New Face at Black Bear Film Fest Rattles Fans
The lineup of Artful Bears has unexpected company at the Milford Theatre this year, as the Black Bear Film Festival approaches this weekend. By the theater is a sign for Lisa Emery, Republican candidate opposing Sean Strub for Milford mayor. The Bears, archery targets with makeovers by local artists, will be auctioned off to support festival continuation. Meanwhile, Emery pitches herself to Milford in a Facebook video with Ted Daniels, a Trump and gun advocate. He was in the speaker lineup at the recent Rod of Iron Freedom Festival, sponsored by Rod of Iron Ministries, who sanctify the AR15 rifle used in multiple mass shootings. He calls Milford a “liberal cesspool” and “social justice cesspool” and decries Strub as a “superlib,” married to a “Mexican,” who “demonizes” people with differing political views.
Actually, Strub’s husband Xavier is Puerto Rican, but the new owner of Milford Theatre is William Rosado, who is Mexican. Nevertheless, he apparently supports Emery for Milford mayor, as properties he recently bought from Strub also sport Emery signs. Those include the Hotel Fauchere, 403 Broad restaurant and a spa.
“People are stunned right now,” said Veronica Coyne, film festival administrator. “Several people returned their gala tickets. We returned their money right away, but others immediately bought the tickets.”
Asked about the Fauchere sale a few days after the closing on Sept. 17, Strub said, “I'm glad that we found a steward for the hotel who cares deeply about Milford, has a history of philanthropy in our community and is dedicated to honoring and enhancing the Hotel Fauchere's 167 year legacy. Bill Rosado has put together a strong team, and I know they will do a great job with the Fauchere.”
When asked this week whether he knew when he sold the Fauchere to Rosado that Rosado would support Emery, Strub declined to comment. Others familiar with the situation have said that Strub knew Rosado’s political allegiances but wanted to sell the property to free himself for other projects. He is a longtime LGBTQ activist and president of Milford Enhancement Committee, who has pursued local improvements ranging from sidewalk development to new arts events.
Whatever Strub’s previous knowledge of Rosado’s allegiances, his expectations of Rosado’s constructive efforts in Milford have so far been borne out. He has discussed plans for more arts events and has allowed artists at the Artery Gallery to remain. He continues to support the film festival, as he has for years, as sponsor and filmmaker. As in previous years, he has a documentary that he produced in the festival program. His other films have focused on Mexico, but this one, “My Brother, My Hero Forever,” is about twin brothers who grew up in Milford. One became a professional baseball player. The other had Down syndrome.
“We’re doing well in sales, but tickets to that screening were best sellers for individual films,” Coyne said. “We don’t make exceptions for Bill’s films. They fit our independent mission, to include a diversity of people.”
In the video with Daniels, Emery, a retired mortgage broker, admits to having no previous engagement with local politics, but she accuses Strub of making some poor decisions for Milford. One gripe on which she elaborates is her issue with Strub’s lack of a visible American flag, as several of her family members are in the military. A Facebook photo elsewhere shows a display she had in her front yard during the presidential election in which a soldier with a rifle in his belt holds the hand of a young boy with a rifle in his belt . One sign on the display supports Trump, while the other says, “Democrats will destroy our country and our future.”
While Strub had nothing to say about Rosado, he expressed frustration with Emery and Daniels.
“Adversaries, especially anonymous ones online, keep repeating the lie that I advocate boycotting local businesses. Lisa Emery did it in her interview with Teddy Daniels that is posted on Facebook,” said Strub. “She took it a step further, saying I advocated boycotting the Dimmick after they hosted Eric Trump. I never did any such thing and in fact have frequently pushed back at those advocating boycotts of local businesses, including when one person posted they were starting a list of businesses they felt weren't masking.”
Strub often eats at the Dimmick and buys from Pocono Interiors, though owners of both differ from him politically, he said.
Dimmick owner Andrew Jorgenson backed him up.
“Just to make this clear, Sean has never said, ‘Boycott my business.’
We definitely have different views-and opinions on politics,” said Jorgenson.
“This is what we are missing. You’re not allowed to have an opinion anymore, but I’m not letting that be taken away from me. As you know, I am a huge Trump supporter. I want what’s good for this country and town. But Sean has patronized my business many times, as recently as last week. Lisa Emery patronizes the Dimmick as well. We should all be able to break bread.”
Rosado declined to discuss Emery.
“My interviews are about business and progress. I let people make up their own minds politically. I don’t discuss that,” he said.
Emery did not respond to requests for comments.
"I let people make up their own minds politically". Every single one of Rosado's Milford businesses/buildings has a Lisa Emery sign.It's almost as if he bought up Milford for political reasons. So, I make up my mind to no longer frequent businesses that are this overtly political.
Sean Strub has called ALL president Trump supporters extremely derogatory names. It's on video. You can certainly support whatever political party you wish. What you cannot do is call half the country Nazis and then claim some sort of moral political high ground. Which is EXACTLY what Sean Strub has been doing for years.