Fireworks Fly As Debate Tackles July 4th

The candidates for first selectman, Democrat Anthony ​“Unk” DaRos and Republican Joy McConnell (pictured) held a lively debate Tuesday night at the Italian American Club, largely disagreeing with one another on a series of issues. But what gave this debate flavor was a topic not usually found on a debate agenda: McConnell’s reaction to fireworks on the Fourth of July.

DaRos, who was first selectman from 1997 to 2003 and from 2007 to the present, is seeking his sixth term in office. McConnell, a novice to politics who has not served on any Branford board or commission, is making her first foray into elected politics. She was until recently an Independent.

The two candidates expressed their views before a packed audience of about 100 people. The 75-minute debate was hosted by the Branford Chamber of Commerce and sponsored by AT&T and in part by the Sound newspaper and the blog, BranfordSeven.com.  Brian Boyd of the Sound and Steve Mazzacane of Branford Seven served as moderators.

Many of the questions presented were similar to those asked at the first selectman and second selectman debate held by the League of Women Voters last week. Click here to read the story.

Fireworks Issue:

The Fourth of July fireworks issue was raised toward the end of the debate, when Mazzacane said to McConnell:  “There has been some concern that you were against the fireworks or petitioned to stop them.”   

McConnell lives with her family at the corner of Stannard Road, about one long block from Branford Point, where fireworks are held near July 4th each year. Hundreds of families attend.     

Evidently surprised by the question, McConnell snapped: “I would like someone to show me any fresh petition. I would like to clarify that. Rumors and fictitious petitions are not something I am answering to. I have been on the Branford Point Association eight years. I live in the area of the fireworks. The very first year we lived there, [11 or 12 years ago] I had a very drunk man lying on our porch.”

McConnell estimated that there were about 1,000 people near her intersection on the Fourth and she said the shuttle bus could be moved to a safer place. She also said she asked the town for snow fencing around her property. “One year I called up Mr. DaRos. I don’t think he remembers. He said there was nothing he could do. I went to Home Depot for the fencing so that we would avoid any liability of people sitting on the curb.”

She observed that “an engaged first selectman could go down there and see what was going on would and say this is a lawsuit waiting to happen. That is what we were trying to avoid. I have never petitioned anyone about the fireworks. I tried to work it out briefly with the association and then I dropped it.”

Applause rang out from the Republican side of the aisle. Moshe Gai, who lives near Branford Point and knows the area well, piped up: “No other neighbor puts up a fence.” (He later told the Eagle: “We have fifty houses in the area, not a single one does it. And all the drunken people are going to come to her house? It shows you an attitude.”)

Mazzacane interjected, “please don’t respond. That’s enough.” Throughout the night he contended with boos and hisses and shouts and obscene gestures as well as applause. Neither he nor the Chamber officials set ground rules at the outset for audience conduct. 

After McConnell heard Gai’s remark, she looked at reporters and said: “I want to make sure that is not referred to in the papers tomorrow.” (The debate was televised for BCTV.)

DaRos observed that the firework display was “important to the community. Unfortunately there is an attraction there. And by the way I do recall the phone call. And public works was ordered to go down there and put in fencing. But the result was there was not enough fencing.”

McConnell said, “In some years there was fencing. I want to set the record straight. Some years they would put up a little fencing and the year I called there was nothing.”

Whoever wins the election, Mazzacane said, “the fireworks are going on, right?” There was laughter and applause.

McConnell replied, “They have been going on every year. This question has been directed at me, but the question should be directed at him for inadequate leadership,” she said of DaRos. Then she said, “I don’t know what that question has to do with both of us.”

The Role of the First Selectman

Both candidates also sparred over the role of the first selectman in bringing commerce to Branford.  McConnell said the town’s commissions should be a developer’s first stop, not Town Hall. DaRos disagreed. He said he does not give a developer a yea or a nay as to whether a project will succeed or not.

“They have been to other towns. We let them know about water, sewer lines, ahead of time. It is better that they know ahead of time and believe me, they appreciate it. Maybe it is something they can correct, maybe not, he said, but it is better if they know ahead of time.”

McConnell replied, “Again I do not think it is the first selectman’s job to be doing this.”  McConnell added, to Republican approval, “I think the first selectman’s role is to market the town, make it work. The boards and the commissions are our experts, they are bi-partisan,” they should be the deal makers, she suggested. 

(If approved by appointed boards or commissions, any land deal would still go before the Board of Selectmen, the Board of Finance and the Representative Town Meeting.) 

