Monday night’s Dec. 2 Board of Selectmen (BOS) meeting addressed several routine business matters, but two topics dominated the discussion with particular intensity:
- Board of Finance (BOF) Chair Matt Raimondi attended the meeting to discuss issues he said he has encountered attempting to communicate BOF news with residents utilizing the Town’s email communication system. GOOD Morning Wilton — which broke the story about the discord between Raimondi and First Selectman Toni Boucher in advance of the BOS meeting — is reporting on the latest discussion in a separate story, including comments from several selectmen who weighed in on the dispute, as well as from Former First Selectwoman Lynne Vanderslice who sent GMW a lengthy statement on the matter.
- In another heated topic, the Wilton Library‘s decision to cut ties with its writer-in-residence, Aisha Abdel Gawad, continues to elicit strong reactions from residents. The controversy erupted in September following reports that Gawad had refused to appear on a panel with a Jewish writer because that writer was a Zionist, and town officials received thousands of emails about the incident. Boucher issued a public statement disavowing Antisemitism and said the library — which receives town funding — should cut ties with Gawad. Shortly after, the library board decided to do so. Since then, residents have made comments at several BOS meetings. Monday evening, some residents voiced their support for a petition seeking a “public apology” from Boucher and the “immediate reinstatement” of Gawad to the writer-in-residence position — while several others spoke in support of the library’s decision and Boucher’s statement.
Editor’s note: On Tuesday, Boucher confirmed the petition was officially received at Town Hall. She said she has also received over 4,000 messages in support of her statement. “When you take a stand, you may often invite controversy. I will not ever apologize for doing what I believe is right. It was clear from the many that spoke up last night that they agree,” she told GMW.
Divided Opinion on Library Controversy
During the public comment portion of the BOS meeting, five residents spoke in favor of the petition or in opposition to the library’s decision and Boucher’s statement.
Farah Masani was critical of what she considered a “rush to judgment” about Gawad and Boucher’s action in particular, which Masani called “threatening” toward the library.
“We deserve a leader who seeks to resolve conflict through civil and respectful discourse and sincere efforts to understand rather than using high-handed efforts of government force and manipulation,” Masani said, calling instead for “mindful, calm and collaborative leadership.”
Kevin Hickey, who has been active on social media encouraging residents to sign the petition, told the selectmen that 54 people — who he said represented a great diversity of religious and non-religious backgrounds — had signed it.
Hasan Qureshi felt Gawad’s statements were not fully understood.
“People who are claiming that [Gawad] made Antisemitic comments, I would strongly urge you to read her statements, including our first selectwoman who jumped to this conclusion without understanding anything,” he said.
Sara Schneidman said she was “troubled” by the library’s decision and Boucher’s statement.
“Instead of immediately judging Gawad’s viewpoints as Antisemitic, we should listen to what she has to say about why she stepped away from a panel,” Schneidman said. “I wanted to share my support for the petition, and as someone who values different perspectives, especially in the town of Wilton, I think that Miss Gawad did not deserve to be terminated and branded an Antisemite, and I think we could all do with more careful consideration of her words.”
Madeleine Wilken told the selectmen she had signed the petition, urging them to “back up and review” what had taken place, which she did not feel warranted the writer’s dismissal.
Ten residents attended the Dec. 2 meeting to express support for Boucher’s statement or the library’s decision, and to speak out against Antisemitism.
They included four current and one former Town official, all of whom noted they were speaking as private citizens: Ruth DeLuca (Board of Education Chair); Eric Fanwick (Planning and Zoning Commissioner); Stewart Koenigsberg (BOF Vice Chair); Rudy Escalante (BOF member); and Jeff Rutishauser (former BOF chair).
DeLuca, who started by saying, “I am Jewish, I am a Zionist,” emphasized she was “proud and thankful” to live in a Town where the First Selectman openly rejected Antisemitism, especially when “once again, the world is revealing itself to be a dangerous place for Jewish people.”
“I am proud and thankful to live in a town where the First Selectman says there is no place for Antisemitism here and says we will not tolerate it and we will not fund it. I am proud and thankful to live in a place where the library leadership tells me that Antisemitism in all forms and iterations has no place,” DeLuca said.
Fanwick firmly stated that Gawad was not owed an apology — a point echoed by Koenigsberg, who added that “bigotry and racism should never be tolerated… especially when taxpayers are asked to foot the bill for any bigoted or racist ideologies.”
Similarly, Rutishauser, who said there is no place in Wilton for Antisemitism, urged the BOS and Boucher “not to be pressured” by the petition.
“I don’t think that the board, this board, or this First Selectman, should be bullied or pressured by petitions. Otherwise, we will have a line of petitions at every meeting,” he said.
Escalante expressed support for Boucher as well, but suggested the residents’ effort to appeal to the selectmen was “misguided” given that the BOS does not participate in the library’s decisions on programming.
Forty-year resident Annette Kaye said she believes Boucher “did the right thing… protecting our beloved Wilton Library from being politicized.”
“Ms. Gawad’s politics and her bias to actions will follow her into our library where it does not belong. … Our library is the center of our town and must continue to be a safe and welcoming place for all in our community.”
