What's In The Works? At The Newtown Bee, we are working on articles every week for our readers’ education and enjoyment.At The Newtown Bee, we are working on articles every week for our readers’ education and enjoyment, and subscribers get the first — and sometimes exclusive — look at stories in print.What’s in the works for the edition of February 21 includes a look at the new police headquarters site; some NEAT tips; a new life for a special kitten; some big time sparkler action; and a hike through the woods with Bike & Trails. Plus, you will find all of our regular offerings, sports and education coverage, the weekly calendar, and more.There are plenty of stories and breaking news posted to newtownbee.com, but you’ll find full coverage in our print edition. For complete news about Newtown, join our subscribers in being in the know (https://classadz.vdata.com/Legacy/NewtownBee/Circulation/Subscriber/).Whats In The Works WEB Story What's In The Works?New Web PlatformFeatured Slider, NewsNone
Edmond Road Industrial Access Project ProposedAn industrial developer is proposing the construction of a private driveway, including a culvert crossing of a stream, to provide access to an area eyed for future development off Edmond Road.An industrial developer is proposing the construction of a private driveway, including a culvert crossing of a stream, to provide access to an area eyed for future development off Edmond Road, near Exit 10 of Interstate 84.5-K Enterprises, Inc of 3 Edmond Road has submitted to the Inland Wetlands Commission (IWC) a set of engineering drawings depicting the proposed roadway/culvert construction at that address, which is intended to provide a second vehicular access to the 23-acre site, where future construction of industrial facilities is planned.More than a decade ago, 5-K gained IWC and Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) approval to construct industrial buildings, which were then built at the western section of that property. The proposed new construction would provide access to the eastern section of the site. The rolling, wet site has M-5 (Industrial) zoning.In application documents, 5-K states that currently wooded sections of the site would retain their trees until the future construction of industrial facilities occurs.The plans call for altering a stream along an approximately 40-foot-long stream section. Overall, about 2,725 square feet, or 0.06 acres, would be altered for the driveway/culvert project. The project would require about 500 cubic yards of earthen fill to be placed in wetlands/watercourses. Overall, there would be 400 cubic yards of earthen cutting and 800 cubic yards of filling.The Stuart Somers Company, LLC, of Southbury is the engineer on the project. William Kenney Associates of Fairfield is the wetlands consultant.The wetlands consultant notes that the proposed driveway crossing would cause the loss of some wetlands, but some new wetlands would be manufactured at the site, resulting in a net increase in wetlands.The proposed driveway would extend from the western side of Edmond Road in the area about 250 feet north of the rear driveway for the retail complex known as 75 Church Hill Road. The curving paved driveway would be approximately 325 feet long.The applicant is seeking a wetlands/watercourses protection permit from the IWC that would specify the steps to be taken to prevent environmental damage at the site.The development proposal is the second private development project that would take advantage of its site’s proximity to a recent $2.85-million state Department of Transportation (DOT) traffic improvement project, which was done in the Church Hill Road area lying west of I-84’s Exit 10 interchange.That DOT project, which was completed last spring, shifted the southern section of Edmond Road to the west, thus making Edmond Road part of a conventional four-way signal intersection with Church Hill Road and Commerce Road. The realignment of Edmond Road was intended to improve travel safety in an area of town that has a high accident rate. That project also improved access for heavy trucks to industrial properties along Edmond Road.The initial private project to take advantage of the improved roadway geometry in that area is a retail center known as 75 Church Hill Road, whose rear driveway intersects with the new southern section of Edmond Road.IWC MeetingAt a February 11 session, IWC members decided that they would formally review the industrial application from 5-K Enterprises at their February 26 public meeting. IWC members decided that a public hearing would not be conducted on the application and that the matter would be handled as a typical wetlands protection application by the IWC.Steve Maguire, town senior land use enforcement officer, told IWC members that the development proposal submitted by 5-K does not include plans for a new industrial building. “There’s no building component yet, at this point,” he said. The culvert, which would be located below the proposed driveway, would carry the flow of a stream that passes through a large wetland, he said.“There’s a potential for a significant [adverse] impact” on the wetland, based on the extent of construction currently proposed for the property, he noted. “It’s a large wetland, probably 15 to 20 acres,” he said.IWC members agreed that before the February 26 meeting, they would take walks at the site. Such site visits provide regulators with a better sense of conditions at a site than is possible through map review alone.industrial site development proposed Andrew Gorosko
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Fire Reports | February 6-13, 2020 Fire reports for Newtown, Conn., for the period of February 6-13, 2020.The dispatchers at the Newtown Emergency Communications Center, Town Hall South, 3 Main Street report the following fire calls and the responders:Thursday, February 6: 10:05 am, motor vehicle accident, Church Hill Road near The Boulevard, Hook & Ladder responded; 10:07 am, motor vehicle accident, near 228 South Main Street, Botsford responded; 8:53 pm, odor of gas outdoors, near 29 Church Hill Road, Hook & Ladder responded.Friday, February 7: 1:41 pm, wires down, near 191 Brushy Hill Road, Botsford responded; 2:05 pm, wires down, near 36 Rock Ridge Road, Dodgingtown responded; 2:36 pm, motor vehicle accident, intersection of Main Street and Currituck Road, Hook & Ladder responded; 3:17 pm, public service, 29 Church Hill Road, Hawleyville responded; 4:21 pm, wires down, near 49 Lakeview Terrace, Sandy Hook responded; 4:43 pm, wires down, near intersection of Berkshire Road and Great Quarter Road, Sandy Hook responded; 10:48 pm, medical assist, Brushy Hill Road, Botsford responded.Saturday, February 8: 2:34 am, vehicle fire, I-84, Sandy Hook responded; 12:48 pm, wires down, near 26 Taunton Lake Road, Hook & Ladder responded.Sunday, February 9: 3:49 am, alarm, 100 Haley Lane, Sandy Hook responded.Monday, February 10: 3:22 pm, wires down, near 42 Mt Pleasant Road, Hook & Ladder responded.Tuesday, February 11: No calls listed.Wednesday, February 12: 12:21 pm, public service, 180 Julia Court, Sandy Hook responded; 3:23 pm, motor vehicle accident, intersection of Sugar Street and Boggs Hill Road, Hook & Ladder responded; 4:17 pm, motor vehicle accident, I-84, Sandy Hook responded.Thursday, February 13: 12:02 am, alarm, 61 Taunton Hill Road, Hawleyville responded; 12:51 am, motor vehicle accident, near intersection of Berkshire Road and Old Mill Road, Sandy Hook responded.fire reports Story Fire Reports | February 6-13, 2020fire reports_10NewsNone
