Letters to the Editor - December 20, 2012

The ‘next’ greatest generation

The tragedy of having a large group of our youngest school children, attending the very institution we provide to teach them much of what we value as a society — massacred, by one of our own, is at the farthest edges of human understanding. We are shocked, brokenhearted, mournful — and then what?

I propose a call to action in an unprecedented way. We have a resource that all cultures have embraced in times of great peril. (The unending series of ‘massacres’ visiting themselves upon our society in recent years, I propose, qualifies this — as a time of great peril.) Simply put: The grandparents, the wisest among us, must show the courage that our institutions of political leadership lack. The grandparents must gather their sons and daughters, and their sons and daughters, and take all of the guns that they own, empty them of bullets and travel to their respective State Capitols — as a family. The grandparents must lay each of their guns, and all of the bullets, on the steps of their respective Capitols. They must show their children, and their grandchildren, that life is too precious to wait. The grandparents must also bring a single piece of paper, a petition that commands their respective State leaders to buy out all of the gun manufacturers in their state. The premises would be converted to youth recreation facilities.

Our country needs the “next” greatest generation to step forward.

Michael Moschen
Cornwall Bridge

There are no words to express the sorrow

For your love, for they belong in the Kingdom of Heaven:

Charlotte (6), Daniel (7), Olivia (6), Josephine (7), Ana (6), Dylan (6), Madeleine (6), Catherine (6), Chase (7), Jesse (6), James (6), Grace (7), Emilie (6), Jack (6), Noah (6), Caroline (6), Jessica (6), Benjamin (6), Avielle (6), Allison (6); Rachel Davino, Dawn Hochsprung, Anne Marie Murphy, Lauren Rousseau, Mary Sherlach, Victoria Soto, Nancy Lanza.

Teach all children well. Help your friends, your community, your nation, your world. We have only what we give.

Tragedies must end. We must change. Causes of senseless violence are complex, but the answers most times are simple.

If only one step could save a child or parent from the grief of a senseless act of violence. We have an obligation to try, to come out of the Dark Ages without guns.

No matter how much we love our kids, we cannot do it by ourselves. Keeping our children safe and well is something we do together. Boundless love for all is what matters. We must change, said the president.

Newtown has paid a price we cannot afford. Help!

Joseph Salamone
Salisbury
 

What happened to talking it out?

My wife and I have been residents of Salisbury for the last 17 years. For the first 16 of those years we observed that, despite political and/or philosophical differences, the town government resolved issues through civil discourse. I do not think it is a coincidence that that tone of cooperation has disappeared in the past year since Mark Lauretano’s election as a town selectman. Where we used to have reasonable debate we now have insidious allegations. He has brought the polarization that has infested and subverted our federal and state political systems into our community.

Where is Mr. Lauretano’s civility and respect for others? What is the purpose of his grandstanding on relatively inconsequential issues? What is he trying to gain through his blatant innuendos, vituperation, accusations and name-calling? If he was truly concerned for Salisbury/Lakeville he would go about his job with a positive attitude, not one that creates a negative atmosphere.

I have dealt with Curtis Rand and Jim Dresser on both professional and nonprofessional levels. I have found them to be selfless, insightful and gentle men who have demonstrated a love of Salisbury and an appreciation for its citizens.

Rather than castigating Mr. Rand and Mr. Dresser, perhaps Mr. Lauretano should learn a lesson from their behavior.

Macey Levin
Taconic

The last defense is rage

We keep it in a box underneath the bed

Or lock it in a closet, or hide it in our head.

Much of what is felt will never be said

Until it’s too late, and somebody is dead.

We want to be appealing,

And nothing’s uglier than rage

So we trap the beast within ourselves

And drag him to a cage,

Where he paces back and forth

Glaring through bars of steel

Waiting for a chance to express

The wounds he will never heal.

Deep beneath the anger

Is a sadness so intense

That feels so soul shattering

Rage is the last defense.

Teachers, and children, shoppers at the mall.

Moviegoers and politicians,

He will want to kill them all,

Because they represent

Something he can’t own,

The pain that festers in his heart

Where he is all alone.

Bruce F. Morse
Sharon

Berkshire Taconic’s 25th anniversary
 

Thank you for your very interesting and informative article about the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation (BTCF) celebrating its 25th anniversary. I am very fortunate and proud to have been on its board during the 1990s when it was first starting. One reason I joined, thanks to my friend George Garfunkel, was because I was intrigued by its goal and desire to “improve the quality of life” in the 20-plus towns in the Tri-state area which we served.

I was also interested in the arts, which it supports, although ironically because of my financial background I became its treasurer. One of my first jobs was to co-mingle all of our funds so we could hire a professional money manager to invest and grow our funds. I also had the pleasure of helping to finance and start organizations needed in our communities and then watching them become strong and independent nonprofits on their own. By creating these start-ups, and then spinning them off, we felt we could have a greater, multiplier impact on our communities.

