Support for library expansion
I am writing to you to express my sincere endorsement of the proposed library expansion. The library is a cornerstone of our community, and we need to support it as such.
Growing up in upstate New York, I found myself and my friends through the public library. Since that time, I have strived to actively utilize the many resources offered by the libraries I visit.
The wonders of the library begin in infancy, it seems, with the GPL offering programs for parents and their newborn babies (Baby Rhyme Time, Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m.). They continue to expand to toddlers and school-aged children (Nightfall Stories and Stretch, Thursdays at 6 p.m.).
Even the programs for teens are “dope”—do kids still say dope? I don’t know, I’m very young and hip myself, but I’ll have a teenager verify.
With that said, our children and teen programs are in dire need of more space. The rad, hip, cool and, dare I say it, dope teens deserve more room to have a place to hang out after school. There is no place in town quite like the library, where everyone is always welcome, without any expectations.
We owe it to future generations to give them the space they need to learn about all the fascinating offerings our library provides for all ages.
I hope that my fellow Granby-ites will join me in voting YES on Dec. 8 to pass the bond vote in support of our library.
Brynna Geiselmann
Credit not given
Although I appreciate the kind words written about me in the October issue of the Drummer (“Tribute to Jenny Emery”), I would have much preferred that proper credit had been given. It was a very serious omission that Trish Percival’s name was not included in the award, and that she was not featured in the recent article. Her name appeared on the original byline, and as one of Jenny’s very close friends, she poured her heart into every word of that piece.
With love and respect to my friend,
Shirley Murtha
Support for Becker
I am writing to support Kim Becker for State Representative for the towns of Granby, Barkhamsted, Hartland and New Hartford. I’ve known Kim for many years, and there are few people better suited to serve their communities in the state legislature.
For those of you who don’t know Kim yet, here are a few things you should know:
She’s been a champion for seniors. Kim serves as the President of Stony Hill Village, a non-profit that allows seniors to live affordably in their own community. She’s brought that same focus to her work as a selectperson in Granby, where she’s supported Granby’s Commission on Aging to provide vital programs and services to seniors in town.
She’s been a champion for kids. As the former chair of the Granby Education Foundation, Kim built the organization’s strength and capacity to support kids during the pandemic. She’s also been a powerful advocate for state education funding, because she knows how much that matters—both for kids and for local taxpayers.
And she’ll bring the energy we desperately need right now. Whether it was campaign time or not, whether she was on the ballot or not, I’ve seen Kim working non-stop to reach out to people and try to make people’s lives better.
Kim will be a relentless advocate for Granby, Barkhamsted, Hartland and New Hartford. And if I have the opportunity to serve you in Congress, I’ll be lucky to have her as a partner here in the district.
Luke Bronin
The 62nd District deserves a representative who listens deeply, understands the concerns of all constituents and works hard to advance the issues that matter in our rural communities. Kim Becker is someone who recognizes both the challenges and the promise of small towns and is committed to ensuring districts like ours have a strong, collaborative voice in Hartford. I am proud to endorse her for State Representative.
As I’ve watched Kim take on increasing responsibility in local campaigns and community efforts, her values and character have become clear to me. My wife and I have canvassed for her, and I’ve had the privilege of going door to door with Kim. I experienced her attentiveness—she listens without pretense, engages respectfully across political differences and responds thoughtfully to concerns.
Kim is committed to service and has spent more than 18 years raising a family and working in our district. Her leadership roles—on the Granby Board of Selectmen, the Commission on Aging, the Farmington River Food Coop and Stony Hill Village—demonstrate her dedication to strengthening local organizations and the wellbeing of our towns.
Kim’s priorities align with our needs: building housing capacity for seniors and young families; advocating for greater state funding for our schools; supporting first responders and social services; and protecting our land, rivers, and rural character.
Kim offers steady, principled leadership that will allow our small towns to be heard. I urge you to join me in voting for Kim Becker on Nov. 3.
Mike Smoolca
As a healthcare provider in Granby, I treat patients every day who are caught in the crosshairs of rising healthcare costs and shrinking insurance coverage. It’s a battle average people shouldn’t have to fight alone—and high healthcare costs harm not only local families, but our small businesses as well.
That is why I am enthusiastically endorsing Kim Becker for the 62nd State House District.
Serving alongside Kim on the Granby Board of Selectmen, I know her character inside and out. She works tirelessly, leads with integrity and listens closely to the needs of our community. In our discussions about healthcare, Kim has made it clear that she is ready to challenge the special interests corporatizing our health system and fight for quality, affordable healthcare for everyone.
