News From The Wilton First Selectman's Office, November 1, 2024

Press release from the Town of Wilton:

November 1, 2024 - 8:03pm

Hello Wilton. I hope everyone is enjoying this glorious autumn that has graced us with blue skies, warm days and some of the most vibrant New England foliage in the region. This season is also the time of our nation’s elections. Early discussions about Wilton’s 2026 budget have started, as well. Town Hall is alive with planning and conversation about the future.

Heating Assistance from Eversource

Eversource has launched their energy assistance program for anyone who needs support with heating or electric costs this winter. This link will take you to their website that explains all of the options and programs they offer. Payment Plans & Assistance | Eversource

Hawthorne Brush Fire

After the severe flooding we experienced in August, it’s incredible that we are facing the opposite threat of brush fires due to extremely dry conditions. But the lack of rain in the past two months has led Governor Lamont to declare a Civil Preparedness Emergency that started with the Hawthorne brush fire that broke out on October 21. This fire is one of the most significant in Connecticut’s history and has spread from Berlin to Meriden and now threatens other communities. No rain, increasing winds, warm temperatures and dry leaves dropping have put us under a Red Flag Warning, or Very High to Extreme Fire Condition status. The use of outdoor grills, firepits, campfires, flames and kindling are strictly prohibited until the significant fire threat is relieved. Also, be careful not to park your car over pile of dry leaves as this could unintentionally cause a fire to ignite.

Aquarion Water Company Mailing

For those of you who may have received a notice from Aquarion with the subject line, “Notice of unknown water service materials,” and were understandably alarmed, we would like to follow up with the assurance that, according to the Aquarion Public Relations Department, “the water has been and continues to be safe.” The confusion arose when Aquarion sent out a letter to its customers about evolving standards of water treatment demanded by the US Environmental Protection Agency. The language they were required to use is from that federal agency, but the substance of the message is that Aquarion continues to adjust the chemistry in the water to prevent any corrosion that would allow lead to seep into the water supply. If you have questions about your water service line, or anything else regarding Aquarion’s operation, we encourage you to click on these links.

Service Line Inventory Map

Aquarion Learn About Lead

Aquarion Consumer Confidence Report Water Quality

Aquarion Water Company

Steel Topping Ceremony

Nothing says progress like a much-needed construction project hitting a milestone toward completion. The new police station marked such an occasion with a Steel Topping Ceremony, where a crowd of supporters gathered to applaud the last steel beam being hammered into place. Everyone who had a hand in making the new station possible signed the beam with permanent marker before it was hoisted into the air. Police Chief, Tom Conlan, thanked the people of Wilton for their support of this project that was twenty years in the making. He also thanked Jeff Pardo, Assistant Director of Public Works, for his attention to detail, A. Secondino & Sons for constructing the new building, and designer Lauren Bord, of Tecton Architects, for her wise prodding of police personnel past their comfort zone of black and white color schemes. Frank Smeriglio, our Public Works Director, recognized what a group effort an undertaking of this size requires. Countless volunteer hours by the Building Committee members, led by Patti Temple, the Board of Selectmen and the Board of Finance, along with the Planning and Zoning Department and the Department of Public Works made the new station possible. Frank made a point to acknowledge his entire staff at DPW, even if they weren’t directly involved in this project, because of the extra work load they carried while others were consumed with the new building. Finally, he noted how much smoother staff meetings ran with a police presence in the room. A morning of laughter, cheers and donuts made for a memorable celebration.

Daffodil Golden Miles

Wilton’s Golden Miles, a project by the Wilton Garden club to plant 15,000 Daffodil bulbs over the course of five years, will have its last planting this Saturday, November 2nd at Town Hall. Please join us from 9:30-12:00 as 2000 daffodil bulbs will be planted on the front lawn. At least thirty volunteers are needed and all are welcome to help get the bulbs into the ground. Come springtime, these flowers will do so much to beautify our town. Our deepest thanks to everyone at the Wilton Garden Club for their contributions of time and bulbs to make this happen.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

The high school production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child will soon open on November 8, with shows on the 9 and 10th at the Clune Center for the Performing Arts. Tickets are available at wiltonhighschooltheatre.com. For groups of ten or more, please call Kathryn Luckstone at 203-762-0381 x6205. Wilton High School is the only school in Connecticut and one of 29 schools in the US approved to perform this musical!

