The Berlin
Cit itiz ize en Volume 13, Number 31
Berlin’s Only Hometown Newspaper
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Take your pick: Parties select candidates By Olivia L. Lawrence Associate Editor Last week, the town’s political parties picked their candidates for this fall’s election to Town Council. Chairman of the Democratic Town Committee Fred Jortner said “We feel very fortunate that all our Democratic candidates have chosen to run for re-election.” The Democrats held their nominating meeting July 22 and these incumbents are back for another run: Mayor Adam Salina, Deputy Mayor Steve Morelli, Robert Dacey, Rachel Rochette and William Watson. Republican Town Committee Chairman David Evans said he is pleased with the results of his party’s July 23 nominating meeting which was chaired by George Millerd. Matt Beatman, sub chairman of the vacancies committee, “pulled in great candidates,” Evans said. The Republican slate has names who have previously run as well as some newcomers. Incumbent Joan Carey will run again as will Evans and Francis Geschimsky who ran in the last election. Karen “Kari” Drost and Charles Paonessa are new candidates. Robert McGee, who was elected as a Republican and switched his affiliation to Independent, is not running. Evans said two factors that are at work during an election. “There are the people who put on blinders and vote for a particular party and there are those folks who listen to what people have to say.” Jortner, who served two terms on the council, said “I can appreciate all the more that this amazing group will jump into the fray for the citi-
The Republican Party candidates for Town Council are: Charles Paonessa, Kari Drost, Fran Geschimsky, Joan Carey and David Evans.
The Democratic Party will run the five incumbents for Town Council: William Watson, Steve Morelli, Adam Salina, Robert Dacey and Rachel Rochette.
zens of Berlin.” He said the Democrats intend to run a campaign on the issues and “have a record they can be proud of.” As to the campaign, “We’ll be ready to defend ourselves when necessary…but we don’t intend to bring the campaign down to a level that is unacceptable to the people of Berlin. We will run a positive campaign throughout.” The Republicans ran five candidates this year and “these are the five best folks willing to do the job — (although) the pay is low and the harassment is high,” Evans joked. Councilors do not get paid. The candidates selected were questioned by the vacancies committee for a couple of hours and the RTC felt comfortable with those candidacies, Evans said. A bid from the floor by Karen Salwocki, to earn a slot on the slate for Town Council, was rejected. Salwocki had previously been on the council, but had not been before the vacancies committee this time around, Evans said, adding that once “her nomination was discussed and the votes taken the ‘nays’ won out.” He discussed the strengths of the GOP’s 2009 ticket. Drost and Paonessa are both business people, and since “the town should be run as a business” they will bring this perspective to their candidacy. Drost owns a small home business and Paonessa is in construction and also knowledgeable about environmental issues. Geschimsky, recently retired from the town’s nursing department, brings that area of expertise as well as her knowledge about the needs of seniors to her candidacy.
See Slates, page 11