Have FAITH: Two Local Food Pantries Becoming One In MarchBy the end of March, any Newtown resident needing the important kind of temporary or long-term sustenance that was available at two local food pantries will only have to make one monthly trip.By the end of March, any Newtown resident needing the important kind of temporary or long-term sustenance that was available at two local food pantries will only have to make one monthly trip.Effective March 12, the Salvation Army Food Pantry that was long maintained through Newtown Social Services will cease operations, and all its remaining stock will migrate over the next couple of weeks to the shelves of FAITH Food Pantry on Church Hill Road. The pantry’s acronym stands for Food Assistance Immediate Temporary Help.The move is one hailed by Newtown Human Services Director Natalie Jackson, who made this one of her top goals after taking on the newly created municipal position in 2019.“When we were in the throes of relocating our Social Service Department functions from below the police station to our new offices at [Newtown Community Center at] Fairfield Hills, we were constrained for space, so we started looking at how we were going to continue meeting the need of our food pantry clients,” Ms Jackson told The Newtown Bee during a brief meeting at the FAITH facility February 11.After an extended review of the Social Services pantry, which was affiliated with the Newtown Salvation Army Service Unit, the logical conclusion was to approach the FAITH organization to pitch folding the two separate organizations together.Despite its location in the shadow of (and on the same property as) St Rose of Lima Church, FAITH Food Pantry is nondenominational. Ms Jackson noted that the FAITH Food Pantry had a brand new facility with the capacity and logistical wherewithal to handle its own client base, as well as any individuals who had formerly only tapped the resources of the smaller Salvation Army operation.“I had the opportunity to come to FAITH in the early fall of 2019 and witnessed what they were able to do, their commitment to the community, and their volunteers,” Ms Jackson said. “Their ability to deliver fresh food along with the staple nonperishable items and other household products was something we never had the capacity to do, and frankly would have been challenged to do at our [Town Hall South] site.“And it didn’t make sense to continue splitting the community resources between two organizations doing a lot of the same work,” she added. “This way, the town can support their presence and strengthen what FAITH is, and was already, doing. “Now the town can use its resources to promote FAITH’s schedule, any special events, and when they may have specific needs for particular stock items, and when they encounter clients that may have additional needs beyond the scope of providing food.”Adapting To ChangesOne of the biggest changes that Salvation Army pantry clients will see is a one-time monthly visit restriction, which Ms Jackson will be communicating to her agency’s visitors over the next month before the merger is complete.“And if there’s any barriers to getting to FAITH, like transportation or timing, we’ll work with FAITH to be sure we alleviate those challenges,” Ms Jackson said. The Human Services director said there will be a dedicated page for food pantry services on her department’s page on the municipal website (newtown-ct.gov).After meeting with Salvation Army representatives, Ms Jackson said she received a vote of confidence from statewide officials, and affirmation from the local service unit that the move will free up volunteers to devote more energy to other critical support initiatives like energy, rent, and other emergency assistance.One of the major resources that will also migrate to the FAITH operation will be the significant replenishing that comes during the annual Postal Service Food Collection, which happens the second Saturday each May.“Now we can use some town space and resources to assist FAITH in receiving and processing all those donations,” Ms Jackson said.FAITH President Lee Paulsen said the merger is the latest community collaboration that will help better sustain and improve the healthy alternatives for Newtown’s hungry residents and families.Last year, Newtown resident Sean Fitzpatrick established Real Food Share, tapping volunteers to plant and maintain a large garden in the Botsford neighborhood that would pipeline locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables to FAITH. FAITH was also the beneficiary of a holiday season food drive organized by State Senator Tony Hwang that helped increase the pantry’s dwindling stock of food.“Once the holidays are over, we really hit a slow period of donations, while the need continues increasing,” Ms Paulsen said. “It’s frightening. But we do everything we can to make it easy for people to donate.”Volunteer Barabara Krell said donations of funds can actually be more helpful because it permits FAITH operators to acquire the food items in greatest demand.“And we make it really easy — there’s a donation button right on our website [newtownfoodpantry.org/], or people can just send or drop off a check,” Ms Krell said.FAITH Vice President Jill LeBlanc said monetary donations are primarily allocated toward purchasing any fresh fruits and vegetables their clients may need, beyond anything that comes in from other donor sources.“We don’t accept a lot of perishable donations, including meats,” she said. Specific donor guidelines can be reviewed at the FAITH website, and the pantry frequently posts immediate needs on its Facebook page.Ms Krell and Ms LeBlanc both wanted to remind residents, local service groups, and businesses that the newly merged food pantries could be greatly helped by organizing regular, even monthly food collections.“Businesses, faith-based groups, Scout troops, neighborhoods, even birthday parties have been great sources of donations,” Ms Krell said.Ms Jackson hopes that, along with all the Salvation Army clients who she expects will migrate to the FAITH operation, the Salvation Army Food Pantry’s long-time donors will also continue their gracious support.“We hope they will join us in supporting FAITH,” Ms Jackson said, “including our many anonymous donors.”“That would be most beneficial to the families who are hungry right here in Newtown,” Ms Paulsen added. “We’re open to all Newtown residents.”Two Local Food Patries Become One In March John Voket
Story Have FAITH — Two Local Food Pantries Becoming One In MarchTwo Local Food Patries Become One In MarchNewsNone
Lawmakers Reflect On Opening Of 2020 ‘Short’ Session Three out of four members from Newtown’s Legislative Delegation have issued their first takes on Governor Ned Lamont’s State of the State address and the latest state budget proposal that dropped on February 5.Three of the four members from Newtown’s Legislative Delegation have issued their first takes on Governor Ned Lamont’s State of the State address and the latest state budget proposal that dropped on February 5.Senator Tony Hwang (R-28), Rep Mitch Bolinsky (R-106), and Rep JP Sredzinski (R-112) each responded to a query from The Newtown Bee, while calls and e-mails to Rep Raghib Allie-Brennan had received no response by the newspaper’s press deadline the afternoon of February 12.An upbeat Gov Ned Lamont used his second State of the State address to cast his uneven first year in office as a success, crediting his administration and lawmakers for controlling taxes and spending, winning unfamiliar Wall Street accolades for record budget reserves, and taking steps to streamline Connecticut’s government.His midday address to the General Assembly on the opening day of its three-month, 2020 session highlighted victories overshadowed by his continuing and often all-consuming campaign to win passage of a truck tolls bill central to his ten-year, $19 billion transportation financing plan.Connecticut remains burdened by one of the nation’s worst unfunded pension liabilities and its economic growth has lagged behind nearly every other state. But its growth cracked the top half of states in the third quarter of 2019, credit rating agencies published the first positive credit outlook in 18 years, and TheWall Street Journal offered a whiff of editorial praise.“The state has dug a deep hole — maybe it now has stopped digging,” Gov Lamont said, quoting an editorial written after he visited the paper and asked their writers to give a second look to a state under new management.Gov Lamont shrugged at faint praise, smiled, and puckishly said, “Hey, it’s the Journal.”For the second year, the governor gave less a formal address than a pep talk, conversational throughout and self-deprecating at times. He challenged fellow Democrats and minority Republicans to join him in promoting a state ranked highly for its quality of life and productive, well-educated work force — attributes offset by decades of anemic job and wage growth and, more recently, population loss.“All right, Connecticut, we got our mojo back,” he said.Gov Lamont offered no sweeping second-year initiatives, instead promising to continue building on the modest foundation laid last year: A two-year budget that promised fiscal stability to businesses and municipalities — delivered on time, with no significant tax increases or jarring cuts in state aid to municipalities.The governor also credited lawmakers with helping him reset the state’s relationship with the business community, especially its hospitals. With bipartisan support, the administration settled the hospitals’ lawsuit over a hospital provider tax.“Results matter. We’ve shown government can work for the people. I’m proud of what we were able achieve together,” Lamont said.Delegation Speaks Out“I appreciate the governor keeping his State of the State address positive as he highlighted some of the aspects of where Connecticut has made progress in recent years,” said Rep Sredzinski, whose district includes Monroe and overlaps numerous neighborhoods in southern Newtown.“However, he failed to mention that most of ‘his’ accomplishments were due to Republican policies included in the 2017 Bipartisan Budget,” Rep Sredzinski said.