The Bethel Democratic Town Committee invites you to its Annual Picnic on Sunday, July 28th, 2019, from noon-4pm.
Bennett Memorial Park, 14 Shelter Rock Road, Bethel
Great Picnic Menu ~ Children’s Activities ~ Raffles from Local Businesses!
First-Time Attendee Discount!
Join the Fun! Meet Our Local and State Officials.
Sign up now! Purchase tickets HERE.
Matt Knickerbocker (second from left) and Rich Straiton toast with their wives, Adrienne Thompson (far left) and Sharon Straiton, after announcing their campaign.
Saturday, April 6 – BETHEL, CT
On Saturday evening, at the conclusion of the annual Bethel Democrats fundraiser banquet, Matt Knickerbocker and Richard Straiton took to the podium to announce to the 130+ supporters in attendance that they were officially beginning the campaign for their sixth terms as First Selectman and Selectman, respectively. “We love what we do, and there is no greater honor than serving the wonderful people of Bethel, as we have done for the past decade,” Knickerbocker said.
The crowd applauded the announcement, as they raised their glasses to toast the two Democratic town leaders. “We’re at a crucial point not just nationally or at the state level, but locally, too. Experience matters. Voters want to know that their country, their state, and their community is in capable hands during uncertain times,” Knickerbocker added.
Nick Vitti, chairman of the Bethel Democratic Town Committee, added, “The quality of life in Bethel, and the improvements that we all enjoy, are directly attributable to the leadership of Matt and Rich, their willingness and abilities to work across party lines, and their commitment to always putting the interests of the people of Bethel ahead of all else. We’re ecstatic they’re committed to running. The party is behind them 100%.”
“I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished so far, and excited to continue our work for another two years,” Straiton said.
The municipal election will be in November. While that is several months away, please remember to vote on Thursday April 11 on the 2019-2020 Bethel Budget. Polling places will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Join us on April 6th at Michael’s at the Grove as we celebrate with a dinner honoring Alice Hutchinson with the Bill & Jane Shannon Community Service Award and Cyndie McGuire with the Clifford J Hurgin Democrat of the Year Award!
Would you or your business like to place an ad in the program book?
Here is the link to the AD FORM.
Here is the link to the Certification Form that must accompany the ad form.
If you’re anything like me, you are still energized by the Democratic triumphs that took place last night.
Voters in Bethel spoke loudly about the leadership they want for our town, and the people they trust to best represent their values. They rejected reckless rhetoric and misinformation, and reminded everyone of who we are as a community.
Together, we supported and elected candidates that represent the best that Bethel has to offer.
Congratulations to ALL of our candidates for running successful campaigns that engaged and energized the electorate. We re-elected Matt and Rich to their fifth terms, and they will continue to move Bethel forward. We also gained four Democratic seats on the Board of Finance, in addition to re-electing Bob Manfreda to the board, making five of the seven members Democrats. Wow! And there are numerous other accomplishments from the top of the ticket down.
Our candidates, volunteers and supporters (many of whom were engaging in this process for the first time) did the work, made the calls, knocked on the doors and got the job done. The national events of November 2016 have certainly provided America with one notable positive outcome: the mobilization of a grassroots movement of doers who are willing to work as hard as possible to achieve their goals.
Even with these successes, there is still so much work to do! 2018 will be a crucial election cycle. Let’s stay energized, motivated, and encouraged.
But for today, take a moment to relax, regroup and reflect on the hard-fought victories from last night… We’ll need your hard work and commitment more than ever in the coming months.
Thanks for everything you did to make last night possible.
Raghib Allie-Brennan, Vice Chairman
Bethel Democratic Town Committee
2017 Bethel Municipal Election Winners:
First Selectman, Matt Knickerbocker (2,935) D
Selectman, Rich Straiton (2,652) D
Selectman, Paul Szatkowski (1,983) R
Town Clerk, Lisa Bergh (4,617) D
Treasurer, Pat Smithwick (2,446) D
Board of Finance:
Wendy Smith (2,453) D
Robert Manfreda (2,363) D
Dalene Foster (2,270) D
Robert Palmer (2,271) D
Board of Finance 2 Year Seat – Automatic Recount
Claudia Stephan (2,257) D or
Bill Slifkin (2,244) R
Board of Education:
Jen Ackerman (2,487) D
Melanie O’Brien (2,417) R
Jen Larsen (2,355) D
Nick Hoffman (2,209) R
Board of Assessment Appeals:
Will Duff (2,352) R
Fern Blair Hart (2,233) D
Gary Passineau (2,143) D
Planning and Zoning:
Patricia Rist (2,377) R
Kitty Grant (2,358) R
Steve Deuschle (2,356) R
Planning and Zoning Alternate:
Penny Kessler (2,369) D
Zoning Board of Appeals:
Richard Lawlor (2,445) D
Jay Streaman (2,425) R
Eileen Freebairn (2,243) D
Zoning Board of Appeals – 2 Year Seat:
Bobbi Jo Beers (3,417) R
Zoning Board of Appeals Alternate:
Cyndie McGuire (2,158) D
Inland Wetlands Commission:
Laura Ferguson (3,140) R
Peter Samardak (3,029) R
Ken Stevens (2,403) R
Inland Wetlands Alternate:
Lou David (3,071) D
Police Commission:
Kevin Cleary (2,540) R
Anthony Rubino (2,387) R
Richard Kolwicz (2,244) R
Bethel is facing a perfect fiscal storm and the Democratic team of candidates for the Board of Finance—Dalene Foster, Bob Manfreda, Robert Palmer, Wendy Smith and Claudia Stephan—possesses the business, financial and municipal expertise necessary to weather the storm and to move Bethel forward.
