Don Lowe First Selectman Column 01/19/2026
The Sherman School production of “Newsies” got weathered out and is postponed with a new date to be announced. It will be held in New Fairfield’s school auditorium due to the current renovation/repair of the Sherman School.
Next week, on Thursday, October 22 will be our regularly scheduled monthly Board of Selectman (BOS) meeting at 7pm in Mallory Town Hall. The agenda for that meeting is posted on the Town website. Prior to that, same date and place, there will be a Town Meeting at 6:30 that asks for approval for funding to repair a stone wall on Taber Road south of the Happy Acres farmstead. The other item is to allow the BOS to name an official building committee for the Sherman Senior Center project.
I also want to mention that on Thursday, January 29 at 6pm in Charter Hall we are having a public forum on something we are labeling “The Connectivity Study”. This is an effort that starts with data gathering to possibly better connect parts of Sherman with trails, paths, and sidewalks. This is both an informative presentation along with a great opportunity for public comment. Sherman, as you may suspect, is not easy to connect but there are a few possible options to make easier access for pedestrians and cyclists throughout Town areas. This is a study offered to us at no cost through the Western Connecticut Council of Governments. Once the study is completed, we will be in line for possible grants to fund appropriate connectivity projects.
As I have written before, the primary focus for the Board of Selectmen is the new budget which we will create over the next two months before it is voted on in referendum on Saturday, May 2. The first budget intake meeting – where the BOS is presented with budget requests from various town entities – is on Wednesday, February 18 at 7pm in Mallory Town Hall.
Please be aware of the frigid temperatures heading our way this weekend. It’s “pipe-freezing” weather so be alert to that and, also, take care of yourselves. Dress accordingly – as in warmly! If you are driving long distances, plan and be prepared for any emergencies such as a car breakdown. I don’t mean to sound alarmist, but I have experienced in my past some sad cold weather tragedies while growing up in North Dakota. So, this is ingrained in me.