“The historic rainy day fund, a historic investment in education, streamlining government, and an increased bond rating are all the result of the 2017 biennial budget, crafted with Republican policies and passed with Republican votes,” the lawmaker added. “I truly hope he realizes this and seeks the ideas from our side of the aisle when making future decisions on how to run state government.”Newtown’s Rep Bolinsky reacted with his typical candor, saying “While I completely share Governor Lamont’s desire to dig Connecticut out of the financial hole it’s in, I do not support his method of doing so.”Rep Bolinsky said after promising efficiencies and cost savings on the campaign trail, his proposed budget increase of 0.6 percent lands squarely on top of the 3.4 percent increase in next year’s adopted budget.“This stacks an additional $117 million of state spending onto taxpayers. Without this excess, there would be no need for his ongoing obsession with tolls,” Rep Bolinsky said. “Meanwhile, the state continues to face billions of dollars in out-year deficits and the Governor has made no attempt to achieve the administrative cost savings necessary to close this gap.”On the bright side, Rep Bolinsky observed that the Lamont administration has held the line on municipal aid and has backed away from another round of increasing various fees that would have cost taxpayers and businesses another $50 million a year.“I also appreciate and look forward to the results of the governor’s efforts to attract business to our state, as well as his desire to improve Connecticut’s economic outlook, as we continue to play catch-up from the recession of ten years ago,” Rep Bolinsky said. “With that in mind, I look forward to working with the governor’s office and my legislative colleagues to find common ground on these and [other] issues over the coming months.”‘Get To Work’Following the governor’s address, Senator Hwang said he was ready to “get to work on making a bright future for Connecticut.”“While Governor Lamont and I don’t always agree, I applaud [his] vision to keep a positive outlook and move forward toward solving problems,” Sen Hwang said. “I, myself, was called to serve because I share that same love and appreciation for this state and my community and a passionate desire to make life better for everyone in our state.”Sen Hwang said he and the governor differ over how to achieve that positive future.“There are urgent challenges facing our state that need to be addressed,” he said. “Firstly, funding the needs of the state within the confines of the state budget — including improving our transportation infrastructure. State government needs to collaborate and partner with our local municipalities, rather than mandating demands and policies without respecting local governance or input.”To that end, Sen Hwang said he was ready to “roll up my sleeves and address our budgetary constraints while reestablishing transparency and trust in state government.”“We need to impose fiscal discipline to not only look for more revenue/taxes, but to live within our means and prioritize our spending. We need to reflect the values and principles of our households and businesses,” he said. “We need a government that is based on transparency, sustainability, and predictability.”Sen Hwang also stated he was especially proud to be a member of the General Assembly “when the entire delegation rose to their feet and stood united in agreement with Governor Lamont when he said that this state will never tolerate hate, bigotry, or crime against anyone’s gender, orientation, religion, race, or disability. There is no room for hate in Connecticut.”There may be room for at least some dislike and division when it comes to some of the budget particulars, however.While it includes no major tax hikes, sources said the governor’s budget for the upcoming fiscal year would increase the levy adopted last May on e-cigarettes, offer an amnesty program for captive insurance companies, and impose a new surcharge on those who pay for state licenses and permits by credit card.The governor also continues to support the legalization of recreational marijuana and the taxation of cannabis sales, but his budget assumes no new revenue from this change, sources said. Instead, Lamont will task the Department of Consumer Protection and the Connecticut Commission on Equity and Opportunity to study the issue over the next year and report back with recommendations.Gov Lamont also hopes to broaden the public financing program for state elections to allow candidates to use state grants for childcare services. The governor, who has ruled out legally exceeding the state spending cap — despite swelling emergency reserves — submitted a proposal that falls $9 million under the budget cap.CTMirror reporting from Mark Paznoikas and Keith M. Phaneuf is included in this report.Lawmakers Reflect on State Of The State, Opening Of 2020 'Short' Session John Voket
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Making The Right Cut For Fruit Trees“The secret to pruning is using the right tool,” said arborist Dan Dalton of the Newtown Forest Association.He stood in a cold breeze Saturday, February 8, with a pair of hook pruners ready to cut into a dwarf fruit tree branch. He prefers the shape and blade of a hook pruner compared to anvil-style pruners, he said. And number two: “Have a sharp tool.” Larger branches could require long-handled loppers or a pruning saw.Mr Dalton spent the first few minutes of the afternoon’s tree-pruning workshop demonstrating the use of a sharpening stone for the roughly 20 attendees, all bundled against the chilly air. “Use gloves,” he warned. Avoid bare hands while using a sharp blade.At the fruit tree orchard at the Victory Garden in Fairfield Hills, wind whipped across the open field, the trees’ thin branches quivering.He advised, “Get in close to where you need to work.” He said gardeners could go after tall limbs by climbing a ladder or using an extension pole. “About climbing trees …” he said, letting the sentence trail off as he shook his head. He was “not getting a lot,” of enthusiasm for that suggestion.Prune trees with a consideration for sunlight, he advised.“Fruit grows in the sunlight,” said Mr Dalton. “You want to get rid of vertical growth,” with the result being “fruiting, horizontal growth.” Pruning out vertical growth gives the tree “energy to spread branches.” He also said that “cutting out the top,” branches keeps sunlight “throughout the whole plant.”Another pruning approach takes out branches that cut into the middle of the tree, he said. “Think about the sunlight,” he repeated. Gardeners can also cut out any dead branches and “thin out crossing branches,” Mr Dalton said.Can someone get “scissor happy” while pruning a tree? “Yes,” he said. “But, it’s hard to kill these things.”With that thought in mind, he said, “Prune back to the bud. Look for a bud on the bottom of the branch so new growth goes out, not up.” Leave a bit of room between the cut and the bud, and cut at an angle, he said. “Pruning elicits a growth response,” he said. “The more you prune, the more growth response.“Roots support a full tree and if you prune the tree in half, the energy supports a lot of growth — you don’t want a big response,” Mr Dalton said.Answering another question about angling the cut, he explained, “It’s better for healing over.”Pruning is an activity that can be done at this time of year because the tree will be growing in two months. Pruning in November “could dry out or damage the bud,” he said.“Pruning doesn’t have to be perfect. It’s a process, not an event,” said Mr Dalton. “It’s an incremental, continual process.” Before sending participants to one of the many trees in the small orchard to practice their own cuts, he reiterated, “You want to encourage branching and spacing.”With MeaningThe Victory Garden, Newtown Forest Association, and Tom Sawyer School of Arboriculture co-hosted the event.Prior to the pruning workshop, Forest Association member Harvey Pessin, also a past Victory Garden volunteer, explained the orchard’s origin. “This is more than a stand of fruit trees,” he said.Minnesota students planted the trees, Mr Pessin explained. “They wanted to do something for us,” following 12/14. “These trees are a memorial,” he said. Some of the trees were also planted by Sandy Hook teachers, he said, and added, “These trees have meaning.”Contact Mr Pessin at 203-241-0301, harveypessin@gmail.com. Learn more about the Newtown Forest Association at newtownforestassociation.org, and more about the Victory Garden at newtown-ct.gov/parks-recreation/pages/victory-garden .tree pruning at Victory Garden workshop Kendra Bobowick
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“The secret to pruning is using the right tool,” said arborist Dan Dalton of the Newtown Forest Association.