18th Annual Billboard Recycling Contest

The Housatonic Resources Recovery Authority has opened their annual billboard contest, which invites participants to create a billboard that educates residents of Western Connecticut about recycling. The winning contestant will have their artwork displayed on the back of HART buses in the spring of 2025. This year’s theme is “Batteries Can Cause Fires.” The submission deadline is November 15th. Click here to learn about the contest rules and how to apply. HRRA | Annual Billboard Contest

Hurricane Relief

Relief efforts in the wake of Hurricanes Helene and Milton are ongoing. A Wilton resident, who works closely with Save the Children, reached out to our office letting us know about how their operation is helping victims of the storm. Save the Children is a venerated, extremely effective service organization and we are so glad to be able to provide another way people in Wilton can help:

PRESS RELEASE: Save the Children Working to Help Florida Kids, Families ‘Heal and Return to Normal’ in Wake of Destructive Hurricane Milton

DONATE: Children's Emergency Fund

Korean and Vietnam War Veterans Memorial Event

Last month, the Connecticut Lieutenant Governor, Susan Bysiewicz, the State Commissioner of Veterans Affairs, Ronald P. Welch, the First Selectman of New Canaan, Dionna Carlson, and I held a ceremony to honor the veterans of Wilton and New Canaan who fought in Korea and Vietnam, with one World War II serviceman also in attendance. The room was full beyond capacity and the service was deeply personal and moving. Veterans spoke to the crowd of the intense jungle heat they experienced in Vietnam, or, conversely, the record cold temperatures in Korea, the monsoons and the toxic chemicals, the urban warfare, the permanent hearing loss from heavy artillery, among other lasting wounds, only to be told not to wear their uniforms on the trip home – for their own safety. “I was called a baby killer by people I grew up with,” one veteran said. “I didn’t dare tell a soul I’d been over there or I’d be persona non grata at Columbia,” said another. Being invited to speak publicly of their service now brought tears to many eyes.

There was also immense pride in their contribution. Veterans of the Vietnam conflict trained soldiers going off to Afghanistan and Iraq, likely saving lives by sharing their knowledge and serving as an example. Some took a moment to honor themselves for their choice to serve. “I wanted to be a machine gunner, like my grandfather in World War I,” one said. “I didn’t have to go, but I didn’t run away.”

But the stigma of returning from a “forgotten” war, or a divisive one, added significantly to the trauma these veterans suffered, which often went unrecognized and untreated. “I didn’t know I was broken,” one man shared. Multiple speakers attested to being diagnosed with PTSD only twenty years or more after their tours. The Veterans Administration was universally lauded for its help in getting veterans the care they needed. “They treat me like I’m their only patient,” one gentleman enthused, speaking of the West Haven VA Medical Center. Two key points these soldiers stressed repeatedly were that it’s okay to talk about whatever you’re coping with, and it’s never too late to get help.

Below is the link to the VA’s website and the address and phone number for the West Haven VA Connecticut Healthcare System:

Contact Us | VA Connecticut Health Care | Veterans Affairs

VA Connecticut Healthcare SystemWest Haven VA Medical Center950 Campbell AvenueWest Haven, CT 06516

West Haven VA Medical Center: 203-932-5711

We would like to thank veterans everywhere for their tremendous service to our country. We are so grateful these Wilton veterans were able to attend the ceremony in New Canaan. May their stories never be forgotten:

Russell Stanley, VietnamRobert Bass, KoreaAdrian Gilmore Bray, VietnamRiccio Robert Riccio, KoreaJack Majesky, Korea and VietnamErnest Ventres, KoreaJonathan W. Wooten, VietnamLee Avnayim, VietnamRalph Tobey, Vietnam

The Harlem Wizards and the Wilton Education Foundation

On Sunday, The Harlem Wizards basketball team took on the Wilton Warriors All Stars, your Hometown Heroes team made up of Wilton public school teachers, principals, community leaders and kids for a night of hoop artistry and fun. This fundraiser for the Wilton Education Foundation benefits Wilton Public Schools through grants that support educational opportunities in our community.

