Don Lowe First Selectman Column 05/26/2026
Yes, the rain spoiled our Memorial Day parade but the ceremony at Veterans Field carried on through the drizzle. It was impressive to see so many people come out and stand in the rain for the ceremony. The ceremony featured two great speeches, one from Grand Marshal Gary Albert and the other from our keynote speaker Linda Rohatsch. Both speeches were excellent.
Gary made us laugh with a story about another Memorial Day Parade he was involved with that was threatened by rain. Then he spoke about the real meaning of Memorial Day, and he encouraged people to visit the various markers in Sherman that draw attention to the valor of Sherman veterans through the years. Linda gave an outstanding speech that reminded us of how military service to this country is frequently generational. It certainly is in her family. She described the sacrifice that both those who serve and also their families experience. As a Gold Star mother, her good words were grounded in the most visceral and profoundly sad experience of a parent losing a child to war. When Linda finished speaking there was a weighty and appropriate silence that followed as we digested her words. I thank both Gary and Linda for making our ceremony truly memorable.
This Thursday, May 28, is the Board of Selectmen’s (BOS) regularly scheduled monthly meeting at 7pm in Mallory Town Hall. The Sherman School Awards Night is scheduled for the same evening in Charter Hall so I will not be able to attend that important night for our Sherman students. I often give the awards for the Sherman Higher Education Fund board, of which I have been a member for 25 years, so it will feel strange to miss it. Our BOS meeting features reports on several capital projects in Town and some planning on local road resurfacing. The agenda is online. We are happy to announce that the bathrooms at Veterans Field have been refurbished and made anew again. They look great! The work was completed on time and under budget by Fall Construction, who specializes in smaller capital projects.
Please clean up after your dog in our parks. I’m getting so many reports of people letting their dog do its business in the grass and then not cleaning up. That’s no fun to step in. Also, we have a leash law in our parks, so, for the safety of others, please keep your dog leashed.
The end of Memorial Day weekend marks the official start of summer and Sherman is certainly a summer town with Candlewood Lake being the focal point for that. Soon school will be out, Summer Camp will begin, and the usual summer events such as the Fireman’s Ball will take place. Please be sure to attend the Roger Sherman exhibit at the Northrup House on the Historical Society property. This amazing display of Roger Sherman’s life, made possible largely through the extensive research and work of local historian John Cilio, runs on the Saturdays of June 13, 20, 27, and July 4 and 11 from 12pm to 4pm at the Northrup House (across from the Old Store). Don’t miss it!
