Grinders for Grace

Submitted by Eye Reader Rochelle Hughes

In 2006, Mayor Sebastian Giuliano and the Common Council of the City of Middletown voted to appropriate a matching grant for the Amazing Grace Food Pantry, a program of St. Vincent DePaul, Middletown

For every dollar that the food pantry raised, the city would match fifty cents, up to $25,000.
The first event was the Amazing Challenge Soup Supper, which was a combination thank you to friends of Amazing Grace and a delicious supper of soup and bread all donated by area restaurants, churches and friends. Scores of people attended the no charge event and brought along their checkbooks. Thanks to the generosity of so many, a substantial amount of money was raised to begin the match.
In the meantime, Claudia DeFrance was thinking of a way to raise more money for the food pantry. She knew that the parishioners of St. Francis of Assisi Church in Middletown would be ready to help.
Giannelli’s Early Learning Center on Round Hill Road, devotedly and lovingly operated by the Sisters of Our Lady of the Garden, had always hosted a meatball grinder day as a major fund raiser for their facility. Mrs. DeFrance had heard that they were not doing the fundraiser anymore and approached Sister Donna and Sister Consulata about having a meatball grinder day for the Amazing Grace Food Pantry. The Sisters were happy to turn the day over to Amazing Grace and the first “GRINDERS FOR GRACE” was established.
Help was needed to organize this huge task. Fred Terrasi was the President of the Italian American Civic Order at the time. The IACO has a reputation in Middletown for having some of the best cooks in town. So they were asked, they said YES and with them came the now famous, secret (Vinnie Munno) meatball recipe.
Together the members of the IACO and the parishioners of St. Francis of Assisi Church in Middletown rallied to organize and perform the herculean task of making and delivering the grinders. One was Rochelle Hughes, a parishioner and member of the Finance Committee, who came forward to be the official bean counter – organizing orders, collecting money, keeping track of the totals. A daunting, crucial job to the success of the event and she shines each year as a true community organizer. One by one, members of every church in Middletown came forward to chop fresh parsley and garlic, roll thousands of meatballs, make gallons of homemade sauce, and of course make, wrap and deliver the grinders to Middletown and many, many surrounding towns and at the end of a very long day wash pans and clean the kitchen!
The first year, 600 grinders were purchased by area businesses, schools and friends. In 2011, 1,197 grinders were sold, resulting in over $6,000.00 donated to Amazing Grace.
This year, “GRINDERS FOR GRACE” will take place on April 19th at the Monsignor M. Davitt Fox Parish Center at St. Francis of Assisi Church, 10 Elm Street, Middletown.
Help is needed and if you have the energy to do “God’s work,” please join a remarkable group of individuals and work to help your neighbors in need.
Please email grindersforgrace@gmail.com and you will be sent a schedule of work times. If you do not have an email, please send a self addressed stamped envelope to:
GRINDERS FOR GRACE
PO Box 182
Middletown, CT 06457

“Like” Grinders for Grace on Facebook and follow the events leading up to April 19th…or call 860-930-3447.
During these difficult times for so many, please consider donating your time to help. If you cannot donate time, we would gladly accept your cash or check donations to defray expenses. Last year, over 600 pounds of ground beef, 36 dozen eggs, 40 gallons of sauce and all the ingredients to make our meatballs and sauce from homemade recipes were purchased, as were the packaging to wrap the grinders, labels to mark each one, napkins, paper towels and the list goes on. Please send any donation you can afford to:
Grinders for Grace, PO BOX 182, Middletown, CT 06457. Please make checks payable to Grinders for Grace.
Grinders for Grace would not be the huge success it is without the volunteers who do all the work. But most importantly YOU, the customers who buy the grinders, are the BEST! Without you, there would be no money to give to the food pantry; money that now is crucial because so many need the food pantry. Times are difficult for all of us. Therefore, a challenge is in place to donate at least $10,000 this year. Challenge a fellow business or another office within your building. Challenge at local hospitals, police departments, fire departments to place the largest order. Aetna thus far has the distinction of the largest order ever with 300 grinders going to their facility in Hartford last year!!!! (Their hearts never left Middletown). Can your business, office or group of friends top that? You can bet you’ll have a delicious time trying!
Thank you for supporting Amazing Grace. And thank you for helping your neighbors.