Halloween Treats and Pumpkin Parades

The Wilton Chamber of Commerce hosted another spectacular Pumpkin Parade and Trick-or-Treating this past weekend. Games, live music and, of course, candy were enjoyed by all.

Decennial Holy Festival of Dussehra

I was so pleased to be able to celebrate the Decennial Holy Festival of Dussehra at the Wilton Hindu Temple Mandir this month. This festival symbolizes the triumph of good over evil and truth over falsehood. In my correspondence with Swami Balgopal, I thanked him for the invitation, and especially for the opportunity it gave me to pause and reflect on where these tenets stand in today’s technology driven world. In a social media drenched environment that continuously barrages us with negativity, it is even more critical that we not allow evil and falsehood overtake our lives. This ceremony was a great reminder for us all to work even harder to keep truth and understanding sacred for future generations. I wish to express my sincerest thanks the Hindu community for enhancing and improving Wilton.

How Wilton Works

Wilton’s Registrars, Annalisa Stravato-Favarolo and Karen Birck, are the stars of the show during this long election season, which makes now an ideal time to profile their office and explain all that they do.

As we know, this election is unlike any previous Connecticut election because of the early voting mandate that was passed by the state legislature in May, 2023. The law went into effect on January 1st of this year, requiring 14 days of early voting for general elections, 7 days of early voting for most primaries, and 4 days of early voting for special elections and presidential preference primaries. Managing a primary and an election has always been like planning a large wedding – twice in a year. But the changes caused by the new early voting laws have proved expensive, time consuming, and additionally stressful for our registrars. They’ve had to hire more staff, undergo specialized training, and, in turn, provide more training to volunteer poll workers and moderators on the protocols of early voting and voter check-in procedures. And more changes are afoot. In 2025, new tabulators will be implemented so all of the training will have to be revisited to learn these machines with new voter registrations.

This year, it is expected that at least 12,600 Wilton voters will cast their ballots, which amounts to a 90% turnout. How many of these voters will be absentee, versus early, versus day-of makes a guessing game out of how many ballots to print that are specific to each of these voting methods. Each ballot order had to be certified and sent to the office of the Secretary of State to be put on file, so the estimates had to be close to reality. As it was our registrars first time with early voting, I think we can all sympathize with the added pressure of uncertainty they were facing.

Long before anyone votes, however, voter information must be verified. The registrars begin canvassing voters in January, 10 months before the early election period opens. They must find who on the existing voter list has moved, passed away or been disenfranchised. Many people don’t realize, for instance, that they must provide the registrars with a physical letter asking to be removed from the rolls before they can officially be struck from the voter lists if they leave the town. All of the mail-in, online and agency voter registration applications must be processed. On May 1st, cleanup of the voter database begins, using all of the data collected during the previous five months. Voter lists for each polling place can then be created.

When it comes to absentee voting, voters have to be officially listed on the voter registry before they can apply for and then later receive an absentee ballot. The Town Clerk sends out the absentee ballots after the Registrars have confirmed the voter list. Once the Clerk receives completed absentee ballots in return, they give them to the Registrar who is responsible for recording them. If more than 20 absentee voters are casting their votes from one location, a registrar must be in attendance supervising the vote.

Besides this work, the registrars are in charge of the voting machines, maintaining, transporting and storing them properly. Before elections open, the machines must be thoroughly tested, including the memory cards, the tabulators and the ADA components.

But election day is the tip of the iceberg that everyone sees. It is always a late night after the polls close, the votes are counted, and the voting machines are brought to Town Hall to be locked in a vault. The next morning, the Registrars and the Town Clerk certify the results and check that each vote matches with a voter’s name. They have 48 hours to send the results to the Secretary of State. If any candidate wins by 20 ballots or less, or .5% of the vote, a recount is mandated. The district has two weeks to finalize the winner in that case.

To ensure that voting everywhere is conducted with the utmost integrity, the Secretary of State holds a lottery where a polling place is chosen at random to conduct a post-election audit of their voting tabulators. Their ballots are sent to Hartford and put up on a projector where they can be examined individually to ensure that the information the voting machine counted matches the actual ballot. The lottery is run within fourteen days of an election, and then the polling places chosen have one week to finish the examination process.

