NORWALK, Conn. – Campaigning to be Norwalk’s next mayor came with food Thursday night for Matt Miklave, who delved into issues with a potential constituent as they both munched on chicken barbecued by Clyde Ripka yards away from scenic Calf Pasture Beach at the Greater Norwalk Chamber of Commerce Beach Bash BBQ.
Issues are the norm for Miklave. The Common Councilman said Tuesday that “ideas resonate,” and that he thinks he has a good chance to win the primary.
“I’m running this entire campaign on the belief that ideas matter, that voters are smart, they understand a good idea from a bad idea,” he said. “… I know it is resonating throughout this city. I have knocked on over 1,500 doors. I have talked to over 2,500 voters. I know that a campaign of change, where you present people a real choice with real ideas – not some platitude, an empty promise – but a real choice with real ideas, will win the day. I am convinced that I will become the next mayor of the city of Norwalk.”
The issue of choice for Miklave was Oak Hills Park as he sat and ate Thursday with Troy Jellerette at the Beach Bash, which was also visited by two of Miklave’s Democratic opponents in the Sept. 10 primary, Harry Rilling and Vinny Mangiacopra.
“If it were truly self-contained, and fully paid for by themselves, didn’t encumber our debt – and they didn’t destroy the wetlands – I’m totally fine with them reconfiguring the course and figuring out a place to put (a driving range),” he said.“I can’t hit the par 5s anyway, so it doesn’t hurt me. I don’t care.”
That drew a smile from Jellerette.
Miklave continued, “I just don’t want the city’s bonds encumbered by their decisions. I don’t think they’re being transparent enough about those discussions. Everything happens behind closed doors and it’s all in executive session. It’s our debt.”
Jellerette suggested that perhaps the authority should be done away with, that the park should go back under the auspices of park and rec.
“I’m OK with having it be an independent authority because I think it can be a revenue raiser that can be reinvested in the park,” Miklave said. “If you put it in the general fund there’s pressure to take the profits and move them elsewhere. I just don’t want them to think we have a blank check over here that we’re just going to sort of dump into them to back fill their mistakes. They just are not being open enough with us when they come to us. It happened too many times for us to say we trust you.’ I don’t think they’re evil.”
The chicken gone, Miklave moved on to talk with other potential voters.
Jellerette didn’t say if he would vote for Miklave, but he did have a thought about the upcoming primary.
“I think it should be competitive, I think it will be good,” he said. “Should be close.”
It’s a tough time to be campaigning, he said, as many people are out of town.
Miklave and his wife spoke about the dichotomy of Norwalk at their next stop.
“In the same day I was on Ely Avenue and Bell Island,” Miklave said. “They are in the same school zone. The issues that they face are night and day, but at the same time, the things that they care about, the things that resonate with them, it’s all the same thing. They want the same things for our community. That’s an amazing thing.”
One of the men he had been talking to, a registered Democrat, said he thought he would vote for Mangiacopra.
Why?
“That’s a little personal,” he said.
Matt Danyliw, an independent voter, said “I don’t know, we’ll see,” when asked if he would vote for Miklave over incumbent Republican Mayor Richard Moccia.
Miklave was nice and easy to talk to, said one Republican, who said he would stay true to his party in the November election.
“”It was a nice introduction,” he said.
Miklave ran through his standard introductory dialogue with Daphne Dixon and John Fleming – he’s lived here 22 years, the 2012 Board of Education financial fiasco inspired him to run – before talking about the importance of small business.
He didn’t stay long. They live in Fairfield.
Fleming liked Miklave’s ideas, though.
“We didn’t get to talk to him long enough, but if he’s accurate and true about what he’s saying, I like what he’s saying,” he said. “Now, a lot of people can say that and it’s tough to get it done, but he’s got the right ideas. Small business is the backbone of this country and they’re under too much red tape right now.”
Miklave talked briefly with two women before leaving the event.
One of them, a registered Democrat, said she wanted to vote for Miklave but she didn’t think he could win. Mangiacopra is too young, with no real experience to qualify him for the job, she said. Rilling “ruined the police department,” she said. But they appear to be front-runners and she doesn’t want to waste her vote, she said.
She grimaced.
“I’ve got a feeling Moccia’s going to win,” she said.
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