Inauguration Ceremony

You are cordially invited to the swearing-in ceremony for:

Mayor-Elect Daniel T. Drew
Common Council
City Treasurer
Planning & Zoning
Board of Education
Board of Assessment Appeals

Tuesday, November 15th , 2011 at 7 pm

Woodrow Wilson Middle School, 370 Hunting Hill Avenue, Middletown CT 06457

Reception to follow in the Cafeteria. Light refreshments will be served.

The Public is Invited and Encouraged to Attend

Candidate Profile: Frederick Terrasi for Planning & Zoning (R)

The below information is a part of the Eye's Elections 2011 series to provide information to voting citizens and does not represent any endorsement by the Middletown Eye or any of its authors.

Fred Terrasi brings solid experience to the Planning and Zoning Commission. He has spent many years giving back to the City of Middletown in official capacities and as a volunteer.

“I will work to bring the right kind of development to Middletown, said Terrasi, “Working together in a proactive fashion will lead to the best results for Middletown in the future.”

Terrasi is serving his fifth year as a member of the Inland Wetlands Commission, a key panel towards understanding rules and the demands development places on a community.

He had held numerous positions helping the community- former President of the Italian American Civic Order, President of the Holy Name Society and a President and Commissioner of the Middletown Youth League.

Terrasi has also served as co-chair of an annual fundraiser which benefits “Amazing Grace Food Pantry.”

Terrasi earned his Associate’s Degree in Business from Middlesex Community College and a Bachelor of Science from Central Connecticut State University. Terrasi, now in semi-retirement is a consultant to Pratt & Whitney. He is also a member of the Middletown Elks. Terrasi and his wife of 40 years have one son.

http://middletownctgop.com/

Candidate Profile: Matthew Fraulino Common Council (R)

The below information is a part of the Eye's Elections 2011 series to provide information to voting citizens and does not represent any endorsement by the Middletown Eye or any of its authors.

Matt Fraulino is a life-long resident of the City of Middletown and is the son of Michael and Rosemary Fraulino of Middletown. Matt is a product of the City of Middletown’s fine public school system, and graduated from Middletown High School with honors.

" The key to a stronger Middletown is to actively work with people who want to invest and know the local government is there to meet their needs," said Fraulino. "Mayor Giuliano has done that and I want to help him continue that record of success."

He went on to attend the University of Connecticut in Storrs where he majored in English. At UConn, Matt became very active with the University’s men’s basketball program and was a student-manager of the program under Hall of Fame coach Jim Calhoun. In this capacity, Matt attended all practices and was with the team both at home as well as on the road during the NCAA mens' basketball season.

His involvement with the program reached a milestone when he aided the program as a student-manager when the Huskies captured the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball National Championship in San Antonio, TX.

Matt graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from UConn and went to work for NBA and former UConn standout Ben Gordon as his manager during his 2005-06 NBA season with the Chicago Bulls. Knowing the importance of education, Matt decided to pursue a Master’s Degree in Sport Management from UConn.

After completing this Master’s coursework, Matt was offered a job in by Middlesex Chamber of Commerce president Larry McHugh as the Chamber’s director of public relations and media. Matt has been with the Chamber ever since this time.

At the Chamber, Matt enjoys working as an advocate of all types of business and has grown a true appreciation for the necessity of a vibrant business environment at the local level. Along with his work at the Chamber, he volunteers for the Middletown Mentor Program and spends one hour per week during the school year as a mentor with a student in the Middletown Public School System.

Matt’s parents, Michael and Rosemary, are both employed in the Middletown public school system, and he has two siblings: Peter and Elizabeth.

As a member of the Common Council, Matt will be an advocate for business development and continue investing his time mentoring at Lawrence Elementary school where he has volunteered for the past 3 years.

http://middletownctgop.com/

Ron Klattenberg - Candidate for Common Council - Statement

The below information is a part of the Eye's Elections 2011 series to provide information to voting citizens and does not represent any endorsement by the Middletown Eye or any of its authors.

My wife Marcy and I moved to Middetown in 1977. We raised two children, Sara and Michael, and participated in PTA, scouting and many other organizations as our children grew, attended public schools and graduated from the old Middletown High School. I retired from Northeast Utilities in 2001 after working for 27 years as the Manager for Environment Services. Having served on the Common Council for seven (7) terms, I feel that public service is an honor, exciting at times, frustrating but always challenging. For me, politics is still all about improving the quality of life for Middletown's diverse population, as well as, preserving the infrastructure of our city. The issue of "quality of life" is central in how I assess my decisions and positions on key issues. The Common Council takes approximately 200-250 votes each year, excluding committee votes. While the vast majority of these votes are non-controversial and nearly unanimous, it is the 5% of votes that get 100% of the news and attention. I continue to try, to the best of my ability, to be fair, honest and balanced when approaching my decisions on these controversial votes. I hope those who know me understand that my decisions are not taken lightly nor politically motivated.

