Weston made Thursday, Oct. 15, Anthony Pesco Appreciation Day, as Selectman Anthony Pesco prepares to leave the Board of Selectmen.
First Selectwoman Samantha Nestor opened the board's meeting that night by recognizing him. A letter from Pesco had come earlier in the week, she said, "saying that he would finish out the end of the month." Pesco joined the meeting on Zoom.
"If you were here, I would be handing you a proclamation," Nestor told him, and she read it into the record.
What the proclamation says
As Nestor read it, the proclamation says Pesco has lived in Weston for more than 30 years and served the town as an elected official for more than eight: five years on the Board of Education, including three as chair, and then three on the Board of Selectmen. It credits him with helping lead the school board "through the unprecedented challenges of COVID-19 pandemic" while keeping "a disciplined approach to budgeting" and "student safety at the forefront." It also notes his work as a scientist at AT&T Bell Laboratories and a career in financial services.
“Now, therefore, I, First Selectwoman of the town of Weston, Connecticut, do hereby proclaim October 15, 2026, as Anthony Pesco Appreciation Day in Weston, Connecticut.”
Samantha NestorFirst Selectwoman, Town of WestonVideo: Weston Government TV
Nestor said the proclamation would be posted on the town's website. Speaking for herself, she said, "We ran our first race together. We were on the Board of Education together, and I cannot even think of a better partner."
"I'm not going anywhere"
Pesco said he is stepping down because he is spending less time in town, and the decisions ahead "are going to affect the town for the next few decades." The seat, he said, should go to "someone who really can sit in that seat with a longer term view." Holding on to it, he said, "was really unfair given the significant decisions that need to be made over the next year or two."
"It's been a pleasure and a privilege serving this town," he said.
“I'm not moving. I'm not going anywhere.”
Anthony PescoSelectman, Town of WestonVideo: Weston Government TV
He said he is still around to answer questions about "the things that I've seen and done over the years."
Selectwoman Lauren Traum thanked him and remembered watching Board of Education meetings during COVID-19. "You really were like a very steady presence on those meetings," she said.