Jane Alexander supported the library’s decision and opposed the notion of an apology to Gawad, who would have interacted with people of all backgrounds and ages in her role as writer in residence.
“[Gawad] didn’t want to have a conversation with somebody who she didn’t agree with… and that’s an issue. How can you teach others when you can’t even have a conversation with people you don’t agree with?” Alexander asked. “I don’t believe anyone owes [Gawad] an apology.”
Joshua Kesselmen, who recently penned a Letter to the Editor published by GMW about his experience as a Wilton Jew, also thanked Boucher for her stance and echoed Alexander’s comment. “You have to find common cause. If you don’t, you should not represent the town.”
Nicole Wilton-Spiro expressed a similar view, that anyone unwilling to speak with someone with differing views would be unable to fulfill the writer-in-residence job effectively. After saying she and her children identify as Zionists, she asked how someone employed by the library could work in Wilton if they were not willing to speak to Wilton residents who were Zionists.
“How could we interact? My son loves poetry? What if he wanted to speak with the writer in residence about his budding love for poetry, would she speak with him? … It’s a real problem that would preclude her from being able to do her job.”
Eden Cale also opposed the petition and said it’s “essential” to condemn Antisemitism.
“Condemning Antisemitism is not just an act of leadership but a moral obligation. To demand an apology for such a condemnation is deeply troubling and sends a dangerous message about what our town values. Standing against hatred and bigotry should never be politicized or treated as a matter of convenience.
Boucher thanked all of those who offered public comment, but the selectmen did not discuss the comments.
Four Upgrades
In other board business, the selectmen took steps to advance four significant upgrades for the Town:
- New website: The board approved a contract (pending approval by Town counsel) with Revize LLC for web design and hosting of a new Town website at a cost of $19,500. (After the first year, the annual cost will be $3,500.) Revize, based in Troy, MI, specializes in government websites. Town Administrator Matt Knickerbocker said the new website would be more robust and user-friendly than the Town’s current site.
- Cider Mill elevator: the board approved a contract with Schindler Elevator Corp. for $300,700 for the planned replacement of an elevator at Cider Mill.
- New DPW truck: The board approved a proposal for the purchase of a five-ton dump truck for $203,095, as part of the Department of Public Works‘ budgeted plan to replace one truck per year in the Town’s fleet.
- New storage system: the board approved a quote for the purchase a Datum filing system for storage of evidence and records in the new police station. The cost for the new system is $39,563.
More BOS News
The selectmen also approved minor adjustments to an earlier agreement with CT DOT about an easement needed for an ADA-compliant crosswalk that will be installed at Cricket Lane and Town Hall campus (Project 173-531-017).
Marty Avallone attended the BOS meeting to represent the Wilton Baseball Association (WBA) and informed the board about a WBA initiative to fundraise for improvements to the fencing, netting and bleachers at the Wilton High School varsity baseball field.
Looking Ahead
The selectmen approved their regular meeting calendar for 2025. All meetings fall on the first Monday and third Tuesday of each month, except for the Tuesday, Sept. 2 meeting, the day after Labor Day.
Monday, Jan. 6
Tuesday, Jan. 21
Monday, Feb. 3
Tuesday, Feb. 18
Monday, Mar. 3
Tuesday, Mar. 18
Monday, April 7
Tuesday, April 22
Monday, May 5
Tuesday, May 20
Monday, June 2
Tuesday, June 24
Monday, July 7
Tuesday, July 22
Monday, Aug. 4
Tuesday, Aug. 19
Tuesday, Sept. 2
Tuesday, Sept. 16
Monday, Oct. 6
Tuesday, Oct. 21
Monday, Nov. 3
Tuesday, Nov. 18
Monday, Dec. 1
Tuesday, Dec. 16
I am so proud to have Toni Boucher as my first selectwoman.
It is very important to call out anyone who does not respect another persons views.
Thank you Toni Boucher for being morally clear. There is no place in Wilton for Antisemitism under any guise.
Thank you Toni Boucher for leading with such moral and ethical clarity and taking a strong stand against antisemitism in Wilton just as you have done in the past against all forms of hate, othering and bullying. I regret that I was unable to attend the last BOS meeting in person to comment publicly at that time.
It is preposterous to think that our First Selectwoman or the Board of Selectmen more broadly has the power to force our independent library to a specific action such as terminating Ms. Gawad’s Writer in Residence employment. Let us remember that the Wilton Library has it’s own independent Board of Trustees that met with legal council and amongst themselves to determine the appropriate course of action regarding Ms. Gawad. We have no way of knowing the content of their discussions or with whom they spoke at the library since neither Ms. Gawad nor the Executive Director have responded to requests for specific comments or offered any details about internal communications between the Library Board of Trustees, Ms. Gawad and the Library Leadership.
In re-reading Toni Boucher’s statement, I commend her for speaking out strongly to support “the work that is happening in our town to foster problem solving and harmony among neighbors,” and for reiterating that there is no place for antisemitism in Wilton.
I cannot help but wonder if the situation had been different and Ms. Gawad had refused to sit on a panel moderated by a person of color or someone who is gender non-conforming, would we even be having this conversation?