by Megan Bard, published by The Day - April 30, 2007
Griswold — Like the race for warden, the Borough of Jewett City race for burgess and bailiff are contested for the first time in nearly a decade.
Eight people will run for four burgess seats on the May 7. The candidates include three incumbent Democrats Stanley Drobiak, Alan D. Geer and Patrick Sullivan, all lifelong residents of the borough. Their Republican challengers are Alan D. Aho, Timothy P. Sharkey and Joseph David Lobe Jr. The two independent candidates representing the newly created Jewett City Party are Angela K. Adams and Katrease Gerace. The other burgess seat has been vacant for the past year following the death of Republican Larry Pudvah.
For Drobiak, 78, running for election is something he's done since 1969. Drobiak, who has been a burgess and warden as well Griswold's first selectman, said he enjoys serving the borough.
His goal is to keep taxes down so residents on fixed incomes can enjoy a good quality of life. He also hopes to install new lights at Veterans' Memorial Park on Ashland Street to enable summer activities to last later into the evening.
Sullivan, 70, has served as a burgess for nearly 20 years. If elected to another term he said he will concentrate on building more sidewalks and helping current Democratic Warden Cynthia Kata in her effort to build a new ambulance garage. Sullivan said his understanding of borough history and awareness of what residents need and want make him a good candidate. Although he's accustomed to running unopposed, he said having eight people vying for four seats will hopefully bring voters back to the polls and make them more aware of borough issues.
Geer, 61, a former borough police officer who has been a member of the Jewett City Fire Department for more than 30 years, said he will continue to concentrate on public safety issues. Geer, currently a judicial marshal in Norwich, said he also intends to concentrate on building new sidewalks and beautifying Main Street by use of façade grants for property owners and planting small trees. As a member of the park commission, Geer said he intends to increase activities at the park this summer.
Drobiak, Sullivan and Geer all said as a group they've done well by borough residents and business owners.
Their challengers are not so sure.
When the privately owned Jewett City Water Company notified its customers that it intended to signficantly raise its rates, Lobe, 25, a financial analyst at Foxwoods Resort Casino, said he began to research why. Although he knows the company is not owned by the borough utilities department, he considers part of the warden and burgesses job to be an advocate for borough rate payers who should force state regulators to review the rates and make the company justify the increase. In his opinion, this wasn't being done.
“I thought rather than complain about this I would contribute,” said Lobe, who his in his second year of law school.
Aho, who declined to reveal his age, fully blamed the increasing water, sewer and electrical rates on the borough owned ulitity company — which controls electrical and sewer utilities — and the incumbents. Aho said the utilities department, with the incumbents' knowledge, is balancing the costs of running the new $18 million sewage treatment plant on the backs of borough residents. Aho wants to be elected to make changes in the department by replacing the utilities board's membership and altering how the department is opperated.
Jewett City Party candidate Adams, 42, said she is neither a public speaker nor is she in the race for the politics. Adams, the mother of a special needs child, said she is running to provide activities in the borough for children with regular and special needs. Fellow independent party candidate Gerace declined to comment for the story when reached Sunday.
Sharkey could not be reached for comment.
The remaining contested race on the ballot is for bailiff. The candidates include Democrat William J. Czmyr, who was chosen last week to run in the place of William P.L. Maynard who died on April 20, Republican Benjamin E. Hull and Jewett City Party candidate James L. Couillard.
Candidates in the uncontested races include incumbent Democrats Valerie A. Pudvah for clerk and Linda Cote for treasurer. Assistant Tax Collector Leona C. Sharkey, a Democrat, will run for the tax collector's position.
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