dismayed the other night when a dear friend declared, “It’s just politics” in response to learning about

continued lies and whisper campaigns against Tara Ochman. I have known Tara ever since she and her family moved into Darien nearly 15 years ago. I have been blown away by her intelligence, work ethic and devotion to public service. So many things are better in Darien because of her contributions to the library and Board of Education.

Letters to the Editor
Letter to the Editor Columbus

Darien Should Have Its Own State Senate District — Write to the Reapportionment Committee

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To the editor:

In concert with the Federal census, Connecticut is constitutionally bound to review the state population every 10 years and reapportion legislative district boundary lines. The 2020 census was completed four months behind schedule and as a result, Governor Lamont has appointed a Reapportionment Commission; Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, a Democrat, is a member of the commission. The Commission has until the end of November to complete their analysis and vote on the reallocation of district boundaries. Darien is presently divided by the 25th and 27th state Senate districts; the incumbent State Senators are Bob Duff (25th District, Norwalk and Darien) and Patricia Billy Miller (also a Democrat, 27th district, Stamford and Darien). The boundaries of these two districts mix the population of Darien with that of Norwalk and Stamford.