Letters to the Editor – June 5, 2026

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(Image by jestemrobert from Pixabay)

The following letters to the editor appeared in the June 2026 print edition of the Middlebury Bee-Intelligencer. Letters to the editor received after the June issue was published will be presented online Saturday, June 6, 2026.

My choice is Casey Larkin

To the Editor:

On June 23, Middlebury residents have two very different candidates to choose from in the special election for the selectman’s position. My very clear choice is Casey Larkin, and I am encouraging all my fellow citizens to vote likewise.

Many people are not aware that our small town is now under threat of four distribution centers that are approved/planned/conceived: The former Timex Headquarters at 555 Christian Road; another on Southford Road, directly across the street from the Timex property; 1535 Straits Turnpike and 199 Benson Road. Their square footage totals 2.3 million square feet. For perspective, this is 52 acres of distribution centers, or put another way that is the equivalent of five Meadowview Parks. These developments would mean literally thousands of diesel tractor-trailer trips daily through our community of only 2,800 households.

Casey, who currently serves on the Board of Finance and the Water Pollution Control Authority, holds a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Policy from Boston University. As a sixth generation Middlebury resident whose family has donated and preserved hundreds of acres, he would never approve any of these damaging projects. The Larkin Room at the Library, Larkin Pond and Larkin Trail were all donated to our town by his family.

What makes Casey a highly unique candidate is that, for his entire life, he has been steeped in both preservation but also business and entrepreneurship as his family’s incredibly successful legacy goes back over 140 years to the iron industry in the Naugatuck Valley. When you have a conversation with him, it is clear all those stories, examples and lessons his family imparted on him are core to his purpose.

Casey also would never endorse the inaction of the then-town leadership in 2020 and ensuing years when Timex was majority acquired by an out of state hedge fund. It was bad enough that Middlebury lost one of the nation’s leading consumer brands, but for the town leadership to not make any public effort to keep those 240 well-paying jobs, and acquiesce to a proposed demolition of an architectural marvel, is unconscionable. To add insult to injury, due to a lack of vision and action of the former administration, the 85,000 square foot, idle but functional Timex Headquarters is now generating far less tax revenue due to a pursuit of the most wildly unpopular and opposed project in the town’s history.

Like most parents, my wife and I want a great deal for our 10-year-old daughter, including clean air and local job opportunities in the coming years, which we think are reasonable requests. There is only one candidate we trust with these two desires for our daughter and that is Casey Larkin.

Nicholas W. Stuller
Middlebury, CT

The National Party Ploy

To the Editor:

An ad in the May edition of this newspaper threatened that “Middlebury will have no Republican representation on the Board of Selectmen” if residents don’t vote as the ad instructed in the upcoming selectman election. This disingenuous claim ignores that First Selectwoman Jennifer Mahr was a lifelong Republican who chose to run as an unaffiliated petitioning candidate in the face of a hostile local “Republican” machine.

Also ignored is that while Selectman Paul Vance is registered as a Democrat, he has consistently worked for that same local “Republican” machine, voting in lockstep with Ed St. John and Brian Shaban and contributing monetarily to the Middlebury Republican Town Committee. While it is important to set the record straight on that point, it is clear that all this talk of national party affiliation is only a red herring designed to distract from the fact that party labels are completely irrelevant when it comes to good municipal governance.

Middlebury residents need a Board of Selectmen populated by neighbors who will simply serve our interests in good faith, not the interests of local insiders and outside actors seeking to exploit our community. We deserve a government that works for us and just plain works without constant oversight and citizen interventions to ensure that residents aren’t being taken for granted, ignored or sold out.

Thankfully, lifelong Middleburian Casey Larkin has answered the call to serve our community in this capacity at this most critical time. Middlebury currently stands at an existential crossroads. The path we choose will determine what kind of town we will become, and there is no going back.

Casey brings a deep love of Middlebury and a multigenerational understanding of our shared history that is uniquely suited for this moment. Local public resources from Larkin Pond to the Larkin Trail are tangible testaments to a legacy of community-oriented conservation and a focused commitment to what makes Middlebury, Middlebury.

Casey’s dedication to thoughtful discourse, collaborative problem solving and amplifying the voices of all Middlebury residents will deliver sorely needed transparency and help dismantle the dysfunction that has plagued our town government for years. If you simply want a local government that responds to democratic consensus and works for the people who actually live here, I urge you to come out and vote for Casey Larkin for Selectman on Tuesday, June 23.

Edwin Durgy
Middlebury, CT

Your vote matters

To the Editor:

When you go to the polls on June 23, consider why this election is so important. We are at a critical point in Middlebury’s history to make irreversible decisions for the future.

From our past, we’ve been reminded that the local Commissions have the control to make critical decisions. The Southford Park project was approved by only 3 members each on Planning & Zoning and the Conservation Commission. We put a lot of power in the hands of a few.

