From the Desk of the First Selectman

Don Lowe First Selectman Column 06/01/26
 
The Sherman School year is ending in June. This has been an interesting year with the renovation happening at the same time and having the students in tighter quarters and, also, to have to find space in other areas in Town to accommodate the school curriculum. I am proud to have watched the partnerships and teamwork that have come about. I especially appreciate all that the Sherman Church did to host our pre-school children and, furthermore, all that the Sherman Volunteer Fire Department did to share their facility with the school.  This year wouldn’t have been nearly as successful without those key partnerships. Graduation Night is June 18 out on Veterans Field.
 
Sign-ups for Summer Camp have been ongoing since May 1st and are available online at ShermanCT.myrec.com. Community members can also find more information on the Sherman Park and Rec Facebook page. The Camp starts on Monday, June 29th, and runs for six weeks until Friday, August 7th. Meanwhile, beach stickers are available at Town Hall on Saturdays. 
 
Big thanks to our public works crew for making Sherman look so good over the Memorial Day weekend and on into the start of summer. Also, thanks to public works supervisor, Kris Fazzone, for allowing the Sherman students to hold their car wash up on the public works’ grounds.  That was a big success and, again, another display of teamwork within the Town ranks.   
 
This Saturday, June 6, the Sherman Volunteer Fire Department will hold its Open House from 11am to 3pm at the firehouse. This is a great opportunity to meet members of the SVFD and get a sense of how they operate. There are many activities for children (what kid doesn’t love a fire truck!) and also complimentary snacks and beverages. We are all grateful for the important service that the SVFD performs for our town!
 
The celebration of life for Reverend Paul Asbury will be held this Saturday, June 6 at the Sherman Church at 2pm. We will always remember Pastor Paul for his service to the church and, by extension, his service to Sherman.  
 
On a similar note, we lost a wonderful Sherman resident two weeks ago when Ed Smith passed away peacefully on May 21.  Ed was an accomplished and award-winning artist and a great music lover. I have been fortunate to get to know Ed and his lovely wife of 54 years, Anita – simply lovely people. We will miss Ed greatly. However, he leaves behind a wealth of artwork to remember him by and it can be viewed on the website, edsmithartist.com.  
 
I wish I didn’t have to end this column with what I’m about to write, but here goes. As you may know, we refurbished and made-new the bathrooms down at Veterans Field. Fall Construction did a marvelous job on a shoestring budget to make both the Men’s and Ladies rooms shine. Sadly, some individual, someone who obviously dislikes Sherman and frequents the park, has been urinating in the waste backet in the Men’s Room on a regular basis. So, if you see the waste basket attached to the wall up too high to, you know, well … you get it, then you’ll understand why. In the meantime, one can only hope that this misguided individual will stop his steady stream of malice.