To the Editor:

The Ladies Auxiliary of the Southbury Volunteer Fire Department sponsored a food drive for the Southbury Food Bank in support of Gov. Rell's declaration of November 7 as Connecticut's Day of Caring and Compassion.

The food drive was a huge success; two pickup truckloads of food were collected and delivered to the food bank. It is very heartwarming to see how our community reaches out to support those in need.

The department and the Ladies Auxiliary would like to thank everyone who came out and donated non-perishable items. We are proud to be part of and serve such a wonderful, caring community.

Lyman Gilbert

Fire Chief

Southbury

*****

Congratulates Wolverines

To the Editor:

With the election over, there is actually room in the paper now for "letters to the editor" that cover other events happening (or in this case, happened) in our community.

I would like to take this opportunity to finally congratulate the Oxford High School Wolverine football team on their first home win of the season on Friday, October 23, against Bunnell by a score of 36-18.

What a great bunch of kids we have here in Oxford. Your playing skill, determination to never give up and pride are truly an inspiration to the younger kids who accompany us to many of your games. Parents of those who play should be proud and I know they are.

I especially loved the fact that at this particular game, the fence on the opposite side of the field was opened up so that we, the citizens and taxpayers who continued to vote "yes" each and every referendum for this building (six times), got a close-up view on the plays and let our voices be heard as you made your way to the end zone each time.

To Coach Stochmal, the coaches and especially the team itself, way to go. I truly enjoy attending the games and hope that others who may not have had the chance to do so can get to a game before the season is over.

The last game will be held on Wednesday, November 25, at 7 p.m. versus Pomperaug High School.

Keep up the great work, it's "our turn" Wolverines, way to go "O."

Maura Satkowski

Oxford

*****

Hopes Oxford Will Move Forward

To the Editor:

Many readers might know by now that Oxford lost the Garden Homes case. The judge's ruling occurred on November 4.

I mention this because on page 9 of his ruling, the judge says: "The record reveals that Oxford has done little or nothing to address the need for affordable housing."

The judge goes on to state, "The Oxford regulations do not contain any provisions which seriously address this requirement."

If all this sounds familiar, it should be. This was the very argument that Mary Ann Drayton-Rogers made during the recent election. Yet the Republicans chose to ignore logic.

Instead they battered residents with false and incendiary information. Their mailings created images of a downtown Oxford that was meant to scare people into voting for them.

Two days before the election, a local newspaper editorial came out in support of Drayton-Rogers and clearly stated that the affordable housing issue was created by Republicans "out of thin air" and that the Republicans were engaging in "ugly" politics.

The Republican rhetoric was inflammatory. The pictures in some of their mailings were ugly and disturbing. They insulted neighboring towns. They were meant to scare and frighten people. It was disheartening to see such tactics.

Fortunately many of Oxford's residents, regardless of party affiliation, saw through this barrage of nonsense. They voted for someone they could trust. They voted for someone that had spent the last two years as first selectman doing the right thing for Oxford.

Mary Ann Drayton-Rogers was someone who, throughout this endless barrage of innuendo and misinformation, kept to the high road and maintained her integrity and composure.

I congratulate the winners of our recent election and hope that they can all work together by keeping their political partisanship in check so that Oxford can keep moving forward.

Peter Bunzl

Oxford

*****

Sees Bright Future for Candidate

To the Editor:

To the citizens of Oxford. Yes, the election is over and the Democratic candidate for selectman has defeated David Haversat by a mere 33 votes. What does that tell you?

The truth is, two years will pass swiftly and Mr. Haversat can and will win in 2011. This gentleman has a bright future and it is an unfortunate loss for Oxford.

There is a strong and predictable probability that Mr. Haversat will succeed in winning a seat not only as selectman but go on to congress, senate or as governor of this great state of Connecticut.

And let me say this, to all the eligible voters of Oxford who stayed home on election night (you know who you are!), you have missed the opportunity to exercise your right to vote under the constitution.

The outcome may have been much different. For all those who did vote, God bless you.

Terry Gibson

Oxford

*****

Task for New Board

To the Editor:

As the titled Opinion in the Connecticut Post, "Housing Laws Have Wide Impact" indicates, Oxford may bear the brunt of those laws.

Mary Ann Drayton-Rogers, Dave McKane and the entire team of Democratic P&Z candidates supported and endorsed putting forth stronger zoning regulations to protect the town from random affordable housing applications.

I emphasize this fact because the KOG and its very vocal supporters insisted on calling it low-income, high-density housing and falsely stated the Democratic team supported this type of housing.

These scare tactics could not have been farther from the truth. Honesty and integrity were not just words, they were facts.

The courts have ruled in favor of the Garden Homes Development. You remember Garden Homes, Palmers' "let's fight it in court" kind of thinking. Haversat/Palmer's 22 lines of "how to apply" didn't protect the town.

Within the court documents, on page 9 specifically, the judge said, "Oxford has done little or nothing to address the need for affordable housing."

Also, "Oxford regulations do not contain any provisions which seriously address this requirement." In other words, we have nothing on record to protect the town from developers, as the Democrats tried to convey to the public.