Over the past several years, I have sponsored several initiatives that make me especially proud. As an advocate for clean, renewable energy for the city, I helped Middletown become one of the first Clean Energy Communities in Connecticut. The City has received several honors for work done by the Clean Energy Taskforce to lower the city's energy usage. We were the first city in the state to be awarded free solar photovoltaic panels for the Vocational Agricultural Center at the former Middletown High. The contract with Honeywell, Inc was undertaken last year. This contract is a fifteen (15) year $4.5M agreement which guarantees major energy efficiency improvements to lower electricity and natural gas usage in all major city buildings, including the library. I have also been a strong advocate for the protection of open space and conservation of agricultural land in the city. Over 1000 acres of land have been preserved for future generations by the Common Council in the past 10 years. These conservation measures protect the diversity of our city landscape, slow the growth of city services and demonstrate a major commitment to preserving passive recreation and agriculture land for the future.

In addition to being closely involved in supporting adequate funding for education, finding opportunities to reorganize city departments and overseeing the finances of the city, I am currently serving as Chair of the Eckersley Hall Building Committee for a new Senior Center and municipal office space. The growth in the 55 - 65 age groups is estimated to increase by 14% and the > 65 age group by 28% in the next few years. With the help of an excellent Building Committee it is our intent to renovate this historic building with creative and innovative architectural ideas and solve several problems: (1) provide more space and programs for seniors than currently exist in the Williams St Senior Center, (2) relieve the city of the over $50K lease payments in Riverview Plaza for the Recreation Dept and Arts Office, (3) make available a second conference room in city hall for committee and community meetings, and (4) provide more critically needed storage space for city functions. The Senior Center will be easily accessible, modern and become a focal point for socialization. If re-elected I hope to continue to work on the Senior Center project and other initiatives to promote our city that will allow Middletown to continue to be a community where families, professionals and seniors want to live because of its diversity and quality of life.

Ron Klattenberg

Deputy Majority Leader
Chair, Finance and Government Operations
Chair, Public Works Commission
Chair, Clean Energy Taskforce
Chair, Eckersley Hall Building Committee
Member, Senior Affairs Commission

E For Effort: Semi-Notable Tribulations of a Volunteer Reporter

The following accounting of events is being posted anonymously to protect the innocent. (from embarrassment). Please note, dear readers, that “Middletown's Eye”, with the possessive apostrophe-letter-s, is a new author name shared by many Eye authors, and is not Ed McKeon. A posting is only from Ed McKeon if his name is in parentheses after Middletown Eye.

Thursday night there was a Community Meeting of the Common Council scheduled to occur at 7 p.m. at the gymnasium at Macdonough School. When I arrived around 6:45pm there was a sign on the front door saying the meeting would be in the Library. So, naturally, off I trudged to the library... the Russell Library on Broad Street. I walked there, as I had been on foot that evening doing errands at various places downtown that were within close proximity to each other. During the 15 minute walk from Macdonough School to the Russell Library, I wondered why the meeting location had been changed and thought I would definitely have to ask that question of the Council members. I arrived at the library at 7, the time the meeting was to start. Nobody at the library had any idea about this meeting, and it wasn't on their room reservation schedule for the evening. When I told the librarian about the sign she politely suggested that the sign may have meant the school library. She did a good job of saying this in as a nice a way as possible so I wouldn't feel like a complete idiot for not realizing this in the first place. In my mind, I slapped myself on the forehead and said a Homer Simpson style “DOH!” I thanked the librarian and walked back outside into the humid mist, thinking about how lack of sleep can seriously reduce one's brain power. My energy was pretty low from all the walking I'd already done that evening and I didn't think I could manage to hoof it back to the school, but I refused to give up on my mission to cover this meeting for the Eye readers! Thankfully, a friend who lives near Russell library answered my phone call, came by and picked me up and drove me back to the school. There were police cars with lights flashing outside. Great, I thought, someone raises a huge ruckus in the first 10 minutes of the meeting, the police get called in, and I missed it. A lot of people were standing around all up and down the street, watching the scene, which turned out to be a car crash. It must have been loud to have drawn such a crowd, but it didn't look too serious that I could see. I asked some kids who were standing on the corner about how to get to the school library and they kindly directed me where to go. It was 7:20 once I got inside, and was promptly informed that the meeting had already ended by the remaining Council members who were sitting around talking amongst themselves. Considering the meeting was over that quickly, I am comforted by the thought that there was probably not much to write about it. I tried my best. It's just another day in the glamorous life of a volunteer reporter.

