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Ms. Lavery announced her candidacy as a Democrat before a packed Town Hall meeting room on Monday morning. Friends and supporters from both political parties delayed their commutes to work to be there for her and she said she was “beyond thrilled” with the turnout. “I’m a person who likes to serve, and knowing that service is really who I am, I think I’ve been led down a path of volunteer work, which has now led me to this,” the candidate said. “I think I can best serve this town by being our next selectman. I know we have significant issues that face the town and I will work really hard on them. We need plans for the future if we’re going to keep Greenwich as great as it is.” Ms. Lavery is up for the selectman’s nomination at the Democratic Town Committee’s July 19 meeting. She is the only declared Democrat for the position and, if they are both nominated by the party, would form a ticket with first selectman candidate Frank Farricker, who appeared by Ms. Lavery’s side during her announcement. A former English teacher in Massachusetts and New York, Ms. Lavery moved with her family to town in 1983. She is the former president of the Junior League of Greenwich and has also been a PTA member, vice chairman of the town’s Commission on Aging and the United Way of Greenwich and a member of Kids in Crisis board of directors, among other boards and commissions. Ms. Lavery also chaired Kids in Crisis’s project to fund and open its crisis center for children from birth to age 12. Until throwing her hat in the ring for selectman, Ms. Lavery was chairman of the Selectman’s Nominations Advisory Committee (SNAC). That committee interviews candidates to serve on town boards and commissions and recommends the best potential members to the Board of Selectmen. In her speech, Ms. Lavery said she had received lots of support from her family and friends for her run, but also had people asking her why she wanted to do it. She admitted she struggled with the same question herself, but after seeing all the supporters who had come out for her she knew it was the right decision to make. Ms. Lavery said all the calls she had gotten about this had not only convinced her to run, but convinced her she could win in November. “I always ask committees I am working on the big picture question, what is your mission?” Ms. Lavery said. “When you make a big life decision, it is an important question you should really be asking yourself. ... After a lot of thought it became clear. It’s my mission to serve the community. Here I can make that difference. The other work I have done has brought me to where I am today.” Ms. Lavery got a strong endorsement from the woman she is looking to replace. Selectwoman Penny Monahan, who said last month she would not be seeking a fourth term on the board, introduced her fellow Democrat with high praise. “She knows how to build a team and get the job done,” Ms. Monahan said. “She’s smart and a person of integrity, commitment and great values. Greenwich is so lucky that Lin Lavery has stepped forward to run for the office of selectman.” As a member of the board, Ms. Monahan said she had been particularly excited about all the work Ms. Lavery had done with SNAC. “She’s reached out to every part of our community,” Ms. Monahan said. “It seems she knows someone in every corner.” DTC Chairman James Himes also gave her candidacy his full backing. “When Lin called to say she was running, my heart leapt,” Mr. Himes said at the announcement, prompting a reply of “Ours, too” from supporter Jane Condon. Mr. Himes added that Ms. Lavery had done so much for the town “under so many different circumstances.” “She’s permeated this town in such a good way and has done so much for us that to have her in a position of leadership in this town is going to be a spectacular, spectacular thing,” Mr. Himes said. Mr. Farricker was quick to praise Ms. Lavery as well, saying he thought they would make a good team. “She knows what she’s doing,” he said. Mr. Farricker has made schools the major theme of his campaign and said Ms. Lavery’s experience as a teacher and working on the PTAs for Glenville School and Greenwich High School would mesh well with his platform. In the past two municipal elections, town Democrats have struggled with presenting a unified ticket. Ms. Monahan clashed with then First Selectman Richard Bergstresser in 2003 and there was distance between her and Democratic candidate Peter Berg in 2005. Mr. Himes said steps would be taken to make sure that didn’t happen again. Mr. Himes called Mr. Farricker and Ms. Lavery “first-rate candidates” but pointed out nothing is settled with the ticket yet. He said others inside the party, including Felix Andreoni, a 2003 candidate, and Jeff Ramer, chairman of the Board of Ethics, have both expressed interest in running for selectman. Ms. Lavery said the imprint of her mother was part of what influenced her to run, citing her mother’s hard work and drive to accomplish things. She said she would bring the dedication and commitment to the Board of Selectmen she had brought to all the other areas of town she had served. She said she would work with seniors. A senior center and finding “the best volunteers” are among her top priorities, she said. In announcing her run, Ms. Lavery put herself in the unusual position of potentially having to face someone she has worked closely with over the past few years. Republican Selectman Peter Crumbine was in charge of nominations and appointments for the board and has already announced he will seek another term. If both he and Ms. Lavery capture their party’s nominations, they will become political opponents, but it doesn’t appear it will be anything resembling a contentious rivalry. “We’re seeking the best for the town and Peter understands that,” Ms. Lavery said. “He’s thrilled to see strong candidates step forward. That’s what it’s all about.” When reached for comment, Mr. Crumbine said, “I’m delighted she’s running for selectman...I’ve worked with her for four years on the nominations committee and I wish her well. I think she will make an excellent selectman.” Ms. Lavery said over the course of the next month she would be identifying the major issues and themes of her campaign and wanted to use her announcement to introduce herself to people in town who didn’t know her. “I will represent all of Greenwich,” Ms. Lavery said. “I will take on issues and put the right people behind them. I’m not afraid to tackle what needs to be done. I’m going to be part of a very strong team and that team will help me set priorities for Greenwich and all of us will put our strength behind them.” © Copyright 2007 by Hersam Acorn Newspapers |
