Granby Drummer (https://granbydrummer.com/category/voice/letter-to-the-editor/page/21/)
Here’s a big shout out to the steering committee members who are deeply involved in the Kearns Community Center project. They are a highly motivated group of people exploring opportunities for the new center, incorporating young and old alike, while not overlapping with other agencies in our community.
We have seen Bill Simanski in action at the State Capitol working on behalf of our state and our towns in the 62nd District just the way he did in Granby as our First Selectman. Bill was instrumental in avoiding the cost shift of teacher’s pensions onto the towns during the latest budget cycle.
Bill Simanski deserves to be reelected as our representative in the General Assembly. Bill is dedicated and hard-working, and he puts his constituents’ interests ahead of his own.
Bill Simanski, wife Marie, sons Brad and Cliff, and two dogs moved to Granby 30 years ago from Staten Island, N.Y. In five short years, Bill started serving Granby as a Selectman, and was elected First Selectman 1995 to 2003. In 2010 he was elected to represent the 62nd district.
“The water is warm” were memorable words to us as we embarked on the journey of owning goats. It is time to acknowledge Granby 4H and all the families we have encountered during our journey with “barn life” and I figured a letter to the editor was the most appropriate venue.
Every fall, school districts receive the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) and SAT test scores and use them to measure both the previous year’s success and the long-term trends of their schools. Sadly, Granby did not fare well again.
As a member of the Board of Finance, I know that investments in education and access to healthcare grow our economy and make our state attractive to businesses. As a father, I want my children to find opportunities in Connecticut that make them want to stay in our great state.
Retirees want to see Connecticut do well and we want our children and grandchildren to love this state as much as we do. However, many of us are struggling with finances due to threats to our promised pensions and healthcare benefits.
In 1972 my mother was elected to our state legislature (in Maine), and as a result, awareness of political issues has remained a constant for me. I remember campaigning with her and watching her listen to her future constituents.
Regardless of party, I think most Granby residents can agree that our proud town has often been overlooked when it comes to the decision makers in Hartford. New leadership in the capitol is in Granby’s best interest in both the short and long term, and that is why Amanda Webster is the right person to represent the 62nd District when voters go to the ballot box in November.