Costco’s History in Branford

Both candidates differed on Costco’s history in the town of Branford. McConnell said the company left Branford “in frustration, they left with one million on the table, twice.”  DaRos said it was time to clear that up. “First of all it wasn’t under my administration.”  Applause from his side.

DaRos added that while he is not interested in box stores, Costco is a warehouse and he is interested in Costco coming to Branford. He said the company has not given the town much information about where in Branford it wants to go. “Costco is still interested in Branford. One of its biggest customers is small businesses. It is a destination. We are encouraging them to come to Branford. As for development, I believe we should be very careful how we should develop our industrial sites. We should use up commercial sites right now, first. We don’t need to be Any Town, USA. We can be a real town with real attractions. I don’t believe we have to be beggars and take every business that comes along.”

McConnell replied, “I hope the people from Costco are watching. I think they probably would be surprised to hear their store described as a warehouse.” 

But Costco calls itself a warehouse. It is “the largest membership warehouse club chain in the United States,” according to Wikipedia.

Attendance at Public Meetings

McConnell raised the issue of DaRos’s attendance at public meetings. She said that, while the first selectman has no direct decision making authority with regard to the public schools, “frankly, I have been going to school board meetings and Mr. DaRos hasn’t been there.” 

DaRos replied, “I am sure she started going to Board of Education meetings when she became a candidate.” He said he speaks almost daily with Hamlet Hernandez, the school superintendent. Most first selectmen do not routinely attend BOE meetings unless they are on the agenda for an item. He said “I go when I have to go. I don’t always go. ”

McConnell mimicked his statement, repeating slowly, “I go when I have to go.” Then she added that DaRos had not gone to Representative Town Meetings; indeed, she proclaimed that he was “shamed” into going to them after a letter was published in the Sound.” This remark elicited boos from the Democrats.

DaRos usually attends RTM meetings and is often at other nighttime town meetings. McConnell did not attend RTM meetings until she became a candidate four months ago.

She repeated, “He doesn’t go to RTM meetings.” More boos. Mazzacane said “quiet.”  She retorted, “Everything I said was truthful.” Boos again.

Lawsuit Approval

The candidates also disagreed on the need for Board of Finance oversight when the town brings a lawsuit. The same topic came up at the earlier debate. This time DaRos was more aggressive. He asked McConnell “to name one lawsuit, “ and said he was talking specifically of the town’s lawsuits against its former counsel, the Marcus Law Firm and its former insurer, “in which I didn’t seek outside authority.”  He then gave the dates for approval for the two Tabor related lawsuits, the one against the Marcus Law Firm and the one against the town’s former insurers. The dates of approval came from the Board of Finance and the RTM. He also said there were meetings with RTM members and the town counsel. “The safeguards are in place,” he said. 

McConnell was dubious and her tone of voice demeaning. “I think even if, and that’s a big if, you accept Mr. DaRos’s version of what happened and the approval process of that, again, if I may, even if you were to accept what he says as truth, can we not learn a lesson from a case like Tabor?” She was interrupted by boos from Democrats. “I do not really understand how people could be against this oversight….

New Rules for Public Meetings

What the candidates did agree on was to impose order on Board of Selectmen meetings. Boyd, of the Sound, the town’s weekly print newspaper, asked DaRos for his plan. He noted the lack of decorum at the meetings. DaRos agreed that it was time to change the way meetings currently operate. Others have suggested he incorporate Roberts Rules of Order and have a parliamentarian at the meeting to enforce the rules.

McConnell said she had watched Board of Selectmen and RTM meetings on the town’s public television station, BCTV. “I see obscene gestures, I see profanity. I see shouting matches….” As she said obscene gestures, outgoing RTM member Alice Lambert, who is a feisty 84, reminded McConnell of the obscene gesture she had made at an RTM meeting by doing it again. “If I may finish, if I may finish,” McConnell said to Lambert who was standing up in the audience. 

Mazzacane interrupted: “Let her finish.” McConnell said “now the person making the obscene gesture is interrupting me in a public debate,” she said of Lambert who had flipped the bird in her direction.  “I want to make that point. If I may finish. If you are a first selectman candidate, you lead by example.”

McConnell observed that even under trying circumstances, “even when I have been attacked, or had my family attacked in the media, I have conducted myself with decorum.”  She did not give details.

Lambert, a graduate of Smith College, and a former member of the town’s Ethics board, later told the Eagle she was at an age where she could say it her way.

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