Unity needed in community

While it was a race for only two seats on the Board of Selectmen, the Sept. 13 special election, including the campaigns leading up to it, has left the town divided.While residents should be commended for showing up at the polls in droves, the polling numbers show a community split down the middle: Out of 2,098 ballots cast, Democrat Steven Sedlack received 1,082 votes while Republican Glenn Albanesius received 1,059 votes, and Republican candidate Marsha Sterling lost, receiving 1,056 votes.While the numbers may change for both Albanesius and Sterling after a recount that will be held after this week’s issue of The Winsted Journal goes to press, no matter how it goes, the voices of the voters need to be respected by both parties.What also needs to be respected is the idea of both parties working together for the common good of the community.During campaigns, politicians in Winsted promise that they will work together with everyone, no matter their political affiliation. Instead, after they are elected, the politicians often work only for the good of their political party. This needs to change.As the next few months go by, Winsted will continue to face challenges both long-standing and unforeseen. One challenge will be having a Board of Selectmen made up of four Republicans, three Democrats and a town manager who was almost fired by the Republicans, all try to work together, or even sit together at the same table.At each meeting these selectmen should not be working against each other as if they are still campaigning for office, but instead should work as a unit for the best interests of the community.A positive sign that the selectmen will set aside their differences happened at the Monday, Sept. 15, meeting when the five members present, both Republicans and Democrats, all voted to reinstate Town Manager Dale Martin.The Republicans present at the meeting, Candace Bouchard, Daniel Langer and Jorge Pimentel, should all be commended for putting their differences with Democrats and Martin aside in order to restore stability to Winsted.The next few months, until the next regular municipal election in November 2015, should prove quite interesting for the town. It is hoped that when members of both parties agree to disagree with each other that it will not come at a dangerous and destructive cost.Going forward we are hopeful that all elected officials, no matter what party or what board they sit on, will all remember to make decisions not in the best interests of their party, but in the best interests of the community as a whole.