Letter: Town meeting no place for partisan politics

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To the editor,

We attended the Beacon Falls Board of Selectmen’s special meeting on June 14 where the loan/bond proposals were discussed prior to the June 21 referendum on the issue.

The turnout was OK and people had a chance to ask questions and voice opinions. We are glad that the selectmen, because of a petition drive, decided to bring the proposals to referendum so that many more people would have the chance to weigh in on such an important set of decisions for our community — just as they did for similar proposals in the recent past.

At the meeting several people, including Jeremy Rodorigo from the fire department, Walter Opuszynski from the waste water treatment plant, the town’s financial person and the selectmen themselves presented information that will be useful in making our decisions.

What marred an otherwise productive meeting was the demeanor of First Selectman Gerard Smith, who chose to use this forum to launch an unwarranted and untrue attack on former First Selectman Susan Cable. He accused her of approaching the work crew on Blackberry Hill, demanding they stop the installation of guard rails. Mrs. Cable, though visibly upset by the charge, informed the gathering that she had not done any such thing and in fact was attending a workshop in Wethersfield that day that began at 7:30 a.m. and lasted all day.

This meeting was no place to drag in petty partisan politics and served to display in First Selectman Smith a level of immaturity, insecurity, and casual disregard for the truth that did a disservice to himself and more importantly to the dignity and credibility of his office. Since this false and insulting accusation was made in a public forum, First Selectman Smith needs to present a sincere and unqualified apology publically to Mrs. Cable and to the town, so that Beacon Falls can move on to the real issues that we need to address.

Connie and Bob Sexton

Doreen Fontaine

Beacon Falls