Former Jewett City Fire Chief joins slate as candidate for Bailiff

Jewett City Party Founder To Run For Warden In May
by Megan Bard - published in The Day - January 26, 2007

The newly founded Jewett City Party has endorsed candidates for the May 7 Borough of Jewett City elections.

Party founder Ron Ward accepted the party's nomination for warden. Borough residents Angela Adams, Gayle Renaud and Katrease Gerace will seek three of the four burgess positions, and former Jewett City Fire Chief James Couillard is the party's candidate for bailiff.

Ward said Wednesday that as warden he would oppose dissolving the borough into the town of Griswold. His platform includes, among other things, establishing a Consumer Board of Utility Control and creating a plan to reduce electric and sewer rates for borough residents, improving borough roads and sidewalks, and improving bus service.

Ward said borough residents who wish to seek the party's nomination for clerk, treasurer or tax collector should contact him at 376-3530 or at founder@jewettcityparty.com

Does your road or sidewalk need repairs?

Going out the door to take a stroll on the sidewalk or a drive down the road should give residents an opportunity to see their tax dollars hard at work making the trip a pleasant one.

The candidates for Warden and Burgess running on the Jewett City Party (JCP) ticket have a plan to repair and improve our roads and sidewalks here in Jewett City. "Any expenditure of tax dollars starts with the residents and taxpayers that are paying for the improvements," said Ron Ward, JCP candidate for Borough Warden.

Ward, announced that Katrease Gerace, JCP candidate for Burgess, will be taking the lead to get input from Jewett City residents on the roads and sidewalks that need repairs. Gerace stated, "I look forward to meeting with residents to learn about the road and sidewalk repairs that are needed in their neighborhood."

The JCP candidates for Warden and Burgess will be making a list of needed repairs to present at the annual April meeting when the elected officials of the Borough of Jewett City and the Town of Griswold meet as required by the Charter of the Borough of Jewett City. The Charter states,

Section 22: The town shall annually in the month of April pay to the Borough of Jewett City such sum of money for the maintenance of streets in said Borough as may be necessary properly to maintain said streets, such sum to be agreed upon by the Warden and Burgesses of said Borough and the Selectman of said Town, and they failing to agree the amount to be fixed by a Judge of the Superior Court on application of the Warden and Burgesses or the Selectman." (page 21 of the Charter of the Borough of Jewett which is on file in the Slater Public Library, Jewett City).

Residents, taxpayers and community members with suggestions for road and sidewalk improvements are encouraged to contact Ron Ward or Katrease Gerace.

Katrease Gerace, JCP candidate for Burgess
860-376-9423 phone
email: katrease_gerace@jewettcityparty.com

Ron Ward, JCP candidate for Warden
860-376-3530 phone
email: founder@jewettcityparty.com

Jewett City Party: Road and Sidewalk Improvements email: roads_sidewalks@jewettcityparty.com

Jewett City Party Announces Candidates for Upcoming May 7, 2007 Jewett City election

At a public meeting held yesterday evening, Wednesday, January 24, 2007, at the Griswold Town Hall in Jewett City, Ron Ward, Jewett City Party (JCP) Founder, announced that the Jewett City Party slate for the May 7, 2007 municipal elections will include the following candidates:

• Warden: Ron Ward
• Burgess: Angela Adams
• Burgess: Katrease Gerace
• Burgess: Gayle Renaud
• Bailiff: James Couillard
  

The Jewett City Party has openings available on its slate of Borough Candidates for the following offices:

• Clerk of the Borough
• Treasurer of the Borough
• Tax Collector of the Borough
• Burgess of the Borough (one seat)
  

Any resident of Jewett City interested in being a candidate for Burgess, Clerk, Treasurer, or Tax Collector who is at least 18 years of age, eligible to vote, committed to improving our community and desires to be part of the JCP team, should contact:

• Ron Ward at (860-376-3530 phone) or email: founder@jewettcityparty.com

New option for electricity provider in Town of Griswold??

Consumers living in Griswold that receive electricity from CL&P may find themselves with a new option for meeting their electric needs. An effort is underway to give Griswold consumers the option of buying electricity from the Jewett City Department of Public Utilities (JCDPU).

Ron Ward, candidate for Borough Warden running on the Jewett City Party (JCP) ticket, has announced a plan to extend current JCDPU services beyond the limits of the borough. Ward stated, "By including more customers, individual rate payers will realize the savings achieved through economies of scale. The objective is to ease the financial burden of families confronted with an ever rising tide of higher electric bills."

An act of the Connecticut Legislature approved on April 21, 1909 indicated that the "new option" might be available. The text of the legislative initiative is printed on page 37 of the Charter of the Borough of Jewett City which is on file in the Slater Public Library. It reads as follows:

• Authorizing The Borough of Jewett City to Furnish Electric Light Outside the Limits of Said Borough. RESOLVED by this Assembly; That the Borough of Jewett City be and hereby is authorized and empowered to furnish electric light from its municipal electric light plant to the inhabitants of that portion of the Town of Griswold located outside the limits of said Borough. (Approved, April 21, 1909) (Substitute for House Bill No. 351).

Ron Ward will be contacting legislative leaders to seek guidance as to how this "law from the past" can serve as a means to provide less expensive electric service to the consumer of today.

"Currently, JCDPU electric rates are 16% higher than rates charged by CL&P," explained Ward. He continued by stating, "However, I am committed to creating the JCDPU Consumer Board of Utility Control and taking immediate action as Warden of the Borough to make our electric light plant the obvious choice for competitive electric rates."

Residents, taxpayers and community members are encouraged to attend a public meeting being held by the Jewett City Party at 7:00 pm on Wednesday, January 24, 2007 at the Griswold Town Hall which is located at 28 Main St., Jewett City, CT.

It's cookie time!!!

The Brownies and Girl Scouts are knocking on our doors, emailing and phoning for cookie pledges - $4 per box. Please help instill a community value that hard work is rewarded.

Be a Cookie Monster and not an Oscar the Grouch!!!