He stood in a cold breeze Saturday, February 8, wit...
Congresswoman Invites Resident Bridget Sclafani To State Of The Union A last minute thought to drop into a local public forum with her US congresswoman launched a sequence of events that ended with resident Bridget Sclafani winging down to Washington, DC, to sit in on the 2020 State of the Union address at the Capitol.A last minute thought to drop into a local public forum with her US congresswoman launched a sequence of events that ended with resident Bridget Sclafani winging down to Washington, DC, to sit in on the 2020 State of the Union address at the Capitol.The trip also provided Ms Sclafani an opportunity to share with federal officials some of the frustrations and setbacks she and her late husband, Paul, experienced as they struggled through his five year journey after being diagnosed with brain cancer.She told The Newtown Bee upon her return that the experience helped her better appreciate stories she heard from her father, who served in the Honor Guard following the death of former President Dwight D. Eisenhower.“It all started January 21 when I decided to go to [Congresswoman Jahana Hayes’] Town Hall meeting at the Community Center,” Ms Sclafani said. “I kept thinking I had so many concerns about health care that I was just going to go to hear what she had to say.”After hearing a review of the legislation the 5th District lawmaker had been working on, Ms Sclafani’s name was one of the last ones picked from a list of attendees who wanted to ask a question.“So instead of having a question, I just told her that over the last six years my husband was ill, and I was really frustrated with the health care system, the cost of prescriptions, and how my husband had since passed away,” Ms Sclafani said. “So after she gave us a little overview of health care issues, I went up to her and gave her a little coin I had brought that had the word ‘HOPE’ on the back and told her I hoped she would be successful in making a difference in Washington.”Little did the Newtown resident know, but that coin coincidentally reflected part of a motto Rep Hayes espoused when she was a Waterbury high school teacher who was named National Teacher of the Year in 2016.“She looked at me and said ‘How did you know that was my slogan?’ — and she said that in her classroom she talked about hope all the time,” Ms Sclafani said. “She said for her, it stood for ‘Help Ordinary People Everywhere,’ and I had no idea. But I told her without hope, I would not be here today. That’s what kept me going through all of the challenges with Paul.”After embracing and leaving the lawmaker with a few bracelets embossed with her Paul Sclafani Memorial Foundation logo, Ms Sclafani returned home.Getting The Call“And it was about five days later I got a phone call and it said it was coming from the US Capitol,” she said, “but I thought it was coming from [a similarly named credit card company], so I ignored it at first. But the next morning I decided to call the number back, and it turned out to be the congresswoman’s office calling, inviting me to be her guest at the State of the Union.”Ms Sclafani said she was “initially in shock.”“I always thought they bring really important people to this address — or big contributors. But in a follow-up note she said she was just really moved by my story, and that she was committed to fighting for me. So I agreed,” Ms Sclafani said. “I didn’t agree to go for any political reasons, though. It’s because I am really concerned about the state of the country’s health care system.”The Newtown guest said through the whirlwind experience, Ms Sclafani heard President Donald Trump commit to fighting for citizens who had pre-existing conditions who were able to qualify for health care coverage under the Affordable Care Act.“So I was happy to hear that,” she said, “and he mentioned something about lowering the cost of drugs — which is an issue Congresswoman Hayes said she is fighting for, too. I remember telling her about just one drug that Paul was on that cost $25,000 every two weeks. Back then I was told not to worry about it because it was covered by insurance, but I still had to meet the high deductible of our health plan and that drug was part of it.“I guess I was lucky because I went directly to the drug company and eventually got them to pay for it,” she said. “But much like a lot of the other issues around Paul’s coverage and care, I told Jahana that I was a mom handling the bulk of caregiving for Paul while raising two daughters, and I was on the phone for hours every day fighting to get him the coverage that was promised on his policy.”That level of commitment and devoted care helped extend what was originally predicted to be six months of survival, to nearly six years.“I did the right thing by getting and paying for a very expensive health care policy, and doing everything we were supposed to do, and I still ended up devoting more time than a full-time job just fighting for the coverage we were supposed to get according to the policy,” Ms Sclafani said. “When you’re caring for a family that includes a dying father and husband, you just shouldn’t have to do that.”Even when Paul Sclafani qualified for Medicare, his widow said she was initially told “he was not sick enough to qualify for hospice coverage, so I had to self pay for that initially.”“Then once he got on to hospice, they said Medicare would not cover the specific drugs that he found were specific to helping him control seizures he was having. So every day I would drive to the pharmacy and pay the $50 each for those two pills. And then I’d drive them to hospice and give them to the nurses to give to him . . . every day.”A Whirlwind VisitUpon her arrival in Washington ahead of the address, Ms Sclafani met Congresswoman Hayes at her office and spent about 30 minutes talking with her and her staff about her experiences.“Then she and I walked through a tunnel to the Capitol for the address, and came out right into the rotunda,” Ms Sclafani recalled. “For me, it felt like I was on the red carpet. And I was reminded of how my dad talked about being part of the Air Force Honor Guard when President Eisenhower was lying in state there. So I could almost feel his presence, too, which was neat.”After taking her seat, Ms Sclafani took her seat — right next to Vice President Mike Pence’s sister-in-law.“That was interesting because she was up and down every time the President made a comment that reflected her ideals. But she was really nice and talkative. She really helped make the night exciting, too,” Ms Sclafani said.From her seat, the Newtown resident could easily see the president, as well as Speaker Mitch McConnell, and Senator Mitt Romney.“It was great because at the pre-event reception I got to meet and talk with [Connecticut] Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, and a number of other lawmakers and their guests. But once it was all over, Jahana walked me back to her office and from there I went back to my hotel room where I was able to watch the whole thing over on television, which felt like a whole different experience. I saw things I didn’t see when I was there because you get so wrapped up in the spectacle and the excitement of the moment.”The next day, Ms Sclafani returned to Newtown. Upon reflecting on her brief visit to Washington, Ms Sclafani said she had no regrets.“I just really hope that lawmakers can get along, and that they and the Congresswoman can do the things that our country needs to have done right now,” she said. “And I think I’ll probably engage a little more in politics, so I can better understand the political process. The way things are going in the country right now, I’m feeling like I need to get more involved.”Resident Bridget Sclafani Invited To State Of The Union John Voket
