Congratulations to Mimi Duran (R) the incumbent candidate for the Regional 7 Board of Education in today’s November 2nd, 2021 election. This race had the only contested seat on the Barkhamsted Municipal Election ballot. Duran, who was first elected to the R7 Board in 2013, is the Assistant Athletic Director and a Head Coach at the Ethel Walker School in Simsbury. She holds a B.S. from the University of Maine and an M.S. from Georgetown University. The Barkhamsted Republican Town Committee is pleased that voters recognized her years of service on the Board and wish to see her continue as an active member.
Mimi Duran received 401 votes and her Democrat Challenger, Micah Mann (D) received 340.
Other results that can be posted at this hour:
First Selectman Don Stein (D) 530
Selectman Nick Lukiwsky (R) 383
Selectman Ray Pech (D) 382
Town Clerk Holly Krouse (R) 594
Final results to be posted. Thank you to all of our town residents who turned out to vote today!
*More Results for our town Republicans (all democrat candidates who ran unopposed were elected to another term):
Treasurer Sally Roy (R) 566
Board of Finance (all full term):
Richard Winn (R) 533
David R. Moulton (R) 497
John Doyle Jr. (R) 519
Salvatore Tartaglione (R) 501
Alternate Scott Thomas (R) 521
Board of Education to fill Vacancy for two years:
Susan M. Larson (R) 505
Board of Assessment Appeals (full term):
Robert H. Brainard III (R) 503
BAA to fill Vacancy for two years:
Steven P. Blackburn (R) 504
Planning and Zoning Commission Five Year Terms (2022/2023):
The Barkhamsted Republican Town Committee always remains active even if a new post is not seen here on our website. The Coronavirus set our usual annual agenda back in 2020. Nevertheless, despite no town Parade on Independence Day which was canceled due to COVID restrictions on July 4th, 2020, no Riverton Fair in early October, Charter Communications closing the Winsted studio which taped our half hour political interview show “Conservative Chat” for fifteen years, and the surprising results of the 2020 Presidential election, there is much to share with our followers in review.
Many thanks to Peter Lumaj, Gubernatorial Candidate 2018 and Secretary of the State Candidate 2014 for being our keynote speaker at our biannual fundraiser held at the committee’s Vice Chair’s home in late September 2020. For those who have yet to hear Peter’s amazing and accomplished story, please put his name in a search engine. We are hoping he will run again in 2022 for an important office that would help our state of Connecticut tremendously. https://peterlumaj.com/
Peter’s former Campaign Manager for the Secretary of the State office in Connecticut, Brock Weber, announced he will be running for this same seat in 2022. The BRTC’s Chairman, Juliana Simone, worked on the 2014 campaign and can verify Brock knows everything there is to know about this office and would do an exceptional job if elected. As he tours the state campaigning, ask him anything about the duties performed as SOTS if you meet him, or send him a question on his website where contact info is listed. Simone has endorsed Brock Weber for the State GOP nomination. https://www.brockweber.com/
Some vacancies that came up on our local boards have all been filled with qualified people. The BRTC is happy to see long-serving Planning and Zoning Commission alternate, Tom Andersen, become a full seated member, though as he says in his own words, he wished it had happened any other way. We all mourn the loss of Greg Gordon, who died prematurely in June of this year. PZC Chair, Christine Lavieri, acknowledged how important a voice he had for so many years in terms of Barkhamsted’s town composition. Paul Duran has filled the alternate seat which was held by Tom. He has many qualifications to be seated. Susan Larson filled the seat of retired police officer Jill Kidik on the local Board of Education.
Veteran Registrar of Voters, Susan Day, had to retire the job she knew and performed so well due to moving out of town. The BRTC will always thank and respect Sue for so many decades of service and as a member of our RTC. We appreciate Lisa Andersen’s volunteering to replace Sue, but understand the complications that prevented her from assuming this important role. We now are pleased to announce our committee Treasurer, Rev. Steven Blackburn, PhD., as our new Registrar in training.
Coming up: Municipal elections Tuesday, November 2nd, 2021. Support our Republican ticket. All well deserved members of our town Boards. Please re-elect Regional 7 incumbent, Mimi Duran, who has an impressive background in serving and wants to continue her elected position on the Regional 7 BOE. Look for our campaign literature in your mail or post office box!
With ongoing coronavirus restrictions, the annual Barkhamsted Independence Parade could not be held for concerns of social distancing among viewers, as noted in a previous post on this website. People came out to wave to the caravan procession and many wore patriotic clothing and waved American flags. Here are some photos. God Bless America, and our Founding Fathers who gave our Republic its brilliant Constitution of the United States which grants all people liberty.
