Rebuilding our infrastructure.

In the next day or two, we will begin rebuilding the bridge on Rose Hill Ave. This bridge has long been neglected by the City of Danbury. Several years ago I commissioned a study to review all of our bridges in Danbury. 13 were rated fair to poor. Rose Hill Bridge will be completely rebuilt and will be able to handle the truck traffic that his generated by Fairfield Processing.

This will be the fifth bridge that has been replaced during my tenure as Mayor and one that has been rated as most in need of replacement.

The area on Rose Street will be shut down for the next... get this...seven months as we replace this bridge. The only traffic will be for Fairfield Processing. Remember, it's short term pain for long term gain.

All the Best,
Mayor Mark

On aging...

It wasn't supposed to be this way. I thought I would be spending most of this fall chasing down votes and working day and night to secure another two year term in office. While I have been campaigning hard, it has been difficult.

Most of you know that my father is real sick. He has been that way since the beginning of September. Everybody goes through the aging parent thing. It is never easy. But this situation is different because over the years my father and I have developed a friendship beyond father and son.

As father and son age, their relationship ages as well. Old grievances seem to fall away, each learns to accept the things in each other that you just can't change. Each learns to appreciate things in one another that they didn't know they had..You know, it's the "yeah, the kid has learned a thing or two" and on the sons side it's "geez, I didn't know my old man knew so much". It's just the evolution of the relationship.

My father is a hard nosed, frustrating, stubborn Yankee. Make do with what you have, save for the future and hunker down. Lightening quick temper, lightening quick to forgive and forget, cranky, incredibly kind and thoughtful, part rogue and part gentleman, "you better be fair to everyone", intelligent way beyond his formal education, razor sharp mind. The ultimate paradox and I love him for it. That's him, and he makes no apologies. In his heyday, look out...

Yesterday he had an eight hour plus surgery. Last night I was called in at midnight, he was very sick. Around 2 am he rallied and stabilized. That is where we are today. Sitting by his side late at night in lets you reflect on a lot of things -those hours late a night in an empty hospital make you think.

I lost my mother in 1998. I didn't get to say all things I wanted to say to her before she passed. I won't make that mistake again.

Thanks to an awesome wife..Thanks to my family. Thanks to my friends. Thanks to the City Employees who stopped by the Hospital to see how I was doing. Thanks for the terrific life I have had up to now. We are lucky, and I am lucky. Family has to come first, even if you are the Mayor..

All the Best,
MayorMark

The Passing of The Greatest Generation..

My grandfather died early Sunday morning. He was 89. His name was Waldo Ferrarone. Waldo was not the father of my mother, my mother's father died at an early age. But for all practical purposes Waldo was my mothers father, and that made him my grandfather, and what a grandfather he was. He came to Little League games, Pop Warner, you name it, he would be there to watch me play. Waldo was a huge sports fan and quite an accomplished athlete himself. He loved bowling and golf, and was an active member of the Oldtimers Association. When the New York Giants used to practice at Pace University, Waldo and I would travel down there to watch them.

Waldo was also a veteran. He saw a lot of the action in the European Theater during World War Two. Waldo was involved in some of the most important battles and operations of the War. He was not a famous officer that you read about, he was just an enlisted man that comprimised the back bone of our Army, he did the job that he had to do. I could never get Grandpa Ferrarone to talk about his war experiences, he was too humble to share them. Typical of the greatest generation, Waldo just believed he had a job to do- then he was going home.

Waldo is not alone, he is with the the hundreds of veterans of WWII that are passing each day. These are the silent heroes among us. They don't want any thanks, they just rest knowing that they did what they had to do. It is our job to make sure that the veterans of the Greatest Generation receive the thanks that they deserve..

Thanks Waldo, we are free because of the sacrifices that you and thousands of others made. God speed on your journey- we will miss you..

All The Best,
MayorMark

Three weeks to go..

Three weeks to go an we are working hard. The campaign will be a flurry of press releases, debates and general broadsides launched over the edge.

Needless to say I have been tied up with our own family crisis. Many of you have inquired about the health of my Dad. He is not doing well and is currently at Danbury Hospital. My energies and my time have been split between the campaign and making medical decisions about my fathers future..

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers.

All the Best,
MayorMark

Common Council proposes ICE ACCESS program.

Last week 14 members of the Common Council asked myself, the Chief of Police, and the Office of Corporation Council to investigate this program and see if it makes sense for the city. We will look at all of the public policy implications and look at the impact on our Police Department and then make an informed recommendation to the Council.

The ICE ACCESS program trains local Police Departments on immigration law, and allows the City to participate in a myriad of different programs offered by ICE. It is an interesting program, but we have our homework to do.

As I go door to door during this campaign, there is no question that illegal immigration continues to be a huge issue in this campaign.

I want to commend the members of the public who came out to speak in favor or opposition of this program at the Common Council meeting. All were thoughtful in their comments and stuck to the issue at hand.

All the Best,
MayorMark

Campaigning like crazy.

It has been a busy couple of days in the Re-Elect Mayor Mark campaign. We have been busy going door to door, attending debates, and doing the important things to make sure that we have a winning formula.

Thank you to all who have a responded to our mailing. We had a terrific response and will be busy putting up signs etc. I also want to thank all of you who have donated to my re-election effort. You guys are the best. Look for us to get real busy as crank up for election day.

All the Best,
Mayor Mark

PS- If you want a yard sign or would like to donate, just go to the home page at www.mayormark.com.