To the Editor:

 I was a first grader at Sandy Hook School when this adventure started for my Dad. I got a splinter on the playground. When my Dad went to the next PTA meeting (the only dad there!), he became a member of the Playground Committee. It’s funny; when I told this story to a voter the other day her response was “most parents would have sued.” Not my Dad. We were standing right under a poster when I told the story; it said “Are you part of the problem or the solution?” My Dad has always been part of the solution. He doesn’t complain about the way things are, just jumps in to fix them.

This journey to running for selectman has been a long one. It started with the Sandy Hook Playground Committee, went to the Hawley Playground Committee, and president of the PTA Council. When he couldn’t do enough there, he co-chaired Support Our Schools, getting people educated about and voting for the budget. It was then that he decided to run for Legislative Council for the first time, and when I started making a scrapbook for him. Flipping through ten years later, I’m reminded of how much my Dad has done for this town. I know he’s running because, yet again, he doesn’t want to complain, he wants to make a difference. This time I think he’s sick of the divisiveness, and truly believes (and I agree!) that he’s the right person to start bringing us back together.

Flipping through the scrap book, I see notes from a middle school newsletter where Diane Sherlock says the gift my Dad gave by organizing volunteers to paint the middle school hallway was “a gift that was not only unexpected but also unbelievably generous.” That project saved thousands. A note from a neighbor tells my Dad he’s the only Democrat she’s ever voted for. Letters cut from The Newtown Bee talk about my Dad’s “keen sensitivity towards the needs of others” and “his deep concern and appreciation for the citizens of Newtown.” There’s a note from me the night before each election, wishing him luck and reminding him that no matter what Newtown voters say at the polls, I know how lucky we are to have him fighting for us.

This year I’ll be adding a letter of recognition sent by Susan Bysiewicz’s office, and endorsements from Congressman Murphy, Attorney General Blumenthal, and Stamford Mayor Dan Malloy.

The scrapbook tells quite the journey, but throughout it, one thing remains clear: my Dad got involved to be a part of the solution, and he stayed involved to continue making a difference. There’s a special feeling when you get to fill in your Dad’s name on the ballot. I’ll never forget how it felt when I was finally old enough to do it for the first time. This year, his name will be in a different column. I hope you’ll join me in voting for Joe Hemingway for selectman.

Sincerely,

Sarah Hemingway

10 Overlook Knoll, Sandy Hook October 27, 2009