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Newtown Then And Now: Joan Crick Shares Her Center Of Town Experiences“I lived in Newtown forever — all my life,” Joan (Glover) Crick said while sitting in the living room area of her apartment at The Hearth in Southbury. “I never thought I’d leave my house on Glover Avenue.”Mrs Crick is the tenth generation in her family to have lived in Newtown. Her daughter, Maureen Crick Owen, continues the tradition as the eleventh generation and serves the town as selectman, following in her grandfather Walter L. Glover’s footsteps.Their family’s long tenure in town is believed to date all the way back to Newtown’s beginning in 1711.Through genealogy research, Mrs Crick read that her family’s ancestor John Glover purchased land from the local native tribe and built his house in the Hanover District. Many generations resided in the home over the years and utilized the acreage for working the land and selling cows and steers.After the property was sold out of the family line, a notable Newtown resident, the late Mae Schmidle, lived in the home.The Glover family then moved to the center of town in a home on Main Street. The building still stands next to where the police station is, which was just “a field with a big hill,” at the time Mrs Crick lived there.“I lived on Main Street until I was about 10 years old,” Mrs Crick said. “We played softball; I remember playing football — I was very athletic.”Much of her time in her formative years was spent playing outdoors.“We didn’t have playgrounds or anything like that, but it was okay . . .” Mrs Crick explained. “We always had something going. We didn’t just hang around.”She has fond memories of times spent with her good friend, Mary Starr “Skippy” Smith Adams (sister of Newtown Bee and A&A publisher R. Scudder Smith), who lived just a little way up the road in a two-family home at 17 Main Street.“It was a beautiful house with pocket doors and a beautiful staircase. Her grandparents lived on one side and the other side were her aunts,” Mrs Crick recalled.To the delight of the children, occasionally Mary Starr’s father, Paul Scudder Smith, editor and owner of The Newtown Bee, would come out and play softball with the girls after supper.Between playing sports, Mrs Crick says she often spent time roller skating with Mary Starr on the Main Street sidewalk.“We’d roller skate from the library down and run into the grass when we wanted to stop,” Mrs Crick said with a laugh.Whenever the friends would skate by the Hawley Manor Inn — now referred to as the Inn at Newtown — they would enjoy the garden out front and look through the glass windows at the ladies sitting down to eat.“A lot of older people in Newtown would go there in the wintertime, because it was handier for them to go there and go to the store, rather than be three miles out,” Mrs Crick said. “Skippy’s grandmother stayed there at wintertime and we’d go up to see her.”She remembers riding the elevator in the inn, taking dance lessons downstairs, and playfully sitting on the two large metal animal figures stationed there — which she believes were later donated for metal scraps during the war.The two girls would also spend their days visiting the C.H. Booth Library’s head librarian Sarah Beers Mitchell, who would let them explore the library; meeting with another girl their age, Mary Cullens, who lived up by the Newtown Savings Bank; and exploring a budding entrepreneurial venture involving fresh produce.“In the back of [Skippy’s] grandfather’s house there was a lot of apple trees and there was kind of a hill,” Mrs Crick said. “We’d slide down it and there were apple trees up top. We’d find some and sell them on the road.”Mrs Crick and Skippy even put on plays in the Smith family’s garage and had their mothers watch them perform in the costumes they put together.“We were always dreaming up something,” Mrs Crick said.Glover AvenueWhen she was about 10 years old, her family moved into a house her grandfather built on the corner of Queen Street and Glover Avenue, a road named after her family.There the family lived across from a farm, leading to countless hours of entertainment watching the cows next door.“We had many happy times there,” Mrs Crick recalled.During her school-age upbringing, she attended Hawley School for 12 years and played every sport from basketball to softball. Upon graduating in 1950, she went to the University of Bridgeport and played basketball for them.“That was a lot of my life — sports. I enjoyed it immensely,” she said.Meanwhile, she had met fellow Newtown resident Jim Crick in high school, who just so happened to be a friend of her older brother, Lee Glover.At the age of 23, she married Jim and the two rented a home in Sandy Hook for four years.“Then we bought our house on Glover Avenue. I was almost back home again, because our house was about five houses down from the corner [house]…” Mrs Crick said.It was there that she raised her three children, and where she thought she would remain for the rest of her life.“It’s a wonderful house, full of many memories,” she said.A Neighbor To NewtownNow in her 80s, Mrs Crick has been residing at The Hearth in Southbury for the past two years.While she admits it was an adjustment to be without her husband after his passing and then have to leave her beloved home on Glover Avenue, she speaks very highly of her current residence.“I find it very comfortable,” Mrs Crick said. “I’m able to do what I still want to do.”After being so active in the Newtown community, she says she does miss going to meetings and being with people from town.While in Newtown, Mrs Crick was part of the Borough of Newtown for 33 years, serving as warden for much of the time. Now she is on a committee at The Hearth using her voice to advocate for her fellow residents who need assistance solving problems they are having.She has not only found a place to grow and make new experiences, but she rests assured knowing that her beloved home on Glover Avenue, filled with so many happy memories, is being cared for by her daughter and son-in-law living there.Changes On Main StreetHaving lived in Newtown for more than 80 years, Joan (Glover) Crick has seen the area change from farmland and fields to more development every which way.Her desire to preserve Newtown’s history and beauty was strong throughout her time in town, and she served as the Borough of Newtown warden for many years.“We tried our darndest to keep commercial [buildings] off of Main Street,” Mrs Crick said. “We didn’t want anything to happen to Main Street, because it was a drawing card for people with it being the older homes — it was beautiful.”During Mrs Crick’s time as warden she invested a lot of time and energy going to Hartford and creating the Borough’s Historic District.When it comes to current projects proposed for Main Street today, her passion for preservation has not faded.“I’m very opposed to Hawley Manor — now the Inn at Newtown — being torn down . . .” Mrs Crick said. “I’d hate to see something like the Hawley Manor ripped down and apartments put up.”She acknowledges Mary Hawley’s many contributions to Newtown as its benefactress for numerous buildings and feels the town should do what it can to honor her legacy.“I know things change, and I realize that. But if you open land someplace, like on Main Street, it could mushroom and change it completely,” Mrs Crick said. “I don’t think it would be good for the town. We’re special.”Joan Crick Alissa Silber
