RTC announces November slate

MIDDLEFIELD — First Selectman Ed Bailey is hoping to retain his position of the town’s top leader on Election Day, running alongside Selectman Bob Yamartino.

“This team has proved to be fiscally responsible, knowledgeable and trustworthy, as they have reduced property tax rates and safely guided the town through a worldwide pandemic,” Bailey said in a press release.

The Republican Town Committee endorsed both men, the news release said. In addition, it nominated Janine Skelps for town clerk; Melissa Kowal, David Lowry and Kevin Boyle for the Board of Finance, and Nancy Currlin for Board of Assessment Appeals.

Through combined decades of public service, Bailey and Yamartino are “keen fiscal conservatives who will continue their commitment to Middlefield’s strong fiscal health,” according to a statement. “They are equally committed to working with the Region 13 Board of Education to ensure that all tax dollars are spent in a prudent fashion.”

The candidates

Bailey has worked to provide affordable, highquality essential services to Middlefield and Rockfall residents, the statement said. He has also supported existing and new local businesses and the jobs they provide. He has pledged to preserve and protect the town’s resources, including the water quality at Lake Beseck, and health of wetlands and watercourses.

Bailey is a 35-year resident of Rockfall, and active in representing his Rockfall neighborhood as president of his community homeowners association.

Yamartino has lived in Middlefield for 32 years with his wife and three children. A selectman for four years, he previously served eight years on Board of Finance, including six as chairman, and is now on the Board of Education. He is vice president of Enterprise Analytics for Webster Bank, and holds a bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering and masters of business administration in finance.

Skelps is a community volunteer who has decades of experience in the business sector. She is a nationally certified and lead pharmacy technician at CVS. She has been progressive in her job training, becoming certified to administer vaccines in the store. She has been an active member of Lions Club, most recently as treasurer, and dedicated member of Friends of Wadsworth Falls.

Kowal has been on the Middlefield Board of Finance for four years and is former member of the Inland Wetlands & Watercourses, Middlefield Housing Authority, and Economic Development Commission. She has been an active member of the Middlefield Lions Club, is past president of Lions Low Vision Center of Eastern CT, and served on the Board of Directors of CT Lions Eye Research Foundation as the District 23C chairperson.

Lowry, a former selectman, has been on the finance board for a decade and has earned a reputation as a “watchdog for spending,” the press release said. He is a union member and employed by HDI in Manchester. He and wife Kathy have four children.

Boyle is making his first run for the Board of Finance. He served a dozen years on the Planning and Zoning Commission, six on the Zoning Board of Appeals and two on the Water Pollution Control Authority.

He holds a bachelor of science degree from Worcester Polytechnic Institute, and is a field operations manager for CE Floyd.

Currlin has been a Middlefield resident for more than 40 years and has spent the past four decades in the real estate business, now working beside her daughter, Jenna, a Region 13 graduate. He and her husband Bill volunteer for “countless activities.”