Norwich GOP committee endorses council, school board candidates

Committee names treasurer nominee

Norwich — The Republican Town Committee endorsed a full slate of six City Council candidates including one of the most vocal critics at council meetings in recent years, five Board of Education candidates and a candidate for city treasurer.

The lone Republican on the council, retired Norwich police officer William Nash, was endorsed for what would be his fourth term.

Joanne Philbrick, who admitted she has some “baggage”— having been censured by the city Ethics Commission for opening former Mayor Peter Nystrom’s mail as a City Hall volunteer docent — said she is “strong willed and opinionated” and would ask the tough questions on the council floor.

Two medical doctors also are on the ballot, local psychiatrist Renee Kohanski and physician Ben Hong — whose wife served as City Council president in the 1980s — along with past council candidate Jerry Martin and political newcomer Stacy Gould.

During their nomination acceptance speeches, council candidates stressed the need to rein in spending and cut city taxes. Hong, who retired from private practice five years ago, said he decided to run after he received his latest tax bill.

“All of a sudden I was in a state of shock to see my tax bill,” Hong said.

Republican incumbent Board of Education candidate Dennis Slopak was nominated to run for council and announced he had planned to run for seats on both the City Council and the Board of Education.

But Slopak received the fewest votes of the seven council candidates for six ballot slots.

He retained his nomination for school board, along with fellow incumbents Angelo Yeitz and Aaron Daniels and newcomers Susan Thomas and Norma Kornacki.

The town committee nominated retired Chelsea Groton Bank Vice President Michael Gualtieri for city treasurer — a position that the Republicans have not fielded a candidate for in about 30 years, Town Committee Chairman Nystrom said.