The records from each election must be stored for 180 days for a municipal election, and for 22 months for a federal election. After that, the Registrars must ask permission to shred the documents. The lack of storage at Town Hall has made complying with this stricture a major problem.

In every office, there is a democratic and republican registrar who is also responsible to their party, providing party enrollment lists for local caucuses and primaries and enrolling party members. Wilton’s registrars stressed over and again how cooperative and non-partisan their office is, which isn’t the case in every town. Karen and Annalisa perform every part of their job together. They pull memory cards from the voting machines, transfer ballots from the polls to safe storage and make sure that every voter, no matter their affiliation, gets the help that they need (they also sat for this interview together).

Technology has catapulted the process of voting into a different galaxy from where things stood in the 1990’s. Karen Birck recalled when town budgets were voted on by a show of hands. She was drawn into the work of elections in 1996 when the town budget was defeated and a friend asked if she’d be interested in counting raised hands on the re-vote. The system moved to machine voting in 2006.

While technology has increased voting accuracy and security, it has also significantly increased the workload for registrars everywhere. Processes that had been given four days to complete are expected to be done in one day. More reports and information inputting are required since granular data can be gleaned from voting machines. Advances in technology also demand new government regulations. The ability to read a statute and implement the changes are part of the registrar’s job now, and this often means more training for registrars and poll workers. There has also been a major uptick in Freedom of Information filings with the advent of machine voting, which always causes unexpected administrative work and budget strains.

After Covid, the popularity of voting absentee is growing. This is a positive trend for the retirement community residents in our area who may have been discouraged from voting in person because of mobility or health issues. But more poll workers are needed to count these absentee ballots, just as more poll workers are called for to help with the extended early voting period. Karen and Annalisa stressed that they could not do this job at such a high standard without the excellent poll workers who give their time and energy to make the experience of voting in Wilton as seamless as possible. There is always a need for poll workers and other volunteers and even for supplies! Anyone over the age of 16 is invited to take part. There is a small stipend of $18 an hour and they are looking specifically for drivers to haul supplies to the Clune Center and to transport ballots back to the Town Hall vault, plus some hardy volunteers to break down voting booths and move them into storage at the end of the night. If you can donate a few hours or can provide extension cords, paper plates or towels please reach out to the registrars’ office at 203-563-0111, or email them at registrars@wiltonct.org.

One aspect to voting that never changes is educating young voters and getting them registered, which is what Karen and Annalisa do every January and September when they visit the high school. With the head social studies teacher, they share a video and provide handouts to the students that teaches them all about voting. If students are interested, they are able to register them on the spot. The program has been extremely successful at keeping our young democracy informed and engaged. And the good news is more people are registering to vote, especially young people!

We are lucky to have two dedicated town registrars safeguarding our access to voting. In order to be eligible for this position, they had to complete two years of courses and then pass a certification exam. They are required to continue their education and renew their moderator training every four years. Annalisa is a certified moderator trainer and can help any Wiltonian interested in earning their moderator credentials.

The Secretary of State hosts two Registrar conferences annually with the topic of election security becoming more prevalent. Threats to election administrators is on the rise. Moderators have received death threats. Training on how to manage election day mail was created after one polling station opened an envelope with suspicious white powder inside. Police, Fire and CERT personnel have organized a chain of command ready to respond in case of any adverse event.

In Wilton, our registrars share a love of the democratic process and this fosters a warm, bipartisan calm over the proceedings. Karen may have started by counting hands in 1996, but she became a certified moderator in 2010. In 2014, she was named the Assistant Registrar, then Deputy, until 2020 when she was duly elected as Registrar. Annalisa had a more startling beginning, when she tried to attend a Board of Education meeting and was denied entry because she wasn’t a US citizen and couldn’t vote. That spurred her to become a US citizen in 2011. Wilton’s Registrar at the time helped her through that process and this inspired her to learn about the office and seek election to the post as a way to give back to the community. In the tradition of all great American comeback stories, she was elected as Registrar in 2016. Thank you, Annalisa and Karen, for all that you do to keep Wilton’s vote secure and on-track. To the registrars of Wilton, please take a bow.

With warmest wishes,

Toni BoucherFirst SelectmanTown of Wilton

This press release was produced by the Town of Wilton. The views expressed here are the author’s own.