Community Meetings of the Common Council are an opportunity for members of the public to approach the Council in an informal environment and present or talk about issues of concern. These meetings have been held on the second Thursday of every month throughout 2011. The next two meetings are November 10th at Woodrow Wilson Middle School on Hunting Hill Avenue and December 8th at Moody Elementary School on Country Club Road. If any readers out there want to join in the excitement of volunteer reporting, all you have to do is open your eyes, attend this or any municipal meeting or event, and submit a written report about it. If you're thinking about it and want to know more, send an email to middletowneye@gmail.com

Building Trades Council Endorses Dan Drew for Mayor

The below is a press release from the Dan Drew for Mayor campaign and it is being published as-is without any edits or commentary. It does not represent the opinions of or any endorsement from the Middletown Eye news blog or any writers who contribute to this blog.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 26, 2011

CONTACT: Geoff Luxenberg (860) 335-2023

Building Trades Council Endorses Dan Drew for Mayor

Throws support behind Democratic Candidate and Common Council Slate

The Greater Hartford/New Britain Building Trades Council, a coalition of unions representing Connecticut construction workers with many members who live in Middletown, has unanimously endorsed Dan Drew for Mayor of Middletown and the entire slate of Democratic candidates for Common Council.

“As Mayor, I will work every day to make life easier for the middle class,” Drew said. “I’m committed to getting people back to work by improving our infrastructure, which will in turn, reduce the tax burden.”

“Dan Drew and the Democratic Common Council candidates are friends of organized labor,” said Ed Reilly, president of the Building Trades Council and business manager of Ironworkers Local 15. “They will continue their efforts going forward to ensure that organized labor issues are a priority.”

Dan Drew has also been endorsed by Governor Dannel P. Malloy, former Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz, the Working Families Party, the Connecticut Citizen Action Group, SEIU Locals 511 and 506, SEIU 32BJ, Operating Engineers 478, Carpenters Local 24, Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 777, the Central Connecticut Labor Council, and CWA Local 1298.

The Democratic Common Council slate includes:

Todd G. Berch, a member of the Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 777;

Mary Bartolotta, a local businesswoman;

Hope Kasper, a former Middletown municipal labor leader;

Tom Serra, a 30-year member of Carpenter Local 24 and a member for 33 years of both American Federation of Adminstrators Local 61 AFL-CIO and American Federation of Teachers;

Bob Santangelo, a member of SEIU District 1199;

Gerald Daley, a state HR administrator;

Grady Faulkner, a forensic accountant; and Ron Klattenberg, a retired utility executive.

To learn more about Drew and his campaign for mayor, please visit www.drew2011.com.

The above is a press release from the Dan Drew for Mayor campaign and it is being published as-is without any edits or commentary. It does not represent the opinions of or any endorsement from the Middletown Eye news blog or any writers who contribute to this blog.

Opinion from Common Council candidate Linda Salafia

The below posted letter is solely the opinion of the author, Linda Salafia, and in now way represents the opinions or views of the Middletown Eye or any of the contributors to the Eye.

Letter to the editor,

I recently took a mini-vacation to downeast coastal Maine where there are several small towns that have marvelous views, artist shops and small cafes. However, the main streets in these towns don’t compare to our Main Street. The wide variety of restaurants and available parking that we have puts them to shame (got to be able to parallel park if you even find a space); we even can compete in the “view’ category with our river. When we join the Mattabassett District, we will gain more in that category.

