Republican candidate for warden removes the official seals of the borough and town from her campaign website

Actions do speak louder than words!

In what could be characterized as a direct response to allegations of election campaign wrong doing, the Republican candidate for Warden has stopped using the Official Seal of the Borough of Jewett City and the Official Seal of the Town of Griswold in her effort to get elected.

The decision to remove the Official emblems of borough and town government from her election effort website is commendable. Matching the content of the website to be within the requirements of the law eliminates the appearance that a candidate has received backing from the local government.

Prior to February 19th, the Republican candidate's website looked like this: click here. As of February 21st, the Republican candidate's website looked like this: click here. The website with a new disclaimer looks like this: click here.

Based on the new disclaimer, the Republican Griswold First Selectman is no longer Treasurer and has been replaced by a new campaign finance Treasurer.


It's all about change!!!


The complaint filed by Ron Ward on February 20th, can be read here: click here.

Betty Knox is the best candidate for Griswold Town Treasurer

Betty Knox is on the job everyday doing the work of the Griswold Town Treasurer. She is a Vietnam Era United States Veteran, a dedicated member of the Griswold ambulance medical crew, and has already been doing the job of Town Treasurer for over six months.

Betty Knox is the Best Candidate for Town Treasurer. Vote for Betty Knox.

This endorsement is the personal opinion of Ron Ward, the Founder of the Jewett City Party.



Our view: Special election comes at critical time for Griswold
Opinion of the Norwich Bulletin published on February 22, 2007

The political struggles in Griswold continue. There is a special election happening Tuesday for town treasurer. The position will be filled with the winner of the vote until November, when another election will occur.

In Griswold, these issues are not simple matters.

The vacancy came after Mary E. Miller, a Democrat and treasurer for about eight years, resigned mid-term in August. The Board of Selectmen voted 2-1 to appoint Elizabeth "Betty" Knox, another Democrat, to the post. Paul Brycki, the man who lost the first selectman's office to Anne Hatfield in a close election in 2005, was the dissenting vote. Brycki and Steven Merchant Sr. then circulated and submitted a petition to have a special election for the post.

Now, it's Knox vs. Democrat Patrick Collins for the seat. The special election will cost a minimum of $6,000. It's a cost Griswold can handle and voters wanted.

Democracy at work

An election can never be a bad thing, and the process that caused this election is democracy at work. We support a special election. But, we do not support the politicking that seems to be behind it. The lack of the Democratic Town Committee's suggestion for the position, in the first place, and Brycki's role in the vote and petition suggest to us motives were not democracy, but rather an attempt to oppose Hatfield for the sake of being contrary.

This would be politics at its worst, and a sign Griswold might be close to descending into the kind of dysfunctional operations that have embroiled Canterbury for more than four years.

What is of even greater concern is the potential for poor voter turnout. To many residents, the treasurer's position would seem to hold little significance. It is a position critical to the daily workings of the town, ensuring the bills are paid. However, it does not make policy.

We can only hope both candidates take the challenge of an election seriously, and they try to spread the word about the reasons each wants the job and what they each bring to the role. Only then will the residents be informed of their options. Then, perhaps, this election might have the chance of becoming about real issues and not just political shenanigans.

Decisions will be made by people putting their heads together and coming up with answers

Jewett City Party backs Ward for Warden
by Carol Davidge - published by Reminder Newspapers on February 16, 2007

JEWETT CITY -- In addition to the Republican and Democratic candidates for election as borough warden on May 7, Ron Ward, a third party candidate has been nominated by the Jewett City Party.

Ward, a graduate of the Washington University School of Law in St. Louis, Missouri, is currently a science educator with Mad Science of Southeastern Connecticut based in the Slater Mill Mall, an organization that has afterschool programs and also takes innovative hands-on learning activities to classrooms. "Our motto is Sparking Imaginative Learning," he said.

He founded the Jewett City Party to provide a new way for town and borough residents to participate in local affairs.

"Before the holidays, I started thinking of doing something to make a difference, to make a change, a new way to engage voters, something that was not about a party but was simply about Jewett City," said Ward.

The former clerk to the General Assembly's Education Committee has listed a number of goals on the Jewett City Party's Web site: www.jewettcityparty.com.

"The highest priorities are the utility rates, roads and sidewalks, and public safety," said Ward.

"There are so many issues -- it takes time to unravel complicated issues. I'm not into government speak -- I'm into plain talk. What I'm trying to do is translate concerns so that people can communicate about them over coffee and donuts at Arremony's," said Ward.

His highest priority is to set up a public utilities consumer board. He thinks it's good that the borough owns its electric, water, and sewer provided, but feels that the rate increases are unjustified.

