Rep. Chris Murphy Coming to Avon This Sunday
Rep. Chris Murphy will hold a town hall meeting at Avon High School on Sunday, November 1st at 1:30 p.m. According to Rep. Murphy:
When I held a series of public events in August on health care, I told you that I would host more meetings after the House unveiled the health care bill and before the vote. The House will likely vote on a health care bill within the next few weeks, so I am organizing these events so that I can hear from people in Connecticut about what you think should be done to make health care more affordable and accessible for residents of Connecticut.
I hope you can join me at one of the 2 town halls I am hosting this Sunday, November 1 to talk about health care reform. Due to space limitations, these town hall events will be for residents of the Fifth District only.
We thank Rep. Murphy for coming to our town to speak on this important issue and encourage all residents — regardless of party — to come to this important event.
Here are the details again for Sunday:
- WHO: Congressman Chris Murphy (CT-5)
- WHAT: Town hall meeting on health care reform legislation
- WHEN: Sunday, November 1, 1:30-3pm
- WHERE: Avon High School, 510 West Avon Road
If you have any questions, feel free to contact his office at: 860-223-8412.
Candidate Forum on Wednesday Night – Decide For Yourself
So, when you choose your doctor, is the first question you ask: “How long have you lived in Avon?”
Presumably the answer is “no”. The same should hold true in elections. And time and again, there is ONE party that puts that as their primary qualification for the election on each and every candidate profile.
But where is the platform? Where do the candidates stand on the issues? What do they hope to accomplish?
The Democratic candidates for the upcoming election have answered all of these questions in a transparent way: By putting their platforms online for all to see. You can read them here (Go ahead and click it, we’ll wait.) And while the Democrats have also lived in Avon for many years, none of them suggest that as the first and primary reason you should vote for them.
But we realize that you still may have more questions. So the Democratic candidates will be at a candidate forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters on Wednesday at 7p at the Avon Senior Center. It is free and open to the public. No registration is required. You can learn more about the event here.
With a week to go before the election, the Democrats who are running in this municipal election are the only candidates who have put their platform in writing online since September. Their commitment to putting Avon first is strong. Come hear their message for yourself on Wednesday.
And remember, all information about the Democratic candidates can be found at the Avon First website.
Are You Ready for Some Voting? Just 11 Days To Go
Yesterday’s referendum on the Avon Library (which, incidentally, passed 1418 to 1170) was a good start to getting Avon residents to vote. But even so, just 21 percent of the town voted, which is a bit disappointing considering that the library is something that affects everyone in town.
So what does this mean for the upcoming municipal election? It means we need to work hard to get out the vote to support the Democrat candidates. And it means educating voters on how best to vote if they want to support those candidates. A sample ballot was recently included in the Avon town newsletter (available here).
For example, for the Town Council position, voters may vote for up to five candidates. But every vote for a Republican candidate effectively cancels out the vote for the Democrat one. So, if you choose to vote the Democrat line, voters should consider only voting for the three Democrat Town Council candidates; there is no requirement to vote for five candidates.
Notably, in the other races, voters can select either four or two candidates. Because there are Democrat candidates running for all of those positions, voters considering the Democrat slate do not have the same choice as for Town council. Voters can again just vote for all Democrat candidates.
Just 11 days to go and this election is too important to sit on the sidelines. Contact a committee member, make some calls or volunteer to staff the polling stations. It’s time to make a difference. Election Day is just around the corner.
Library Referendum Set for Thursday
Town elections may not seem as exciting as Presidential ones, but in terms of impact in Avon, referendums like Thursday’s one don’t get any more important.
On Thursday, the town will be voting on a library expansion that, to many, seems necessary and long overdue.
Need to learn more about it? The library has set up an information page available here.
All voting will be held at the Avon Senior Center and will be held from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Of course, this is just a prelude to the big election coming up in less than two weeks. You’ll hear more about that in the days to come.
Courant Reports on Resurgence of Democratic Party of Avon
In today’s Hartford Courant, there’s a lengthy article about the Democratic Party in Avon and its goal of getting majorities on various town boards for the first time in a generation.
It’s a great time to be a Democrat in the Farmington Valley,” said Christopher Gaffney, the chairman of the Avon Democratic Town Committee. “Think about why people move to Avon. They want great schools, a great library and great park and recreation programs. Well, those are largely Democratic causes, so the assets we have created here naturally attract Democratic-leaning voters.
Indeed, as the article notes, “Democrat U.S. Rep. Chris Murphy’s defeat of Republican Rep. Nancy Johnson in 2006 in the 5th Congressional District, and Democrat Mary Glassman’s popularity in neighboring Simsbury”, are signs that we can point to that show the tide is changing in Avon.
The article highlights the changes in voter registration patterns in Avon over the last decade. In fact, presently, only 32 percent of Avon voters are Republican, 29 percent are Democrats and unaffiliated voters taking up the remainder.
