Messages from
the Hamden DTC Chair

Friday, 22 January 2010

Thanks for visiting the Hamden Democratic Party's website. We welcome your participation, and look forward to meeting you.

The Town Committee usually meets on the third Monday of the month, though you should check here because we don't meet every month.

Update

First, a sad note: Connie Vitale's father, Nicholas Schiavone, passed away on Sunday, January 17, 2010. I apologize for reporting this so late, but the message got lost in my inbox. Unfortunately, the wake and funeral have already taken place, but I want to extend our condolences to Connie and her family.

Second, schedule: We are in the midst of arranging a schedule for 2010 for the Town Committee. Some details are not quite complete, but we should have them for you by the next meeting.

There will not be a full Town Committee in February. Instead, on February 8, there will be a meeting of the Executive Committee and the Finance Committee, to begin preparations for the HDTC's annual fundraiser. I will contact the two committees with the time and place of that meeting, once it's been arranged.

It is possible that there will be a primary in the Ninth District; if it happens, it will be on Tuesday, March 2. For those of you who are not in the Ninth, congratulations, you will become members of the new Town Committee on March 3.

Our first meeting of the new Town Committee will be on Monday, March 8, 7 pm. Sorry, I don't know where that meeting will take place yet. The principal activity for that evening will be the election of officers.

On Wednesday, March 24, the Town Committee will meet to choose delegates to the various conventions -- state convention, US congress, state senate, general assembly, etc.

We will have a regular meeting in April, but I am not sure of the date.

On Thursday, April 22, we will hold our annual fundraiser. This year it is our Inaugural Gala. Tickets will probably be $75. There will be an ad book, and we'll be seeking help from each of you, to get ads and to sell tickets. Please, keep this date available; this is the most important fundraiser of our year.

On Wednesday, May 19, the Town Committee will meet in convention, to nominate candidates for Justice of the Peace and Democratic Registrar of Voters. In addition, those HDTC members who live in the 88th District (Brendan Sharkey) and the 91st District (Peter Villano) will meet to nominate candidates for those two general assembly seats.

I will provide more details as they become available. Thanks to all, and congratulations to those of you who are continuing on the Town Committee, or are new members.

- Joe

Hamden Makes History Again

As many of you already know, as the New Haven Register said this morning, "Hamden made history" yesterday. Congratulations to Scott Jackson, whose campaign was honorable, intelligent, and poised. The campaign was a reflection of the candidate, and these qualities will help Scott to be a great mayor during some difficult times.


Photo by Matt McDonagh

Before I move on, I am going to ask for one last Saturday for the volunteers: This Saturday, 10 am, we will need to clear out headquarters. Yes, coffee and donuts will be served.

Congratulations to all the winners last night: I must start with Vera Morrison, our Town Clerk; there are thousands of voters who've never known another town clerk, and why should they? Al Gorman, Jack Kennelly, Carol Noble, Jim Pascarella, Ossie Brown, David Hennigan, Kath Schomaker, Curt Leng, Mike Colaiacovo, John DeRosa, Mike Dolan, Myron Hul, John Keegan and Valarie Stone. And congratulations and thanks to Mick McGarry, Anthony Brown and Don Werner, who ran great campaigns that, unfortunately, were just not quite enough.

At the risk of forgetting someone, I want to express my thanks to some people who made the victory possible:

Adam Sendroff, who accepted on the job of campaign chair, without knowing what he was getting into, and did a wonderful job.

Judi Kozak, who accepted the job of campaign treasurer even though she knew what she was getting into, and did a fabulous job.

Dan Kops, Kyle Blake, Holly Masi, Julie Smith and Ricardo Hernandez, who ran a brilliant field operation.

Curt Leng and Matt Fitch, the brain trust of the campaign's direct mail efforts. We three worked together first in 1999, and we've won every campaign we've worked together on.

Bob Aceto, Frank Sandillo and Lew Panzo, who worked tirelessly to raise the money the campaign needed. At more than one point, when I thought fundraising was exhausted, they found more.

Mayor John Carusone, who was unflappable throughout, who was one of the first to embrace the words Mayor Scott Jackson.

Mayor Craig Henrici, who brought on Scott Jackson because he trusts the judgment of his friends, who encouraged Scott to run, and whose four years in office have helped to make Hamden truly one of the country's best communities.

Once again, I hope you'll help out this Saturday, 10 am, when we close our campaign headquarters.

-- Joe McDonagh
Hamden Democratic Town Chair