We now have a newly elected P&Z board. It is now their job to address the needs of, and protect the town as the former board members through a state grant tried to do.

The new board needs to protect the town, yet abide by state statutes and enforce regulations. Not an easy task, but one they chose to take on.

The continued progress, safety, protection and well-being of the town of Oxford and its citizens are now in their hands.

Gary Komar

Oxford

*****

Town's Appeals Withdrawn

To the Editor:

After nearly five years of litigation, Seymour Town Counsel George Temple submitted a "withdrawal" of the town's appeals against the video taping judgments that I obtained from the state Freedom Information Commission.

These withdrawals were dated November 5, 2009, just two days after First Selectman Robert Koskelowski lost his reelection bid and his ability to continue restricting video taping of public meetings.

I filed my first complaint on December 27, 2005, after Mr. Koskelowski threatened to have police remove me from the meeting room if I refused to move my camera to a remote location at the rear of the room.

Mr. Koskelowski and several Republican selectmen lost their FOI cases and were fined a total of $500.

Another complaint was filed on January 5, 2007, after Mr. Koskelowski defiantly encouraged the adoption of unacceptable "rules for taping" and continued to violate the FOI order.

This time the commission fined him $500 personally and stated his actions were egregious and discriminatory.

I believe the inappropriate legal fees should be returned to the taxpayers by town counsel and/or the first selectman. The "compromise or settlement" of any appeal requires the authorization of the full Board of Selectmen as stated in Section 10.17 of our charter. This was never obtained.

Since fines cannot be paid by the town, the perpetrators must remit the total of $1,000 from their own resources. The legal fees should be returned as well.

This victory now allows all citizens to video the activities of our elected and appointed political representatives at public meetings.

My right to record is unalienable and should never have been attacked by Seymour's Republican selectmen. Finally, justice has prevailed in Seymour.

Frank A. Loda

Seymour

*****

Honored to Serve Oxford

To the Editor:

Thank you everyone for your support on election day and voting. I am deeply honored to have been selected to serve the great town of Oxford.

However, I would like to remind the Democratic party of their claim to be bipartisan. I am ready to serve and do not wish to waste the townspeople's valuable time rerunning the election.

I am deeply offended that the town attorney's wife would accuse Mr. Haversat and me of implying racist overtones (letter to the editor, November 8) without checking her facts.

It makes me question Mr. Teodosio's ability to be an impartial advocate for the town as well. Ms. Teodosio is a school teacher and I am surprised that she did not do her "homework" and see who actually produced the mailer that she complains so much about. Following Ms. Teodosio's letter, Joan Dembeck joined in.

I can say emphatically that neither Mr. Haversat nor I had anything to do with the mailer in question. I know this for a fact and ask that before others weigh in on the issue, they seriously consider the consequences of printing blatantly false claims that border on libel in this or any other paper.

Everything that our campaign printed, we put our name on without exception. I request a public apology to myself and Mr. Haversat from Ms. Teodosio and Ms. Dembeck for their reckless disregard for the facts and incendiary remarks.

As a first-time selectman, I had genuinely hoped that we could start off by making every effort to do our best, Democrat and Republican, for the town of Oxford.

I still hold onto that hope. I am working hard to eliminate the rancor. Please join me in that effort for the next two years.

David Yish

Selectman

Oxford

*****

Lauds Republicans

To the Editor:

Recognition of and commendations for their hard work and adherence to the truth, to facts, go to Dave Haversat and Dave Yish and to the rest of the Republican slate and letter writers.

They did not resort to false and/or misleading statements, or to bashing other people in public meetings.

Miriam Strong

Oxford

*****

Questions Writers' Accusations

To the Editor:

I write to question the childish and ill-informed diatribes of two Oxford Democratic Party members. They falsely accused the Oxford Republican Party of publishing a document expressing a view on high-density housing that called into question the position espoused by their leaders and members alike.

The document in question was published by a private group whose party affiliation is their business. Regardless, they have a right, supported by our constitution, to publish their point of view, as does everyone the right to disagree with that point of view or ignore it.

What concerns me most is the terminology used by one of the complainers and the lack of any form of truthfulness in either accusation.

Bomb throwing and broad brush accusations of the kind provide disinformation, harm innocent groups and make legitimate discourse suffer needlessly.

When giving your opinion and drawing conclusions, it helps to know what you are talking about. Be sure you are addressing facts when you decide to assign blame.

If terms like racist and complaints about pictures from other towns are specified, you should be absolutely sure that those you accuse are in fact the "evil-doers."

The Oxford Republican Party did not create nor cause to be published the documents referenced in the misguided letters of a few "fact-challenged" members of the Oxford Democratic Party.

Please don't let the emotion of a failed election season blind you to the truth around what you see as the culprit that caused your party's demise.

Both sides waged a good campaign and the voters have spoken. I believe them to be smart, educated and well able to make the right choice as they did on November 3, except for many the top spot.

Thomas J. Kelly

Chairman

Republican Town Committee