"As owners, the residents can do what we want about rates. The first priority is to get a consumer board set up to give people access to the process, to have a way for people to be listened to, and for us to have an impact on what happens. Right now we have three gentlemen serving as commissioners who decide what happens, and they won't be re-appointed if the people vote for me and the two burgess candidates running with the Jewett City Party," said Ward, pointing out that there is an unused fund of more than $5 million that could be tapped, and that not only did the rates go up by 44 percent last summer or sewer use, they were retroactive to Jan 1, 2006, which caused undue burdens to residents, and some businesses had to pay $4,000 in order to continue to receive service.

"People are outraged," he said.

He also plans to set up a new Public Safety Commission for the borough to oversee and coordinate fire, police, and medical services, as well as civil preparedness and emergency management for the borough. "If a gas tanker truck turns over or there's a hurricane, we need emergency management," he said.

He says he was misquoted about wishing to dissolve the borough. "I will stand up to preserve the borough," he said. One important reason to keep the borough is socio-economic demographics which allows Jewett City to qualify for federal assistance.

"Forty percent of borough residents are below the federal poverty level, while about 30 percent in the town of Griswold have incomes of more than $100,000. If we merged, we would no longer qualify for federal assistance to our low-income families," he said.

Ward was recently inducted into the A. A. Young Fire Department, and he spends two weekends a month training to serve, which he considers an honor.

Recently he was interviewed for the Daily Show with John Steward about the controversy surrounding the playing of bells with secular and religiouss music on a town-purchased sound system at the Jewett City Baptist Church.

"I told them 99.9 percent of us want the bells, it's a mater of local pride. In 10 years, not a single person has objected, and we're not going to allow somebody from outside the borough to come in and tell us what to do," he said.

"Although I've only lived in Jewett City a year, I consider myself a son of Connecticut who has come home," said Ward. Recently through historical and genealogical research at the Slater Library and other places, Ward discovered that he is a direct descendant of colonists John Mason and the Reverend James Fitch. Mason settled Windsor, one of Connecticut's oldest English communities. Fitch and Mason were original grantees of the land where Jewett City and Griswold are now.

Ward has been part of an amateur sail racing team, ensign class. He attends the Jewett City Baptist Church where, out of homage to his grandmother, he sits in the on the far left of the fourth row in the church. He grew up in the midwest and in 1990, he moved to Connecticut because his folks had moved to Norwich. He has lived in several towns to be near work.

"I think Jewett City's a wonderful place to live. There's a lot of tradition here. Coming from a place that's really flat, I like the topography here with the rivers and the hills. People here are respectful and courteous, and you can make friends for the rest of your life," he said.

"Whether you're Republican, Democrat or unaffiliated, most people want to make Jewett City a better place to live. If the Jewett City Party is elected, decisions will be made by people putting their heads together and coming up with answers," he said.

Arthur St. John, Commander American Legion Post 15 Jewett City in 1950 and 1956 inducted into Connecticut American Legion Hall of Fame

Post Commander Arthur St. John joined the American Legion Post 15 in Jewett City upon discharge from his active duty in the Army Air Force during World War II. While serving at American Legion Post 15, Mr. St. John was Chairman of the John C. Garand Bridge Dedication. Upon returning to his hometown of Jewett City, Mr. St. John founded a weekly newspaper called The Star. "Our philosophy was, if things didn't look right in the community, we'd talk about it," said Mr. St. John. [excerpts from article written by Rob Barry and published in the Litchfield County Times on February 15, 2007]


Litchfield's Legionnaire
by Rob Barry - published by The Litchfield County Times
February 15, 2007
Link to article: click here


Arthur St. John of Bantam was inducted Jan. 13 into the newly-established Connecticut American Legion Hall of Fame. Having been a Legionnaire for 61 years since his period of active duty in the Army Air Force during World War II, there is no one accomplishment that made him deserve this honor. Rather, it has been his lifetime of service.

"I was kind of brought up in the legion," said Mr. St. John, who is 80. He said his father was also a member and served in the military during World War I. "When I got discharged in '46, my father signed me up right away," he recalled. At that time he became a member of American Legion Post 15 in Jewett City in eastern Connecticut, where he had grown up and met his wife, Annette.

The induction ceremony was held at the Courtyard by Marriott in Cromwell and was attended by more than 200 people. There, Mr. St. John was among the first 10 people-only five of whom are still alive-inducted into the Hall of Fame. Art was nominated by a committee for his 61 years of service to the Legion, during which time he created the Veteran of the Month program, started the Post 44 Newsletter, "Veterans Voice," and designed the All Wars Memorial.

The idea for a state hall of fame for Legionnaires came about at the state convention in 2005. A number of those who attended felt there should be a way to reward the efforts of some of the more ambitious members for their efforts.
"They brought up that a lot of people had done a lot of work with the Legion and not gotten thanked for it," said Mr. St. John. Each year five veterans will be inducted into the Hall of Fame-three living and two deceased.