Many newspapers have written about our small town Independence Day Parade each year hosted by the Lions Club, and always only held on the Fourth of July. They also always write how it is a Norman Rockwell occasion, back to the days of peaceful times. This year is different, however, with coronavirus restrictions in some states that still require face masks, social distancing, restaurant closings and work-from-home mandates.
Town leaders decided they were concerned about parade viewers not social distancing enough and chose not to hold the annual popular venue. The Barkhamsted Lions Club said to contact the town hall for any information.
Barkhamsted RTC Chair, Juliana Simone, contacted the town hall, and was told the Lions Club was going to have a caravan that drove through the vast area of the town, split across the Barkhamsted Reservoir, and the drive was going to last about an hour and twenty minutes. She was told the Lions Club decided they wanted no political floats or participants this year.
The discussion inferred that only regular annual participants could partake, and when Simone noted their Barkhamsted Republican Town Committee’s regular presence, was told the Democrat TC could not either, as politics (paraphrasing) were not a feel good thing at this time. Boy and Girl Scouts, Historical Society, local churches – all good.
Understandable, with statues of amazing Generals, Presidents, Founders, Priests, Emancipators and even symbolic icons on commercial items which have been or are being removed. It is these people all the citizens of the United States of America, or who are awaiting citizenship, owe their life of freedom to today and should celebrate on July 4th.
Thank you to our Vice Chair, Dave Moulton, for calling Barkhamsted’s First Selectman Don Stein (D) and debating with him the eligibility issue of who could partake – i.e. if the three Board of Selectman elected officials could have a car in the caravan, then any elected official could – State Senator Kevin Witkos (R-8), and sitting State Representative William Simanski (R-62).
He also further argued any running candidate regardless of party affiliation could also have a car in the caravan. Stein eventually agreed, but to my knowledge at this post, the RTC’s cannot participate. Our RTC wanted a car to proudly show our support of President Donald J. Trump who wants to Make America Great Again.
For those who want to see the caravan, here is the route and the times applied to destinations. God Bless America.
The Barkhamsted Republican Town Committee recently endorsed during a video conference call (following Coronavirus restrictions) the following candidates: Mark Anderson for State Representative (62-R), (due to the retirement of State Representative William Simanski) and Susan Day, as our long serving Registrar of Voters (R). BRTC treasurer and Steven Blackburn has been appointed to the BAA full seat, after serving as an alternate for years. Fine patriot and BRTC member, Tom Palmer, left a vacancy on the BAA after recently moving out of town. He kept a close watch on the Regional 7 budget for years, but was unable to make any needed changes in transparency. Mike Stewart, our newly appointed BRTC Secretary who is a retired businessman but now owns a local specialty food business, will replace Blackburn as the BAA alternate. Congratulations to all.
Connecticut’s State Senator and Republican Senate Minority Leader Pro Tempore, Kevin Witkos (R-8), was nominated to serve another term by the Senate’s Eighth District delegation during a convention conference call. Witkos is unopposed. The convention Chair was Avon’s RTC Chair Jeffrey Fleischman. Barkhamsted Chair, Juliana Simone, and Board of Finance Chair, Richard Winn, participated in the convention. Simone was asked to be a member of the Rules Committee.
Witkos, first elected to the State Senate in 2009, served as a State Representative in the Connecticut General Assembly for six years prior. Kevin is the Ranking Member of the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee and the General Law Committee. He is also a member of the Executive and Legislative Nominations Committee.
A retired Canton police Sergeant after 28 years of service, former restaurant owner and current employee of Eversource since 2012, Kevin is married with two adult children. Witkos has appeared on the Barkhamsted Republican Town Committee’s cable show “Conservative Chat” multiple times during his tenure. YouTube Channel “Conservative Chat” has his most recent interview from 2019 available for viewers.
Congratulations to Senator Witkos for his years of work in the Connecticut legislature.
Barkhamsted RTC endorsed Candidate for U.S. Congress (CT-1) Jim Griffin post Barkhamsted Independence Day Caravan.
Barkhamsted RTC Chair Seconds the Nomination for Candidate Jim Griffin (CT-1)
The State Republican Party held the Congressional First District Convention Monday evening via conference call due to the COVID19 restrictions state and nationwide. Two candidates were presented for the nomination. BRTC Chair Juliana Simone and her two fellow delegates all supported Jim Griffin. Here is the seconding speech Simone gave to the 173 delegates participating online:
Seconding Nomination for Jim Griffin for First Congressional:
“In the sixteen years I’ve been a member of the Barkhamsted Republican Town Committee, we’ve seen a lot of First Congressional candidates come and go every two years trying to take out the incumbent John Larson. We’ve tried men, women, small business owners, investment brokers, engineers, office workers – all kinds of people we thought would have the right appeal to put a Republican in the First Congressional seat. Except one. A candidate who actually has worked in Washington, D.C. and has first hand experience working there. It’s one thing to want to work there, it’s another to actually have worked there. Jim Griffin has worked for U.S. Senator Richard Luger and in the Reagan administration working in the Office of Management and Budget and has been a member of both political parties, smartly switching to the Republican Party years ago as he saw the Democrat Party become nothing like he remembered it to be.
