October 26, 2023
Round Hill Community House
On October 26th The Round Hill Association hosted a forum where candidates for the Board of Selectmen discussed their ideas. Fred Camillo, Incumbent First Selectman, Lauren Rabin, Incumbent Selectman, Laura Erickson, Candidate for First Selectwoman, and
Janet Stone McGuigan, Candidate for Selectwoman, mingled with guests during the social hour preceding the forum.
Subsequently, Brendon DeSimone, RHA, Board Member-at-Large, extended a warm welcome to candidates and attendees. Explaining that each candidate would have two minutes for an introductory statement, he added that he would read questions selected at random, from a group of questions prescreened by one Republican, one Democrat, and one unaffiliated member of the RHA board. All candidates were asked the same questions, each having 90 seconds to answer each one.
One of the primary questions was, “What will be your top priority if you are elected?”
Public safety was listed among the chief priorities, if not the chief in each case.
Among the topics discussed was the absence of a full-time fire department in our district; Round Hill is the only Greenwich neighborhood not supported by professional (paid) firefighters. While everyone agrees that the Round Hill Volunteer Fire Company is enormously dedicated and provides commendable service to our area, Laura Erickson stated that an additional firehouse should be built with full-time professional coverage to serve the Round Hill area and Northwest Greenwich.
Traffic on back country roads was another point of discussion; WAZE and other apps send traffic on “shortcuts” from Westchester Airport to the Merritt Parkway via Porchuck or Old Mill Roads, both of which are narrow and winding, so that speeding cars pose a real safety threat.
The forum concluded shortly before 9 pm with several attendees staying to chat with friends.
As is customary with events sponsored by the RHA, many members worked to
make the evening, chaired by Leigh Retzler and Jeff Vasey, the success it was.
