I look forward to casting my vote for Kim Becker this November in the race for the 62nd State Representative District. Kim’s previous experiences in social work, nonprofit management, and communications make her uniquely qualified to succeed in this position.
I met Kim 10 years ago when she was Chair of the Board of Directors at Valley Pre-School, and I was Chairman of the Board at the Granby Education Foundation. She later joined me at the GEF where her competence and dedication not only made her an invaluable director, but led to her nomination as its current leader. I am confident she will be an equally effective public servant.
Kim’s dedication to Granby is evident in the variety of ways that she has become involved in our community throughout the years. She has taken the time to get to know the people she will represent and the issues they face. I support her strategies for reducing the tax burden on small towns, employing fiscally responsible methods to move our school system forward, finding ways to protect our local farms and providing security for our seniors. Kim Becker is the strong, sensible champion we need representing rural values in Hartford.
Rebecca Brewer
I am a small business owner of a design and engineering firm, and I am a volunteer board member for Granby Ambulance Association (GAA). I am a right-leaning independent. I believe our district needs Kim Becker as our next State Representative. As an architectural-structural engineer, I have a deep appreciation for the delicate balance of design and integrity that marks a superior solution. Having worked closely with Kim over the past five years, I have no doubt that Kim will work hard for our community with integrity and compassion.
Kim and I first worked together in the development of the schematic design building plans to transform the vacated Kearns School into the Kearns Community Center (KCC). This bold plan would have restored a decaying educational structure into an intergenerational community center for the Town of Granby. But the real creativity was in the economic vision. By leasing the building to KCC for a minimal sum and obtaining seed funding from foundations, the town would relieve itself of a budget burden and KCC could balance the operating budget through site fees. Sadly, almost five years later, Kearns remains an empty, unused facility for our town.
I was very impressed with Kim’s dedication to the Kearns Community Center. For these reasons, I recommended Kim for the Granby Ambulance board of directors. I believe she will be an asset for GAA as well as our representative at the state level.
Kim is the ideal blending of the values we hold dear in our community: constructing creative solutions to assist our neighbors, blending talents of citizens, businesses, and governments, and ensuring sustainability through fiscally responsible approaches. That’s why we need her in Hartford. Please join me in electing her on Nov. 8.
Lorri DiBattisto
I am writing this letter as a member of the Barkhamsted Senior Center where Kim Becker volunteers regularly and attends our monthly ceremonies honoring area veterans. I am part of a small group of volunteers who cook breakfast and lunch every week for up to 40 people. Kim steps in and is willing to do whatever we need her to do. No hesitation with any task, no matter how big or small. She is a valued member of our kitchen group! I support her future efforts as our State Representative with every wish for her success.
Bonnie Reynolds
Barkhamsted
As the First Selectman of Barkhamsted, I would like to strongly endorse Kim Becker to represent Barkhamsted, Granby, New Hartford and Hartland in this year’s State election. Kim and her family moved to Granby 14 years ago and she has been a strong advocate for our communities since she arrived here.
Running for State Representative is an extension of her public service and commitment to our communities. She passionately believes in quality education; property tax relief in small towns; access to quality healthcare and mental health care for everyone; protecting women’s reproductive freedom; and supporting small businesses and family farms. As our State Representative, she will continue to listen to constituents and will take those stories and experiences with her to Hartford.
Her spirit of volunteerism is incredibly strong. She is Chairperson of the Granby Education Foundation; a member of the Granby Commission on Aging; a board member of the Granby Ambulance Association and has volunteered with the Cyber Lions and at the Barkhamsted Senior Center.
The following represents the issues that make her the best candidate for our towns. She will not be a rubber stamp for leadership at the Legislature.
Support for rural towns: She will give us a voice in Hartford to advocate for small and rural towns and to advocate for our issues. She will work to support our farms through diesel tax forgiveness for farm equipment and easier distribution for farm products. She will work to bring affordable housing to our region and to make it available for our seniors who are no longer able to manage their family homes, and to our younger generation just starting their careers.
Education: She understands that partnerships between parents, teachers, and students are more important than ever as we navigate maintaining good schools, dealing with behavioral issues and creating welcoming school climates. She will work to rebalance the education grant formulas and take some of the pressure off the towns’ budgets and property taxes.
Health Care: Women need access to the full range of healthcare, including reproductive healthcare, contraception, and abortion. Kim will advocate to make sure that doctors and medical professionals will be allowed to perform legal procedures for all people, not just women.
Kim will work tirelessly to support our communities and residents and her energy and enthusiasm will assure support for our communities in all areas where it is needed.
For these reasons and many more, I am proud to endorse Kim Becker to represent our towns in Hartford as our State Representative.
Donald S. Stein
Barkhamsted
I would like to thank Kim Becker for taking the time to talk with me in regard to the Volunteer Fire Department getting volunteers and getting funding for equipment. We see a lot being done for the Police Department, but a lot of our representatives did not know of all the regulations we (the Fire Department) follow. Thank you, Kim, for taking the time to listen. My vote will go to Kim Becker for State Representative.
Allen J. Button Sr.
Chief, West Hartland Volunteer Fire Department
Kim Becker cares about the same issues that I care about and that is why I’m urging everyone to join me in voting for Kim on Nov. 8.
Kim has demonstrated her commitment to Granby consistently since moving here 14 years ago. She is the current Chair of the Granby Education Foundation and has a long history of volunteering and leading other volunteers helping the schools ever since her kids attended Valley Pre-school and continuing up until today. My own children received an excellent education in Granby and I know Kim will advocate for strong schools when she represents us in Hartford.
Kim has great ideas on how to relieve small towns of the high property tax burden required to operate excellent schools. I agree with her that we need to bring more state money into our smaller school districts and that the state should fully fund special education costs.
Kim talks every day about the need to help seniors age in place or downsize if they wish to without having to leave the communities where they raised their families. Kim will be a compassionate advocate for our seniors.
I believe that many are worried about the high cost to live in Granby. We need a strong advocate who has a demonstrated record of working in a bipartisan way to the quality of life in our small towns, someone with a commitment to help make life more affordable for all. Kim is the right person for this job and I will vote for her.
Laura Donna