Don Lowe First Selectman Column 04/07/2025
In a sure sign of spring, The Old Store, managed by the Sherman Historical Society, opened on Friday, April 4. It will continue to be open from 1 to 4pm every Friday thru Sunday till the end of summer. Remember to stop by and shop; you never know what amazing things you will find there! And on the same subject, the Annual Barn Sale will be held on May 24 and 25 over Memorial Day Weekend. That event, as it always does, will partner with the Annual Library Book Sale right across the street.
The Town Budget Meeting will be held on Saturday, April 19, at 10am in Charter Hall. Along with the budget presentation, there will be other items – expenditure and ordinance approval -- on the agenda. The agenda (and the proposed ordinances) can be found on the Town website for specifics.
Let me remind you to keep an eye on the calendars for both the Sherman Library and for the Jewish Community Center (JCC). Both places are filled with exciting events from lectures, to arts shows, to musical performances. We are lucky here in Sherman to have so much happening. In addition, the White Silo Winery will be hosting events every weekend starting in late April – such a gorgeous place to commune with friends while you indulge in wine and food.
Here are some important upcoming dates concerning Park and Recreation sponsored activities:
April 19 -- First day for garden plot signup
April 19 -- Easter egg hunt at the Town Beach Park at noon
April 26 -- New rescheduled date for kayak slip signups at the school starting at 9 am. (Arrive well before 9am as the line starts early)
May 3 -- Camp and swim lesson signups begin, and boat slip assignments and beach passes will start and continue on Saturdays.
With profound sadness I write that we lost two prominent citizens this past week. Monty Clark and Ed Hayes, both staples of the Holiday Point community, passed away. Monty was extremely active in the Sherman Volunteer Fire Department. He served proudly and professionally as an EMR, Ambulance Engineer, and Fire Police member. He was consistently one of the SVFD’s top responders. Monty was also one of the brightest and kindest people you could ever meet, and a person always felt better after visiting with him as his optimistic spirit just made your day better.
Ed served on the Board of Selectmen among his many other civic duties. Ed seemed to be involved in everything, and things always improved when he was part of them. He most recently served as a commissioner with the Commission on Aging and was a critically valuable member of our Sherman Senior Center Building Committee. I was personally lucky to have Ed as a frequent visitor to my office after I was elected, and in our discussions he helped me greatly with a variety of Sherman issues. We became close friends, something I will always cherish.
Mark Twain once said, “You meet people who forget you. You forget people you meet. But sometimes you meet people you can’t forget. And those are your friends.” Sherman is worse for losing Monty and Ed, two good fellows. I’m going to miss them, will always remember them, but writing this feels mighty sad.