Locally, Mr. St. John is best known for the Veteran of the Month program he spearheaded for American Legion Post 44 in Bantam. The program, which began in 1989, was originally the idea of post commanders Arthur Shaw and Francis Fabbri. In 1990, they asked Mr. St. John if he would coordinate the program, which honors one deceased veteran each month-and in the process sustains an ongoing level of remembrance and devotion that, in society in general, is only witnessed around Veterans Day and Memorial Day.

"We honor them both for what they did for the military and what they contributed to the community," said Mr. St. John, who developed the format for the honoring ceremony and published a manual of procedures for the program. The program was quite successful. Feb. 3 marked the 208th consecutive month in which a veteran was honored.

In 1993 the brochure Mr. St. John designed even got adopted into American Legion procedures at the national level. The legion's Americanism Commission presented it before the national delegates and it was approved and duplicated.
"That's the first time since the organization started in 1919 that a program started at the local level was adopted at the national level," said Mr. St. John. But this was not the first time he won widespread recognition.

While involved with Post 15 in Jewett City, Mr. St. John was the chairman of the John C. Garand Bridge Dedication. His committee dedicated a bridge over the Quinnebaug River between Griswold and Lisbon to John Garand, who invented the M-1 Assault Rifle. "There wasn't anyone in the infantry that didn't have an M-1," said Mr. St. John.

Mr. Garand, a Canadian by birth, spent a number of years living in Jewett City. The dedication ceremony for him that Mr. St. John put together managed to draw more than 15,000 spectators, according to the Norwich Bulletin. He served as post commander twice in Jewett City, in 1950 and 1956.

Also credited to Mr. St. John is the All Wars Memorial in Bantam, which he designed. The committee he chaired raised more than $30,000 to build and more than $50,000 to perpetually maintain the memorial, which lies along Route 202 in Bantam. The memorial contains a stanchion and a flag for each major war since the Revolution and one for peace (totaling 13).

"There was a flagpole on that site since 1958," said Mr. St. John. "People used to use it for memorial services. But it got overgrown through the years." Now, the All Wars Memorial has become a popular local spot for ceremonies that honor veterans.

In the Army Air Force, Mr. St. John was an aircraft and aviation mechanic. He worked to train pilots to use different aircraft and helped maintain aircraft. His service was carried out within the United States. After his discharge in 1944, Mr. St. John became a junior designer at General Dynamics' electric boat division in Groton. "A junior designer, I always feel, is just a glorified draftsman," he joked.

Before long, Mr. St. John was back in his hometown, Jewett City, starting a weekly newspaper called The Star. The tabloid formatted community paper used its own format and illustrations. "Our philosophy was, if things didn't look right in the community, we'd talk about it," said Mr. St. John. He said the paper died after eight years because there was not enough interest in the community for a slightly controversial publication.

Finally, Mr. St. John found a career in sales and marketing in the Aerotherm Division of Aerotec Industries in Bantam. Between 1961, when he moved to Bantam, and 1989, when he retired, Mr. St. John rose from writing parts manuals to become the director of sales and marketing.

Mr. St. John and Annette, have been married to for 59 years. He is very proud of the contributions he and his fellow legionnaires have made. "Everyone is given a God-given talent," he said, his, of course, being writing and publicity. "And if you don't put it to use, you're not doing yourself justice." He paused a moment. "So if you have a talent, use it."

Incumbent Democratic candidate for Jewett City Warden considers selling Borough owned Fire House

Griswold Ambulance proposes relocation

by Julie A. Varughese - published by Norwich Bulletin on February 14, 2007

JEWETT CITY -- American Legion Ambulance Inc., also known as Griswold Ambulance, is interested in buying the A.A. Young Jr. Hose & Ladder Co. No. 1 building on Hill Street.

Borough Warden Cynthia Kata said she had been thinking about transferring the building to the town of Griswold. That way, the borough wouldn't be responsible for maintaining a building the town uses to store its fire equipment.

"Right now, it's not saving or costing (taxpayers), but if they (the fire department) come in next year and say, 'We need a new floor or a new roof,' that could be $20,000 or $50,000," Kata said.

Right now, however, the building is not for sale, she said.

Griswold Ambulance operates out of the building next to the Town Hall and Senior Center on Soule Street.

But Ambulance President William Czmyr said that building is getting too small for its operations.

"We wouldn't have to add on or look for a new site. (The fire station) would fit our needs just as it stands," he said.

Czmyr said the fire station location is just as convenient for emergency responses as the ambulance's existing building.

Griswold Ambulance has two full-time workers, 18 per-diem workers and two ambulances. The round-the-clock ambulance also serves Lisbon, Plainfield and Voluntown.

The fire department has 53 personnel and four bays for fire trucks.

Czmyr said the possibility of having fire personnel and Griswold Ambulance work out of the same building will have to be worked out if the borough entered into negotiations with the ambulance company.

Because the building belongs to the borough, Czmyr's request to the town could not be discussed by selectmen Tuesday night.

Fire Chief Bob Hanson could not be reached for comment.