Hello, Winsted!

Editor’s note: Winsted’s newest town manager, Dale Martin, has been on the job for less than three weeks and has agreed to write a regular column for The Winsted Journal to update readers on happenings at Town Hall. We’re pleased to present this first installment in what should be an enlightening and educational series.Hello to all, and again, I would like to thank everyone for the wonderfully warm welcome that has been extended to me. I would also like to thank Michael Marciano, editor of The Winsted Journal, for the invitation to contribute a weekly column. I have had similar opportunities in my former communities and have found it to be an excellent way to share information with area residents. If you have an issue that you would like me to discuss, please let me know.I have been encouraged to use this first writing to introduce myself in my own words. With only a brief four-year exception, I have spent my entire life in Michigan, specifically the metropolitan Detroit region. My parents and two of my siblings (and their families) remain in Michigan. Another sibling, one of my younger brothers, ironically had just secured a job himself in Connecticut shortly before I moved here (he lives in Danbury and works in Greenwich).My three daughters also remain in Michigan (Saline, near Ann Arbor) with my former wife. Emily is a senior in high school, and Abigail and Meaghan, twins, are in the seventh grade. Abby has visited Winchester once with me during the moving process and found the area to be very beautiful. I look forward to getting the other girls here soon.I went to Alma College, a small, private liberal arts college in Michigan, to obtain my undergraduate degree in political science. My political science degree provided me the opportunity to participate in a few political campaigns, but, in order to find a profession (and stay out of the poor house), I decided to pursue an advanced degree. While attending Oakland University, I also enrolled in the U.S. Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC). In December 1989, I received my commission as an infantry lieutenant, and in May 1990, I received my master’s degree in public administration.Later in 1990, as a result of the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, I was called to active duty early, reporting to Fort Benning, Ga., in September. With the anticipation of heavy urban fighting (which typically takes a disproportionate toll on infantry lieutenants), our training was intense. As we neared the completion of our training and prepared to deploy to units in the Gulf, the First Gulf War started and ended. After some additional specialized training, I joined a unit in Germany, where I spent three years. I transitioned from infantry duties to military intelligence, where I devoted most of my time to monitoring the deteriorating situation in Yugoslavia. I left active duty in 1994 and, after several months, I began my municipal management career in the small lakeside community of Lexington, Mich.I later served as the manager of Linden, Dowagiac and then Davison, Mich. All of my communities have had traditional and historic downtowns (although half of Linden’s was destroyed by fire shortly after I left). I enjoy the vitality and vibrancy of a thriving downtown, and look forward to helping enhance downtown Winsted.My general philosophy as a manager is to cultivate and promote a professional aspect of governance at Town Hall. I like to focus on long-term strategic issues, letting the department supervisors handle the day-to-day operations (unless my assistance is requested or needed). I will work with the supervisors to develop a series of goals and objectives to direct their efforts in support of the Board of Selectmen policies. As municipal operations differ substantially between Michigan and Connecticut, I will also have to devote substantial time to understanding those differences, trying to help, in whatever little way that I can, this state avoid many of the same mistakes that have crippled Michigan.Believe it or not, I also like to enjoy time outside of Town Hall. I like to read several types of books — mysteries, legal thrillers and history. I like to golf, playing well enough to enjoy the game (and still laugh at myself). My most unique hobby is collecting and playing board games, of which I have nearly 400. I hope to find others in this area to share my games with, since I left all of my usual opponents back in Michigan. Finally, since I arrived in Connecticut, I have had the joy of learning duckpin bowling. That game is even more comical than my golf game!Again, thank you for the opportunity to serve the Winchester community. I look forward to learning more and meeting so many of you. On your next visit to Town Hall, please take the time to stop by my office and introduce yourself. Dale Martin is the town manager of Winsted.