Story Newtown Then And Now: Joan Crick Shares Her Center Of Town ExperiencesJoan Crick_1Featured Slider, FeaturesNone
State Artist Grant Awarded to Sandy Hook Writer Local author Sophfronia Scott has been awarded an Artist Fellowship Grant from the Connecticut Office of the Arts.Local author Sophfronia Scott has been awarded an Artist Fellowship Grant from the Connecticut Office of the Arts.The Sandy Hook resident was listed this week among 51 writers, musicians, and visual artists receiving funds totaling $149,000. The Artist Fellowship Program provides competitive grants to encourage the continuing development of Connecticut artists.“I’m absolutely thrilled,” said Ms Scott. “There’s a ton of talented artists living in Connecticut so the competition for these grants is tough. I’m honored the Office of the Arts saw fit to recognize and support my writing.”The Office of the Arts, as noted on the ct.gov site, is the state agency charged with fostering the health of Connecticut’s creative economy. Part of the state’s Department of Economic and Community Development, the Office of the Arts is funded by the state of Connecticut as well as the National Endowment for the Arts. The Artist Fellowship Grants are awarded annually.Ms Scott’s grant will help fund her current writing project, a nonfiction book tentatively titled The Seeker and the Monk: Everyday Conversations with Thomas Merton, about the famous Trappist monk and author of The Seven Storey Mountain who died in 1968.In her fellowship application, Scott wrote that the project “documents my engagement with the writing, specifically the personal journals, of the monk Thomas Merton as I meditate on issues both personal and social. In the fifty years since his death Merton has been placed on a pedestal with the titles of ‘prophet’ and ‘mystic.’ But in culling through his journals, which he began as a young man, I have found a very human kindred spirit who, like all of us, struggled with faith, ambition, race, politics, materialism, environmentalism, and even love.”The book is slated for publication in the spring of 2021 by Broadleaf Books, a new publishing imprint recently launched by the Minnesota multimedia company 1517 Media. According to its website, Broadleaf Books “is committed to expanding the mind, nourishing the soul, cultivating the common good. Our books inspire transformation in readers and their communities to foster a more open, just and compassionate world. Rooted in the progressive Christian tradition and reflecting the diversity of human creativity, we publish books that engage readers in fresh, substantive, timely and inspiring reflection on what it is to live with meaning and connection.”Ms Scott moved to Sandy Hook from New York City in 2005 with her husband, Darryl Gregory, band director at Schaghticoke Middle School in New Milford, and son, Tain, currently a sophomore at Cooperative Arts & Humanities High School in New Haven.She began her writing career as a journalist for Time and People magazines. When her first novel, All I Need to Get By, was published by St. Martin’s Press in 2004, she was nominated for best new author at the African American Literary Awards and hailed by Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr, as “potentially one of the best writers of her generation.”Ms Scott earned a BA in English from Harvard and an MFA in writing, fiction and creative nonfiction, from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Her latest novel is Unforgivable Love (William Morrow). She is also the author of an essay collection, Love’s Long Line, from The Ohio State University Press’s Mad Creek Books and a memoir, This Child of Faith: Raising a Spiritual Child in a Secular World, co-written with Tain, from Paraclete Press.Her essays, short stories, and articles have appeared in North American Review, Killens Review of Arts & Letters, Saranac Review, Numéro Cinq, Ruminate, Timberline Review, Barnstorm Literary Journal, Sleet Magazine, NewYorkTimes.com, More, and O, The Oprah Magazine. Her essay “Why I Didn’t Go to the Firehouse” is listed among the Notables in Best American Essays 2017.Ms Scott teaches at Regis University’s Mile High MFA and Bay Path University’s MFA in Creative Nonfiction. She has also hosted the Connecticut Authors Reading Series at C.H. Booth Library and delivered craft talks and held workshops at the Yale Writers’ Workshop, the Madeleine L’Engle Conference, Antioch Writers’ Workshop, Meacham Writers’ Workshop, and the Hobart Festival of Women Writers.Ms Scott is currently enrolling students for her classes starting February 26 at the Fairfield County Writers’ Studio in Westport; her annual writing retreat, The Write of Your Life, which will take place in Veneto, Italy, September 20-26; and A Circle of Quiet, The Madeleine L’Engle Writing Retreat slated for November 13-15 at the Camp Washington Retreat Center in Morris, Conn. Her website is Sophfronia.com.Sophronia Scott awarded state artist grant Story State Artist Grant Awarded to Sandy Hook WriterSophronia Scott awarded state artist grantCultural Events, FeaturesNone
Valentine Dance Draws Sold-Out CrowdYoung ladies arrived at the ball and promptly left their “dates” behind.Wearing sparkling dresses and bows in their hair, ladies between 8 and 12 years old rushed toward the dance floor at the Parks and Recreation Department’s 4th Annual Daddy & Daughter Valentine Ball on February 7, leaving their fathers, grandfathers, and uncles at the tables set for dinner. More than 100 guests enjoyed the ball held at Newtown Community Center where they shared dinner and dancing.The sold-out event was ready to “rock and roll” as soon as the DJ had set up, recreation Director Amy Mangold said. She and other department staff quickly arranged buffet tables with dinner and dessert, and champagne flutes filled with sparkling soda and sweet red cherries.Newtown’s new community center offered a “beautiful space,” for the event, Ms Mangold said. Center staff also attended the ball and worked to make the evening run smoothly.Dressed in suits and ties were the many “dates” who soon enjoyed a quick dinner with the girls.Following a hula-hoop contest, music changed rapidly from one song to the next and dads trickled into the sea of swirling dresses.Among those filling the dance floor were Venezia and William Hope, Emma and Scott Kozek, Katelyn, Lida and Pablo Jimenez, Reagan Garvin (who was peeking over her father TJ’s shoulder during a slower song as he held her up), Tim Sullivan swinging his daughter Mia — her hair flying —Vivian and Phil Tztisi (he somehow ended up wearing a pink bow in his hair matching Vivian’s dress), Sophia and Joey Pedwano, Teagan and Glen McMurdo, Sophie and John Oldi, and Sophia and Andre Silva.Partying continued for more than two hours during the Valentine’s Day event.Sign up for more Parks and Recreation events at newtown-ct.gov/parks-recreation, or call the office at 203-270-4340. The department is now located at the Newtown Community Center, 8 Simpson Street in Fairfield Hills. Call the Community Center at 203-270-4349 or find them online at newtowncommunitycenter.org.Daddy Daughter Dance Kendra Bobowick