Two examples really come to my mind. One is the 21st Century Fund, which helped and encouraged students at Housatonic Valley Regional High School to work with local businesses and learn about them as part of their education. It has now been on its own for many years, with a broader scope of activities. The other one is Sickness Prevention Attained Through Regional Cooperation (SPARC), which is known for its unique ability to get hospitals and other health organizations to cooperate across state lines to foster better health. That ability brought it to the attention of the Center for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta. This helped SPARC to become a strong independent nonprofit, under the leadership of Dr. Mickey Alderman of Salisbury, and to spread its “Vote and Vax” program to many states on Election Day.

BTCF has had the good fortune of having three outstanding leaders: Sally Eagle (1988-1992), Virgil Stucker (1993-1999) and Jennifer Dowley (1999 - present). Each of them was the perfect fit for the organization at that point in its growth, especially in terms of their vision for BTCF and where they wanted to take it, and of having the organizational and leadership skills to get it there. I had the real pleasure of working with each of them.

As Robert Blum knew when he thankfully founded BTCF in 1987, community foundations are the fastest growing form of philanthropy in the country. I feel blessed that I was a small part of BTCF for some of its 25 years. I believe that during those 25 years of its life, BTCF has improved the quality of life in our communities, and I look forward to it continuing to do so for many more years to come.

William P. Suter
Lakeville

Some clarification on a municipal code of ethics
 

There appears to be a lot of misinformation and misunderstanding in Salisbury about the subpoena powers the Connecticut General Statutes give to municipal Ethics Commissions. Everyone needs to carefully read the draft Salisbury Code of Ethics and Ethics Commission, and the pertinent statutes, CGS Sec. 7-148b, Sec. 182 and 182a-e. Subpoenas have a long history in our national and state jurisprudence in both criminal and civil law. The last sentence of the first paragraph in CGS Sec. 7-148h(a) is the most important for those frightened about this subpoena power: Any board, commission, council, committee or other agency established pursuant to this section may issue subpoenas or subpoenas duces tecum [meaning to produce items of evidence], enforceable upon application to the Superior Court, to compel the attendance of persons at hearings and the production of books, documents, records and papers.

Months ago, after studying the statutes, I phoned the Superior Court in Litchfield to ask how this works and was advised that this is handled through an attorney — town attorney, commission attorney, any attorney as they are all considered to be officers of the court.

The attorney fills out the subpoena application on behalf of the Ethics Commission and submits it to the court. The application is then reviewed by a judge. If the judge thinks it is correctly written, contains probable cause and is limited in scope, presumably it will be signed. The judge may not be satisfied with the subpoena and refuse to sign it, requiring it be revised and resubmitted. In some cases a subpoena application may never be signed. I would expect the court to have standard expectations for subpoenas similar to those required of search and seizure warrant applications, in order to protect our Fourth Amendment rights under the Constitution.

Attorney Vail and retired State Trooper Dean Hammond should agree with me that the people generally have nothing to fear from a Superior Court judge. If Mr. Vail and Mr. Hammond are still alarmed by this state law, I suggest they take the matter up with Rep. Roberta Willis and Sen. Clark Chapin to repeal the law. The matter is outside of my control.

Mr. Vail disingenuously accused me of politicizing the Ethics Commission. I have to point out that everything in this town and state is political. Leaving these matters in the hands of the Board of Selectmen would be politically worse than the commission due to the unequal power distribution, no matter which party was in the majority. Furthermore, there would be no independent investigative oversight of the Board of Selectmen itself.

I hope this information will clarify matters for officials and townspeople who have been confused and, in some cases, deliberately whipped into a panic over the COE and Ethics Commission. Anyone with suggestions and/or concerns is encouraged to call me, see me Wednesdays at Town Hall between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., or send me an email inquiry. It will be much more constructive than listening to rumors, hysteria and political propaganda.

Mark Lauretano, Selectman
Salisbury

Little Guild of St. Francis filled a need for animals

On the first weekend of November, the Little Guild of St. Francis animal shelter answered a plea for assistance from a shelter in West Virginia. Although our normal focus is on the needy animals of Litchfield County, the shelter had been hit hard by the hurricane engendered snows and had no power, heat, water and a disintegrating infrastructure. We rented a truck and, along with our shelter van, transported blankets and food to West Virginia and brought back as many of the endangered animals as we could (65 dogs and 23 cats!).

We needed help ... a lot of help ... and all we had to do is ask. The outpouring of support from the surrounding communities was unbelievable. The truck was met by uncountable volunteers who helped take the animals off the truck and out of the van, walked them, comforted them and kept them safe until they could be seen by our veterinarian and placed in kennels or foster homes. So many people volunteered to foster our little waifs that we had more offers than animals! We asked for pet food and it arrived in hundreds of pounds. We asked for blankets and bedding and received all that we needed. We asked for donations for medical care and we received not only funds but also offers from some area vets to spay/neuter some of the animals at their cost.

