On Sunday evening, First Selectman Fred Camillo wrote to the RTM via the all-230 member email to ask that the item about the proposed George HW Bush statue in front of the Havemeyer building be postponed from the April meeting to June. (The RTM Call for April 20 features “Item #7 Accept a gift of $200,000 for a G.W. Bush Statue”).
Dear RTM members ….
I am respectfully requesting that the President George H.W. Bush statue item on the April call be postponed until the June meeting as we are working on the gift agreement as well as finalizing the details with regard to the sculptor.
I would also like to take this time to comment on some of the questions that were asked by members of a few committees. Some of these questions had already been asked, and answered, at public meetings of the Historic District Commission and the Planning & Zoning Commission. For example, the question was asked multiple times about the Havemeyer building and how that would affect the statue when the building is repurposed. The answer is that it would not affect it at all just as it would not affect any of the other statues that are there right now (The Vietnam Veterans memorial, the obelisk, and Colonel Bolling statue).
Also, the gift will not be in the form of a check. The actual statue will be presented as the gift, so there would be no need for it to go before the BET.
Another recurring question seems to be about the donation. As has been stated many times, Scott Frantz is again stepping up to the plate for our Town and will be funding this memorial completely on his own. I understand the confusion some have since it was stated that there would be additional donors, but that was because Scott wanted to be inclusive as there was, and still is, a lot of people reaching out to both Scott and myself asking if they could donate and he did not want to say no, but we decided that it would be just be better to have him as the sole donor. Nevertheless, if other people wanted to contribute in another way, we could work that out with the Town before it comes to you in June. Again, many people contacted us with a desire to contribute and Scott thought it would be a nice way to involve the community.
We look forward to getting this exciting, and well deserved honor, over the finish line for a man who was one of the youngest naval pilots in World War II, enlisting at age 18, flying 58 combat missions, shot down, injured, and barely survived capture and death while completing his mission after the plane was hit by enemy fire. Of course, his service to our country did not end there but that is not why we seek to honor him here in his hometown.
Have a great rest of your Sunday night, and I look forward to seeing everyone soon.
Best, as always,
Fred
See also:
P&Z Approves Bush Statue Located Close to Havemeyer Front Door
December 10, 2025