Story Valentine Dance Draws Sold-Out CrowdDaddy Daughter DanceFeatured Slider, FeaturesNone
One Champ, Eight Place Winners For Second-Place NHS GrapplersNewtown High School's wrestling team put together a strong showing, its depth on display, with a tournament-best eight place winners — including an individual champ — on the way to a second-place finish in the South-West Conference championships at Pomperaug High on February 15.Newtown High School's wrestling team put together a strong showing, its depth on display, with a tournament-best eight place winners — including an individual champ — on the way to a second-place finish in the South-West Conference championships at Pomperaug High on February 15.Steven Vournazos won the 182 pound weight division championship, scoring a 3-1 decision in overtime to overcome Bunnell of Stratford's Nick Demanche.New Milford won the competition with 162 points. Newtown finished with 146.50 points.The Nighthawks went into the last round trailing New Milford by just three and a half points but had three finalists as opposed to the favored Green Wave's five and in need of help from some other schools to pull off the upset.Although New Milford sealed the win, this was a showing by the Nighthawks that had their coach, Ron Chivinski feeling good."We pushed them much harder than anybody thought we would," said Chivinski, whose team was beaten 46-24 by the Green Wave in a dual meet on February 5."Today it was a team thing," said Chivinski, adding that several of his grapplers bumped up one, in some instances two weight divisions in an effort to not necessarily earn individual titles but have more wrestlers go deep in the tourney to rack up as many points as possible."I can't be more proud of how they came together and exhibited themselves today," the coach added.Luca Manfredi earned third place in the 106 division; Greg Gargano was fourth at 113; Ben Plaue was runner-up to his former Newtown Youth Wrestling Association partner, Mike Carpenter of Pomperaug; Angel Colon earned fourth at 132; Ben Watson was third at 138; Fritz Maurath came in third at 152; and Steven Leuci was runner-up at 160.Zach Reilly went deep into the tourney, falling to the eventual third-place wrestler in the 145 division. Reilly, a junior who hadn't wrestled for the past three years before a comeback, was inserted into the starting lineup just in time to earn his varsity letter. Ryan Callahan also made big contribution, advancing deep at 172, losing to the eventual third-place finisher as well. Gargano, Leuci, and Maurath all moved up one weight class; Colon, a freshman, moved up two divisions; Aidan Almeter bumped up two divisions as well.Manfredi won an 8-0 major decision in his third-place clinching bout. Gargano won in a 15-0 technical fall decision to advance to the consolation finals. James Tibolla earned one win with a pinfall decision at 120. Plaue earned wins via pin and a major decision on his way to the finals. Colon earned an overtime won to advance to the consolation finals. Watson pinned three opponents on his way to third place. Reilly's efforts included a major decision triumph. Maurath earned two pin fall wins and scored a 9-1 major decision victory in his third-place bout. Leuci had wins by pin, major decision, and regular decision on the way to the finals. Callahan had a trio of pin fall victories. Vournazos had major decision and regular decision victories on the path to the pinnacle bout. Acea Shaham competed at 195, Almeter competed at 220, and the Nighthawks did not have a representative at 285.Newtown's wrestlers were aggressive, going for pins and piling up match points in efforts to earn extra points throughout the competition."The reason we did so well is we got after the bonus points," Chivinski said.
Newtown High School's wrestling team put together a strong showing, its depth on display, with a tournament-best eight place winners — including an individual champ — on the way to a second-place finish in the South-West Conference championships at Pomperaug High on February 15.
Gymnastics Team Competes In SWC ChampionshipsNewtown High School's gymnastics teams competed in the South-West Conference championships at New Milford High on February 13. The Nighthawks were third overall and first as a team on the balance beam.Newtown High School's gymnastics teams competed in the South-West Conference championships on February 13. The Nighthawks were third overall and first as a team on the balance beam.Hannah Jojo was third in the all around scoring with a 35.850 and Marisa Choi was fourth with a 35.350.On the beam, Jojo had a score of 9.100, Kaitlin Yeaton scored a 9.050, Choi had an 8.950, and Casey Sullivan scored an 8.850.The Nighthawks were second on both the bars and floor. Jojo earned a 9.050 on bars and 9.200 on floor. Choi had a 9.000 on floor.Choi and Lauren Young each had an 8.700 on the vault.Kayleigh Troy had an 8.300 on the vault, Mary Locke an 8.850 on bars, and Addie Sullivan an 8.100 on bars.
Girls' Basketball Team Holds Off KolbeNewtown High School's girls' basketball team built a commanding lead and held off visiting Kolbe Cathedral of Bridgeport 46-39 on February 14.Newtown High School's girls' basketball team built a commanding lead and held off visiting Kolbe Cathedral of Bridgeport 46-39 on February 14.It was a one-possession game late in the second quarter and the Nighthawks pulled ahead 23-16 at the half. A Cyleigh Wilson 3-pointer to open the scoring out of the break extended the lead to ten. Back to back Juliette Cryder baskets made it 30-16.After halftime, the Nighthawks held Kolbe off the scoreboard until five-plus minutes into the third. Shea Murphy had a quick-response 3-pointer moments after the Cougars broke through, making it 33-18 with 2:36 to go in the frame.Cryder's outside jumper made it 35-18. It was 38-24 Nighthawks after three quarters as Amy Sapenter hit a 3-pointer with eight seconds left, stopping a 6-0 Kolbe run.The Cougars got to within single digits at 39-30 less than three minute into the fourth. Cryder cut to the rim and took a back-door pass from Carlie Smith to make it an 11-point lead and Smith canned a left side 3-pointer moments later for a 44-31 advantage with 3:45 left.Kolbe pulled to within six at 44-38 with 1:05 to play and made it a five-point game with 27 seconds left before the Nighthawks finished things off.Newtown closes out the regular season with a Tuesday, February 18 visit to New Fairfield at 7 pm. The Hawks will host a South-West Conference tournament quarterfinal-round game on Friday, February 21; game time is scheduled for 7 pm.