Who appoints the members of these Commissions? The Board of Selectmen makes these decisions. The Republican and Democratic Town Committees endorse candidates, Unaffiliated voters can seek appointment, but it is the Board of Selectmen who ultimately make the decision. Your vote ensures that we have a Board of Selectmen who will consider the voices of the residents while shaping the future of Middlebury.

Three documents affecting the future will likely be revised and updated going forward: the Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD), the Planning and Zoning Regulations, and the Town Charter. Our town leaders must stand up for the residents, not developers who care nothing for our town. Anyone driving through the traffic in town resulting from an accident on I-84 on Saturday, May 16, 2026, was subject to significant backups of cars and trucks.

We live here. We face the consequences of inappropriate development in town. Let’s ensure that those of us who live here benefit from future growth, not others who use our town to line their own pockets.

Casey Larkin is a sixth generation Middlebury resident. He cares about our town and he will work hard for the future of Middlebury and all of us who live here.

June 23 matters: Remember to Vote

Dana Shepard
Middlebury, CT

Vote for Larkin

To the Editor:

On June 23, I will be casting my vote for Casey Larkin for Middlebury Selectman. With all of the outside influence being forced on the town, I want a selectman who listens to residents’ concerns and ideas. I know that Casey is committed to being responsive to the people of Middlebury. We have a new First Selectwoman with fresh ideas for the future. I know that Casey will be a good team member to implement those improvements as well as advocating his own ideas. I believe that Casey has the background and experience to be an asset to Middlebury. I hope you will join me in casting a vote on June 23 for Casey Larkin.

Bill Giuditta
Middlebury, CT

Vote for progress

To the Editor:

The accomplishments achieved since my election as Middlebury’s first selectwoman share a common theme: delivering the changes residents voted for last November. Some of those changes are administrative and can be implemented directly through the authority of the first selectwoman’s office. But others, including appointments to boards and commissions, meaningful Town Charter revisions, and updates to our Plan of Conservation and Development, require a cooperative Board of Selectmen.

Unfortunately, cooperation has been in short supply.

Residents should not confuse the current Board makeup with balance. Simply having one Democrat, one Republican, and one Unaffiliated member does not automatically create independent representation. What matters is whether members are willing to think independently, prepare thoroughly, and put Middlebury ahead of political loyalties or past administrations.

What I need on the Board of Selectmen is straightforward: someone who comes prepared, makes informed decisions, and is willing to stand firm on what is right for Middlebury, even when it is unpopular or politically inconvenient. I need someone who answers to residents, not to a political back room still trying to relitigate the last two elections.

I welcome disagreement when it is grounded in facts, thoughtful judgment, and what is best for the town. What Middlebury cannot afford is reflexive opposition designed solely to obstruct progress because of who proposed it.

The voters made their priorities clear last November. Continued efforts to undermine my administration are ultimately efforts to delay or deny the very changes residents voted to see implemented.

On June 23, I will be voting for Casey Larkin because he has already demonstrated the qualities Middlebury needs in its next Selectman: preparation, independence, thoughtful judgment, and a genuine commitment to the community. Through his participation in public hearings and Board of Finance meetings, Casey has shown that he is willing to do the work, ask the hard questions, and think for himself. He understands Middlebury’s character, its history, and the responsibility that comes with helping lead this town forward.

At the end of the day, what matters is not party label, but performance, accountability, and the ability to serve effectively. No political party is automatically entitled to a seat on the Board of Selectmen simply because that party exists. Public office is not inherited, reserved, or guaranteed: It must be earned through competence, work ethic, independence, and a demonstrated commitment to the residents of Middlebury. Voters deserve leaders who are focused on delivering results for the town, not protecting political turf, and I believe Casey Larkin has earned the opportunity to serve.

First Selectwoman Jennifer Mahr
Middlebury, CT

Support Brian Shaban

To the Editor:

After dedicating 27 years to teaching, I retired and poured my heart into writing my memoir, “Memory Nights: A Multi-Generation Family Story from Albania to America.” Within its pages, I share the gripping tale of how both my family and Brian Shaban’s grandparents bravely escaped Communist Albania in the early 1850s. Our journey was marked by courage and an unwavering hope for a new beginning. My family – my grandmother, parents, Brian Shaban’s grandparents, and a younger uncle – fled after my father was twice arrested and his life hung in the balance. We endured four long years in a Greek refugee camp, where I was born, before finally immigrating to America with the help of a generous sponsor. This is the resilient heritage that shaped Brian Shaban.

For 47 years, my family and I have called Middlebury home, always striving to enrich the town we love. I have known Brian Shaban since his very first breath and have witnessed, time and again, his steadfast honesty, integrity, and deep devotion to both his family and our cherished Middlebury. He listens with genuine care to every resident and brings infectious enthusiasm to every local event and neighborhood gathering. Brian’s heartfelt commitment to our community’s future is evident in his tireless work to make a real difference. He is the thoughtful, compassionate leader our Board of Selectmen needs now more than ever. I wholeheartedly urge everyone to support Brain Shaban in the upcoming election.

Best regards,
Tefta Bushka
Middlebury CT