East Haddam Democratic Town Committee Kick-Off

Last Friday night, the East Haddam Democrats, the donkeys, kicked off their election campaign season with a congenial “dog and pony” show at the East Haddam Historical Society Museum. From 6 to 8 p.m., candidates and the curious public alike mingled and chatted, eating and drinking a smorgasbord of snacks savory and sweet.

In addition to members of the Democratic Town Committee (DTC) and the office seekers, the Connecticut State Representative for East Haddam, Linda Orange, was also present.

“I’m just pleased to be here with them; they’re all good supporters of mine. They’re great people with wonderful ideas. It’s a tough economy out there – we all know it – I think that they will bring a lot of thought to the process, a lot of good ideas that will move East Haddam forward,” she said.

The evening’s primary focus went to the Democratic candidates for Selectmen, Rob Smith & John Blaschik. Long time East Haddam residents, Smith (for First Selectman) has managed a number of state parks and has skills in operations support and management and has worked as a police officer and an EMS volunteer. His running mate, Blaschik (for Board of Selectmen), was a former four-term First Selectman for East Haddam, as well as a former CT State Department Fire Commissioner.

Attendees of the event were shown around and offered ample hospitality especially by East Haddam Historical Society President, Charlie Farrow, who is also vice chair of the Democratic Town Committee. The 100+ assembled at the Friday night meeting were vocal and enthusiastic.

Several of the other Democratic candidates for town office were on hand to meet and greet, among them Dee Hasuly, running for tax collector, and Harvey Thomas, running for the Board of Finance.

The youngest Democrat on board, Mason Stone (8 months old), came to the gathering with his parents. His mother, Jessica Stone, is running for Planning and Zoning (Alternate) and is a founding member of the .

Brad Parker, Chair of the DTC, spoke in a combination of down-to-earth eloquence, preparing the crowd for rousing speeches by Linda Orange and Smith and Blaschik.

“We all care about the conditions in East Haddam and the future of East Haddam. Are you happy with the way things are being managed by our town government today?”

A resounding “No!” and a hiss from the crowd.

“Are you happy with the administrative efforts at maintaining the character of our town?”

Another resounding “No!” from the crowd.

“Are you happy with the way our town had handled the middle school or the land swap?" Parker’s litany of suggested mistakes made by the incumbents in town government roused East Haddamites and created a feeling of solidarity.

When Blaschik and Smith spoke, they reiterated being a team that “Gets things done” and has the experience to back it. While occasionally joking, the pair was quite serious when it came to being sure to implement long term fiscal planning and making quick decisions in the face of events like the recent disastrous tropical storm damage. (See video for more of Smith & Blaschik’s remarks.)

Blaschik also mentions, “The team of Smith & Blaschik are probably the only team in Connecticut who have actually soloed the Connecticut River – I canoed it, he kayaked it.” It took John 16 days and Rob, 12.

At any rate, the November election is anticipated to be a tough – if not down & dirty – campaign, so whoever and wherever you are in East Haddam, fasten your seat belts: it’s bound to be a bumpy ride.

Here’s a complete list of the 2011 East Haddam Democrats running for office on the November 9th ballot:

First Selectman: Rob Smith

Selectman: John Blaschik

Town Clerk: open

Treasurer: Kathleen Klinck

Tax Collector: Dee Hasuly

Board of Education: Kevin Leyland, Laurie Alt

Board of Finance: Bruce Dutch, Matt Budzik, Harvey Thomas

Planning and Zoning: Jim Curtin, Jessica Stone (Alternate)

Board of Assessment Appeals: Jim Vigue

Library Board: John Bielot, Patrice Veselak,William Denny, Celina Nelan, Barbara Kiley, Louise Pear

Download the movie