Kim Becker will be the strong, compassionate representative our small towns need in Hartford. I hope you will join me in voting for her on Nov. 3.
Dr. Frederick Moffa
“I’ll get on my knees and pray / We don’t get fooled again” rocked The Who. The words echo when looking at Rep. Mark Anderson’s voting record.
Rep. Anderson says he supports the environment. But as a member of the Environment Committee, he votes against a safer, healthier world.
The League of Conservation Voters (LCV) annually reports legislators’ voting records. Anderson always scores among the lowest. In 2026, he scored 36 percent, the lowest of all but five of 187 legislators. The average score was 85 percent; the average Republican score was 63 percent. In 2025, he scored 39 percent; only five others scored lower.
One example: he voted against Public Act 26-127, the new law to fight the outrageously high cost of electricity. The law reauthorizes and improves the programs that help hundreds of thousands of residents go solar at their homes and businesses. It allows everyone to cut utility bills with small, safe plug-in solar systems, common in Europe and Asia.
Rep. Anderson doesn’t mention votes like these in his mailings to voters. His constituents respect, appreciate and love the environment, but he votes against it year after year. It’s not enough to be outdoorsy and show up at events. He should help make our world safer, healthier, more affordable.
It’s time for a change. I’m voting for Kim Becker—she’s a dedicated public servant, a super hard worker and holds the same values as residents of the 62nd district. Let’s not get fooled again.
David Desiderato
In the upcoming election, I’m happy to support Kim Becker for State Representative of the 62nd District. Kim is bright and energetic. She will work hard to make our communities a great place to live. Please consider giving your support to Kim. To learn more about her, go to KimBeckerforCT.com
Linda Ervin
I met Kim Becker over 20 years ago when she came into my place of employment. Immediately, I was taken by her friendly and humorous disposition. Kim is always happy and upbeat, as well as intelligent, kind and caring. She is well-informed about everything going on in our district and county.
Having the opportunity to canvas with her this year impressed me even more. She truly wants to hear everyone’s concerns and issues and respects other people’s opinions (whether they agree or disagree with her). Her people skills make her the perfect candidate to represent us and our district. She never gets upset or ruffled.
Kim has been on many boards in Granby for multiple years and strives to be the voice of her constituents. I can’t imagine a more informed or responsible person to be our state representative. She will fight for us!
If you want someone to express your concerns, then Kim Becker is that person. Vote Kim Becker for state representative!
Lynn Osborn
Support for Anderson
I cast a vote for Kim Becker for Board of Selectmen. I read her bio and though I consider myself a conservative and generally vote Republican, if no Republicans present themselves or they do not reflect my views, I have no problem voting for a qualified Democrat. But not for state office.
Our state is a mess and shows no signs of getting better. You may say the whole country is a mess, and I cannot completely disagree but Connecticut and, in general, Democrat-led states are doing worse than their Republican counterparts. World fuel prices are near record highs and whether it’s all Trump’s fault or due to the Russian-Ukraine conflict or Iran’s unwillingness to give up its nuclear ambitions and join the free world, there are steps state leaders can take to reduce consumer prices. Several Republican-led states have eliminated or reduced state fuel taxes (we have two) on gasoline and some have changed policies on diesel to help hard hit farmers. Connecticut?
And why am I paying for someone else to insulate their home, or buy a more efficient dryer through my already too-high electric bill? Or why are my property taxes paying for questionable state education mandates that the state is not willing to pay for? Thank you, Democrat super-majority.
I am fortunate to know Mark Anderson but even if he wasn’t one of the best legislators in Connecticut I would be reluctant to add another Democrat, whatever their qualifications, to the problem.
Stephen Taylor
If you are reading this before election day and you haven’t voted early, please vote for Mark Anderson—a Republican candidate for the 62nd district in the State House of Representatives. Mark has served as our advocate for six years. He continues to fight for lower electricity rates (we rank 47th as the highest rates in the United States), for cutting taxes and spending and controlling health care costs.
In the area of education, Mark worked for shifting more state funding to schools to ease our local tax burden. He has successfully done so much to preserve the rural nature of our waterways and in preserving local control over our farms and open space.
The years of one-party rule—Democrats—in our state has been a failure. Putting another Democrat in the House where the mix is currently 102 Democrats and 49 Republicans would only make our conditions even worse. I hope you agree that we need a more balanced government comprised of folks who can have healthy discussions on serious matters and who are willing to work together and not just slam things through. It is extremely difficult to get positive changes for the good of us all.
Let’s vote to re-elect Mark Anderson to be our state representative as he continues to work for all of us.
Ginny Wutka