The list of donors is too long to mention, and in many cases we do not even know your names. The Little Guild and all the animals you helped to rescue thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Marcia Schultz
President, Little Guild of St. Francis
West Cornwall

Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation is a gem

Thank you to the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation’s professional and caring staff, dedicated volunteers and community-minded donors who united have forged community initiative upon community initiative throughout our region over the past 25 years.

Community foundations — predicated on the simple goal of strengthening local communities through charitable giving — are a global phenomenon with 1,400 existing around the world and over 700 in the U.S.

I have a special fondness toward the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation for its extraordinary capacity to help connect us to the causes we care deeply about and then help connect us with each other so that we can together create stronger more vibrant communities throughout the Berkshire Taconic region.

The Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation has a remarkable track record of working through us all to invest our community resources in the arts, housing, natural resources, social services, education and health over the past 25 years with lasting and impactful results.

David Rich
Lakeville

What a swell party, Prime Finds

 We admit it! At first, we were beside ourselves with anxiety. That the mailing list was flawed ... that the space was too small ... that the date we chose was full of other events. But Prime Finds, which benefits Prime Time House in Torrington and Compass Center in Lakeville, had a wonderful “Holiday Fancy” party Saturday night, Dec. 8 — the first in our new space in Salisbury. The support we had from friends and neighbors, the designers who graced us with their extraordinary talents, the community participation, overwhelms us.

To Elaine La Roche, Matthew Smyth, Pete Hathaway and Salisbury Wines — without your amazing generosity we would never have pulled this off! Never!

To all our incredibly inventive centerpiece designers, your creativity (to say nothing of your loyalty) leaves us speechless.

To our tireless and resilient committee and Prime Finds staff (cheerful and energetic, even when we were down in the dumps): thank you, thank you!

To the people who came and bid and bought and contributed, we are so heartened. Serious mental illness (our cause) is not an easy disease. But treatable. And beatable. And knowing you are behind us in this battle means the world to all of us.

Emily Soell
Barry Webber
Co-chairs of Prime Finds
Salisbury

Congress: Build on a middle class tax cut, please

A certain part of Congress behaves like a bitter spiteful mate. Imagine a couple with a child that went through a nasty divorce and decided that the child between them was the most important thing in their divided lives to think on.

Now imagine the Democrats and Republicans deciding the middle class tax cut is the most important piece of a complicated puzzle to build first on; this would be a beginning point to solving the rift that’s causing the stalemate on the “Fiscal Cliff” between both political parties. It would be like the child needing her divorced parents to see her as the most significant part of the present and future moments. The behavior and actions of the parents toward the child determines the future of the child.

If that extreme part of the Congress continues to dig in their heels and take the middle class down with them, no one will win. It is my opinion that the extremists in Congress have lost their focus after the re-election of President Obama; Obamacare is no longer in danger, and cannot be used as a wedge issue.

This, I believe, has left many in Congress in a very disgruntled state. Like the child that needed her parents to overcome their bitterness, the middle class needs that part of Congress to overcome its arrogance.

Alfred Waddell
West Dennis, Mass.

Some Kellogg students give their views

If you asked Americans who the 2012 presidential candidates were, 90 percent of the public would say Romney and Obama. Third party candidates are often ignored by the media, leaving the race between the Democrats and the Republicans.

The media should promote all candidates, not just the two main parties. Third parties aren’t allowed in debates, and need to really work to get on state ballots. But third parties give voters many different campaign platforms that voters may like better than the two traditional parties’ views. Candidates like Rocky Anderson, Jill Stein and Gary Johnson had very different platforms than President Obama and Gov. Romney did. Third party candidates should at least be allowed in debates so they become known to the public. Candidates should be judged by their qualities and not by their political parties or gender. Furthermore, if the media did not run paid campaign advertisements elections would be more fair and just. This policy would prevent any one candidate from getting more well-known than others by paying for an advertisement.

Americans currently do not directly vote for their candidate of choice, they vote for an elector who votes for the candidate they want. It’s the electoral vote that counts. This system was set up when our country was founded and the makers of our political system believed that the majority of our new country was uneducated and illiterate. They believed that only the educated should vote, so they set up a panel of educated men to be the electors. Of course nowadays literacy rates in the U.S. are much higher than they once were. The Electoral College is old fashioned and out-of-date, and should be abolished.

Have you ever noticed that older people vote more than younger? The young give excuses like: “My vote won’t count,” or “I don’t like politics anyway.” Staying at home keeps voters from having a say on the issues that affect them. Mandatory voting laws for citizens might be one way to invigorate our democracy. We can make a great difference in our country by being involved.

Paul Bannister
Noah Light
Shelby Parsons
Olivia Wadsworth
Ayden Zucco
Presidential Elections Reading Study Group, seventh- and eighth-grade students,
Lee H. Kellogg School
Falls Village