Board of Education Election 2021
ballot GOP Caucus 2015

Official Darien Vote Count, Including Representative Town Meeting

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At 4:38 p.m. the Darien Registrars of Voters Office released the count of both absentee ballots, ballots from newly registered voters and votes cast at polling stations around town. The vote count had been stopped by the head moderator for the vote count on Tuesday night. Both Susan Gray, the Democratic registrar, and John Visi, the Republican registrar, said they didn’t know why the count had been stopped, but the Secretary of the State’s Office had consented to it. At that time, the two registrars expected the vote count to resume late the next morning and perhaps be over by 12 noon. Instead, the count stopped again by the head moderator, who left the registrars office for a time.

Darien Elections 2021
McNally Stevenson tweet GOP win election night 2021

GOP’s McNally Wins First Selectman Race, Republicans Win Board of Ed Seats

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Although official vote totals from the Darien Registrars of Voters Office were not available Tuesday evening, joyful Republicans said they won the first selectman race and the contest for Board of Education seats. A dejected official in the town Democratic Party said the same. First Selectman Jayme Stevenson tweeted that Monica McNally, the GOP candidate to replace her, had “won in a landslide.” This article, originally published at 10:33 p.m., Tuesday, was updated at 11:11 p.m., with new information. Susan Gray, the Democratic registrar of voters said absentee ballots were not expected to be counted until late Wednesday morning.

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 Swords WWII

McNally Takes on Causes She Feels Passionately About, Thinks Things Through

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To the editor:

Monica McNally should be our next First Selectman. I wouldn’t put something in writing that I didn’t believe in and I strongly believe in Monica and her team. I met Monica over 20 years ago when our children were in St. Luke’s nursery school together. I have always been impressed by Monica‘s ability to assess a situation.

Letters to the Editor
Letter to the Editor Abraham Lincoln

Terrie Wood: Monica McNally Understands Finance, Listens With Open Mind and Heart

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To the editor:

It’s a pleasure to write this letter in support of Monica McNally as Darien’s next first selectman. Currently serving on the Board of Selectmen, Monica brings a wide range of relevant experience to the responsibilities of first selectman. She’s served in leadership roles for eight years on the RTM and knows the operations of our town. She was a successful financial advisor for 10 years with Smith Barney and thoroughly understands bond markets, interest rates and cash flow. Monica was a founding member of OPUS for Person to Person and has chaired several other community organizations.

Letters to the Editor
Letter to the Editor Washington 1932

Tara Ochman Reaches Across Political Divides, Is Keen to Find Solutions, Watches Spending

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To the editor:

I am writing to express my unqualified support for Tara Ochman as first selectman of the Town of Darien. As a community, we have lived through an exhausting pandemic, increasingly volatile weather patterns, and increasingly vitriolic political discourse. At the same time, we have been blessed with a sizable influx of new Darien residents, who have strengthened our community by just being a part of it. Tara is uniquely qualified to provide the leadership that our town needs at this time. She is a visionary, keen to find solutions for the local impact that storms and flooding will have on our homes and businesses.

Letters to the Editor
Letter to the Editor John Greenleaf Whittier

Tara Ochman Has the Experience and Mindset to Tackle Darien’s Challenges

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To the editor:

Although I am a Democrat, I believe many key issues facing Darien are less about partisanship, and more about sound, competent, forward-thinking strategy and fiscal management. That said, I’ve been researching our two candidates, Tara Ochman, and Monica McNally, to make a truly informed decision on the best candidate for the job, and I have concluded that person is Tara Ochman. As a 15-year resident of Darien, I have been impressed with Tara Ochman’s astute leadership of the Board of Education over the last several years, and in particular, during the unprecedented challenges of the last 18+ months. I credit her, and the BOE, and of course our administrators, teachers, and school staff, with keeping our schools open and functioning throughout most of 2020/2021 in either hybrid or full-time mode, something many other school systems did not accomplish. After watching Candidates Night hosted by The League of Women Voters to get a better sense of Mrs. Ochman and Mrs. McNally’s positions, it is apparent that Mrs. Ochman has a clear and informed vision, strategy, and the leadership chops to evolve Darien during these complex times.

Letters to the Editor
Letter to the Editor Farming

As a Selectman, Mike Burke Will Hold Others Accountable, No Matter Their Party

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To the editor:

What truly matters in town leadership and management? Mike Burke is in a contest for Darien Selectman whose candidates all meet intellectual and relatable competence for the job. They are all kind people with a public service record. But I realize after a recent candidates’ discussion event, the ONE required quality that rises above all others, Mike Burke has. Residents rely on town officials for this ONE, sometimes invisible but hugely important attribute.

Letters to the Editor
Letter to the Editor Abraham Lincoln

Board of Ed Wasn’t Transparent When First Selectman Candidate Ochman Was Chair

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To the editor:

I am the business manager of Trumbull Public Schools, and in the past 13 years have had similar responsibilities in Ridgefield and Plymouth. In the interests of full-disclosure and transparency, I have routinely provided the Boards of Finance in those towns any financial information they requested (redacting students’ names to protect confidentiality). None of the Boards of Education in those towns invoked the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) before such information was shared. In one town I met with the Board of Finance monthly to review the school budget. Ms. Ochman’s attempt to utilize Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to stonewall the Darien Board of Finance’s request for data to update its five-year projections is ludicrous.