September-October 2025 Calendar
• Wed., Sept. 17, 7:00 p.m. — VDTC monthly meeting at HQ, 435 Hartford Turnpike (Rein’s Deli plaza), Vernon, CT. Keynote speaker: TBD. Town residents and Democratic voters welcome. Please bring a chair if possible.
• Wed., Oct. 15, 7:00 p.m. — VDTC monthly meeting at HQ, 435 Hartford Turnpike (Rein’s Deli plaza), Vernon, CT. Keynote speaker: TBD. Town residents and Democratic voters welcome. Committees meet at 8:15 p.m.
• Fri., Oct. 17, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. — “Cookies, Cocktails, and Causing Good Trouble!” (fundraising social) at VDTC HQ. See article below.
• Sat., Oct. 18, times vary by town — No Kings Protests in 20+ Connecticut towns. See article below.
Coming up: Tues., Nov. 4, 8:00 – ?? p.m. — Election Night Celebration at HQ, 435 Hartford Turnpike (Rein’s Deli plaza), Vernon, CT. Light refreshments served.
2025 Democratic HQ Hours
The Vernon Democratic Town Committee’s 2025 headquarters are located at 435 Hartford Turnpike (Shops At 30, a.k.a. Rein’s Deli plaza), in the former storefront of Lance Clayton’s Kenpo Karate. Hours are:
Mon., Wed., and Thurs., 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon
Sunday, 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Please consider volunteering for phone banking, door-knocking, driving voters to the polls, etc. There is a separate form for poll standing on Nov. 4th. Your contribution will be greatly valued!
It is expected that HQ hours will continue through Election Day 2025.
Contact VDTC to be notified if or when hours might change.
Cookies, Cocktails, and Causing Good Trouble!
Friday, Oct. 17, 2025 — 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. @ VDTC HQ
Our Democratic candidates will make their best Cookie or Cocktail recipe, and attendees will vote on their favorites! Each vote is $1, but (unlike our upcoming 11/4 election) you can vote more than once!
While we enjoy these tasty treats, we will make signs for the upcoming No Kings protest on October 18. This protest has the potential to be the largest in U.S. history!
All sign-making supplies will be provided — just bring your appetite and some cash for voting!
“No Kings” Protests / Demonstrations
Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025
In a reprise of the massive nationwide turnout on June 14th, another wave of No Kings demonstrations will take place on Saturday, October 18th, 2025. Pick your spot, from Salisbury to Stonington, Greenwich to Killingly — and scores of Connecticut towns in between.
The nationwide map of planned protest sites is absolutely astounding, and keeps growing.
Our peaceful movement is only getting bigger and stronger. NO KINGS is more than just a slogan — it’s the foundation our nation was built upon. Born in the streets, carried by millions in chants and on posters, it echoes from city blocks to rural town squares, uniting people across this country to fight dictatorship together.
©2025 Jessica Hill / Hartford Courant
All Rights Reserved
The president thinks his rule is absolute. But in America, we don’t put up with would-be kings. We reject fear as governance. We reject the myth that only some deserve freedom. We won’t back down against chaos, corruption, and cruelty. Grow our movement and join us!
A core principle behind all No Kings events is a commitment to nonviolent action. We expect all participants to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values, and to act lawfully at these events. Weapons of any kind, including those legally permitted, should not be brought to events.
Selected Locations
NO KINGS 2 Hartford
12:00 noon – 2:00 p.m. EDT
Connecticut State Capitol
210 Capitol Avenue, Hartford, CT 06106
NO KINGS Willimantic CT
3:00 – 5:00 p.m. EDT
Frog Bridge / Jillson Square
Main & Jackson Streets, Windham, CT 06226
If you are interested in arranging or joining a carpool to any of these places, please contact Nicole: 860-874-5816 or nbornhorst@gmail.com. Ditto if you have any crowd photos to contribute, after returning home!
Annual “Meet the Candidates” Cookout
One of VDTC’s perennially popular events, our annual cookout features this year’s Democratic candidates for Mayor and Vernon Town Council, plus some special guest speakers, and a delicious array of gastronomic fare.
This fundraiser is a fun family affair! Suggested donation is $20 per adult, payable at the door. (Online payment form is not available at this time.)
When: Sunday, June 22, 2025.
Time: 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Where: At the home of Ole & Keri Hermanson.
RSVP: vernondemocrats@gmail.com.
View and/or download the flyer for this event.
Jon Roe to be honored at Marie Herbst Memorial Dinner
The VDTC will be honoring Vernon resident, community leader and volunteer, Jon Roe, at our annual Marie Herbst Memorial Dinner. (View or download Jon’s biography.)
When: Thursday, April 24, 2025, 6:30 p.m.
Where: Georgina’s Italian Restaurant, 275 Boston Turnpike (Route 44), Bolton, CT.