However, I returned to politics as usual: the Board of Education again has decided to act independently and totally ignore decisions from the Mayor’s office and compliance with the union contracts regarding the hiring and paying of employees. The details of their actions I’m sure are becoming tiring to those not directly affected but the fact that they are still occurring is very important. The charter for the City of Middletown clearly states that the Mayor is the hiring authority for all classified employees for the whole city; every department. When grievances cannot be settled between the parties, they are heard by the State Labor Board who then rules; the union has just received another unanimous ruling in their favor from the Board awarding back wages to the employees who were harmed. I am predicting that the Board administration will again not abide by the ruling and the union will have to file again with the state. The disturbing issue to me is that we’ve a democratic majority on the Board of Education that is suspiciously silent through all this. As the body that the Board of Education administration answers to and reports to; they could easily instruct the administration to follow the charter and adhere to the union contracts but for some reason, they have chosen not to. Dan Drew is running on a platform proposing cooperation between the City and the Board of Education; however, cooperation could exist NOW if only the Board of Education members instructed the administration to adhere to the rules as they exist.

I am running for a place on the Common Council and I urge you to vote for the re-election of Seb Giuliano as Mayor. I also urge you to vote for ROW B on November 8th; it’s time to break the logjam; time to change the composition of the Board and Council; it’s time stop what’s going on now since those members of the majority party currently sitting on the boards are not requiring the BOE administration to comply with the rules.

Thank you.


Linda Salafia
Republican Candidate for Common Council

The above posted letter is solely the opinion of the author, Linda Salafia, and in no way represents the opinions or views of the Middletown Eye or any of the contributors to the Eye.

Council Considers Several Redevelopment Projects Tonight

The Common Council has a busy agenda for its meeting tonight, with votes scheduled on issues which will have significant impacts on a variety of ongoing and future redevelopment projects.


The North End parking lot project.
The council will vote on a resolution authorizing the Mayor to  sign documents for the “Old Trolley Barn Parking Lot” proposal, which will lead to construction of a public parking lot behind Eli Cannon's and the Community Health Center. This parking lot will require the relocation or destruction of a historic home on Kings Avenue, and the resolution would authorize Carl Erlacher, the Finance Director, to petition the superior Court to acquire the property by eminent domain if the Mayor is unable to reach agreement with the owner for the amount of compensation or the property.

Joining the Mattabasset Sewer District
The Council will vote on a resolution which would put before the voters on November 8th, a bond of $13.2M, to pay for the city's entry. Joining the Mattabassett sewer district would allow the city to dismantle the River Road treatment plant, opening up that area for development.  Some of the ideas for development of the "South Cove" area have been heard by the Planning and Zoning Commission.


Destruction of the Capitol Theater
The Council will vote on whether to authorize up to $300,000 to hire American Contractors, LLC to demolish the former Capitol Theater portion of 350 Main Street.  The Capitol Theater is the large, rear portion of the building at 350 Main Street housing the liquor store. The city plans to replace the theater with a bus turn-around.

Other Highlights
A resolution honoring John Hall, recently retired minister at the First Congregational Church, will be presented and voted on.

The council will consider a bond of $14.1M to fund road improvement projects around the city. This bond would also require voter approval on November 8.

The council will consider a bond of $350,000 to fund waterline improvements to the approach to the Arrigoni Bridge.

Too Dumb To Steal

Fred Carroll just may be the most accessible candidate for political office in Middletown these days. It's easy to find him in Klekolo World Coffee on Court Street, and he's usually ready for conversation. He is known for his cartoons, his advocacy of homelessness, and his loathing of litter. He created and for three years championed a program called Bums With Brooms, which he recently publicly announced his retirement from, for reasons he explains in this Patch article.

Fred has moved onto new endeavors, most notably running for a seat on the City of Middletown's Common Council with the Realistic Balance Party. He explained to me that “we have no budget and I won't be soliciting nor even accepting any campaign contributions, so I have to access all the free media possible if I want to have any chance of getting elected.” I asked Fred a few questions about his candidacy:

KS: Until recently, many people may not have even heard of the Realistic Balance Party. That combined with the fact that you don't look anything like a politician has me asking, do you honestly think that you have a “realistic” chance of getting elected, or is this just yet another, what's it called? “Issue Campaign”?

FC: No, I do not honestly think that I will get elected to the Common Council, but bear in mind that “long shots” do happen, both in sports and in politics. And as far as this being an “issue campaign”, I'd be nothing but flattered to have what I'm doing called an issue campaign as opposed to merely a vanity campaign.

KS: Speaking of vanity, are those women's pants you're wearing?

FC: Good eye Swartz, yes they are.

KS: What's up with that?

FC: To get the fit I like I have to get my pants from the women's department.

KS: Are you wearing any other articles of women's clothing besides pants?

FC: Nope, just the pants.

KS: On a more serious note, what are your campaign issues?