Newtown Skiers To Compete In Regional Championship Race In Early March
Four Newtown High School students will represent Team Connecticut in the annual High School Alpine Regional Championships at Cannon-Mittersill Mountain in New Hampshire on March 5-8, and they all happen to be from the same family.Four Newtown High School students will represent Team Connecticut in the annual High School Alpine Regional Championships at Cannon-Mittersill Mountain in New Hampshire on March 5-8, and they all happen to be from the same family.The Jacobs siblings — Nick (senior), Andrew and Matt (sophomores), and Lauren (freshman) — are all members of a newly formed ski racing co-op team with Southbury-based Pomperaug High. Athletic Director Matt Memoli helped to create the co-op effort with Pomperaug’s Alpine racing coach Paul Zackin. Senior Kyle Fralley and freshman Tyler Fralley of Newtown High School also compete on the team.The Jacobs children have had a strong showing all season, with the three boys consistently finishing in the top ten (out of 200) and Lauren taking first or second (out of 180) in every race. The team trains several days a week and compete in the Connecticut Interscholastic Ski League at weekly race events, all held at Mt. Southington.To qualify for Team Connecticut, athletes had to be ranked among the top 12 Alpine ski racers in the state as determined by two separate qualifying races. Nominated skiers competed in a first-round race that cut the field to 30, then the following week’s race produced the top 12 boys and top 12 girls, calculated by the combined results of the two events.In addition to the four Newtown skiers, Pomperaug racer Alec Zackin also qualified, making the Pomperaug/Newtown co-op the biggest contributor to Team Connecticut. Skiers from Greenwich, Darien, Fairfield Prep, Weston, Daniel Hand, Ridgefield, and others compose the remainder of the team.The Jacobs family have been ski racing at Stratton Mountain in Vermont since 2014. At the high school, Nick is also a varsity cross country and track and field captain, Andrew and Matt both play football and lacrosse, and Lauren plays soccer, keeping them active on and off the slopes.NHS Ski Story Newtown Skiers To Compete In Regional Championship Race In Early MarchNHS SkiSportsNone
Boys’ Cagers Bounce Back With Comeback Win Over Green Wave, Lose Close One At Masuk
Newtown High School’s boys’ basketball team overcame a seven-point deficit heading to the fourth quarter and defeated visiting New Milford 52-50 on February 6. The win came two days following a hard-fought 54-53 loss to Immaculate of Danbury.Newtown High School’s boys’ basketball team overcame a seven-point deficit heading to the fourth quarter and defeated visiting New Milford 52-50 on February 6. The win came two days following a hard-fought 54-53 loss to Immaculate of Danbury.The Nighthawks trailed for most of the night and were behind 39-32 heading to the fourth quarter. Jack Petersen’s steal and basket cut New Milford’s lead to a point at 45-44 with 2:05 left.Riley Ward answered a pair of New Milford foul shots with a straightaway 3-pointer to knot the score at 47-47 with 1:39 remaining.Down two points, the Hawks seized their first lead since 8-7 in the first when Joe McCray drained a 3-pointer with 1:01 left, making it 50-49. Ward added a couple of clutch foul shots, including a front-end one and one with 24 seconds left, and the Hawks held on.Petersen and McCray both scored 15 and Ward had 13 to lead Newtown. Liam O’Connell added five and Jack Mulligan tacked on four in the victory.Newtown Coach Tim Tallcouch thought his team struggled against New Milford’s 2-3 zone defense and believed his team was a bit sluggish, possibly in part due to having just played a tense, close game against a strong Immaculate team that is unbeaten in conference play.“These types of games, good teams find ways to win and that’s what we did,” Tallcouch said. “The kids believed in the huddle. They never thought they were going to lose this game.”On February 11, the Nighthawks had a back-and-forth battle at Masuk of Monroe and came up just short, 51-48. Newtown inbounded from its own baseline with less than four seconds to play and executed a last-second chance to near perfection. Tyson Mobley’s desperation shot from just past half court was on target but swirled around the rim and went out, sparking the Masuk celebration.Newtown erased most of a nine-point deficit late in the third quarter. Mulligan and McCray hit back-to-back 3-pointers and Mulligan scored down low with two seconds left in the stanza, making it 38-37 Panthers at the end of three.The Nighthawks trailed 44-41 before going on a 7-0 run highlighted by McCray’s go-ahead baseline 3-pointer from the left and his baseline two-point field goal from the right side, making it 48-44 Nighthawks with 2:25 to play in the game.Masuk answered and finished with a 7-0 run as Jake Rosati canned a 3-pointer then scored near the hoop after a turnover just seconds later, making it 49-48 Panthers with only 43 seconds remaining. Masuk added to the lead at the foul line.“I do actually like games like this. I think, number one, you need to learn how to win games like this,” Tallcouch said. “It wasn’t free throws that bit us tonight. It was some costly mistakes.”Trailing by just a point midway through the fourth, the Nighthawks got steals on consecutive Masuk possessions but subsequently turned the ball back over to the Panthers both times.Mulligan led Newtown with 20 points and McCray dropped in a dozen.All in all, Tallcouch was pleased with his team’s efforts.“I like the way we played tonight,” said the coach, adding that his players overcame early foul troubles and noted that Isaiah Williams and Jack Kuligowski both played well off the bench. Ward and Mulligan had strong chemistry, including on high screens that created good chances to score as well, the coach noted.NHS Boys Basketball Andy Hutchison
Story Boys’ Cagers Bounce Back With Comeback Win Over Green Wave, Lose Close One At MasukNHS Boys Basketball_65SportsNone
Recent works by Bethel artist Katie Bassett, whose new pieces offer an exploration of materials, time and memories through sculptural forms, on view until March 21; 203-270-0222, ArtandFrameofNewtown@gmail.com, ArtandFrameofNewtown.com.
Ages 55+ invited for social and athletic opportunity hosted by Newtown Parks & Recreation, led by Pickleball Ambassador Jan Brown (Jannie1225@msn.com), games weekly through April 6, some equipment available (BYO if possible), registration requested (Activity 226003); 203-270-4340, newtown-ct.gov/parks-recreation.
Edmond Town Hall (Alexandria Room), 45 Main Street
Game fee $11 ($9 members)
Club hosts ACBL-sanctioned duplicate games, play also Tuesdays (12:30 and 7 pm), Wednesdays (10 am) and Thursdays (12:30 pm), social players welcome; 203-733-8525, NewtownBridge.org.
Screenings of animated action-adventure featuring the vocal talents of Will Smith, Tom Holland, et al, rated PG and released in December, continue daily to February 20; 203-426-2475.
Screenings of animated action-adventure featuring the vocal talents of Will Smith, Tom Holland, et al, rated PG and released in December, continue daily to February 20; 203-426-2475.
Newtown Congregational Church (library), 14 West Street
*Weigh-ins 5:45-6:25
Nonprofit weight loss support group, $2/week or membership $32/year, first meeting is free; call Krista (203-264-3728) or Sara (203-948-4270) for more information.
Screenings of animated action-adventure featuring the vocal talents of Will Smith, Tom Holland, et al, rated PG and released in December, continue daily to February 20; 203-426-2475.
Screenings of animated action-adventure featuring the vocal talents of Will Smith, Tom Holland, et al, rated PG and released in December, continue daily to February 20; 203-426-2475.
Clocks of any type should be avoided because the word for clock sounds a lot like the word for the funeral ritual. Clocks also are a reminder that time is running out and are considered a reminder that life will come to an end.
This is great for the Police Department! I guess when you are a small town and don't have many detectives, it helps to have extra people to get evidence! I am surprised though that police officers can have such long hair. I guess it's not as military as I thought. Officer Wickman is so involved in so many things I don't know how he has time to do it all! Congrats Officers!
