A final reminder!

The town-wide referendum will take place tomorrow, May 15 for the town/school budgets and the advisory questions on Bennett's Pond. PLEASE BE SURE TO GET OUT AND VOTE FOR ACQUISITION OF BENNETT'S POND! Selectmen Joseph Heyman has been actively campaigning against us (letter-writing to the Press, handed out flyers at Stop & Shop etc.) and so EVERY VOTE IS IMPORTANT tomorrow. We knew when we started this process nearly 3 years ago that we would be fighting billionaire developers. We didn't know that we would also be fighting some members of our own town government. Please be sure to remind everyone you know about the vote tomorrow - it's important!

Voting places are as follows: District I-East Ridge Middle School,
District II-Parks & Rec Center (Barlow Mountain Road), District
III-Yanity Gym. Polls will be open from 6 am to 8 pm. We still need
some volunteers to be at the polling places, so if you can give us some
time tomorrow please let me know - call me at 431-3796 or send an email.

PLEASE VOTE "YES" ON BOTH BENNETT'S POND QUESTIONS!!!!!

A FINAL WORD

Eureka V LLC and their "spokesman" Carl Goldberg sent out another townwide mailing which arrived today. In this letter Goldberg claims that the proposed state contribution of 50% of the purchase price, up to $5 million would not be available to the town should we acquire the property by eminent domain. This statement is false.

Clarification of the Issue:
The program under which the property has been accepted is the State's Recreation & Natural Heritage Trust program. State Representative John Frey was instrumental in obtaining this commitment, and the DEP is fully aware that the land would be acquired through the town's use of eminent domain. While the State will not participate in the eminent domain proceedings, they remain committed to participating financially after the land is acquired by the town. THERE IS NO STATUTE OR REGULATION WHICH PRECLUDES THE USE OF FUNDS FROM THE RECREATION AND NATURAL HERITAGE TRUST PROGRAM FOR LAND ACQUIRED BY EMINENT DOMAIN!

Eureka is using outright falsehoods in an attempt to influence the outcome of the referendum vote. Please forward this email to anyone you know in Ridgefield who receives email!


Ellen Burns
Ridgefield Open Space Association