Community Corner

In Pictures: The 2009 Republican Caucus

Mary Kelly Freiberg comes away with a contested school board nomination.

Some last minute campaigning in the Saxe Middle School parking lot by Mary Kelly Freiberg may have put the school board candidate over the top at the town Republican Caucus Tuesday night.

Freiberg beat Laura Edmonds by just nine votes—99 to 90—to win the nomination for a seat on the Board of Education. Incumbents Amy Rochlin and Kathy Smith easily claimed the other two spots, garnering 174 and 144 votes respectively.

With the candidates for all other nominations running uncontested the caucus did not have a big draw. Only 243 ballots were cast, most before caucus chairman Stephen Karl even finished reading the caucus rules.

“At least we have a few people remaining to hear the speeches. Thank you for staying,” Karl said.

The candidates for Board of Education did go on to deliver their speeches. Amy Rochlin sounded a refrain echoed by both incumbents and challengers:

“We must develop a fiscally responsible and educationally sound school budget.”

School board candidate Andrew Brooks' speech was the first public address for the recent college grad, New Canaan High School alumnus, and aspiring politician. Though the 22-year-old's résumé as an economics major and former president of the student senate at Brandeis University only brought him 63 votes, Republican Town Committee Treasurer John Murphy encouraged Brooks to run for office in town again.

"Everyone knows you now," Murphy said.

The Republican slate for Town Council will include incumbents Mark DeWaele, Penny Young, Tom O'Dea, and newcomer Bob Hammill. The council nominees praised the recent revamping of the budget process and cuts to town spending, adding that the budget was likely to be even smaller next year.

Longstanding Town Clerk Claudia Weber and Treasurer V. Donald Hersam, Jr. will be sure to keep their posts as they were nominated without contest and no Democrats have stepped forward to challenge them. Robert Mallozzi will also remain as the Republican member of the Board of Selectmen.

Republicans also tapped Jason Milligan and Vincent Socci for Board of Assessment Appeals, and Austin Furst and John Ponterotto for Constable. Popular First Selectman Jeb Walker was of course nominated to a second term.


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