In the second of just two in-town debates scheduled in the lead up to the Nov. 4 election, the two candidates vying for the open 150th state legislature seat will answer questions compiled by the board of the Old Greenwich Association during the annual meeting next week.
On Wednesday, Oct. 15, Jill Oberlander and Michael Bocchino will have a chance to convince constituents who will better represent their interests in Hartford.
“They say ‘all politics is local,’ and what we intend to do during the debate is boil larger state issues down to a local level,” said David Rafferty, president of the association in a release.
For Democrat Jill Oberlander, a lawyer who previously worked for the MTA and the Downtown Alliance in New York City, this is not her first election. Oberlander served on the Greenwich RTM for three terms. Republican Michael Bocchino is seeking his first elected office. He served as chairman of the Byram Neighborhood Association for ten years and was the president of New Lebanon School’s PTA for three years.
“The candidates bring very differing backgrounds to the table, and our residents deserve every opportunity to determine who they believe will serve them better in Hartford,” Rafferty continued.
The debate is scheduled to begin around 8:15pm at the First Congregational Church in Old Greenwich, and will be moderated by News 12’s Courtney Kane.
In addition to the debate, Greenwich’s newly promoted Director of Planning & Zoning, Katie DeLuca will present an update on the development of the Old Greenwich/Riverside Neighborhood Plan, which is intended to help guide future development. Through public input and working closely with local stakeholders, the goal is to come up with a holistic vision for the future for the eastern side of Greenwich.
The Old Greenwich Association annual meeting will be held at First Congregational Church, 108 Sound Beach Avenue, starting with coffee and conversation at 7:00 p.m. The business meeting and Neighborhood Plan presentation will kick off at 7:30 p.m. All are invited to attend and admission is free.
The Old Greenwich Association is a local-residents association with a volunteer board whose key objective is to monitor quality of life issues in Old Greenwich. The association has been involved in community activities for over 40 years.
Related Stories:
League of Women Voters Debate, Part 2: Oberlander vs Bocchino
Amendment on Nov. 4 Ballot: Remove Restrictions to Absentee Ball
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