Special guests and speakers include:
Master of Ceremonies: Karl Hasel, 2nd Vice-President, Northern CT Land Trust;
Jean Luddy, Museum Director, Vernon Historical Society;
Nancy Strong, Acting Executive Director, Strong Family Farm, Inc.;
Ann Letendre, Board of Directors, Friends of Valley Falls, Inc. and former Vernon Town Councilwoman.
R.S.V.P. by April 17th, 2025 to vernondemocrats@gmail.com. Tickets are $60 per person for the full dinner & program, and can only be purchased in advance through our secure portal. For questions, please call: 860-805-8585.
“Hands Off” protesters rally against Trump agenda across the U.S. on Saturday, 04/05/25
Rachel Maddow Show: Fierce backlash against Trump’s agenda seen in sweeping, nationwide protests
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert: Nationwide “Hands Off” Protests | Wall Street Panics As Trump Intentionally Crashes Markets
2025 Candidates Up For Nomination
The VDTC Nominating Committee, chaired by Phyllis Winkler, is seeking candidates to run for Mayor, Vernon Town Council, and the Board of Education. Current members who are up for re-election should notify the chair about their intentions as soon as possible.
Vernon Boards and Commissions are severely lacking in appointees and under-represented by Democrats. Do you have an area of interest or expertise that could be useful? Or do you know someone you could suggest these to?
Just one example of a current board in need of a volunteer, the Vernon Housing Authority presently has a vacancy for one of its five commissioner positions. Their Board meets once a month on the second Thursday at 1:00 p.m. (except in August and November).
Download the 1-page application form for board positions and return it to: Office of the Mayor, Memorial Building, 14 Park Place, Vernon, CT 06066. A schedule of 2025 Regular Meetings for all boards and commissions is available here.
For more information on these volunteer opportunities, you can visit the town website or contact Nominating Committee Chair Phyllis Winkler.
Sean Scanlon to speak at VDTC’s March meeting
The VDTC is pleased to announce that Sean M. Scanlon, the current Comptroller of Connecticut, has agreed to speak at the monthly meeting on 19 March 2025, 7:00 p.m., at 375 Hartford Turnpike in Vernon, CT (rear entrance). Both VDTC members and the public are invited to attend.
A 2008 graduate of Boston College, Scanlon worked as a Victim Advocate in the office of the New York County District Attorney before serving as an aide to U.S. Senator Chris Murphy from 2009 to 2019.
In 2014 at the age of 27, Scanlon was elected (54-46%) to the Connecticut House of Representatives from the 98th district, which encompasses parts of Branford and Guilford. He was re-elected unopposed for an additional three terms. His legislative priorities were gun safety, combating opioid addiction, and protecting people with pre-existing conditions from insurance discrimination.
From November 2019 to January 2023, Scanlon served as Executive Director of Tweed New Haven Airport, negotiating a $100 million deal to expand the length of the airport’s runway, build a new terminal and welcome a new air carrier to New Haven.
On 4 April 2022, Scanlon announced his candidacy for state comptroller in the 2022 election. After beating his challenger by 10.2%, he assumed the office on January 4, 2023.
Sean lives in Guilford with his wife Meghan, who is the President & CEO of the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence, their two young sons Jack and Declan.
Mission of the Comptroller Office: To provide accounting and financial services, to administer employee and retiree benefits, to develop accounting policy and exercise accounting oversight, and to prepare financial reports for state, federal and municipal governments and the public. (See the CT General Statutes for Comptroller.)
Roberto Alves guest speaker at VDTC’s February meeting
Roberto Alves, newly elected Chair of the Connecticut Democratic Central Committee (CT Dems) and Mayor of Danbury, spoke to Vernon Democratic Town Committee members and guests at their monthly meeting on 19 Feb. 2025.
His message: work and personal connections, listening to the people whose doors you knock [on], is the path to electoral success.
Alves said that Democrats should stop talking about extraneous fringe issues and concentrate on taxes, infrastructure and schools, along with locally important issues.
He stressed that we can’t implement policies unless we win elections. Listening to voters and responding positively to what they say is essential.
Roberto Alves came to Danbury, CT when he was 5 years old with his Brazilian and Portuguese parents. After he graduated from Danbury Public Schools, his early activism included the Danbury Police Cadets. Roberto later served on the City Council and many community organizations — including the PTO, local nonprofits, as a member and Chair of the Danbury Democrats, and as CT Dems Treasurer from 2022 – 2024.
Owing to his leadership, pragmatism, and strategic vision, the Dems flipped 22 years of local Republican majorities on the City Council, and Roberto was elected Mayor of the City of Danbury in 2023. His administration has demonstrated a commitment to honesty, transparency, and accountability.
Speakers at future VDTC meetings include:
Sean Scanlon, CT State Comptroller (March 19, 2025)
Joelyn Leon, CT AFL-CIO Political Director (April 16, 2025)
ACLU – Date TBD
Rockville High School Debate Club – Date TBD
Indivisible Connecticut – Date TBD
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Check back here for updates on VDTC happenings, local Democrat updates, and more!
Paid for by the Vernon Democratic Town Committee,
Stephen V. Taylor, Treasurer
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