Don Lowe First Selectman Column 08/03/2026
It seems Sherman was in the epicenter of yet another significant storm event in the early wee hours of Monday morning. I have heard reports of up to 6 inches of rain all within an hour. While we are grateful that the damage wasn’t worse, it was still quite significant. Several driveways were profoundly affected, there were three road closures, trees came down, and there were pockets of water wear-and-tear damage all over town. Saw Mill Brook was roaring, and it pushed a lot of water and natural debris into the cove where the boat docks are. Fortunately, there are no reports of damage.
I want to remind voters that early voting for the democratic and republican primaries is going on at Mallory Town Hall all week through Saturday. The hours for Thursday (today) are from 8am to 8pm. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday hours are 10am to 6pm. The election date is August 11. The last date to secure an absentee ballot is August 10.
The Fireman’s Ball was a big success and lot of good fun. Kudos to all of you who bought tickets and supported our Sherman Volunteer Fire Department. The roast beef is always perfect at the Frieman’s Ball, but this year’s roast beef was even more perfect than ever! Yummm!
As I write this column on a Monday afternoon, and after some 2pm sun that lasted forty-five minutes, I am now once again hearing raindrops on Mallory Town Hall. Not good as we try to dry out from the previous rain. This has been a very challenging summer for weather.
I am very pleased to announce that Sherman once again earned an AA+ rating from Standard and Poor’s financial ratings. Last year, our rating improved from AA to AA+ and it’s nice to be recognized again as a financially stable and responsible municipality. This rating is the highest rating that a municipality of our size can receive, so we have a lot to be proud of here. This was based on overall budget management, our general fund surplus which, percentagewise, is one of the largest of any town in Connecticut, and our future financial outlook, which is favorable. I thank my fellow Selectmen, the Board of Education, and the Sherman School administration for their good judgement and diligence. However, the big stars of this achievement go to our treasurer, Andrea Maloney, and our business manager, Liz LaVia. We are lucky to have them both and they serve Sherman well.
The Veterans Appreciation Picnic will be held on Sunday, August 23 from 12pm to 5pm at the Town Beach pavilion. All Sherman veterans are encouraged to attend. I regret that I will be out of town that weekend visiting family for a reunion in Minnesota, so I won’t be able to attend. But my appreciation for our Sherman Veterans knows no bounds. Thank you all!
