Bristol leaders share new year’s resolutions

As it appeared in Bristol Press
Posted: Sunday, January 3, 2016 8:47 pm

BRISTOL — Business and political leaders in Bristol recently shared their new year’s resolutions and hopes for 2016.

According to Winston Churchill, “A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity [while] an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” If the late British statesman is correct, most everyone the Herald Press spoke with is an optimist.

Bristol Mayor Ken Cockayne said he was “thrilled” the council voted last week for Bristol Hospital’s proposal to build a medical office building and lab on Depot Square. He said this should create interest on the part of developers in the redevelopment of the Bristol Centre Mall site.

“My resolution, as always, is to serve the people of Bristol to the best of my ability,” the mayor said.

On a more personal note, Republican state Sens. Joe Markley and Henri Martin have vowed to watch their diet and eat better.

Markley said he also wants to build bipartisan support in the Senate for proposals he believes will benefit state residents. “I’ll try to build on that,” he said.

Martin said personally he is going to cut down on sugars and carbohydrates in his diet.

“My wife, Roxanne, and I have been watching the TV Show ‘Dancing with the Stars,’” he said. “So, we decided to take dance lessons. We’re resolved to do country line dancing.” Martin says he also wants to do a better job of listening to his constituents.

“People in the state are living paycheck to paycheck,” he said. “We need to take the burden off of residents and businesses by looking for ways to lower government spending and reduce regulations. We have to earn back the trust of business in the state.”

Bristol state Reps. Whit Betts and Cara Pavalock, both Republicans, and Democrat Frank Nicastro Sr. all promised to keep a close eye on proposed legislation in the General Assembly during 2016.

Betts plans on losing weight and staying in better physical shape.

“Legislatively, the state budget needs serious structural changes,” he said. “We don’t have the money to pay for everything, so we need to come to a consensus on what we can afford. Secondly, we need to set money aside for dedicated purposes in the budget and not have it moved into the general fund.”

Pavalock, who recently hosted a fraud prevention forum at the Bristol Senior Center, said her resolution is to be a role model for schoolchildren who might someday want to enter politics.

Like Betts, she has resolved to work for a balanced state budget.

Nicastro said his resolution is “to do everything I can in the General Assembly to see that things go smoothly and that I make all the right votes. I resolve to get as much for Bristol as I have in past years.”

Linda DiMatteo is vice president of events and executive assistant to James Albert, president and CEO of the Central Connecticut Chambers of Commerce. “Every day is a blessing and I will do my best to remain positive and continue to keep my sense of humor and always be respectful of others,”she vows.

“We’re sad to see Jim [Albert] step down in 2016; he worked very hard to bring our Chamber to where it is today,” DiMatteo said. “We wish him and his wife, Denise, all the best.”

DiMatteo’s resolution for the Chamber is that “we continue to grow our membership, work closely with all our affiliate members and continue to showcase each one. We will also continue to happily promote the City of Bristol.”