Submitted by Jim Clifford
First Selectman Fred Camillo leads by example. Almost all of the time, he leads with a smile, a reassuring pat on the back and a sense of optimism that belies a quiet, steely confidence. He is my choice for First Selectman.
When Covid struck and no one had a sense of what direction it could go in next, receiving Fred’s weekly “Community Connections” email gave me a sense that our local authorities were focused on finding solutions.
In May of 2019, Fred announced that the lower half of the Avenue would be closed to traffic, and a “re-imagining” of Greenwich Avenue was on the way, symbolizing the process of re-opening our town. That gave me and many others I know something to look forward to during a time of great uncertainty. That was so important to our
community in a time of crisis.
Another moment of Fred’s term that really struck a chord with me was when he invited a little boy, suffering from cancer to the First Selectman’s Office to be “Mayor For The Day”. I remember seeing it on Facebook, and the boy looked so happy.
Fred was right there, making it possible for this child to have a moment of true happiness. Later in the year, the little boy passed away, but on that one day, he was Mayor of his hometown, and Fred did that just for him.
There are many other examples to cite, but these are the ones that stick out to me. Ppp I don’t care what party you
belong to, Fred Camillo is a terrific person, a kind and genuine man who treats everyone the same, and that is
something that comes naturally to him. I ask that you vote to re-elect Fred as First Selectman in November 2nd. He is everything you could want in a leader.
Deadline to submit letters to the editor for candidates in the Nov 2, 2021 election was Oct 26, 2021