Memorial

From A1

A flyover by the CT Air National Guard will occur during the parade.

The Veterans Memorial Park ceremony will take place from 9:45 to 10:05 a.m.

Along with McNally’s remarks, the Memorial Day ceremony will include an invocation by U.S. Air Force veteran Clifford P. Cote, a rifle volley by members of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10732 and American Legion Post 68, and performances by Berlin High School’s Madrigal Singers and Saxophone Quartet, and trumpeters Evan Paone and Peyton Miller.

In the event of rain, the ceremony will be held at 9 a.m. at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10732, 152 Massirio Drive.

Guest speaker: Chief McNally

Chief of Police Matthew McNally has 40 years of experience in successfully prosecuting hundreds of criminal cases, and has spoken extensively on issues of criminal justice, homeland security and forensic science.

McNally is a FBI-trained, POST-certified police instructor for law enforcement officers throughout the Connecticut Police Academy system. His particular emphasis has been on training and developing Crime Scene Investigators and Critical Incident Response and Management for first-line supervisors and management personnel. commissioned by her predecessor, Denise Merrill, from the Center for Election Innovation and Reform.

Also, for many years, McNally has served as an adjunct professor at both Goodwin University in East Hartford and Western Connecticut State University.

A veteran of the United States Marine Corps, McNally comes from a family tradition of military service dating back to the American Revolution.

As an avid reader of historical non-fiction, McNally is a dedicated student of American history, in particular, that of the U.S. military and legal jurisprudence.

A shorter early voting period would be offered for elections other than the November general election: seven days for state and local primaries, and four days for special elections and presidential primaries.

With a local option for additional sites, municipalities would have to offer early voting at a minimum of one location from the hours of 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on 12 days and from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on the Tuesday and Thursday before Election Day.

“We didn’t want to force one version onto the towns, especially as we’re starting out here,” said Blumenthal, a key sponsor as the co-chair of the Government Administration and Elections Committee.

Legislative leaders have pledged to include funding in the state budget for municipalities to cover the added costs of early voting, including staffing over two weekends.

Republicans said even with state reimbursement, 14 days of early voting would be an unnecessary burden for small towns, which already struggle to recruit temporary workers for election day.

“I understand that we’re going to fund it, but it’s getting the people to work it, to run it and to make it safe,” said Rep. Jay Case, R-Winsted.

“Some of our registrars are part time. How are they going to take 14 days to see this in a small town?

“That to me is the epitome of inefficiency,” said Rep. Doug Dubitsky, a Republican from Chaplin, an eastern Connecticut community with a population of 2,200. Republican amendments to limit the length of voting to either three days or 10 failed on party-line votes.

A longer version of this story originally appeared on the website of The Connecticut Mirror, ctmirror.org.

Letters to the Editor

- Chris