FC: Well, I'm arguably at least half an expert on what I call urban homelessness. And I think that I have some good ideas about how to deal with the indigents, transients, and idiots.

KS: You have a plan for dealing with, as you call them, idiots?

FC: I don't necessarily have a plan for anything. What I do have are some ideas, which I am certain might be valuable. I have a lot to say about any number of issues, and I will not be afraid to bring my ideas to the Council. Isn't this interview just for introductory purposes and not necessarily for spelling out all the details?

KS: No, I think that voters would like some details, but we can leave those for a later time if you prefer. So barring going into the details, let's get right to the point. Why should any Eye reader vote for you or even take your candidacy seriously?

FC: Well, during the time I've been in Middletown, which is some part of ten years now, I've always had people suggesting that I run for office. They would say things like, “Why don't you run for Mayor, Fred?” And I would always say “Because I'm an idiot, and you wouldn't want me as Mayor.” But people kept saying it, so...

KS: Then why are you running for Council and not Mayor?

FC: Well, we want to be at least slightly “realistic” here. And also I mad support the current Mayor Sebastian Giuliano.

KS: When you say 'mad' you mean 'very much', correct?

FC: You got it Swartz.

KS: My final question is, do you have a campaign slogan?

FC: Yes I do. My campaign slogan is “I'm too dumb to do any serious stealing.”

KS: Well, good luck with all that.

FC: Thanks.

Letter to the Editor: A response to Councilwoman Kasper

Commentary by Linda Salafia, a response to Councilwoman Hope Kasper's letter to the editor featured here

To the Editor,

I am writing this letter to you in response to Councilwoman Kasper’s letter regarding the hiring of her son-in-law at the Board of Education. First, let me state that I have put my name in as a candidate for the Common Council to the Republican Town Committee. I hope to be endorsed by them and look forward to being able to run for office and ultimately serve as a Council member on the Mayor’s team.

Also, I currently am employed by the City of Middletown as the Payroll / Pension Supervisor and have held this position for 13 years; worked a total nearly 25 years for the City. In that time, I have seen a lot of employees hired including a lot of children of employees and council people for summer jobs including Ms. Kasper’s granddaughters. The total budget for the summer youth program for this year is $44,207; approved by the Council.

I also attended the Mayor’s press conference in my capacity as Vice President of Local 466 which represents the classified workers at the City and the Board of Education. The Union has filed the appropriate complaints regarding the handling of the payroll positions at the BOE; however, I will attempt to clarify our position. There are two payroll positions at the BOE that are acknowledged union positions; the union contract requires that those position be posted and filled if budgeted and if not, the affect negotiated between the parties. One position has been vacant since the Fall when the BOE refused to allow Christine Bourne to work. The second position has been vacant since the employee in that position moved to another position. Again let me state that there have been numerous complaints and paperwork filed on both of the positions and/ or treatments of employees in those positions. The BOE does not have the ability to freeze a position after an employee has been hired; the Mayor is the hiring authority for ALL CLASSIFIED EMPLOYEES, the Council determines the classified positions. When the BOE administration illegally posted the position for the temporary payroll position on it’s website, I personally notified all council members and elected BOE members that this was occurring. The Union is not privy to the information regarding applicants to classified positions; however in this case, the eligibility list was shared with the union but not the test scores and experience. Again, I will say that the choice of candidate is the Mayor’s; the personnel department of the City qualifies the candidate and the Mayor picks. Ms. Kasper was a union officer when she worked for the City and knows fully well that the BOE should not have posted and filled this position with anyone.

Ms. Kasper’s letter to the editor claims that her son-in-law was appointed on merit alone and that she has been falsely accused of impropriety. I would just like to point out that the mere appointment of her son-in-law to a position that was illegally posted and filed and that she was aware was in violation of the bargaining union agreement, the settlement agreement between the City and BOE, the City’s Personnel Rules and the City of Middletown’s Charter does give the impression of impropriety. This position has a base salary range of $34,016 to $43,134 plus was given health insurance benefits not in line with the 466 contract but in line with the teacher’s contract. The City of Middletown has a code of ethics, Chapter 40 of its Code of Ordinances, which must be followed by all employees and elected officials. Ms. Kasper is a member of the Common Council, sits on the Personnel Review Commission, the Insurance and Claims Commission and the Finance and Government Commission and as a member of these commissions, should know that the posting and filling of this position with her son-in-law was improper.

Sincerely,

Linda Salafia

Local 466 V.P.