New Haven Independent

Simmons Shows Up

by Paul Bass | June 15, 2009 10:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

The evening’s purpose: honor two civically active New Haven couples, and support a yeshiva and a neighborhood. The guest list: neighbors along with high-powered guests, including a U.S. Senate hopeful and a lieutenant governor.

The event was the annual awards dinner held by the Yeshiva of New Haven and the Edgewood/Elm neighborhood improvement association. It drew 100 people to the Yale Law School dining hall Sunday night for a scrumptious spread and then tribute speeches.

The annual event is a don’t-miss not just for local politicians, but also for statewide figures. Former Republican U.S. Congressman Rob Simmons, who’s immersed in (and currently leading, according to the polls) a campaign to unseat U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd in 2010, came early and hung around. He’s pictured with Lt. Gov. Micheal Fedele at right and Rabbi Dov Greer of the Yeshiva at left.

No sign of Dodd all night, although the senator has otherwise made a point of popping into town since financial scandals sent his approval rates tanking.

The event raised money for the Elm Street yeshiva as well as for Edgewood/Elm, which has stabilized the neighborhood by rescuing and renovated dozens of beautiful but neglected old homes.

The event also honored two busy couples: Westville Alderwoman Ina Silverman (at center in photo with Edgewood/Elm’s William Gallagher) and radiologist and Beth El Keser Israel synagogue President Jay Sokolow …

… along with Peter and Frances Dodge, whose Edge of the Woods natural foods store has become an anchor of Whalley Avenue as well as a crossroads for the area’s melting pot of ethnic and religious groups. (Peter Dodge is at left in photo with Edgewood organizer Eli Greer.)

Other notables spotted mingling Sunday night included State Sen. Martin Looney; State Rep. Pat Dillon; Probate Judge Jack Keyes (the master of ceremonies); Aldermen Yusuf Shah and Liz McCormack, and Moti Sandman; city neighborhood workers Elaine Braffman and Jim Turcio; Assistant Police Chief Pete Reichard; and Lt. Leo Bombalicki (pictured), top cop in the Greers’ neighborhood.

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Posted by: observer | June 15, 2009 11:23 AM

"He's pictured with Lt. Gov. Micheal Fedele to his right and Rabbi Dov Greer of the Yeshiva on his left."

No, to HIS right and HIS left -- it's the other way around.

[Editor's note: Fixed. Thanks!]

Posted by: TrueBlueCT | June 15, 2009 12:50 PM

Count on this. Rob Simmons is about to treat Connecticut to the nastiest and most negative political race in the history of Connecticut.

Rob's goal will be the personal destruction of Senator Chris Dodd's reputation, and his means will be attack ad after attack ad in 2010, ad nauseum.

Yet will we ever hear Rob Simmons vision for the country and Connecticut? How he hopes to join Senate Republicans in waging a permanent filibuster of President Obama's agenda? Or will Rob mention his accomplishments as part of the Republican controlled Congress during the first six years of the Bush administration?

I wouldn't count on that. Not from Mr. Natsy.

Posted by: True New Havener | June 15, 2009 4:16 PM

Paul,

Is this in any way a fair description of Dodd's lack of involvement. Last we heard about Simmons he was an unelected former congressman who was given a no-show job by the Republican party.

Dodd, on the other hand, is our sitting Senator who has become the face of the health care fight acting in place of Senator Kennedy for the Democrats. And that fight has now begun in earnest.

Maybe given the high level of poverty and uninsured in New Haven, we would prefer that Dodd continue in that role than the chicken dinner circuit available to Simmons.

Really, this is a silly article. I am all for celebrating a great local event, but to use this for another smear on Dodd is insulting. Plenty of reasons to contest Dodd's record -- this is not one of them and is extremely petty.

Simmons never did anything for universal health care. His ability to show up for dinner is certainly one of his strong points. So either we get someone who is fighting for health care and basically created the Family Medical Leave Act, or we get a guy who did what exactly? showed up for dinner?

Come on Paul -- save your snide attacks for DeStefano, they don't have a place in this kind of fight. At least with DeStefano, we all know he will win anyway. With Dodd, every vote may count. And the end result of a Republican Senate (and Mr. Go Along Simmons) would be disasterous for the people of New Haven.

Simmons Shows Up

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