Municipal elections held in “off years” from Presidential races, tend to draw far few voters in general to the polls. So, this election could again come down to just a few dozen votes. Absentee ballots are now available from Town Hall so there’s no excuse not to vote this year!
Avon Democrats Pack 99 Restaurant In Support of Candidates
On Sunday, dozens of Avon Democrats and others packed the 99 Restaurant in Avon to prepare for the final 30 days of the municipal campaign and support the Democratic candidate for office.
A who’s who of state dignitaries also stopped by, including Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz, State Comptroller Nancy Wyman, State Treasurer Denise Nappier, Simsbury First Selectwoman Mary Glassman to name a few. In addition, members of U.S. Representative Chris Murphy were also on hand.
All had the same message: The time is right for serious change in Avon and getting new leadership on all of the Town boards.
The Avon Democrats have uploaded some pictures from the event onto their Flickr photostream. You can access all of the photos here.
Come Join Your Friends and Neighbors TONIGHT!
Tonight’s the Night!
It’s the First Annual AllDems Meeting! And consider this your formal invitation if you haven’t received one yet.
First, the details: Tuesday, September 29th, 7:00 p.m., Avon Senior Center (635 West Avon Rd).
This meeting was instituted by the Avon Democratic Town Committee to create an annual forum for all Democratic voters in Avon, along with all friends of the Democratic Party, to come together to discuss the general state of the Town and what Democrats can do to make it even better for all of us.
This is YOUR opportunity to:
- Meet the Democratic candidate in the November 3rd Municipal Election;
- Learn about the platforms and plans of the candidates and the Democratic Party of Avon;
- Have your voice heard;
- Learn about ways YOU can get involved.
Refreshments will be served.
For more information, call Marc Reich at 860.778.3408 or go to AvonFirst.org.
No need to RSVP in advance, just come and be part of the movement to help our town be the best place to work and live in the state. See you there!
Avon Day! Pictures and More
Well, after a few years of rain and mud, Avon Day was due for a perfect fall day. And we got one.
The Avon Democrats booth was bustling with requests to take pictures with President Barack Obama, for some of the fresh cupcakes from one of the candidates, and to help volunteer at some upcoming events.
All of the Democratic candidates for the November 3rd election were out talking with Avon residents about the issues that they care about. Everything from the proposed library expansion, to preserving open space, and from keeping Avon affordable to live in while attracting businesses to attract our tax base.
But more importantly, the candidates were doing what everyone else was doing. Having fun and letting our civic pride show. (Though some of that great trail mix from the Avon Unplugged Learning project booth was pretty enjoyable too) .
We’ve uploaded several pictures from today up on our new Flickr photostream. Take a look and see what all the excitement was about.
And don’t forget, big meeting on Tuesday at the Senior Center at 7p. All Democrats (and friends) are invited! See you then.
Visit the Avon Democrats Booth at Avon Day (and Other Great Upcoming Events)
Fall means a lot of things to a lot of people, but here in town, Avon Day brings a special significance. It’s a time to see your friends and neighbors, learn about community organizations, and grab a bite from some of our favorite local restaurants.
This year is no exception. Avon Day is set for this Saturday at the Thompson Brook School fields. The Avon Dems will have a booth there. Stop by and pick up information on how YOU can get involved in the political party that’s been growing and growing.
The opportunities don’t end there. The Democratic Town Committee of Avon has a “all-hands” meeting on Tuesday, September 29th at 7p at the Avon Senior Center. All Democrats and friends are invited! You’ll have the opportunity to volunteer, get lawn signs, and help shape the Avon’s future. No need to RSVP ahead of time. All you have to do is join us.
And if that’s not enough for you, on Sunday, October 4th, there’s a big Avon First fundraiser at 99 Restaurant starting at 4:30p. Word is that there will even be a special drink available in honor of our candidate slate. (Hint: It’s blue.) You can even make a donation at the door.
So, are you waiting for an invitation to get involved? If so, consider this your invitation. We’d love to meet you at one of our upcoming functions.
Stamford Mayor Dan Malloy Visits Avon Democrats
Continuing a series of meetings in which we’ve welcomed various people who are considering runs for governor, last night the Avon Democratic Town Committee met with Stamford Mayor Dan Malloy.
With all the problems with economy, it’s not surprising that he focusing on the issue that concerns people the most: jobs. As he was quick to point out, Connecticut and Michigan stand alone as the only two states that have lost jobs since 1990. Not a great honor to have.
His assistants have loaded up various photos from the meeting which you can find here.
As the gubernatorial race heats up, the Town Committee has been fortunate to meet with several major players already (Susan Bysiewicz and Jim Amann). No doubt that after the municipal elections this fall, we’ll start hearing much more about this race, which promises to be quite interesting.