The next budget cycle not only requires Bethel’s Board of Finance to wrestle with the typical issues involving the annual operating budget, but will also require important decisions on both the police station and school renovation projects. Specifically, the town must bond $14.5 million for the new, approved police station, for which construction is underway. The town is also faced with either renovating “as-new” (estimated net cost, $40 to $42 million) or patchwork repairing (estimated cost, $29 million) our Johnson and Rockwell schools. The successful town referendum was an important first step to renovating as new, but now Bethel must wait on the State’s final approval of its grant request.
The State of Connecticut’s budget troubles make the Board of Finance’s job more difficult. These budget woes have and will continue to result in less support from Hartford, jeopardizing funding the Town has relied upon in its immediate past. Given these realities, the Bethel Board of Finance cannot conduct business as usual. We are no longer merely managing a checkbook.
Rather, to successfully navigate the coming fiscal storm, the Bethel Board of Finance members must possess the financial expertise necessary to know how best to use the fund balance while maintaining the town’s AAA credit rating; the financial acumen to assess the interest-rate environment for purposes of paying back $12 million of short-term debt not related to the police station, issuing less-expensive new long-term debt and, possibly, re-bonding expensive existing debt; and the financial foresight to plan for what may come, such as establishing sinking funds for large critical purchases like fire trucks.
The Bethel Democratic candidates for the Board of Finance possess this expertise. We, the undersigned, are the team that will ensure Bethel successfully weathers the storms to come. Please support expertise in financial management by electing the Democratic team for the Bethel Board of Finance. Vote Row A on November 7.
Dalene Foster, Bob Manfreda, Robert Palmer, Wendy Smith and Claudia Stephan
Democratic Candidates for Bethel’s Board of Finance
Social media is an amazing tool that, when used properly, allows people to interact with each other and their elected officials. It allows for the expression of differing views and opinions among the members of our community, which benefits us as a whole. For the most part, participants in online forums engage in very strong debate and hash out differences of opinion and policy, but with a sense of respect for each other and a general sense of decorum. Unfortunately, there is always an exception to the rule.
Recently, two of our candidates for local office were subjected to mean-spirited personal attacks that, in my opinion, cross the line of what is acceptable in productive engagement and discourse. These attacks even went so far as to target the candidates’ child – something that no responsible individual would do. That’s not who we are here in Bethel. Let’s remember that our kids are watching how we conduct ourselves. And let’s make sure the example we set is worthy of them.
Nick Vitti, Chairman
Bethel Democratic Town Committee
Rich Straiton (left) and Matt Knickerbocker are excited to lead Bethel for another term.
At a caucus on July 19, Bethel Democrats unanimously nominated First Selectman Matt Knickerbocker and Selectman Richard Straiton for a fifth term. In addition, a highly qualified slate of candidates was chosen for the rest of the ticket for this November’s municipal election.
“Rich and I are delighted to be a part of a dynamic team of candidates who are eager to serve our town,” Knickerbocker said after the caucus. “We have a blend of experienced public servants with terrific track records as well as newcomers who bring fresh ideas to help further strengthen this wonderful community. ”
This election is a chance to build on the progress in Bethel that Matt and Rich have led since their election in 2009. Recent accomplishments include starting construction on a voter-approved plan to replace Bethel’s outdated police station, breaking ground on the area’s first municipal solar farm, launching a much-needed renovation of the town’s aging water works to improve fire safety and water quality, and completion of the revamped Plumtrees-Whittlesey intersection.
The Democratic candidates are as follows. Those currently serving in these positions and seeking reelection are marked with an (I) for “incumbent”:
Bethel Democrats will be campaigning hard for these candidates in coming months. Please contact BDTC chairman Nick Vitti (nvitti@lawcts.com) if you’d like to join us!
The BDTC is holding our Annual Family Picnic on Sunday, July 30th, at Bennett Park, from Noon to 4 P.M. Come share delicious food with fellow Democrats and meet the candidates running for town office this fall (and maybe even a surprise VIP guest). There will be children’s activities and covetable door prizes. Your attendance supports the campaigns of Democrats running for the numerous positions in local government that make a difference in our lives, and will help kick off the re-election campaign of First Selectman Matt Knickerbocker and Selectman Rich Straiton, who will lead our ticket.
$30.00 for Adults
$60.00 for Families
Children Under 10 Are Free
Local elections determine the money budgeted for our kids’ schools, how much we pay in property taxes, and whether our town can afford enough snowplows to dig us out of winter storms. Presidential elections are important, but local elections determine whether potholes get fixed and the quality of the water coming out of our taps. They’re about the kind of community we want to be. Come be a part of the process! This Wednesday, Bethel Democrats will choose the candidates who will run for election this fall at the Democratic Caucus.
It’s at the C. J. Hurgin Municipal Center, in the Senior Center Cafeteria, at 7:30pm. All Bethel residents who are registered Democrats are strongly encouraged to come and participate! Not sure if you’re registered? Click here to learn how to find out.