Born and raised in Bristol, an Eagle Scout, a graduate of West Point, a Lieutenant Colonel who served active duty for seven years and then a member of the National Guard, he went on to earn a Masters Degree from Georgetown and took some extra courses in economics at John Hopkins. He took up the cause to save the famed Hartford Colt Building from being turned into apartments and is now working on making it a national landmark and museum as another attraction for people to come visit our state of Connecticut. I’m proud to second the nomination of Jim Griffin.”
The State Central member who nominated Jim Griffin, Joe Hoxha, made important comments in his speech about Jim’s expertise in foreign policy due to his lengthy service in government work and in the military.
“Hello, everyone my name is Joe Hoxha. I am one of the state central members from the 31st. I am here today to nominate Bristol native James L. Griffin, or better known as Jim Griffin, for United States Congress in the First Congressional district. Jim has had a distinguished career, starting from his time as a West Point grad to his time in the United States Senate. Above all else what stood out the most to me about Jim was his very unique foreign policy experience, something that a Congressman must be well versed in. Jim traveled to the Balkans in the late 90’s on several peace keeping missions during a time when there was bitter conflict and devastation going on. His efforts culminated in him being a part of the Rambouillet Conference, that resulted in peace between the warring factions in the former Yugoslavia, that ultimately saw an end to Europe’s last dictator, Slobodan Milosevic. He received for his efforts various accolades by the United States government including the Department of State and Defense and from the governments of other NATO member countries. And for this, Jim is my choice and hopefully yours for Congress here in the First Congressional District.”
Challenger Mary Fay won the convention 59% to 43%. Though the math doesn’t quite add up, Fay won by a majority, but one not large enough to prevent a primary by Griffin.
Things that helped her win apparently were an eblast email
sent out by a former State Party Chair asking delegates to cast their votes for
Fay soon before the convention. For anyone not paying attention to details
about the candidates, or who just accept marching orders, this was enough. She
apparently made more calls to delegates than Griffin, but he said he was unable to get the
delegate list with phone numbers until just before the 7th.
Former State Senator Joe Markley nominated Fay. He basically said he liked her and she was someone with energy and intelligence who promised to do a lot of doors. The person who was supposed to second her couldn’t turn on his microphone or had some other glitch that kept his nomination out of the convention. The Chair asked if anyone else would second Fay, but no one volunteered. A female delegate was addressed but she said this was a mistake and she must have hit a wrong prompt, and had nothing prepared to say. Only one person said they would second her in a chat window, but that was either not seen or recognized as it was not acknowledged. A technical second of her nomination according to rules had to be made to proceed without a speech.
In her acceptance address, Fay took some time to chime in noting technical issues, but mentioned her family, thanked those she spoke to and who voted for her, and that she has lived in other states but always maintained a home in West Hartford even while not in Connecticut. In regards to Washington D.C., she mentioned she was invited through her connections to take a bus down to meet President Trump and Larry Kudlow. Fay lost her stay-at-home job in January of this year as Executive Director and sole employee with the state’s Connecticut Retirement Security Authority program, due to lack of funds for her $175,000 a year salary. The quasi-public agency was not a popular idea with the majority of state legislators at the time of its creation in 2016, but the bill squeaked by. https://www.courant.com/politics/hc-pol-separation-agreement-retirement-authority-20200107-zs5wpq5ijbdabem6zwveqibuke-story.html
Fay has worked in the financial field for thirty years. She
is also a member of the West Hartford Town Council as was former First
Congressional candidate Joe Visconti who ran for this office in 2008. In 2018
she ran unsuccessfully for State Representative against Jillian Gilchrest
(D-18) receiving 28% of the vote to Gilchrest’s 72%. A graduate of Skidmore College and Rennsselaer Polytechnic
Institute, she lives with her wife and daughter and serves as an appointee on
the West Hartford Library Board.
The 43% won by candidate Jim Griffin last night is a considerable number, and certainly enough to primary. With his experience in Washington and foreign affairs, we are glad to be informed today by Griffin directly that he is planning to primary. Let the people decide.
Barkhamsted Republican Town Committee and CT GOP news
